Plagued With Problems

Exodus 7:1–12 (ESV) — 1 And the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. 2 You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall tell Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go out of his land. 3 But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, 4 Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and bring my hosts, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment. 5 The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them.” 6 Moses and Aaron did so; they did just as the Lord commanded them. 7 Now Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh. 8 Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 9 “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Prove yourselves by working a miracle,’ then you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent.’ ” 10 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron cast down his staff before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent. 11 Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers, and they, the magicians of Egypt, also did the same by their secret arts. 12 For each man cast down his staff, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs.

I love Michael Jordan, Greatest of all time, the way he could fly through the air, the hoop was on fire when he was doing his thing, the way the crowed would cheer him on, Michale Jordan has to be the greatest stunt man of all time.

Or what if you said to my wife, your daughter is such a wonderful young lady, she is so kind and sweet, and the cake she baked for me was delicious.

This praise would be meaning less, why?

Because its not praise at all, it’s not praise for what is known, it is praise of some made up thing, praise that is meaningless to the one it is directed at.

Into

What do you worship?

How do you know what you worship?

What is worship anyway?

Who is your God?

What God you you worship?

Who is YHWH?

Why should I worship him?

What if I don’t want to?

Can I be in opposition to God?

Verse 5 is the key verse in this passage

That the Egyptians will know that I am God,

This is repeated 12 times through out this section

Let my People Go is repeated 7 times

Exodus 5:1 “1 Afterward Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.’ ””

Exodus 7:16 “16 And you shall say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying, “Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness.” But so far, you have not obeyed.”

Exodus 8:1 “1 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Let my people go, that they may serve me.”

Exodus 8:20 “20 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning and present yourself to Pharaoh, as he goes out to the water, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Let my people go, that they may serve me.”

Exodus 9:1 “1 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, “Let my people go, that they may serve me.”

Exodus 9:13 “13 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, “Let my people go, that they may serve me.”

Exodus 10:3 “3 So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, that they may serve me.”

Not just Let my people go

The reason,

That they may serve me

Not Plagues, but signs and wonders (Possibly 12?)

Purpose of the signs and wonders is that Pharaoh would know who God is

Exodus 3:12 (ESV) — 12 He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”

Deuteronomy 6:22 (ESV) — 22 And the Lord showed signs and wonders, great and grievous, against Egypt and against Pharaoh and all his household, before our eyes.

Deuteronomy 7:19 (ESV) — 19 the great trials that your eyes saw, the signs, the wonders, the mighty hand, and the outstretched arm, by which the Lord your God brought you out. So will the Lord your God do to all the peoples of whom you are afraid.

Form of judgment, so the Egyptions would know who he is

His power is way greater than Pharaoh’s hard heart

Kasha-Hard

Kazach-Strong

Kavade-heavy

What is going on in the text

God has come to rescue his people so that they can worship him

But how can you worship a God you don’t know?

In walks pharaoh, a stubborn opponent to God.

God raises pharaoh to power so that he can not only recuse his people, but show them who he is in the process.

God rescues his people from the hand of pharaoh through great signs and wonders so that all the earth might know that there is none like him in all the universe.

God is revealing his power and character through the signs so that his people will be filled with reverence and encouraged to worship him.

First Sign is the Staff turning into a snake

Pharao asks for a display of God’s power

Snake being destroyed would be a decommissioning of him

Ezekiel 29:3 “3 speak, and say, Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lies in the midst of his streams, that says, ‘My Nile is my own; I made it for myself.’”

Ezekiel 32:2 “2 “Son of man, raise a lamentation over Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him: “You consider yourself a lion of the nations, but you are like a dragon in the seas; you burst forth in your rivers, trouble the waters with your feet, and foul their rivers.”

Isaiah 51:9 “9 Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord; awake, as in days of old, the generations of long ago. Was it not you who cut Rahab in pieces, who pierced the dragon?”

Genesis 1:21 “21 So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.”

Wise men

Genesis 41:33 “33 Now therefore let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt.”

Genesis 41:39 “39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are.”

Sorcerers/Magicians

Genesis 41:8 “8 So in the morning his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was none who could interpret them to Pharaoh.”

Genesis 41:24 “24 and the thin ears swallowed up the seven good ears. And I told it to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.””

Daniel 1:20 “20 And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom.”

Daniel 2:2 “2 Then the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans be summoned to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king.”

Swallowed

Exodus 7:12 “12 For each man cast down his staff, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs.”

Exodus 15:12 “12 You stretched out your right hand; the earth swallowed them.”

Magicians can only make things worse, they can’t reverse the signs of God.

God speaking to moses, is the sign of the beginning of a new scene

Never freedom for freedom sake, but always so the people can go and worship God

Not just let my people go, but send them away.

In the morning - 1,4, and 7

Stink

Exodus 5:21 (ESV) — 21 and they said to them, “The Lord look on you and judge, because you have made us stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.”

Exodus 7:18 (ESV) — 18 The fish in the Nile shall die, and the Nile will stink, and the Egyptians will grow weary of drinking water from the Nile.” ’ ”

Water to blood

Echoed Egyptian text

Mocked Osiris

Ritual defilement

Consequence of the first born

anticipates the drowning of Egyptian army

God allows mercy with digging for water

Lasts for 7 days, decoration story

Frogs-Just get your attention

Now it is following Pharoah in the palace

Ritual uncleaness

Leviticus 11:34–35 “34 Any food in it that could be eaten, on which water comes, shall be unclean. And all drink that could be drunk from every such vessel shall be unclean. 35 And everything on which any part of their carcass falls shall be unclean. Whether oven or stove, it shall be broken in pieces. They are unclean and shall remain unclean for you.”

Frogs were considered sacred, they might not have been able to kill them

The magicians make more frogs

Exodus 1:7 “7 But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.”

Exodus 1:10 “10 Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.””

Frogs are swarming

Pharoah is forced to admit that YHWH is the source of the frogs-He pleads with YHWH he is being humbled

All tomorrows following this become judgment instead of relief

Exodus 8:13 “13 And the Lord did according to the word of Moses. The frogs died out in the houses, the courtyards, and the fields.”

Exodus 14:30 “30 Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore.”

Pharoah is guilty of injustice - Pharoah is in the drivers seat

DON’T REFUSE THE KINDNESS AND CALL OF THE LORD

3 groups of 3

Prologue

3 groups of 3 (10th in imbedded into the 9th)

Climax sign, swallowing of Pharaoh’s army in the see of Reeds

1st cycle-Staff, Magicians, aaron does action, stretch out hand, pharaoh does not listen, Just as YHWH said)

Lice/Gnats

Aaron strikes (1st and Last in Cycles 1 and 3) the ground - Pharaoh has been striking so he is struck

Dust-

Genesis 13:16 “16 I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted.”

Gnats, lice, mosquitos, fleas, maggots, ticks

Nothing about then flying and its on human and animal, crawling insect

Magicians are unable to replicate the acts, defeated, their power is no match for them, Finger of God (we have only seen the beginning of what he can do)

Second cycle mimics the

first column

Forewarning

in the morning

“take your stand”

“send away”

So that you may know

Whole land of Egypt

Moses and Aaron

Heavy heart

Second Column

Forewarning (no time)

“Send away”

Tomorrow

Refuse to listen

Heavy heart

Third column

Human & animal

“Did not listen”

Firm Heart

Second cycle

Distinction

Increased intensity for ruin of land and people

Flys

Send away, I will send,

Swarm happens 7 times, not sure what kind of swarm

Creation text, Light from dark, sea from land, New work of creation

Tomorrow is a sign of judgment

Book-lost world of the exodus

Ruined- Shahot שׁחת

Genesis 6:11–13 “11 Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt (ruined), for all flesh had corrupted (ruined) their way on the earth. 13 And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy (Ruin) them with the earth.”

Genesis 18:28 “28 Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy (ruin) the whole city for lack of five?” And he said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.””

Genesis 19:29 “29 So it was that, when God destroyed (ruined) the cities of the valley, God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow when he overthrew the cities in which Lot had lived.”

Exodus 12:13 “13 The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy (ruin) you, when I strike the land of Egypt.”

Exodus 12:23 “23 For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer (ruiner) to enter your houses to strike you.”

Pharaoh is hedging, he is partially allowing them to leave

Not good enough-

offensive

Genesis 43:32 “32 They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians.”

Genesis 46:34 “34 you shall say, ‘Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers,’ in order that you may dwell in the land of Goshen, for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.””

Not one remained

Exodus 8:31 “31 And the Lord did as Moses asked, and removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; not one remained.”

Exodus 10:19 “19 And the Lord turned the wind into a very strong west wind, which lifted the locusts and drove them into the Red Sea. Not a single locust was left in all the country of Egypt.”

Exodus 14:28 “28 The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen; of all the host of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea, not one of them remained.”

Livestock Die

Would not release animals, so go takes his animals

V3-to be

Did all the livestock die?

Only effected certain ones

hyperbole?

Bought more

Hail

Heavy hail-(Kabed) corresponds to Pharaoh’s heavy heart

Exodus 12:38 “38 A mixed multitude also went up with them, and very much livestock, both flocks and herds.”

Locust

Darkness

A major disruption to Egyptian society

Anti-life

Uncertain

A sign of Judgment

Isaiah 58:10 “10 if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.”

Re/Ra/Atum- defeater of Re - The main God and the Pharaoh

Son of Re, my sun

3 days asked for, now three days of darkness, nothing was produced for three days

The location matters 8:21

Everyone participates (10:11)

God sets the requirements of Worship (10:26)

Don’t rebel against God

Don’t harden your heart

God is patient and merciful

God is powerful and sovereign

God is worthy of Worship

God determines the perimeters

How might our hearts be hard like pharaoh?

At the start, you don’t know God and you don’t want to know him

Have you seen god at work but refuse to acknowledge that it is him?

Have you realized that it is him but refuse to admit it.

Have even those close to you pointed out your irrational behavior regarding God?

Have you seen god at work but only partially conceded

Have you refused to give god all he is asking from you?

How long will you remain stubborn?

Who is god? What is he like?

Powerful-decreation

Merciful-he could have struck them down

Patient-10 signs before the death

Loving-allows Egypt to come to him

God loves his people and rescues them out of the oppression of the Egyptians

Not all the Egyptians stay loyal to Pharaoh, the pledge their allegiance to yhwh and they are part of the exodus.

Partnering-shares his

What is clear from the text

Those who are in opposition to God will be judged for their rebelión

There are clearly 2 sides, you are either for God, or you are against him

benevolence Sunday