Law – Exodus 9-12

We are back on familiar Bible stories turf today as we read the last of the 10 plagues that came upon Pharoah and his people – simply because the heart of the Pharoah was hard and he refused to let God’s people go!

Bible Passage:  Exodus 9-12

Quick… before you start reading the passage, can you name the 10 plagues in the right sequence?

Try it!

I must admit, I can never get it quite right.  Somewhere between the lice, flies and locusts, I get the boils just thinking about it and sometimes, in my mind, it is all darkness.

Sorry… just had to do it.

Whenever I read about the 10 plagues, I always wonder… “WHAT WERE YOU THINKING ABOUT?”

I mean… imagine if you were Pharaoh and you see livestock dying, the source of life becoming a river of undrinkable blood.  Boils inflicted on everyone.  Hailstones that cannon off the roof of the houses in an unceasing rhythm.

And that does not move you to think that you are dealing with someone who is obviously of a higher order than you?  And that you had better do what He says?

As my family and I were reading the passage in Chapter 9 together, we were amazed to see that even with someone as stubborn as Pharaoh, God showed incredible patience and mercy.

Way before the final plague of the death of the 1st born, God could have already wiped out the nation of Egypt from the face of the earth on the 1st instance Pharaoh refused to let His people go.

Instead, God showed mercy and grace.  On most occassions, Moses will first warn Pharaoh of the impending plague.  In some cases, the Egyptians were even told what to do!

“I could have struck you with pestilence and have all of you killed… but I did not.”

“Stay indoors during the hailstorm.  Bring all your livestock indoors!  If not, there is no guarantee of safety!”

“Yes, although the hailstorm has destroyed the flax and the barley crops… the wheat and smelt are spared”

Yet, Pharaoh remained steadfast and was not influenced by Moses or Aaron.  It seemed that as each plague came, he got more and more difficult.  He just did not get that God was giving him a lot of chances until finally, the crunching blow of loosing ALL the first born in the land of Egypt convinced Pharaoh to let the Israelites go.

Think about it?  Are we as hard hearted and headstrong like Pharaoh in our ways?

Perhaps there are certain things in our lives that despite all the encouragements, warnings, admonishments and even discpline, they fail to change our hearts and we still persist on against God.

God may be merciful and wants us to repent sincerely and obey Him… and He gives us opportunities time and time again.  But the time may come when enough is enough – and the wrath of God visits us – and that is something we do not want happening.