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Three Plagues and the Stubbornness of Pharaoh’s Heart- Ex. 8
As we look at the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th plagues, we are given yet another glimpse into God’s almighty power of everything, Pharaoh’s hard and stubborn heart, Moses and Aaron’s faith in God, and an opportunity for reflection.
You see, we learn from Paul that God has given us His Word (the Bible) for “teaching, reproof, for correction, and training in righteousness” (2 Tim.
3:16).
These purposes of God’s Word form a wonderful tool for us to consider any passage of Scripture.
This is not to say that every passage will offer all four, but many (and I would argue) most will.
Paul will give us our outline as we consider Three Plagues and the Stubbornness of Pharaoh’s Heart.
We will ask four questions of this passage, and these four questions will provide you an excellent tool to study God’s Word on your own.
As you approach Scripture, there are four questions you can ask of every passage.
Of course, not all of these will yield an answer.
However, most will.
The question you must ask yourself is, “Am I willing to ask these questions?”
I. What does this passage teach?
II.
What do I need to repent of?
III.
How can I correct it?
IV.
What steps can I take to be like Christ (i.e., righteous)?
Let us begin with these questions, and as we do so, we will jump back and forth in this passage.
It is structured around the plagues themselves, but we will focus on it from this four-fold question approach.
I. What does this passage teach?
Notice the question because it is vitally important.
It does not ask, “What does this passage mean to me?”
That is a popular question in many Bible studies and group sessions, but that question is completely irrelevant.
What does this passage teach is the question you and I should ask.
This question can be divided into two other questions (or, subquestions).
What does this passage teach about God, and what does this passage teach about humans?
A. What does this passage teach about God?
1. God is patient.
This passage teaches us that God is patient (8:1-2, 13, 16, 20, 31).
God was patient with Pharaoh.
He could have obliterated this defiant king in an instant, and yet He did not.
God was patient with Moses and Aaron.
They have repeatedly questioned God already, doubting God’s power to move and work in their lives.
God was patient with Israel and Egypt as well.
The Lord is slow to anger, 34:6.
He is patient.
Oh, He is so patient with me!
After a thousand sins He still loves me and patiently works with my sinfulness.
Charnock says this,
“The frequent consideration of his patience would render God highly amiable to us.”—Stephen Charnock
That is, God is ever more lovely as we consider HIs patience!
As we see to know Him we will love Him more and more, and many times this love is provoked and strengthened by His patience!
2. God hears prayer.
Notice how many times we read Moses praying to the LORD.
In 8:12 and 30 Moses prays to the LORD.
He has already prayed frequently in this book.
God is a prayer-hearing God.
When you are hurting, pray to God and He will hear you.
When you are broken, pray to God.
When you are happy, pray to God.
Pray, as the apostle Paul tells us, without ceasing.
Charnock gives us this awesome thought, “Never can we so delight in addressing as he doth in imparting.”
That is, God delights more in answering our prayers than we do in praying them.
There is more about God that we could learn: He is holy and demands worship, He is sovereign, He is powerful.
But what does this chapter teach us about us?
B. What does this passage teach us about humans?
1.
That humans are stubborn.
Notice Pharaoh’s consistent response to Yahweh’s power: hardness.
Consider the plagues: frogs everywhere: bedrooms, ovens, and kneading bowls.
Then there are the gnats/lice.
They, too, are everywhere.
Then there are the flies.
These will afflict the Egyptians alone (a point that we will consider in more detail next Sunday, Lord willing).
They, too, are everywhere.
God is waging war against the gods and goddesses of Egypt and destroying them.
It is a slaughter.
Furthermore, God has removed every single aspect of comfort.
They could do nothing without a fly, lice, or frog in the way.
Pharaoh continues in his stubbornness, though.
He does not repent.
He does not acknowledge that God alone is Yahweh, the I AM.
Are we not like this as well?
Do we not find ourselves stubbornly refusing to obey the LORD?
2. That humans can know God without being saved by God.
We see this demonstrated in the magicians.
After failing to reproduce the miracle, they acknowledge, “This is the finger of God!”
But notice the word they use for God.
It is capital G and lower case o-d.
They did not know the LORD.
We see this in passages like Acts 26:28 with King Agrippa.
Again, there is much more we could examine.
But what do we need to repent of?
II.
What do I need to repent of?
What do I need to be reproved for?
Consider Pharaoh.
He stated that he did not know the LORD and would not obey His voice.
Outright rebellion is sin against the God of heaven and must be repented.
However, we see more than outright rebellion.
We see Pharaoh’s stubborn heart under the mighty hand of God.
If you are a Christian, God disciplines you for holiness (Heb.
12: 3-11).
In what area are you failing to obey God? Egypt worshipped false gods/goddesses and sought comfort and provision from them.
What idols are you worshipping?
Consider also Pharaoh’s assumption in 8:10.
“Tomorrow” is a terrifying word.
You may think you can repent later, at another time, but you presume on the grace and patience of God (cf.
James 4:13-17).
Perhaps you need to repent of a middle-ground life.
Notice Pharaoh’s desire in 8:25-32.
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