The power to save us from bondage if we will submit to his control.
Exodus 7:10-13 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did what the LORD had
commanded them. Aaron threw down his staff before Pharaoh and his officials,
and it became a serpent!
11 Then Pharaoh called in his own
wise men and sorcerers, and these Egyptian magicians did the same thing with
their magic. 12 They threw down
their staffs, which also became serpents! But then Aaron’s staff swallowed
up their staffs.
13 Pharaoh’s heart, however,
remained hard. He still refused to listen, just as the LORD had predicted.
Moses' call to
serve God
required a lot of perseverance, he had opposition from the world and also
from God's people that he was called to help, but the opposition is only
going to get worse as Moses returns to meet with Pharaoh over and over
again.
Pharaoh would receive a greater revelation of God with each plague that was
coming but Pharaoh wasn't the only person that needed to learn more about
God and how to please him. God's chosen people needed to learn about God as
well, they had already embraced the false gods of Egypt even as the one true
God was working to secure their freedom. (Joshua 24:14, Ezekiel 20:7-8)
Through the encounters that Moses had with Pharaoh, God showed the whole
world that he is the only all powerful God that was superior to the
overwhelming number of deities that were worshiped in Egypt. Even Pharaoh was considered to be a god so it's no wonder that he had a difficult time dealing with the truth.
The plagues should have been a wakeup call for everybody, think about it,
God announced what would happen, he said precisely when it would start and
when it would stop happening and yet they wouldn't acknowledge that he was
in control.
Man has been consistent with his rebellion against God from the start of
world history. From the Garden of Eden, to the conditions that led to the
flood, the Tower of Babel, it just doesn't stop despite all of the proof
that points to the real God who is all powerful, all knowing and
completely in control of every situation.
Exodus 5:2 “Is that so?” retorted Pharaoh. “And who is the LORD? Why should I listen to him and let Israel go? I don’t know the LORD, and I will not let Israel go.”
God will soon answer his question but Pharaoh won't accept it, instead
of allowing the Israelites to leave with Egypt unharmed, he forces the
slaves to stay and causes the destruction of his country and the misery
of all of his people.
At first Pharaoh wasn't impressed because his magicians could
counterfeit the real deal but as the plagues continue we see that
Satan's counterfeits don't stand a chance. Warren Wiersbe's Old
Testament Commentary says that Satan always has inferior counterfeits
that he uses to deceive the world:
- Satan counterfeits the works of God (2 Tim. 3:8)
- Satan counterfeits the children of God (Matt. 13:24-30, 36-43 / 2 Cor. 11:26)
- Satan counterfeits the gospel (Gal. 1:6-9)
- Satan counterfeits true righteousness (Rom. 10:1-3)
- Satan counterfeits ministers who spread his lies (2 Cor. 11:13-15)
- Satan counterfeits Christ (2 Thess. 2:1-12)
God made it obvious to everyone that the powers of darkness were not
powerful enough and they were not in control. After they are free from slavery, Moses encourages God's people to recall the miraculous work that God had accomplished for his chosen people, they have plenty of proof that there is one God that deserves our worship and every other god is a counterfeit.
Deuteronomy 4:32-34 “Now search all of history, from the time God created people on the earth until now, and search from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything as great as this ever been seen or heard before?33 Has any nation ever heard the voice of God speaking from fire—as you did—and survived? 34 Has any other god dared to take a nation for himself out of another nation by means of trials, miraculous signs, wonders, war, a strong hand, a powerful arm, and terrifying acts?Yet that is what the LORD your God did for you in Egypt, right before your eyes.
What has God done to show you favor? Have you been freed from slavery? If you are not a child of God then you are in bondage to the death penalty that is required to atone for your sin. But thankfully that isn't where God leaves us! The same all powerful God that is your judge is also the provider of your pardon.
Exodus 9:1 This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so they can worship me.
The day is coming when God's people will be freed from this world of sin to worship him for eternity. Everyone that thought that they were in control of their destiny will be left behind to face God's judgment through the events that Revelation tells us about. God will prove himself to mankind again but just like Pharaoh they will refuse to repent. (Revelation 6:15-17; 9:20,21; 16:9,11)
Thank you Lord for revealing your mighty power to save so that I can know how to escape your mighty power to judge. Help me to give up my throne and submit completely to your control.
