No Compromise!

Introduction

Have you ever accused God of being vainly redundant? In other words, He seems to not get the picture that nothing is going to change about my situation and circumstances. I am sure there were some who entertained such thoughts. Moses did earlier on in this story.

Always keep this in mind: God is writing His holy narrative in the hearts of people. That includes your heart! You can mark it down that God will never step into time and space without a pure purpose for doing so. You can sum it up this way; God is carefully giving you revelation about himself so you in turn can live for His glory.

The big statement about this text is regarding the plague of darkness and truly how dark life becomes when you always choose to make a compromise with the Father.

Let us leave this moment of worship having learned two things:

The ways of this world (its philosophies and systems) are rooted in darkness.

The believer should never live a life of compromise with God.

1) A Dreadful Darkness (vv21-23)

A. The personal touch of darkness

It was a total darkness

Lights of heaven were clouded, but that all their fires and candles were put out by the damps or clammy vapours which were the cause of this darkness [Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 109). Peabody: Hendrickson.]

(v23) It was impossible to see ANYTHING or ANYONE!

God was putting out the flame of the wicked.

It was definitely a direct attack on “Ra” the sun god.

Job 18:5-6

The Egyptians by their cruelty would have extinguished the lamp of Israel, and quenched their coal; justly therefore does God put out their lights. [Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 109). Peabody: Hendrickson.]

(v21) This darkness could be felt.

This level of darkness makes you feel a lot of things:

A lonely heaviness.

A strong vulnerability.

A scary anxiety (hearing things, mind playing games)

A feeling of being trapped or suffocated

Illustration: Mammoth Cave

(v23) Their fear overpowered their courage to physically move.

Illustration: We know of this fear in the context of our recent experiences; 2021 COVID.

Spiritual darkness is equal to spiritual bondage.

Quote: Spiritual darkness is spiritual bondage; while Satan blinds men’s eyes that they see not, he binds them hands and feet that they work not for God, nor move towards heaven. They sit in darkness. (Matthew Henry)

For your heart to continue in a perpetual posture of loving and choosing darkness over light will only intensify the darkness in your life.

B. The boundary of darkness (v23)

Even though the darkness may be all around you, you can live in the light of the Gospel.

Remember, God IS LIGHT!

Quote: When God made this difference between the Israelites and the Egyptians, who would not have preferred the poorest cottage of an Israelite to the finest palace of an Egyptian? There is still a real difference, though not so discernible a one, between the house of the wicked, which is under a curse, and the habitation of the just, which is blessed [Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 109). Peabody: Hendrickson.]

Proverbs 3:33

During these three days of darkness to the Egyptians, if God had so pleased, the Israelites, by the light which they had, might have made their escape, and without asking leave of Pharaoh; but God would bring them out with a high hand, and not by stealth, nor in haste [Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 109). Peabody: Hendrickson.]

2) A Deceitful Compromise

A. One last attempt

Let us remember that Pharaoh has lost a lot of real-estate up to this point.

I think it is reasonable to say that this is a last ditch effort to recoup what he lost.

Others say that this was a plan for the Hebrews to return at a later time to reclaim their livestock.

Either way, this a compromise to the demands of God.

Think of this parallel of bargaining with God:

It is common for sinners thus to bargain with God Almighty. Some sins they will leave, but not all; they will leave their sins for a time, but they will not bid them a final farewell; they will allow him some share in their hearts, but the world and the flesh must share with him: thus they mock God, but they deceive themselves [Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 109). Peabody: Hendrickson.]

Though men dispute them ever so long they cannot possibly alter them, nor bring them lower. We must come up to the demands of God’s will, for we cannot expect he should condescend to the provisos of our lusts. God’s messengers must always be bound up by that rule [Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 109). Peabody: Hendrickson.]

B. No compromise!

Moses is saying, “We must take everything God has given us for we do not know what he will require.”

What numbers and kinds of sacrifices would be required they did not yet know, and therefore they must take all they had. [Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 109). Peabody: Hendrickson.]

We must be like Moses and lead our families with this model:

Leave nothing in the world’s care. It belongs to God and therefore for His glory!

We do not know what use God will make of what we have.

We do not know in what way He will call upon us to honor Him with it.

Take EVERYTHING with you wherever God leads you.

Moses leaves in anger and told Pharaoh there will be a time soon coming when his proud spirit would come down (12:31)

Conclusion

Here are a couple of things to remember:

The ways of this world (its philosophies and systems) are rooted in darkness.

The believer should never live a life of compromise with God.