Verse for the Day, 30 June 2014.

Exodus 10:7-11  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?"  (8)  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?"  (9)  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."  (10)  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.  (11)  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.

Pharaoh’s servants implore Pharaoh to reconsider his constant refusal to allow the Israelites to go. They urge Pharaoh to look at the land of Egypt, to look at the state, the misery of his people and to then swallow his pride and let the Israelites go, before any more disaster should come upon them.

Pharaoh listens to them, but not completely, and he seeks to negotiate with Moses, giving permission only for the men to go. When Moses tells him that there are no terms of negotiation, Pharaoh’s anger and pride rears its ugly head and he accuses Moses of evil, which is to indirectly accuse God, the God of the Israelites, the God of Moses, of evil.

Simply put, this passage teaches us that God’s sovereign will and purpose is not negotiable, nor is obedience to God negotiable. We cannot dictate to God what we will, or will not do, we cannot strike a compromise with God, and we cannot think that God will be satisfied with lesser obedience.

When God reveals His will and purpose to us, when God gives us a command, our response is not to question or doubt, but to obey, joyfully, willingly and without hesitation. Chapters 3-12 of Exodus serve as a great example and lesson to us of the great differences between obedience to the will of God and refusal. Pharaoh in refusing to obey comes under the hand of God’s judgement and punishment, the longer he refuses and maintains his pride, the greater the punishment, until Pharaoh’s pride is broken and humbled. By contrast, Moses’ obedience, which was reluctant at first, becomes all the more courageous and he comes to know the faithfulness, presence, power and protection of God, upon himself, Aaron and the people of Israel. Moses receives the blessing that comes with obedience, seeing God’s sovereign purposes accomplished and the blessing of be part of that which God used to bring His purpose about.

We can often times be guilty of trying to strike a compromise with God, trying to negotiate the terms and the level of our obedience to His revealed will, Word and commands. Our obedience can be slow, reluctant and proud, and sometimes absent altogether. If we continue on in such a manner, whilst we will remain God’s children and remain in His grace and love, we will be disciplined by Him until we learn obedience. We should not be reluctant to be obedient towards God, because we believe that He is all-wise and good, therefore He can be trusted to only command us to do what is wise, right and good. Furthermore we should be willing to obey, even when that obedience may be difficult, bringing us into persecution or opposition, because we can learn from men like Moses, that when we walk in obedience, God will uphold, protect, preserve and provide for us, and God will be faithful to us. To question God’s commands, or to be slow to obey, is to in fact doubt and question God’s wisdom, goodness, faithfulness and sovereignty. Thus we have every reason, motivation and encouragement to obey God, for it leads to the increase of His glory, the expansion of His Kingdom and to our good.

Lord God, we believe that You are a God who is both all-wise and good, yet in our sinfulness we can often question Your will and what You call upon us to do. We pray that You will help us to turn away from sinful pride and the folly of our own wisdom and respond to You with joyful, willing and quick obedience. Keep us from becoming like Pharaoh, our hearts becoming hard towards Your Word, make us like Moses becoming increasingly obedient and courageous for You. Amen.

Verse for the Day, 27 June 2014.

Exodus 9:27-30  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.  (28)  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."  (29)  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.  (30)  But as for you and your servants, I know that you do not yet fear the LORD God."

The plagues continue to come against Pharaoh and Egypt, whilst the Israelites remain untouched and under the blessing of God. Pharaoh’s stubbornness, defiance and deceit remains unchanged in spite of the devastation that has come upon the land. Pharaoh’s sinfulness and refusal to acknowledge and obey God is coming at a greater and greater cost. The livestock has been struck down, a number of people have died, and the crops lie destroyed, broken, shredded by the hail. But Pharaoh remains defiant and hard-hearted.

In the verses above, Pharaoh once more speaks deceitfully to Moses and although Pharaoh claims to acknowledge that this is the working of God and his sinfulness towards God, Moses is able to discern what truly lies in Pharaoh’s heart. Pharaoh’s talk is cheap, for he has not truly changed, nor has he genuinely acknowledged his sinfulness before God. Moses rightly says to Pharaoh, “But as for you and your servants, I know that you do not yet fear the LORD God.” Those are frightening words for they illustrate just how hard man’s heart can be. God can demonstrate His presence and His power in a number of ways, with crystal clarity and yet man can still refuse and reject God, man can remain unchanged and unmoved. It leaves one asking; what will it take for Pharaoh to actually fear God?

Pharaoh is not alone in his defiance, refusal and hard-heartedness. Many in our very own day and age have the same attitude towards God, and maintain that attitude even when God works in power. As believers in Christ we are constantly astounded at how hard-hearted some people can be and we rightly fear for their souls and their eternal condition. We know that if man does not come to fear God in this life, he will spend his eternity filled, overcome with fear and terrified of God. Our response as Christians is to be filled with a greater and greater concern and compassion for those who continue to defy God. We should be all the more eager, motivated and zealous to make Christ known to them, so that they might come to truly know God. And as we do this, if they should continue to harden their hearts against God, we should pray all the more for them and plead that God might deal with them graciously now, breaking their proud hearts with the Gospel, before the day of grace draws to a close.

Our awesome and almighty God, You are God that is to be feared by all men, for there is none greater than You. We thank You that through the work of Christ we have come to fear You in the right manner, so that we already bow the knee and worship You. But we pray today for the many who do not fear You and should they die in this state, they will then know Your terror and wrath for eternity. We plead that You would break their hard hearts with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and bring them into Your family. We pray especially for those in our family and amongst our friends who do not fear You. Save them we pray, all for Your glory and for their eternal good. Amen.

Verse for the Day, 26 June 2014.

Exodus 8:16-24  Then the LORD said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 'Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, so that it may become gnats in all the land of Egypt.'"  (17)  And they did so. Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and there were gnats on man and beast. All the dust of the earth became gnats in all the land of Egypt.  (18)  The magicians tried by their secret arts to produce gnats, but they could not. So there were gnats on man and beast.  (19)  Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God." But Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the LORD had said.  (20)  Then the LORD said to Moses, "Rise up early in the morning and present yourself to Pharaoh, as he goes out to the water, and say to him, 'Thus says the LORD, "Let my people go, that they may serve me.  (21)  Or else, if you will not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and your servants and your people, and into your houses. And the houses of the Egyptians shall be filled with swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand.  (22)  But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people dwell, so that no swarms of flies shall be there, that you may know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth.  (23)  Thus I will put a division between my people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall happen."'"  (24)  And the LORD did so. There came great swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh and into his servants' houses. Throughout all the land of Egypt the land was ruined by the swarms of flies.

The first three plagues, blood, gnats and frogs have come upon the land as a result of Pharaoh’s refusal to let the Israelites go. Pharaoh’s magicians have been able to reproduce in part the first two plagues, but not third and even they acknowledge that there is a greater power at work, a work and power that is not human but divine and thus they advise Pharaoh “This is the finger of God.” One would think that Pharaoh might have listened to what his magicians said and reconsidered, but he continues on in the hardness of his heart and now leads himself and his own people into even greater suffering and loss. Up to this point both the Egyptians and Israelites have suffered as a result of these plagues, and therefore one could argue that it was a series of unfortunate events that came upon the nation of Egypt. But now God is going to act with even greater power and greater clarity, to the point that Pharaoh will have to accept that this is indeed the work of God and not nature.

Moses tells Pharaoh that God will now distinguish between the Egyptians and the Israelites, for the plagues that are still to come will be visited only upon the Egyptians. The Israelites will know the favour, protection and prosperity of God, whilst the Egyptians will suffer in great anguish and loss. As this takes place Pharaoh is clearly shown that this is God’s work; that God is the LORD in the midst of the earth, that He is the true and great God, and Pharaoh will see that the Israelites are the people of God’s favour. Thus if he continues to refuse Moses and ultimately God, then he is taking a stand against the God, the LORD of all the earth, and against the people of God’s favour. In doing so he is inviting the judgement and wrath of God, which he and all his people, the Egyptians receive.

God’s preservation and protection of the Israelites from the coming plagues would have served to greatly encourage and assure them that they were indeed the people of God’s favour and that God was working their deliverance. As believers in Jesus Christ we have that same encouragement and assurance for we shall, in the time to come, be spared, protected from the judgement and wrath of God that shall come against all the ungodly. We may know many troubles and trials in this life, and be greatly, even severely opposed and persecuted, but as we endure this opposition we can do so comforted by the fact that the day of God’s judgement is coming when all shall have to give an account. We will be spared by God because of Christ, spared from the judgement and wrath that we so justly deserve, whilst the wicked, the ungodly shall have to endure that judgement and wrath for all of eternity. In that day God shall clearly distinguish between those who are and are not His people, and all the earth shall know that He is the LORD. As comforting as that coming day of justice is, it should also cause us to pray for those who oppose us and for those who will face this just wrath, we should pray that God might bring them to salvation and spare them, as He has so graciously spared us. We should not take delight in the death and eternal sufferings of the wicked, we should desire to see them saved from a worthless and destructive way of life and be brought back to God in salvation.

Our great God we praise You today for You are the LORD of and over all the earth. We worship You for the favour You have extended towards us in making us into the people of Your favour. Through this we have received eternal comfort as we no longer fear Your judgement, but look forward to receiving Your favour in its fullest measure for all eternity. We pray for the many who do not know this favour, who refuse to acknowledge You and are storing up greater and greater wrath for themselves. We pray that in the same manner in which You showed mercy and favour to us, that You would extend mercy and favour to them, bring them into true eternal life. Amen.