Exodus 9-10
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Intro- Last week we introduced a few things that I want to discuss a little bit further before we get into the next portion of the book of Exodus. We dealt with two topics that raised some questions, that I’m going to do my best to answer and then we will move on.
How did the magicians do some of the same things that God did through Moses?
Generally speaking we try to put things in a neat little package. If something confuses us or unsettles us, we try not to talk about it. However, this is dangerous in Bible study.
We need to recognize that there is a real spiritual realm
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.
Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
In this text, Elisha’s servant was unaware of the spirits that surrounded him and gave them power to defeat the enemy
Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia,
In this passage an angel of the Lord appeared to Daniel. He informed Daniel that he wanted to come to him sooner but he was delayed because a spirit delayed him.
All these passages point to one undeniable fact, there is a real spiritual realm consisting of good and evil.
As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling.
In the NT we read of a woman who had a demon that gave her powers to see into the future.
- Demon possessed man, had incredible strength.
No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons.
We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents,
informs us that those who sacrifice to idols were participating with demons.
Let’s recap
Spirits, both good and evil are real
Spirits had the ability to protect God’s army’s
Evil spirits granted people with incredible strength and “powers”
Those who worshipped idols were participants with demons. Those in Egypt were steeped in idolatry. Therefore, they were participants with demons. I submit that they were able to perform some of the signs because they had the power of demons. However, it quickly became evident that the power of the demons was no match for God.
Does God take away free will?
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,
Several passages state that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, while several say that Pharaoh hardened his own heart.
So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.
For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.
One thing is clear. God had a purpose for Pharaoh. His purpose was to glorify God and that God’s name would be proclaimed in all the world.
If Pharaoh would have submitted to God. News would have spread through all the world that the most powerful man on earth submitted to the God of his slaves.
If he refused to submit, and God overwhelmed him with plagues, until he was defeated that would (and was) spread all through the world. / Meaning, Pharaoh was going to glorify God regardless of his choice, but he did have a choice.
Did God harden Pharaoh’s heart? Yes. Indirectly.
I want you to think about butter.... If you set butter out on a concrete sidewalk in the middle of the summer and the sun is shining bright what happens to the butter? It melts. What if you mixed up some mud and put it on the same sidewalk what would happen? It hardens.
The same sun that melts the butter, hardens the mud. It isn’t the fault of the sun, the result lies in the substance. On the day of Pentecost Jews were cut to their heart with the truth, they repented. others did not. The same message can have different effects.
The fifth plague that God sent was the death of livestock.
This plague is similar to the flies in that it did not effect the livestock owned by the Israelites.
Pharaoh’s heart remained hard and he refused to let them go.
The sixth plague was boils.
The seventh plague was hail
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.” ’ ”
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.
It wasn’t just hail, but it was also fire falling out of heaven.
Pharaoh said he would let them go, but once again, he did not.
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.
Here Pharaoh seems to consider letting them go, but only some of them.
It is important to notice that God is never ok with partial obedience.
The eighth plague was locusts
What a surprise, Pharaoh again, refuses to let them go.
The ninth plague was darkness
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.
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.
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.
This is one of the most incredible of the plagues. It was so dark, they couldn’t see each other. That just stayed still for three days, yet the land of goshen, where the Israelites were, still had light.
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.”
Yet again, Pharaoh tries to partially commit. When Moses pressed him further, he hardened his heart, one final time before letting them go.