God On Display
Notes
Transcript
Reading:
1 Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals.
2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?”
3 And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it,
4 and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it.
5 And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”
Introduction:
The 10 plagues which begin here in chapter 7 go through chapter 12 are very special.
The last chapter God instructed Moses to demand that Pharaoh let the Hebrews go.
Pharaoh sticks with the statement: “I don't know your God”
Pharaoh told God no!
Pharaoh’s unknowingly challenging God. He believed his idols were more powerful.
Illustration:
One Friday evening after work a co-worker and I left the job site, I had no cash on me, and I didn't have a credit card at this point in my life.
I started my truck and quickly realized my gas light was on.
My boss was supposed to meet us at the job site and pay us; but he never showed up.
It was a 20 min drive back home via the highway.
At 19 you don't always make the right decisions.
I decided to speed going home on the highway.
It was reckless, not including endangering my co-worker.
While speeding a gold colored car pulled up next to me and mouthed "slowdown".
I looked at him the same way Pharaoh thought of God, I don't recognize any authority you have.
He got behind me, flipped down his sun visor, and a red and blue light started to flicker.
On the side of the road he asked me: why I was going that fast.
I told him I was about to run out of gas so I was hoping the speed would carry me down the off ramp at least into a gas station.
He snickered a little.
I told him the story of my boss not showing up and us not having the cash and being frustrated.
He let me go; but I realized something.
He showed me the authority he had and I was concerned that he was going to exercise it on me.
I was glad he didn't; but he could've.
God told Moses and Aaron that He was going to exercise His authority over Pharaoh and the gods of Egypt.
The plagues are a show to all Egyptians and Hebrews that Jehovah is thee 1 and only God.
The Egyptians needed to be humbled by God's power and authority over everything.
The Hebrews needed to be reminded who instructed Abraham to leave Ur and who the God was that Isaac and Jacob obeyed and followed.
Their heritage was faith in Yahweh and all of them knew the stories of their forefathers obeying His direction.
They needed to turn from their idol worship of the Egyptian gods and place Jehovah on the throne of their lives, and only Him.
Transition:
Chapter 7 provides us a window to see God’s authority, not just over Egypt or the Hebrews; but over all of His creation, that we can believe in ourselves.
It was brought to us as God’s:
Authority Was Challenged (1-13)
Authority Was Challenged (1-13)
Moses had been called into a position to represent God to the Egyptians and the Hebrews.
This position became such an authoritative position that God states how Pharaoh would view Moses.
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.
Moses will be thee authority to Pharaoh, and Aaron will be his prophet.
For Pharaoh to see Moses as a god, Moses would have to prove his authority.
His authority would be evident through the plagues.
Along with the command to let the Hebrew people go.
A prophet is: a spokesman or speaker for the authority they represent.
Basically a mouthpiece for what message the god would relay to the people.
Aaron was to be Moses’ prophet.
Moses will function like God in relation to Pharaoh or that he would be in the position of God over Pharaoh.
This is similar to the dominion that Adam and Eve were to hold as representatives to the world.
This can gets kicked further down the road into the New Testament where we can find our ideology as Ambassadors.
Which is defined as:
A minister of the highest rank employed by one prince or state, at the court of another, to manage the public concerns of his own prince or state, and representing the power and dignity of his sovereign. Embassadors are ordinary, when they reside permanently at a foreign court; or extraordinary, when they are sent on a special occasion. They are also called ministers. Envoys are ministers employed on special occasions, and are of less dignity. -Noah Webster 1828
Connection:
As a believer in Jesus Christ we are to represent Him as if He is the one talking with people all day long.
Personally: That is impossible!
How can we accomplish that?
We must remember every single day, principals that Jesus taught us about discipleship:
23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
We must give up our will for His will. Each day our purpose is to reveal Him to others.
We do that by:
Giving evidence we provide through our character and how we conduct ourselves
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
With our speech.
29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.
6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
We are to reveal Jesus to all.
This doesn’t meant that everyone we encounter will accept Christ, more will be like Pharaoh and reject any other authority than themselves.
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.
Pharaoh’s heart was hardened through circumstance of being challenged by authority greater than his and being embarrassed. His pride made him furious and hardened.
Because of Pharaoh’s inability and unwillingness to submit to the Lord, God’s will still moves forward!
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.
The whole nation of Egypt will know I am the Lord and I did this!
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.”
Knowing what will happen, no matter what takes place between now and the point when the Hebrews are leaving, would give confidence and strength to endure anything that happens.
Moses and Aaron now have a refreshed boldness with which to approach Pharaoh.
Pharaoh wants an “example” for the Lord they serve.
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.
13 Still Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.
Pharaoh left this meeting angry.
He lost that round, his magicians had no power over Moses’ God.
Transition:
This was also foretold to Moses.
9 If they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground, and the water that you shall take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground.”
They won’t listen, here is what you do next.
The Lord provided Pharaoh with the:
First Plague (14-19)
First Plague (14-19)
Pharaoh wasn’t going to let them go because of a few tricks that his magicians could do, even though Moses’ authority was superior!
God instructed Moses what to do, and he obeyed.
14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is hardened; he refuses to let the people go.
15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning, as he is going out to the water. Stand on the bank of the Nile to meet him, and take in your hand the staff that turned into a serpent.
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.
17 Thus says the Lord, “By this you shall know that I am the Lord: behold, with the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water that is in the Nile, and it shall turn into blood.
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.” ’ ”
This would’ve been catastrophic to Egypt.
Moses learned his lesson earlier and trusted God’s direction and believed in His will.
19 And the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, their canals, and their ponds, and all their pools of water, so that they may become blood, and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, even in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.’ ”
20 Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded. In the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants he lifted up the staff and struck the water in the Nile, and all the water in the Nile turned into blood.
21 And the fish in the Nile died, and the Nile stank, so that the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile. There was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.
Talk about making a splash onto the world stage. (haha)
One commentator Tony Merida says this about how bad this would’ve been for Egypt.
Exalting Jesus in Exodus (First Cycle of Plagues (7:14–8:19))
The Nile was the lifeblood of Egypt. Essentially, there is no Egypt without the Nile. It was responsible for transportation, irrigation, drinking water, food, and the setting of the calendar. This type of catastrophe would be similar to cutting off all oil supplies, the stock market collapsing, drinking water being contaminated, and having no food in the grocery store. It would be total chaos. It is no surprise that the Egyptians worshiped the Nile as their creator and sustainer. At least three deities were associated with the Nile: Osiris, Nu, and Hapi (Ryken, Exodus, 220). God totally humiliated these gods when He turned it into blood.
This plague would’ve impacted their stability as a country.
This plague humiliated their spiritual foundation as well.
Here 3 deities are easily beaten by the Lord with a stick.
Osiris:
Osiris was the god of fertility and the embodiment of the dead and resurrected king.
Nu:
Is supposedly the embodiment of water. People would worship the lake or the river as Nu.
It was neither male or female; but in the language there needed to be depictions.
When depicted as male, there would be a head of a frog and be green with a blue body.
When depicted as female it was a snake or a snake headed woman.
Hapi:
Symbolized fertility and was the god of the Nile.
When Hapi showed up in Egypt there was flooding which fertilized the areas of desert which wasn’t fertile until Hapi deposited nutrient rich sediment onto the land.
God in one action displaced 3 Egyptian gods and showed his superiority over them.
Moses struck the Nile and all water changed, including what was in jars and pools and ponds.
The fish died and all of Egypt had no drinking water and it smelled!
The beating of those deities from the Lord stunk!
Everyone would know why it stunk in Egypt.
Connection:
Many of us might not recognize it; but we have idols.
It could be the things we hope in the most.
Finances.
Our abilities
Mental or physical
Government.
Laws.
One day those idols we depend on will be tested by the Lord.
He isn’t testing us to shame us.
He is highlighting a dark area of our lives that needs to be brought into the light and placed at His feet.
He is trustworthy and able to provide for what we need.
Believe in Him the same way you believed in that idol.
Transition:
What was Pharaoh’s response to God’s display of authority?
This God who Pharaoh did not know, who in his mind, had no right to ask for the Hebrews to be let go so they could worship Him.
He clung to his pride and to his deities, along with himself in that category and believed in a:
False Hope (20-25)
False Hope (20-25)
22 But the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts. So Pharaoh’s heart remained hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.
23 Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and he did not take even this to heart.
24 And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile for water to drink, for they could not drink the water of the Nile.
I imagine this kind of thing:
The magicians standing there holding a pail of water that had already turned into blood and them saying:
Ala peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, then pouring it out as if they did it also.
But that isn’t what scripture reveals.
22 But the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts. So Pharaoh’s heart remained hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.
These “secret arts” are what we would understand as incantations, or magic.
That’s ridiculous pastor Dave, magic isn’t real.
Spiritual perversion is what it is, a perverted use of spiritual authority.
There is a spiritual realm that we fight against in our daily battles.
In Ephesians we are told who we fight against.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
You better know that there is a spiritual realm, and there is a battle going on.
The only authority we have is God’s presence and prayer!
But our strength rests in our faith!
Satan and his demons are able to use power to steal and win peoples trust and faith.
There are some psychics who aren’t just doing parlor tricks or mentalizing their prey.
Go to Haiti where voodoo is practiced regularly.
Illustration:
I watched a testimony of a man who was high up in Palu Mayumbe and also voodoo.
He said he could do powerful things, he could speak curses into a whole neighborhoods and they would come true.
He would make animal sacrifices throughout the day because there was power in the blood of those animals.
Then at night he would use that power to do almost anything he wanted.
There was something awesome he said in his testimony though:
He went into a neighborhood one time to speak a curse against his enemies in that neighborhood.
A group of people were praying for their neighborhood in Jesus name and he said he was powerless, he was like a baby before a man.
Us here and now understand there is a spiritual realm; but we pass by the thought of it because it seems very childish.
Other countries know and understand this a little better because of the normal satanic influence.
This power people feel with the secret arts makes them desire more and believe they are untouchable.
22 But the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts. So Pharaoh’s heart remained hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.
23 Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and he did not take even this to heart.
Pharaoh’s confidence was in their spiritual perversion, he wasn’t ready to submit seeing how his magicians could do a similar thing in their own power.
Pharaoh had hope in his sorcerers and their magic; but that hope was misplaced in a very weak authority.
His magicians had a hurdle they couldn’t jump:
24 And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile for water to drink, for they could not drink the water of the Nile.
25 Seven full days passed after the Lord had struck the Nile.
They couldn’t reverse or overtake Jehovah.
Conclusion:
Are our hearts hardened like Pharaoh’s?
If God challenged the idols we trust or believe in.
Would we submit to Him or will we fight and go back to our chambers as Pharaoh did?
I see God extending mercy to Pharaoh and all of Egypt through the plagues.
God is providing another opportunity for them to accept the Lord of the Hebrews before they received more plagues.
Why is it so hard for us to submit to God?
Each time we do things the way we want to it falls short of perfection.
When we listen to God’s warnings and accept what He can do or what He is doing.
It comes out perfect and it amazes us each time; worthy of glorifying Him.
Don’t believing in a false hope like Pharaoh did.
Trust that God has orchestrated things in your life to reveal Himself and His will to you.
When things don’t seem to be working out great: Pray about it and ask for God’s wisdom or that He would reveal whether or not your following your desire over His.
Then be patient and wait for how He will move pieces and look for what He is doing.
Then praise Him for it.
- Pray.
