When Nature Turns Against Us

Call to worship:

Psalm 107:1–11 NKJV

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy, And gathered out of the lands, From the east and from the west, From the north and from the south. They wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way; They found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, Their soul fainted in them. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, And He delivered them out of their distresses. And He led them forth by the right way, That they might go to a city for a dwelling place. Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul, And fills the hungry soul with goodness. Those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, Bound in affliction and irons— Because they rebelled against the words of God, And despised the counsel of the Most High,

First Reading:

Colossians 3:1–11 NKJV

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.

Scripture and Prayer:

Luke 12:13–21 NKJV

Then one from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” But He said to him, “Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?” And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” ’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

I Can’t Even Walk

I thought that number one would surely be me, I thought I would be what I wanted to be. I thought I could build on life's sinking sand, But I can't even walk without You holding my hand.

I thought I could do a lot on my own, I thought I could make it all alone; I thought of myself as a mighty big man, But I can't even walk without You holding my hand.

Chorus

Lord I can't even walk without You holding my hand. The mountain's too high and the valley's too wide. Down on my knees, I learned to stand. Because I can't even walk without You holding my hand.

think that I'll make Jesus my All, From now on when I'm in trouble, on Him I will call; If I don't trust Him, I'll be less than a man, You see I can't even walk without You holding my hand.

Chorus

Lord I can't even walk without You holding my hand. The mountain's too high and the valley's too wide. Down on my knees, I learned to stand. Because I can't even walk without You holding my hand.

Can't even walk without You holding my hand.

Music and Lyrics by Colbert Croft and Joyce Croft

Bible Passage: Exodus 8:16-19

Exodus 8:16–19 NKJV

So the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your rod, and strike the dust of the land, so that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.’ ” And they did so. For Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod and struck the dust of the earth, and it became lice on man and beast. All the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt. Now the magicians so worked with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not. So there were lice on man and beast. Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, just as the Lord had said.

INTRO:

TS: In this passage, God brings the third plague upon Egypt, sending lice/biting gnats to afflict the land and its people, demonstrating His power over the forces of nature and the false gods of Egypt. This is the final plague in the 1st triad. The pattern established here holds true throughout the rest:

Pharoah warned at the water- water turned to blood

Pharoah warned in the palace- Frogs

Final plague in triad with no warning- Gnats

Application: This passage serves as a reminder of God's sovereignty and ability to intervene in our lives, even in the most painful or unexplainable circumstances.

It encourages believers to trust in God's plan, even when things seem chaotic or when nature itself seems to rebel against us. The sermon teaches about God's authority over creation and His willingness to confront human pride and rebellion through affliction, ultimately pointing to our need for humility before a holy God.

Big Idea: God’s sovereign authority is undeniable, even in the chaos of our lives; we are called to recognize His power and submit in faith during trying times.

1. Stings and Service

Exodus 8:16–17 NKJV

So the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your rod, and strike the dust of the land, so that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.’ ” And they did so. For Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod and struck the dust of the earth, and it became lice on man and beast. All the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.

EX: God continues His judgment of Egypt

V. 16

With no warning, this plague follows on the heels of the 2nd. God sent Moses to have Aaron “stretch out your rod”

The message from God had already been delivered: Let my people go

Before the plagues-

Before both the 1st and 2nd

Now judgment came due to Pharoah’s hard heart.

lice- Newer versions prefer the translation, gnats

It references little stinging insects barely visible the the naked eye.

This insult to the priests/magicians was doubling insulting because they went to great lengths to keep themselves ceremonially pure for service before their gods.

They would frequently wash and shave all body hair

The stings/lice would blemish them and leave them unfit for service.

V.17

both humans and animals affected

All the land was affected- Egyptians and Israelites

This is the last time until the final plague.

God sent judgment with no further warnings.

This may not sound like that big of a deal, but think of being bitten by mosquitoes non-stop with no relief.

I’ve watched some survival challenges in which participants get covered with bites head to toe and are so miserable, they end up quitting!

I imagine that is what this was like.

This judgment was a slap in the face of 2 of Egypt’s goddesses

Hathor and Nut in Egyptian Mythology

Demonstration of Yahweh’s Superiority:

1. Challenge to Egyptian gods -

Hathor: As a goddess linked to the earth (through her cow imagery) and protection, Hathor’s inability to prevent or stop the infestation of gnats from the dust showed her lack of control over creation. The plague disrupted her domain of fertility and nurturing, as the land became a source of torment.

Nut: As the sky goddess, Nut’s cosmic authority was challenged indirectly, as the plague filled the air (her domain) with swarming pests, symbolizing chaos overriding her order. The dust, tied to the earth beneath her, became a tool of Yahweh’s power, not hers.

Other Deities: Gods like Geb (earth) or Khepri (creation, associated with insects like scarabs) were also implicitly challenged, as the dust and insects were under Yahweh’s command, not theirs.

2. Sovereignty Over Creation:

- The transformation of dust into gnats demonstrated Yahweh’s absolute control over the natural world, which Egyptians attributed to multiple deities.

By using something as mundane as dust, Yahweh showed that even the smallest elements of creation obeyed Him, unlike the Egyptian gods who were confined to specific domains.

3. Judgment on Egypt’s Worldview:

- The plague humiliated Egypt’s religious system, which revered the land and sky as divine.

By turning the dust (linked to Geb and Hathor) into a plague and filling the air (Nut’s realm) with pests, Yahweh asserted dominance over the Egyptian cosmos, proving their gods powerless against His will.

AP: God is still in control

God is still the Most High

He is above all gods/goddesses, presidents, kings, emperors, etc.

There is no force or entity, natural or supernatural NOT under His rule.

We must acknowledge that

God has given us His standard in His word, we don’t need a special warning from a prophet.

It is guide for all we are to believe and do

It gives us positive commands: DO this

It gives us negative commands: DON’T do this

Scripture even has many examples of God blessing those who follow Him and judgement of those who walk in rebellion.

This assertion of divine power challenges us to acknowledge God's presence in our trials, encouraging trust in His purposeful sovereignty.

We must consider areas where we may be resistant to acknowledging God’s hand and accept the challenge to surrender control and serve Him.

2. Acknowledging God’s Authority

Exodus 8:18–19 NKJV

Now the magicians so worked with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not. So there were lice on man and beast. Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, just as the Lord had said.

v. 18 Like before, the magicians step up to the plate to take a swing at replicating the act of God

1st Plague they made more blood

2nd Plague they summoned more frogs

3rd They hit a brick wall!

V. 19

This demonstrated God’s Supremacy Over Egyptian Magic:

They had reached their limit at the 20% mark

The failure of the magicians to replicate the plague highlighted the limits of Egyptian priestly power, which was tied to their gods.

The Egyptian magicians admitted defeat, recognizing the presence of the 'finger of God.'

They acknowledged the divine aspect of Moses and Aaron’s power.

The accept that it wasn’t just cheap parlor tricks, but rather the hand of the divine

Their admission of divine intervention (“the finger of God”) implicitly recognized Yahweh’s superiority over their pantheon, including Hathor and Nut.

Egyptian magicians, likely priests of gods like Thoth or Ptah, attempted to replicate it but failed, declaring, “This is the finger of God” (Exodus 8:19), acknowledging a divine power beyond their control.

Hathor and Nut were central to Egyptian theology, representing fertility, protection, and cosmic order.

The third plague of gnats/lice showcased Yahweh’s superiority by overriding their domains, exposing the impotence of Egyptian gods, and compelling even Pharaoh’s magicians to acknowledge a greater divine power.

This act reinforced the biblical narrative of Yahweh as the sole sovereign over creation, distinct from and above the limited deities of Egypt.

Pharoah’s Heart

This demonstrates his own arrogant nature

God isn’t said to harden it here and there was no evidence to dispute he was on the loosing side. (Magicians’ failure)

All the evidence and testimony before that THIS plague was the finger of God didn’t sway him.

He remained in defiance of Yahweh

Yet his heart hardened.

He persisted in stubborn defiance of God.

AP: Acknowledge God!

This passage illustrates the limits of human power and wisdom.

Walter C. Kaiser, Jr. is a prominent American Evangelical Old Testament scholar, writer, public speaker, and educator. He is recognized as a leading voice in the field of Old Testament studies.

Biblical wisdom stresses the limits on human wisdom. Yet it upholds the fact that divine guidance and perspective are available for all of life; indeed, even for the most mundane aspects of living and acting.

Walter C. Kaiser, Jr.

While we are limited, we serve a limitless GOD.

We have a limited perspective, God sees everything with 100% clarity!

We have limited understanding, God knows everything.

Knowing this, we are invited into humility, understanding that human strength has boundaries but God's power does not.

We must rely on Him

I thought that number one would surely be me, I thought I would be what I wanted to be. I thought I could build on life's sinking sand, But I can't even walk without You holding my hand.

I thought I could do a lot on my own, I thought I could make it all alone; I thought of myself as a mighty big man, But I can't even walk without You holding my hand.

Lord I can't even walk without You holding my hand. The mountain's too high and the valley's too wide. Down on my knees, I learned to stand. Because I can't even walk without You holding my hand.

Accept the challenge to rely on God’s limitless power and to humbly submit to His will during life's trials, just as Pharaoh should have.

This submission leads to deliverance and spiritual growth.

Conc

Commit to serving God faithfully

Rely on His limitless power to carry us through life’s trials.