Interlocked Lesson 11 Part 3

The 10 Plagues

SONGS:

Lord I need you

Opening Illustration:

Water has always amazed me. Especially in the mountains.

I love hiking to waterfalls.

There is a place not far from here called Dupont national forest.

In Dupont, there are 3 different waterfalls that are very close to one another and together they are called triple falls.

If you’ve ever seen the movies the hunger games, parts of those movies were actually filmed around triple falls.

But I’ve seen triple falls at various times. I’ve seen it calm and I’ve seen it really rough.

One of the craziest parts of this place though is sometimes you will go and the entire landscape around the bottom of the falls has changed.

Why does that happen?

rain and flooding.

Sometimes the water levels rise so much that it stirs up fallen trees or even knocks over some trees from the power of the water.

It creates new paths to walk.

The rough waters throughout the seasons change the nature around it.

And as you stand there and observe, it’s easy to just be amazed at how much more powerful the water is than you are.

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Transition:

And that brings me to the point today that in Egypt, when God unleashes the 10 plagues on the Egyptians, He is showing them how powerful He is.

1. He is God and there is no other.

Pharaoh is not God.

Pharaoh’s magicians are not gods.

Their idols with strange heads and bodies that are carved from stones are not God.

It is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob who is the True God.

Him and Him alone.

The first two miracles Moses and Aaron revealed in Egypt were the Plague of the Nile into blood and the plague of frogs.

However Exodus 7:22 “22 But the Egyptian magicians did the same things by their secret arts, and Pharaoh’s heart became hard; he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said.”

In reference to the Nile turning to blood and

Exodus 8:7 “7 But the magicians did the same things by their secret arts; they also made frogs come up on the land of Egypt.”

They also do it with the frogs.

By the third plague though, Pharaoh’s magicians were outmatched.

Exodus 8:16–19 “16 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the ground,’ and throughout the land of Egypt the dust will become gnats.” 17 They did this, and when Aaron stretched out his hand with the staff and struck the dust of the ground, gnats came on people and animals. All the dust throughout the land of Egypt became gnats. 18 But when the magicians tried to produce gnats by their secret arts, they could not. Since the gnats were on people and animals everywhere, 19 the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hard and he would not listen, just as the Lord had said.”

What did the Egyptian magician’s say after this plague?

“This is the finger of God...”

It’s clear too that they are admitting defeat.

They are clearly giving credence to the God of Moses being superior to their gods.

But before we move on, I want to show you something interesting.

The plagues that God does in Egypt are not random.

Do you know that?

In fact, even more, they are specifically targeted.

All of the plagues God performs are in direct opposition to some of the idols that Egypt worshiped.

*Note Chart on Page 15*

All of this should tell us this is God in control, not Pharaoh and not the false gods of the Egyptians.

But who was considered the most supreme god in Egypt?

Pharaoh himself!

Pharaoh likely thought the god of the Slaves was weak because they were slaves!

Clearly He was superior to them.

But remember what the final plague was that happened in Egypt?

The plague of the firstborn.

A plague that directly attacked Pharaoh.

Remember what Pharaoh had directed when he made the Israelites slaves?

I’ll Remind us in Exodus 1:22 “22 Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: “Every Hebrew boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live.””

God considered Israel his firstborn son.

So God told Pharaoh.

Exodus 4:22–23 “22 Then say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son, 23 and I told you, “Let my son go, so he may worship me.” But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.’ ””

God proves through this final plague that He is God.

He is Yahweh.

There is none greater than he.

Exodus 12:12 “12 “On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord.”

God always has been and always be God.

He is the source of Life.

He is also the source of salvation.

Even when governments seem oppressive and the world seems dark, God is still active in His creation and He is working towards His purpose.

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Pharaoh believed in the Kingdom of Man.

Show graphic on page 19

Man will never save himself through his own ideas.

It’s always salvation by God and it always will be.

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2. God’s Grace is necessary for Salvation and Redemption.

Exodus 6:9 “9 Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and harsh labor.”

Ezekiel 20:5–7 “5 and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day I chose Israel, I swore with uplifted hand to the descendants of Jacob and revealed myself to them in Egypt. With uplifted hand I said to them, “I am the Lord your God.” 6 On that day I swore to them that I would bring them out of Egypt into a land I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands. 7 And I said to them, “Each of you, get rid of the vile images you have set your eyes on, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.””

While in Egypt, Even though the Egyptians treated Israel so poorly, Israel wasn’t always faithful to God either.

They were constantly turning to idols for their hope and salvation.

Even though the Israelites were frustrated with God, God still chose to save them.

This is perhaps best seen in Exodus 14.

Exodus 14:13–14 “13 Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.””

Even when faced with a wall of water that they could not pass through, Moses reminded the people...

God will fight for you.

All you need to do is be still.

Trust in the Kingdom of Grace.

And the Israelites did watch and they walked across on dry ground.

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APPLICATION:

what are we trusting in?

The kingdom of man is like walking up to that waterfall in dupont and not respecting the water.

Thinking you can just dive into the water under the falls and not get hurt.

the truth is, if you get in that water, you will probably die.

That’s where the kingdom of man always leads, to death, destruction, and pain.

But God’s Kingdom of grace is where we find salvation.

Which kingdom are you trusting in today?

I think our world is a lot more like that world of Egypt and Israel though than we care to admit.

*SHOW GRAPHIC PAGE 22*

There is no perfect government.

There is not highlight reel.

There is not amount of subscribers

There is no follows

There is no perfect answer

There is not good life.

Without Jesus.

In Christ, In His Kingdom of grace is the only place we have salvation in this life.

Which kingdom are you trusting in?

The Kingdom of Grace or the Kingdom of man?