Who is the Lord that I should Obey Him

This is the question that Pharaoh asked in Exodus 5:2 after Moses asked for the Hebrew people to be let go from captivity.

This is a question that many of us have asked at one point in our life prior to surrendering to Him

We find ourselves in captivity or bondage willingly to the things of this world, but yet we ask, “Why should I surrender, trust and Obey the Lord”

My Prayer for our time tonight is that as we walk through Exodus 9 we will more clearly see why we should obey him…

Exodus 9:1–7 “1 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and tell him, ‘Thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews: “Let My people go, that they may serve Me. 2 For if you refuse to let them go, and still hold them, 3 behold, the hand of the Lord will be on your cattle in the field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the oxen, and on the sheep—a very severe pestilence. 4 And the Lord will make a difference between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt. So nothing shall die of all that belongs to the children of Israel.” ’ ” 5 Then the Lord appointed a set time, saying, “Tomorrow the Lord will do this thing in the land.” 6 So the Lord did this thing on the next day, and all the livestock of Egypt died; but of the livestock of the children of Israel, not one died. 7 Then Pharaoh sent, and indeed, not even one of the livestock of the Israelites was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh became hard, and he did not let the people go.”

5th Plague: Livestock Diseased

God Declared It

V:1- “Let my people Go, That they may SERVE Me”

He declared this desire repeatedly each time when Moses goes to Pharaoh

But, it is a different phrase than what Pharaoh says each time in response to the aftermath of the plagues.

Exodus 8:28- I will let you go that you may SACRIFICE

“To Sacrifice” is a singular act

The act of making sacrifice to God

The Act of doing something for someone

“To Serve” is a single focus

To Love the Lord with ALL YOUR: Heart, Soul, Mind and Strength.

Server at a Restaurant- Has a sole focus to ensure that the needs and desires of their patrons are pleased

To Serve the Lord- Have a sole focus to worship and honor in all that we do.

He Desires that His People Serve HIM…Because He is worthy of our Worship and Works.

V:2-3 God Declared IT: There will be a consequence for our unrepentant hardening of our hearts

This is a direct attack on the Egyptian god

Hapis: The “Bull god” of fertility

They would worship and pray to Hapis for their lands and crops to be fertile and fruitful…

Hapis would make them Happy

As an agrarian society then their finances would be in good spot if the crops were fruitful

Good thing we don’t serve the god’s of a “Bull market”…right?…

That our happiness isn’t dependent on the rise of a stock ticker, balance of an account or equity in a property

V:4-5 God Declared his Graciousness

He was going to be gracious to the Hebrew people

He also gave Pharaoh time to consider the consequence of further disobedience

2 Peter 3:9 “9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

How often do we see this in our own lives…

The Lord warns His people and graciously gives time to us to repent and be made right with him….

V:6-7 God Did it…Just as He Said…

He took out the Livestock of Egypt but spared that of the Israelites.

“All the Livestock of Egypt”

All-

Either Hyperbole; meaning A GREAT NUMBER

or (V:3) All that are in the field

V:7- Pharaoh sent someone to check out the damage done to the Israelites livestock…

There was none dead…

Checking out the neighborhood after earthquake 5 years ago…

Checked on my kids….

Then went outside to see…did anyone else just experience that or was it just me :P

6th Plague: Boils on Humans and Animals

V:8-9 God Declared It: That there will be boils on man and beasts all throughout Egypt

This plague was physically impactful

Made the the judgement or consequence more tangible as the other plagues didn’t directly impact people

Previous plagues were annoyances and frustrations, whereas this is physically painful.

This plague was phychologically and spiritually impactful

The Egyptians had a FEAR of epidemics and being sick. They highly valued health and wellness

They worship 3 gods that were made to look powerless because of this plague.

Sekhmet- Lion headed goddess over disease

Sunu- god over pestilence

Isis- goddess of healing

This Plague was personally impactful

It was in the furnaces that the Israelites had to take the dirt and dust of the ground and put it together and bake bricks for the grand structures of the Egyptians

Now the ash from the very same furnaces that the Israelites were slave to would be used to cause catastrophic calamity in Egypts

V:10-12- God Did it…Just as He said

Not only did he do it just as He said, but with immediacy

Some Scholars believe that the boils were a form of Anthrax

V:11- This is the last plague that the Magicians are mentioned

They had some minor success “Imitating” the first 2 plagues, but could not replicate the third

God took them out of commission at this point

If we harden our heart, our sin will take us out.

It will blind us, bind us

John 10:10 “10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

7th Plague: Boils on Humans and Animals

V:13 God Declared it- Let MY People Go…That They may Serve ME

We who are His have no business entertaining the things of the world and the world should have no power or hold on us

REMINDER- our purpose in life is to serve Him With ALL we are:

Our Time

Our Thoughts

Our Things

Not just an “ACT” of Sacrifice

V:14- God Declared- I have done all this “That you may know there is none like me in all the earth”

His aim is to be magnified

He is not a dominating dictator that puts people through pain for no reason.

He wants you to KNOW Him.

V:15-17- God Declared- He has the power to raise up and put down leaders…

He has raised Egypt up to be great so he can be shown to be greater

If I were to arm wrestle my 7 year old son timothy and win and declare my victory…you would think I’m pathetic…

But If I call Barry up and have an arm wrestling contest easily beat him…

It shows that I am a formidable and strong!

God Made Egypt Big, so he could show the world that He is bigger…

You might have BIG Problems…but do you let the Lord step in and show that those problems are no match for him?

Or do we try to fight the battle on your own?

V:18-24 God Declared- This is a big one, be warned

Listen up…Hear and do something about it…

V:20- Some were moved to action because of their faith/belief

They had seen the signs of the plagues before and could not doubt any longer

Just like the magicians said in Ch8- “This is the finger of God”

V:21- But some heard and did not believe….

Do you know what happened for those that didn’t listen?

“ALL Hail broke loose”

They were pounded by the hail

They didn’t take serious the grace filled warning of the Lord

V: 25-26- God did Just as He said…

Nothing Left uncovered was spared

Hail damaged and Destroyed plants, animals and people

Fire Consumed all that was left

Those things that were covered in FAITH an Belief were spared.

Those that Saw and believed were moved to action and spared

God Is Glorified by their faith

The Israelites were spared because they were coved by the grace of God that He gives to His people

He is glorified by being their protective father…

V:27-30- God brought Pharaoh through this so He would Glorify the His Name

I have sinned, I am wicked

Confession, but not surrender and obedience

Pharaoh was considered to be a deity

This is a huge admission…but it doesn’t lead to Life with God

2 Corinthians 7:10 “10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.”

V31-35-

V:31-32 (Parenthetical Reference)

Not all was destroyed….

So Pharaoh thought he could hold out…

Do we have ears to hear like some of the Egyptians or do we tune it out like Pharaoh because we think we can make it on our own?

Mathew 11 - Jesus is speaking and reminds the people that all of History and the prophets have pointed to His coming….

But yet they do not receive him

Are we like the Pharisees in Matthew 11 or Pharaoh and don’t listen to the patient proddings of the Spirit to get our attention?

Whether it is a circumstance that He is walking you through so that you will surrender and serve him with all of your heart

Or we maybe have been living a life of Denial of His existence and doing our life on our own…

God’s desire for us tonight is that we would Submit and obey Him and bring our lives fully under HIS COVERING!