Whats Wrong With Our Confession?
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Call To Worship Scripture
Call To Worship Scripture
For he says,
“In a favorable time I listened to you,
and in a day of salvation I have helped you.”
Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases?
As it is said,
“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”
For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses?
As it is said,
“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”
Sermon Scripture
Sermon Scripture
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may show these signs of mine among them, and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and of your grandson how I have dealt harshly with the Egyptians and what signs I have done among them, that you may know that I am the Lord.”
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.
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.
There is a connection between the hard heart of Pharaoh and the later rebellion of Israel. There is a connection put in place by God which makes what God demanded of Pharaoh the same as which he demanded of His people Israel and the same that He demands of us today. That being said, it is God who tells Moses to record how God deals with Pharaoh so that we may know.
Whats Wrong With Our Confession?
Whats Wrong With Our Confession?
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. For if you refuse to let them go and still hold them, behold, the hand of the Lord will fall with a very severe plague upon your livestock that are in the field, the horses, the donkeys, the camels, the herds, and the flocks. But the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that nothing of all that belongs to the people of Israel shall die.” ’ ” And the Lord set a time, saying, “Tomorrow the Lord will do this thing in the land.” And the next day the Lord did this thing. All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one of the livestock of the people of Israel died. And Pharaoh sent, and behold, not one of the livestock of Israel was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go.
Exodus 9:
Observe The Fifth Plauge: (Death of Livestock)
This is the fifth plaugue. The fifthe time of Moses addressing Pharaoh.
Do you ever feel as though you are hitting a brick wall. That the command of God is a no win situation. That you keep doing what He tells you too and keep getting the same descouraging result? Then observe Moses and Pharaoh. Observe the long path. For both appear in great descouragment and/or frustration, yet you have two opposite responses to God. One of faithful obedience and one of outright defiance. But what is the end game?
Pharoh is oporating as lord over a people who rightfully belong to God. “Let my people go”
The purpose of God demanding that Pharaoh release the Israelites is that they may serve God instead of Pharaoh.
Often we thing of God’s deliverance as purposed to deliver us from a bad situation. The truth is as we see, many of the Israelites will prefer the circumstance of Egypt over the wilderness. The societal circumstance is not the purpose of deliverance. The purpose of deliverance is so that the Israelites might be fully free to serve God and God alone. “Let my people go, that they may serve me.”
Pharaoh did not obey God and the plague fell upon Egypt but Israel was protected.
Observe, that those who we picture here as high and mighty and requiring of our service for life, do not have any power over God and yet God has supreme power to protect us from their decisions even while we appear to be held captive by them.
The plague hardened Pharaoh’s heart and he did not let the people go.
And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from the kiln, and let Moses throw them in the air in the sight of Pharaoh. It shall become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and become boils breaking out in sores on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt.” So they took soot from the kiln and stood before Pharaoh. And Moses threw it in the air, and it became boils breaking out in sores on man and beast. And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils came upon the magicians and upon all the Egyptians. But the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had spoken to Moses.
Exodus 9:8-12
Observe the Sixth Plague: (Boils)
God sends Moses in and there is no recorded “let my people go, that they may serve God”
God hardens Pharaoh’s heart
God does not change Pharaoh’s mind…he hardens his heart. Yes, God has supreme power even over the hearts of men to accomplish His purpose.
The purpose/will of God is perfect
God is a good God, a merciful God, a just God
God knows the hearts of man more than man.
It is quite possible that this hardening is an act of mercy to give Pharaoh further time to repent before letting the people go and as such, preserve his own life.
Pharaoh did not listen to them.
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. For this time I will send all my plagues on you yourself, and on your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is none like me in all the earth. For by now I could have put out my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth. But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth. You are still exalting yourself against my people and will not let them go. Behold, about this time tomorrow I will cause very heavy hail to fall, such as never has been in Egypt from the day it was founded until now. Now therefore send, get your livestock and all that you have in the field into safe shelter, for every man and beast that is in the field and is not brought home will die when the hail falls on them.” ’ ” Then whoever feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh hurried his slaves and his livestock into the houses, but whoever did not pay attention to the word of the Lord left his slaves and his livestock in the field.
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, on man and beast and every plant of the field, in the land of Egypt.” Then Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and fire ran down to the earth. And the Lord rained hail upon the land of Egypt. There was hail and fire flashing continually in the midst of the hail, very heavy hail, such as had never been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. The hail struck down everything that was in the field in all the land of Egypt, both man and beast. And the hail struck down every plant of the field and broke every tree of the field. Only in the land of Goshen, where the people of Israel were, was there no hail.
Exodus 9:
Observe the Seventh Plague (Hail)
The command and request is the same, “Let my people go, that they may serve me.”
The command and request is the same, “Let my people go, that they may serve me.”
Let me re-emphasize that we cannot cut that line short. To often the command is quoted as “let my people go” and too often the gospel is cut short in the same way, “you sins are forgiven”. We cannot leave off the “serve God”! When we leave off the “serve God” we venture into the wilderness with no purpose, seek our own “religious” ways and end up longing again for Egypt to our own peril.
Exodus9:27-
Then Pharaoh sent and called Moses and Aaron and said to them, “This time I have sinned; the Lord is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong. Plead with the Lord, for there has been enough of God’s thunder and hail. I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer.” Moses said to him, “As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will stretch out my hands to the Lord. The thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that the earth is the Lord’s. But as for you and your servants, I know that you do not yet fear the Lord God.” (The flax and the barley were struck down, for the barley was in the ear and the flax was in bud. But the wheat and the emmer were not struck down, for they are late in coming up.) So Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh and stretched out his hands to the Lord, and the thunder and the hail ceased, and the rain no longer poured upon the earth. But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet again and hardened his heart, he and his servants. So the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people of Israel go, just as the Lord had spoken through Moses.
Observe Pharaoh’s Surrender
Pharaoh’s Surrender
Pharaoh confessed his sin “this time”, but he did not repent.
Confession is a oops you got me “this time”, while repentance is a life change.
Pharaoh’s confession leads into a surrender a “do this for me” while repentance would have led into a “please allow me serve you”.
Note how Moses tells the difference, “I know that you do not yet fear the LORD God.”
This appears to be just as offensive or if not more offensive to God. It is a arrogance. A, “I know I did wrong (in your eyes), do what you want to fix it and you let me go.”
As soon as Pharaoh gets what he wants, he returns to sin and hardens his heart against God again.
Not only did Pharaoh return to sin, but he returned to the exact sin that he had just confessed was wrong. In doing so he broke his word to God and trampled on the mercy of God.
Observe: We must note the difference in repentance to serve God and confession to get what we want or relief from punishment or bad situations. How do you tell the difference?
Are you fatuiged of life situations or do you yet fear God?
Are you confessing for relief, surrendering for blessing or bowing in reverence and repenting to serve?
Exodus 10:
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may show these signs of mine among them, and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and of your grandson how I have dealt harshly with the Egyptians and what signs I have done among them, that you may know that I am the Lord.”
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. For if you refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country, and they shall cover the face of the land, so that no one can see the land. And they shall eat what is left to you after the hail, and they shall eat every tree of yours that grows in the field, and they shall fill your houses and the houses of all your servants and of all the Egyptians, as neither your fathers nor your grandfathers have seen, from the day they came on earth to this day.’ ” Then he turned and went out from Pharaoh.
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may show these signs of mine among them, and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and of your grandson how I have dealt harshly with the Egyptians and what signs I have done among them, that you may know that I am the Lord.”
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. For if you refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country, and they shall cover the face of the land, so that no one can see the land. And they shall eat what is left to you after the hail, and they shall eat every tree of yours that grows in the field, and they shall fill your houses and the houses of all your servants and of all the Egyptians, as neither your fathers nor your grandfathers have seen, from the day they came on earth to this day.’ ” Then he turned and went out from Pharaoh.
Then Pharaoh’s servants said to him, “How long shall this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve the Lord their God. Do you not yet understand that Egypt is ruined?”
Observe God
Expdis 10”
God has hardened Pharaoh’s heart and the heart of his servants for three specific purposes
Observe God
That He can show signs of His among them
That Moses may tell how God dealt harshly with the Egyptians to his son and grandson
Exodus 9:1
That Moses and his offspring may know that God is the LORD
Observe: Don’t play around with repentance. “Today is the day of Salvation”.
The message from God - through Moses and Aaron - to Pharaoh is:
“How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me?”
“Let my people go, that they may serve me”
Note: The command is clear and gone out before all. Every knee will bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord, that the God of the Hebrews is the Lord of all. Humility is required, service is commanded. There is no in-between Christian or half and half people of God.
Then Pharaoh’s servants said to him, “How long shall this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve the Lord their God. Do you not yet understand that Egypt is ruined?” So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. And he said to them, “Go, serve the Lord your God. But which ones are to go?” Moses said, “We will go with our young and our old. We will go with our sons and daughters and with our flocks and herds, for we must hold a feast to the Lord.” But he said to them, “The Lord be with you, if ever I let you and your little ones go! Look, you have some evil purpose in mind. No! Go, the men among you, and serve the Lord, for that is what you are asking.” And they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.
Observe Pharaoh
Exodus 10:7
Observe Pharaoh
This time leaving out confession and only seeking relief through the pressure of his counsel, Pharaoh calls Moses and Aaron back again with the intent to let some of the people go.
Notice still humility and fear (thus repentance) is lacking. Pharaoh still believes that the only ones that will be freed are who he says has permission, not who God requires. Pharaoh is willing to give in part but not completely. Friends repentance requires complete surrender. We cannot give our lives in part and allow another part to remain in Egypt.
This ends with Pharaoh going back upon his word for a second time and this time calling the purpose of God “evil”.
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, so that they may come upon the land of Egypt and eat every plant in the land, all that the hail has left.” So Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and the Lord brought an east wind upon the land all that day and all that night. When it was morning, the east wind had brought the locusts. The locusts came up over all the land of Egypt and settled on the whole country of Egypt, such a dense swarm of locusts as had never been before, nor ever will be again. They covered the face of the whole land, so that the land was darkened, and they ate all the plants in the land and all the fruit of the trees that the hail had left. Not a green thing remained, neither tree nor plant of the field, through all the land of Egypt.
Exodus 10:12-15
Observe God:
This is the part that God wants us to hear and pass on to our children and our children’s children. To harden our hearts against God, to refuse to humble ourselves and not give God the fear, the reverance that is do Him is the most devestation thing that we can do to our lives and to the lives of those under our care.
In the end, such a life spent in defience, insincere confession, pride, and self-seeking arrogance will result in our own kingdoms destruction. Torment will be known while nothing will be left of gain or life.
Then Pharaoh hastily called Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you. Now therefore, forgive my sin, please, only this once, and plead with the Lord your God only to remove this death from me.” So he went out from Pharaoh and pleaded with the Lord. 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. But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the people of Israel go.
Exodus 10:16-20
Again seeking relief Pharaoh calls for Moses and Aaron.
Again Pharaoh confesses sin, seeks forgiveness but offers no repentance.
Again Pharaoh wants sin removed only for plagues to be lifted.
Again God lifts the plagues, but repentance is not to be had (do to prior rejection) and again Pharaoh refuses to let the people of Israel go.
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness to be felt.” So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was pitch darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the people of Israel had light where they lived. Then Pharaoh called Moses and said, “Go, serve the Lord; your little ones also may go with you; only let your flocks and your herds remain behind.” But Moses said, “You must also let us have sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God. Our livestock also must go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind, for we must take of them to serve the Lord our God, and we do not know with what we must serve the Lord until we arrive there.” But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go. Then Pharaoh said to him, “Get away from me; take care never to see my face again, for on the day you see my face you shall die.” Moses said, “As you say! I will not see your face again.”
Exodus 10:21-
God brings another plague (lasted three days)
Pharaoh again releases the people (this time all of the people)
However Pharaoh still seeks to be in charge. He states that the flocks and herds must be left behind.
God requires it all - if all is not taken service to God is impossible. Let us hear that again - Everything is required, for if all is not taken then service to God is impossible, “we must take of them to serve the LORD our God, and we do not know with what we must serve the LORD until we arrive there”.
Again God hardens Pharaoh’s heart, again Pharaoh went back on his word.
Conclusion:
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. For if you refuse to let them go and still hold them, behold, the hand of the Lord will fall with a very severe plague upon your livestock that are in the field, the horses, the donkeys, the camels, the herds, and the flocks. But the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that nothing of all that belongs to the people of Israel shall die.” ’ ” And the Lord set a time, saying, “Tomorrow the Lord will do this thing in the land.” And the next day the Lord did this thing. All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one of the livestock of the people of Israel died. And Pharaoh sent, and behold, not one of the livestock of Israel was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go.
And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from the kiln, and let Moses throw them in the air in the sight of Pharaoh. It shall become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and become boils breaking out in sores on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt.” So they took soot from the kiln and stood before Pharaoh. And Moses threw it in the air, and it became boils breaking out in sores on man and beast. And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils came upon the magicians and upon all the Egyptians. But the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had spoken to Moses.
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. For this time I will send all my plagues on you yourself, and on your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is none like me in all the earth. For by now I could have put out my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth. But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth. You are still exalting yourself against my people and will not let them go. Behold, about this time tomorrow I will cause very heavy hail to fall, such as never has been in Egypt from the day it was founded until now. Now therefore send, get your livestock and all that you have in the field into safe shelter, for every man and beast that is in the field and is not brought home will die when the hail falls on them.” ’ ” Then whoever feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh hurried his slaves and his livestock into the houses, but whoever did not pay attention to the word of the Lord left his slaves and his livestock in the field.
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, on man and beast and every plant of the field, in the land of Egypt.” Then Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and fire ran down to the earth. And the Lord rained hail upon the land of Egypt. There was hail and fire flashing continually in the midst of the hail, very heavy hail, such as had never been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. The hail struck down everything that was in the field in all the land of Egypt, both man and beast. And the hail struck down every plant of the field and broke every tree of the field. Only in the land of Goshen, where the people of Israel were, was there no hail.
Then Pharaoh sent and called Moses and Aaron and said to them, “This time I have sinned; the Lord is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong. Plead with the Lord, for there has been enough of God’s thunder and hail. I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer.” Moses said to him, “As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will stretch out my hands to the Lord. The thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that the earth is the Lord’s. But as for you and your servants, I know that you do not yet fear the Lord God.” (The flax and the barley were struck down, for the barley was in the ear and the flax was in bud. But the wheat and the emmer were not struck down, for they are late in coming up.) So Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh and stretched out his hands to the Lord, and the thunder and the hail ceased, and the rain no longer poured upon the earth. But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet again and hardened his heart, he and his servants. So the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people of Israel go, just as the Lord had spoken through Moses.
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may show these signs of mine among them, and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and of your grandson how I have dealt harshly with the Egyptians and what signs I have done among them, that you may know that I am the Lord.”
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. For if you refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country, and they shall cover the face of the land, so that no one can see the land. And they shall eat what is left to you after the hail, and they shall eat every tree of yours that grows in the field, and they shall fill your houses and the houses of all your servants and of all the Egyptians, as neither your fathers nor your grandfathers have seen, from the day they came on earth to this day.’ ” Then he turned and went out from Pharaoh.
Then Pharaoh’s servants said to him, “How long shall this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve the Lord their God. Do you not yet understand that Egypt is ruined?” So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. And he said to them, “Go, serve the Lord your God. But which ones are to go?” Moses said, “We will go with our young and our old. We will go with our sons and daughters and with our flocks and herds, for we must hold a feast to the Lord.” But he said to them, “The Lord be with you, if ever I let you and your little ones go! Look, you have some evil purpose in mind. No! Go, the men among you, and serve the Lord, for that is what you are asking.” And they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, so that they may come upon the land of Egypt and eat every plant in the land, all that the hail has left.” So Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and the Lord brought an east wind upon the land all that day and all that night. When it was morning, the east wind had brought the locusts. The locusts came up over all the land of Egypt and settled on the whole country of Egypt, such a dense swarm of locusts as had never been before, nor ever will be again. They covered the face of the whole land, so that the land was darkened, and they ate all the plants in the land and all the fruit of the trees that the hail had left. Not a green thing remained, neither tree nor plant of the field, through all the land of Egypt. Then Pharaoh hastily called Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you. Now therefore, forgive my sin, please, only this once, and plead with the Lord your God only to remove this death from me.” So he went out from Pharaoh and pleaded with the Lord. 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. But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the people of Israel go.
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness to be felt.” So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was pitch darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the people of Israel had light where they lived. Then Pharaoh called Moses and said, “Go, serve the Lord; your little ones also may go with you; only let your flocks and your herds remain behind.” But Moses said, “You must also let us have sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God. Our livestock also must go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind, for we must take of them to serve the Lord our God, and we do not know with what we must serve the Lord until we arrive there.” But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go. Then Pharaoh said to him, “Get away from me; take care never to see my face again, for on the day you see my face you shall die.” Moses said, “As you say! I will not see your face again.”
On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.
After this he went down to Capernaum, with his mother and his brothers and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days.
John 2:
This dealing of God with Pharaoh and the pattern of Pharaoh’s unrepentant heart will continue through ten plagues. The tenth will be the death of all the first born in Egypt including Pharaoh’s own son. This is where we see the picture of passover and have made known to us that there is a distinction between Israel and Egypt, between those resting under the blood of the unblemished and those resting in self, in the rulers of this world and in defiance to God.
Behold, you are beautiful, my love;
behold, you are beautiful;
your eyes are doves.
Behold, you are beautiful, my beloved, truly delightful.
Our couch is green;
the beams of our house are cedar;
our rafters are pine.
It is even found that after all the plagues are multiplied upon Egypt and Pharaoh in utter defeat lets everything go that God has commanded, he still does not know repentance and in not knowing repentance he cannot fully let go as God has commanded. This lack of repentance, this lack of humility finds him out and with his army Pharaoh pursues the Israelites to attempt to take back what belongs to God. This leads to the death of his army and himself.
Friends, when God has commanded that all that belong to be let go from the slavery of sin, when we as God’s chosen rest in the blood of the unblemished Son of God, when we march towards the promised land as a chosen people purposed to serve God, then none of the powers of darkness can prevail against us.
However, when people attempt to patranize God through self-seeking confession, through temporal surrender rather than true repentance and when humility before God and reverance and fear of God are not found in one then the cancer of pride will overtake, the depravity of mans hard heart will remain and as a dog returns to his own vomit so will the confesser who does not serve God as LORD in true repentance. Remember this, pass it onto your children that they may know that such a pattern is a pattern only to death -
And on the contrary, to be of God - is to be of freedom to serve God is to be preserved in life hear and beyond the river, in all of life’s circumstances whether in Egypt, the wilderness or the promised land.