Custom Search
|
To receive notice of each days Bible Study,
please go to my Twitter and Facebook pages and sign up.
Facebook -
| Daily Bible Study | ||
 You can help people worldwide. Please make a small donation. Make a difference in someone elses life. |
Subscribe Daily Bible Study Mailing List 
Receive Daily Bible Studies directly into your email inbox. |
Express your comments, opinions, questions, etc. |
| Exodus 9:13-17 |
|
Lesson # Exodus 9:13-17 Study Material - Exodus 9:13-17 You must be in fellowship prior to your Bible study, so that the spiritual information you receive can become a source of blessing to your soul and produce spiritual growth. Ex. 9:13-17 13 Then the LORD said to Moses, 'Rise up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh and say to him, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews,' Let My people go, that they may serve Me. 14 For this time I will send all My plagues on you and your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is no one like Me in all the earth. 15 For if by now I had put forth My hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, you would then have been cut off from the earth. 16 But, indeed, for this cause I have allowed you to remain, in order to show you My power, and in order to proclaim My name through all the earth. 17 Still you exalt yourself against My people by not letting them go. Rise up early to talk to Pharaoh. This is probably part of the standard routine for each of these plagues. Though mentioned on only a couple of occasions, it would be consistent with Gods policy of advanced warning, such that Pharaoh and whom ever else he took into his counsel, would have adequate time to consider their position before the next plague comes the next day. God always gives us advance warning whether we recognize it, or choose to ignore it. More plagues are coming. These six are not the end of it. Go has an arsenal that is unlimited, and herein Pharaoh is getting a lesson in theology. There are false gods and Egypt is full of them. There are false philosophies and Egypt is full of those as well. There are false administrative and governmental policies and Egypt is filed to the brim with those too. There is false power, false authority, false privilege and Egypt is all of those. There is only one power, one authority, one deity in all the universe that is true, and that is Jesus Christ. And, Jesus Christ controls history. The plagues thus far have been attention getting. Pharaoh and the Egyptians have ignored God even with these first six plagues. They have continued to elevate themselves in their arrogance, and even in the face of overpowering events which they could not control. They were powerless and refused to see it. The games are over and the plagues, 'I will send all My plagues', which are from God alone and not from freak accidents of nature, will come now in quick succession. Annoyance was placed into their lives, but now death will visit, and even greater and more painful injuries will come. Warnings will be given, but the plagues will not stop until the tenth and final plague. The warning will be given, the plague will come, and the refusal of Pharaoh will be superimposed on Pharaoh such that God will be able to continue the entire group of ten plagues. The last being the most important and most significant, pointing to the greatest event of all of history, the Cross which is celebrated on the Passover in the Spring. By now, after all these first six plagues, 'if', and God could have done this, but 'if' God had put his hand against the Egyptians, they would all be dead right now. They had all their chances. God gave them more opportunities to let the people go, but they were defiant. Or as verse 17 states, they 'exalted' themselves, which does not mean only that they elevated themselves in their arrogance, thinking themselves as better than these Hebrews, but they set up obstructions, barriers through which it would be difficult for the Hebrews to leave. They took away the straw, didn't want them to go out of the country leaving them open to internal prosecution for sacrificing taboo animals. They probably left other intimidating threats not mentioned such that the Hebrews might think that they would not leave Egypt with anything (God already promised the Hebrews that they would go with great wealth, and he promised this prior to all of these events). But, verse 16, God allows the Egyptians and Pharaoh to remain alive, for one reason only. The soul of Pharaoh was hardened sufficiently to justify his death. Now God will continue his obstinate attitude by allowing him to remain alive. His souls is closed over such that he, Pharaoh, is capable of no other decision until others eventually raise their voices to such a great level that he will have no choice but to drive the Hebrews away. He won't be responding to Moses' request but to the demands of the Egyptians. 'Get rid of them.' But that is four plagues away. ' ... for this cause I have allowed you to remain, in order to show you My power, and in order to proclaim My name through all the earth.' And the rest is history. Who does not know of the ten plagues of Egypt? Who on earth has never heard of God, or Jesus Christ? No one. God is beyond famous, His word has been magnified above and beyond His very name, and has been in all of history. Everyone who has ever lived on the face of the earth and has reached an age of accountability, an age of God consciousness, has heard of God, of Jesus Christ, of Moses the Prince of Egypt, of the ten plagues, of the Passover, of the Red Sea crossing. Now magnify this concept with, 'Who has never heard of the need for Bible study? For Spiritual growth? For the need to live the Christian life?' No one. No one has an excuse. People may make up excuses (for the ears of other people), but there is a record in heaven which unequivocally proves their knowledge and conscious decision. God kept his final hand from striking all of Egypt. Both Pharaoh and the people of Egypt (those negative toward God) are guilty. They have been given more than sufficient proof that their gods are false and that The God is the one and only true God. They continue to reject the truth, nor do they even attempt to change their beliefs. Throughout life you will no doubt encounter defiant people. You will witness first hand the silly stubbornness that people cling to even in the face of overwhelming proof of some truth. And you'll no doubt shake your head in wonder as to how people can not see the truth. If they are to change then God will cause the changes. If they are not to change, then there is nothing that you can do to make it so. The greater of the principles to come out of all of these plagues, is to simply not allow yourself to fall into an attitude of apathy toward your Bible study. To not get discouraged despite the many problems you will encounter throughout life. We have not really studied suffering of the positive believer, but one day we will. First and foremost remember that God is always on your side, even if you screw things up in your own life (David and Solomon are good examples as are Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and to some extent Job). Ok. Now put away the umbrella, it won't help you in this next plague. 
Now is the time to post a prayer. End Of Lesson Study to show thyself approved (mature) unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing (studying/discerning), the Word of truth. |
|