Exodus 7:23
“And Pharaoh turned and went into his house. Neither was his heart moved by this.”
Have you ever wondered how different the story of Exodus would read if Pharaoh had only listened to the Lord? Instead, Pharaoh is an example of what we should not do, when we hear the Word of the Lord. We read, Pharaoh refused to allow his heart to be moved. Before ever hearing the Word of God, he had already determined he would not obey. A good friend of mine went on a vacation to a new hotel that was selling time shares. They received a very inexpensive rate on their room, under the condition that they would sit through a sales pitch. Before entering the meeting, he and his wife made a pact, they would not allow themselves to be swayed into purchasing something, no matter how good it sounded. That may be a good way to approach hard sales, but it is a terrible way to approach listening to the Word of God.
Exodus 8:9-10
“And Moses said to Pharaoh, ‘Accept the honor of saying when I shall intercede for you, for your servants, and for your people, to destroy the frogs from you and your houses, that they may remain in the river only.’
So he said, ‘Tomorrow.’ And he said, ‘Let it be according to your word, that you may know that there is no one like the Lord our God.’”
As things heat up around him, Pharaoh’s heart is finally starting to stir. He looks around at the conditions in his nation, because of his rejection of the Lord, and begins to see the need for change. Calling for Moses, he requests that the frogs be removed, to which Moses asks, “when?” The reply from Pharaoh is shocking! He says “tomorrow”, instead of pleading for them to be removed instantly. It is as if he is desiring just one more night. Sin can have that kind of hold on us. We can realize it is destroying us, and still desire to keep it around. The right way to react, when God reveals sin, is to forsake it and cling to Him.
Exodus 8:19
“Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, ‘This is the finger of God.’ But Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, just as the Lord had said.”
The more Pharaoh hardened his heart to the Word of God, the worse things got. Those around him began to recognize this was the Lord. Yet, Pharaoh’s heart continued to resist the Lord. There are times, when we refuse to hear from the Lord, He will send someone else to encourage us. Instead of becoming upset at him or accusing him of judging you, the right response is to recognize the loving hand of God, and turn to Him.
Pastor Jim
All of Pharaoh’s foolish decisions can be traced back to this statement. The fact is, he did not know the power of God, which caused him to view the miracles as parlor tricks, and have his magicians do the same. It was a failure to understand the provision of God. He couldn’t see how releasing his work force would ever be good for the prosperity of his nation. Most of all, it was his failure to comprehend the plans of God, which caused him to harden his heart and resist Moses. Week after week, month after month, Moses preached to Pharaoh. He explained the plans of God, and yet Pharaoh resisted. He failed to realize these oppressed slaves were part of the plan of God, to save the human race. What he saw, was an immigrant work force to further his kingdom. God saw the nation from whom the Messiah would come, and the world would be saved. Pharaoh’s hardened heart and resistance to Moses’ message did not thwart the plans of God, but it did cost Pharaoh dearly. It cost him in this life. He suffered, his family suffered, and his nation suffered, all because he refused to submit to the plans and purposes of God. What a different story we would read, had Pharaoh only accepted the Word of God.
Over the centuries, one of the most lucrative businesses was the spice trade. There were times when certain spices were worth their weight in gold. Names like Magellan, Columbus and Sir Francis Drake, are just of few of the names associated with those who would journey the world, in search of new found flavors. At one time, salt was so valuable the phrase “he’s not worth his weight in salt”, was a common way to express the value of an individual. The word “salary” is actually derived from the Latin word for salt.
Since the incarnation, this is all the more true. He has seen oppression with the eyes of man. He watched the brutal way in which men oppressed men. He saw tax collectors steal from men, to support their sinful lifestyles, soldiers abuse their authority, instilling fear in the people, and religious leaders manipulate the people, to gain power over their lives and attain positions of prominence.
The book of Exodus begins with a love story. A young man and a young woman meet, fall in love, marry and have a beautiful child named Moses. What might have promised a lifetime of happiness, was suddenly interrupted by conditions beyond their control. An edict from the king, put the soldiers on high alert, ordered to put to death all male Hebrew children. These conditions forced Moses’ parents to do the unthinkable, they placed their young child in a crude raft, and set him adrift in the Nile river. Years later, the writer of Hebrews explains that it was not fear, but faith that drove their decision.
The conditions of life were growing worse and worse for the people of God living in Egypt. They had once been a highly favored part of the nation, even receiving special treatment. Now they were being persecuted, and faced annihilation. Their freedoms had been taken away, and their children’s future seemed bleak. As the story unfolds, we are told one of their own will rise to a place of prominence within the nation. What hope must have stirred within the people, when they learned that the prince, the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, was actually a believer. It would seem, it was only a matter of time before the political climate would change, and the people of God would be favored again. Sadly, that was not the case. The story progresses and we find Moses, the man of God, is incapable of rescuing Israel from bondage, and must flee to the wilderness. All hope seemed lost for the people of God. Little did they know, God had a plan. He would deliver His people, but it would not be through political reform.
Jim Gallagher 