December 5, 2023

Passage Read: Exodus 7-10
Meditation Verses: 9:15-17

Thought

God could have wiped Egypt off the face of the earth at the very beginning. He could have simply called His people out from there, and the army of Egypt would have been powerless to stop them. But He determined to make the Israelites such a stench to the Egyptians that they drove them out of Egypt for good. He directed Moses to ask for a three day journey, but Pharaoh knew that if they left, they would never return. So he refused again and again, and God started easy on him, so that he would gain confidence to resist the Lord as things progressed, until he lost all reason and simply refused the Lord.

Application

God wanted the Egyptians and the Israelites to see His power and glory, that He was no small provincial god, but truly ruler of all nations. He wanted the Israelites to see what He could do for them, but also that He was not to be trifled with. He wanted all other nations to see what He could do to anyone who harmed His people, how powerfully He could and would fight for them. He gave Pharaoh more honor than he deserved by asking him to let His people go. He could have started with great power and left Pharaoh shaking in his boots, but He didn't. He set Pharaoh up to make things worse and worse, to show himself the complete and utter fool. It is not good for me to ever resist God's instruction or request. He will start easy in His rebuke, but if I don't listen, things will go from bad to worse, and if I'm emboldened to resist Him, I should know that I'm on a path to utter ruin. I don't want God to reject me by making me an illustration of His power; it's far better to make myself an illustration of humility and quick response to His command.