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Exodus 9:13-11:10 What’s It Take to Get Through?
Well, are you wondering. Right now what it's gonna take. To get through to him or her whoever you're thinking about. Maybe someone in your family, maybe a friend. They're making a mistake. They're going the wrong way.
You can see it as plain as day. It's obvious. Maybe you try reasoning with them. It doesn't seem like anything gets through. You don't know how to get through. To him or her sometimes the more obvious it is.
The harder it is to communicate, you know, he's a bad guy. How many arrests for domestic abuse does he need but have to have before you see it? She might be pretty but her you know, her beauty is like a ring in a pig's snout.
Stop spending so much money money. You don't have. How high does your credit card debt have to get before you stop? How many scriptures. Our statistics or personal relationships. Do you need to see before you'll admit?
That one race isn't inferior to another. What do we have to do to show you? Maybe that Buddhism is not the way the truth in the life. How plain does the Bible have to say it? About anything, you know human depravity.
God's sovereignty, you know hell the sinfulness of sexual immorality, you know, whatever. To make you believe it. You know see people making arguments out there and the scripture says exact opposite. How plain does scripture have to be sometimes, you know, maybe some others.
I know your mother constantly told you that every little thing that came out of your mouth was brilliant and great, but. How are we going to show you that? You're wrong. How overweight are you going to get?
Before you start exercising and stop constantly drinking coca-cola. How many times do you need to recite and sign your church covenant before you take it seriously. How obvious does it have to be? You know that if you're not a member of a church, it seems just so obvious to me if you're not a member of a Church, it's not a homecoming.
To go back to it. And if you are a member there, it shouldn't take a gimmick to get you to go back. This seems kind of obvious. I mean, how plain does the Lord Jesus have to be before you'll seek first the kingdom of God.
Not girlfriends or money. On and on it goes, you know, there's just people living in a way. That's just. It's obviously wrong. There's a problem and the solution is often very obvious to it. It's so obvious.
It's it's hard to say it without sounding sarcastic, you know smart alecky. In my opinion, I think the so-called gay rights movement has you know, the move to legitimize homosexuality. Which is what it's about has prospered on this very fact the fact that it's so obvious.
That what they're pushing is wrong. I mean Come on, do we really need to point out the basics of anatomy? It's it's so obvious that many people are too embarrassed to say it and. So we have this bizarre situation in our culture today when what is wrong with homosexuality is as obvious but the obvious is denied and and by many and often denied with a kind of weird combination of Relativism, you know relativism.
There's there's no absolute right and wrong. Who are you to say that's right or wrong. And that's oddly combined with self-righteousness. You know, you are wrong for saying it's wrong and I'm right for saying it's right, but I thought there was no right.
Okay, it's just weird. What's it gonna take to break through to people when they deny the obvious? And are self-righteous about sinfulness. Well, some Christians are alarmed at the high number of kids who are who were raised in church up to about 70
I've heard some statistics raised in church as a child and who drop out of church going to church in there when they're in Their 20s and they wonder what it's gonna take to keep them. I Think maybe a better question would be what's gonna take to break through to them in the first place you know.
Sometimes the kids were never really Christians at all. They just kind of went around with the family. They often have been raised with that kind of a pop psychology that told that told the parents. You know, you always got to be positive encouraging tell the kid how smart he is, you know.
All of them all of them are above average. Okay figure that out. I have never figured out. I affirm every opinion. Give him a whatever he she wants and the churches to are often go along with that. They're too afraid they might lose them.
And so they treated them as they were raised up like their customers in a restaurant. You know. You want to cater to their every request? With the style of the music the style of the dress and the messages nuts.
It's not call it sermons. That's too off-putting, you know make all of that as they like it and lost in all of that often was God. Sometimes you forget about him. Don't you and all this the reality that he's not God is not.
Whatever you want him to be. That he's not like a waitress is supposed to jump whenever you know. You snap your fingers and so they they become adults when they're raised like that little princes and little princesses and never told never haven't been told they're wrong and Expecting God to be constantly telling them how adorable and lovable they are.
Raised in this culture with this grotesque combination of relativism and self-righteousness and then. You know, is it any wonder they drop out? Maybe they actually start reading the Bible for themselves.
And they read it or maybe they hear biblical preaching and they're shocked and without God's grace. Maybe appalled maybe offended that God is God and they're not. They were raised thinking they were. What's it gonna take to get through to people?
Like that. Well here Israel, you know in the land of Goshen, they have to be wondering. Well, what's it gonna take? To get through to Pharaoh. So we can go. God, of course is not wondering that at all.
He told Moses from the beginning all the way back at the burning bush. That he would harden Pharaoh's heart. And in fact what he told him at the beginning what exactly it was going to take even said that Pharaoh Won't let Israel his firstborn son go and tell God has killed Pharaoh's firstborn son, so God knows exactly from before the first plague.
Exactly what it was gonna take. But then that's a question then, you know, we would fought last week was we did the first six plagues here. We'll do the last three we have to wonder. Well, then why these plagues why?
And why go through these three rounds of three plagues literally the word I think it betters blows. Why pummel? Egypt like that. That's what's going on here. God is pummeling Egypt. Just beating it up and Figure what God knows from the beginning why what it's gonna take which was the Passover.
Why did he go through all this? And we're now at the beginning of the third round and the story pauses here and those first few verses starting verse 13 and. And before plunging into the last round. Before the final knockout punch and you know to to just sort of meditate on this.
And it will be as we find as we'll see just as God said from the beginning and then so we could ask well. Why not just cut to the chase? Why not just go right to the Passover and be be done with all this why bother with all these blows, you know.
The river turning to blood the the frogs the bugs the flies the livestock dying off the boils. If God really knows what it's gonna take to break through why not do that right away or. What if some people can't be broken through to I?
Mean, it's just impossible. They're they're too hard. They're unreachable. And oh, you know many will say that there are no such people you can always find. You find people talking about evangelism you always find a key to unlock their heart.
Really what about Pharaoh here. He is hearing here. Look at this. He's hearing from one of the greatest prophets ever. He's seeing something of the greatest miracles ever and yet. He's hard. What about Judas?
You know here he heard from a greater prophet saw greater miracles. But Jesus called him the son of perdition. In other words fancy way, but the child of hell. No, it's he's the one whose origin is from hell and whose destination is damnation.
So there are some people as we saw this last week. That there's no getting through to no matter what you do to them if that's the case then why did God create them at all? Now go a step further now. Why did God do these plagues these blows?
Why does God create? People like that that there are is no getting through to. Why did God create people that he knows? You know in this is really isn't even a predestination question because whether you're not you believe God as people have free will or not.
You know, God still knows what they're going to do. Why does God create people that he knows? Before he creates them that he will only punish. Well back here in Exodus 9 the Lord pauses as this final round is about to begin and explains in verses 3 13 to 17 Why he is pummeling Egypt like this.
There's two main reasons to know and to show. This is show-and-tell. He's gonna show. God's showing something and we're gonna tell. First the Lord says starting in verse 13, let my people go. Okay, that's his command his will of command.
God is commanding that to Pharaoh. Let my people go and this is the final round and he tells Pharaoh verse 14 this time I will send all my plagues on you yourself and in your people before you know, Pharaoh He's the king you could avoid most of them.
What's it gonna take to get through to Pharaoh? It's gonna take him feeling the impact of the blows. Personally this time in this final round the Lord will break through to him at least to get him to.
At least maybe not break through to get him to really revere and believe in the Lord. But at least to get him to do what God is telling him to do and he explains why the Lord explains why at the end Of verse 14 so that there's the purpose statement.
This is this is the reason you may know. To give him knowledge. Give Pharaoh knowledge. He first responded remember him first responded to Moses back in verse chapter 5. Who is the Lord? I don't know the Lord.
Why should I obey the Lord? And so now Pharaoh is going to know something about the Lord. Four more blows to teach him a lesson about who the Lord is. The lesson will be in particular. He says that there is none like me in all the earth.
That's what Pharaoh should know so that you may know there's none like me in all the earth. In other words, the the Lord is not another pagan God like Isis. That the magicians were probably devoted to you know, so they could do their little tricks.
I think that there's a God called Senna him the God of the locusts you got to have a God who oversees the locusts and Control those pests are raw the chief the highest Egyptian God the the the God of the Sun the Sun God and so he's gonna find out.
Pharaoh is gonna find out that the Lord is of a different order altogether. Now something the Lord like today so people the Lord is just any other thing in their life that they have to juggle. It's like he's like family, you know, you got family you got business.
He got your country your love life your marriage your sports. Hopefully a love life and marriage or for you married people are the same thing. You know, we got all these things and that long as the Lord is in the mix somewhere, you know as long as he's getting a cut of your attention a Slice of your commitment and your cash.
Well, that's fine. Give him a little bit along with that other stuff. You know, you got to arrange it all maybe he's even your number one God, you're really dedicated. You can still have others you might think but he's not looking to be one of your gods not even your favorite God.
He he's saying there is none like him in all of your life. So he should be your all-in-all the Lord strikes for Pharaoh with four more blows. So that he'll know that the Lord is like nothing he's ever known.
And he expects us to know the same. Well second the Lord will show. The Lord tells Pharaoh, you know outright in verse 15 is it? Think of that verse you're talking to the absolute ruler and the Lord says to Pharaoh, you know, basically by now I could have destroyed you.
I got to just wipe you out with a disease you personally a whole country, but I didn't I. Let you live Pharaoh. Now, why did the Lord let him live? You know, he many people today. Well, he let him live so that he would have the opportunity to repent really.
Is that what the story says he tells us in verse 16, okay. Exodus chapter 9 verse 16, maybe make a good memory versus it's an important verse. But for this purpose I have raised you up literally. I've made you stand literally in Hebrew.
Which means I've made you know all these six plagues so far and yet you are still standing. Because of me the Lord is saying I've let you live in other words I have let you live up to this point in order to cause you to see other words to show him.
God has not destroyed Pharaoh, even though he easily could have that's what he's telling him to show you Pharaoh My power. So Pharaoh is the example of the person who is made to live. Not to repent. You know not to have a chance if only he will use his free will and take it.
No doesn't make any sense in this story. Pharaoh Is made to live? So that he will know. To show him God's power. Now why? Why does the Lord create someone? Keep him alive. It's what God has said to him right here Pharaoh.
You understand God has said I've kept you alive. I've kept you standing up to now for a specific purpose and and he's not softened his heart. So we repent and believe. Well Exodus 9 16 tells us so that My name may be declared in all the earth.
Well, there it is. God says he will pummel Pharaoh personally Egypt nationally for the very purpose of them knowing His power and people showing his name. Read for yourself Exodus 9 16 now the breakthrough that God is after.
Really for everybody is not saving everybody. He saves his people. Sure. The purpose that he's after is glorifying himself knowing and showing. Yet so many people will read the Bible and assist. Well God has to give everyone a chance.
We have to have we have to be we have to be free and God has to be bound by our Decisions. It's what I feel about God and it's got to be true. If Exodus 9 16 will not break through to such people. I don't know what will.
What such people are doing is really is exalting their opinions. That what they feel should be true and at the root of that is. Is their assumption that they are the center of the universe and God? Exists to cater to them that their will their choices are in control of the Lord's.
Maybe they've been told all their life you know how great their ideas are that every you know, they can have whatever they want you are not to be denied and when such people come face to face with a God who says I am the Lord and If in fact, they'll ever listen to him in this life they say No, I am Just like Pharaoh here.
God tells him in verse 17. You are still exalting yourself. Simply by refusing to let them go and our culture day is full of people exalting themselves against God so Sexuality and marriage and right and wrong and life is what they say it is even God is what they say He is and they think and so they don't bother to read God's Word much less study it.
But then they will proclaim I like to think about God as well. God has already revealed himself to them in his word. So. And he's done that he's revealed himself so that they will see his power and declare his name.
And if this won't do it. What will get through to them? So the Lord announces the beginning of the third and final round the blows there come in four parts. Except for the last one kind of breaks down.
There's the warning. There's the will the withdrawal and the willfulness. First well the hail. Starting at verse 18 the Lord warns that tomorrow they still have a day to repent. Tomorrow, he will send very heavy hail.
They've never seen anything like it. They've been warned. And so if you believe then get whatever livestock you have your you know servants in those days. Out in the field get them in. Otherwise, they'll be wiped out anything any of the animals left from the previous plague of you know.
They killed off the livestock anything the left get get them inside. They'll be killed. Get your kids in. Get your dog in whatever is out there. Get your car under cover. Whatever indoors I guess chariots, you know and huddle for safety because anything unprotected will be destroyed.
This is the only blow of the ten in which they're told how to it's not the. The tenth one they're told how to protect themselves. This is the only blow with the first nine which they're told how to protect themselves from it kind of in a natural way.
If they believe and so in verse 20, we see that those who says fear the word of the Lord. Up to now that okay. They've heard it and they seen it come true. That is they really believed and they acted to protect themselves and that's what it means to fear the Lord.
It means that you believe him when he says that bad things will happen if you do what he says don't do. And so when he says that if you build your house, you know on your own opinions. Instead of what he says.
On what you know, if you build your life on what feels good to you or what the world says is normal. You've ignored the instruction to Jesus. Eventually, he says your life will collapse. You've been warned.
So if you fear the Lord, well, then you. You build it on God's Word not your own now. That means you you will believe the warning and protect take precautions. If you believe that, you know, if you believe the weatherman that a tornado is heading your way right toward you.
You'll go to your basement or someone else's basement if you believe that the Lord says. If you believe what the Lord says in any situation, then you'll you'll you'll flee temptation. You'll believe what he says about sin how important it is to to avoid it.
You believe that it would be better to cut off your hand and gouge out your eye. Than to fall into sin. If your problem was really in your hand or your eye. It's not really where it is. But you know if you could avoid sin that way you would do it.
So you do you avoid compromising situation? So your hand won't roam you you do whatever you have to do to stop yourself from looking at pornography you rearrange your computer or whatever you got to do because you really believe what Jesus said that you that Avoiding sin is worth that much whatever you have to do.
Maybe you really believe what Jesus said that you cannot serve both God and money. Said you can't do it. So don't even try. So you're willing to sacrifice some business for seeking God? That's what you that's what you do when you fear the Lord if you don't fear the Lord is in verse 21.
But then you don't take his word seriously and you end up suffering for it. Like these people now, there's the warning and then there's the will otherwise there's. The purpose why did God will that this would happen?
Moses told Pharaoh in verse 29, you know that this this blow of the hail is so that you will know He tells him why that the earth is the Lord's. For that purpose you will know he can. You know Pharaoh probably thought earth belonged to him and his other pagan gods.
But the Lord will show that he can turn hail and lightning on and off. He can pulverize everything left out in the open. He can show who really owns it all and then there's the withdrawal. You know Pharaoh confesses in verse 27.
I've said the Lord is right and I and my people are wrong. No, he sounds so contrite. I mean, he probably was tears flowing down his eyes. That's not like a great confession that finally the Lord has broken through to him, right?
Pharaoh says he's had enough and pledges to let them go pleads to stop the hail. Moses says he will he will pray for it to be withdrawn. But he but he knows in verse 30 you do not yet fear the Lord. He Didn't like the result.
Pharaoh didn't like the result that he was getting of disobeying. It's the way a lot of people are they don't like the result that the sin has brought in their life. But he didn't have a heart to obey.
Pharaoh wanted to avert the consequences like a lot of people suffering, you know from something maybe today from the threat of some disease. Some problem from bankruptcy or divorce or prison. They want to avert the consequences of what they've done.
But when the threat of consequences is relieved, you know, the clouds are no longer booming. Hail is it following. The diagnosis is at terminal the summons to court. Is it being served? Then they don't care.
Well, so then comes the willfulness in verse 34 notice Pharaoh sees it that hail and the thunder had ceased. So there's no immediate threat. So he sinned yet again says he hardened his heart. Notice that chapter 9 verse 34 Pharaoh hardened his heart.
He did it. He is responsible. He broke his word as hard-hearted people often do when there's no cost foreseeable, you know, his commitments don't mean anything. Didn't see any cost to it. So he went back on it his heart was hardened and he didn't let the people go and then notice Chapter 10 verse 1 remember the chapter divisions are kind of artificial.
So the stories is flowing and the Lord says I Have hardened his heart. Well now the Lord says he did it. You know, in other words God's saying I've done the heart hardening. Before it said Pharaoh hardened his heart, which is it?
Up to now we've seen Exodus kind of go back and forth after different incidents saying the Lord hardened his heart. Maybe one incident Pharaoh hardened his heart after another incident here. It speaks of the same incident after the blow of the hail was withdrawn and says both.
Says there are three different ways Pharaoh hardened his own heart. His heart was hardened the Lord hardened. Hardened his heart. So who did the hardening? Well the conclusion by now is really obvious they both did.
Pharaoh's will to be hard-hearted and the Lord's will. For him to be hard-hearted. Are the same thing? And so he doesn't let the people go. But how can that be if the Lord is telling him let my people go.
There's the puzzle, isn't it? How can God command something and then work to ensure that the command is not obeyed? Here we see perfectly got what they call theologians call God's will of command. He commands something and his will of decree that is he orders something that will come about.
He commands Pharaoh let my people go. But God didn't decree to get ordered as in his sovereign control of all things that Pharaoh's heart would be hard. So that he wouldn't let the people go so they wouldn't obey the command.
So why is the Lord decreeing or ordering that his own commands be disobeyed? Well, he's already answered that in chapter 9 verse 16. Why we paid attention to that verse so that my name may be declared in all the earth and he answers it again in chapter 10 verses 1 to 2 the Lord says he is hardened Pharaoh's heart for three reasons that I may show.
That you may tell and that you may know. Show the Lord will show his power. Why does God create some people again? Why does he do it so that you know that people he knows? Whether or not you believe he predestines are not really not the question because he knows that some people will be damned to hell.
He knows that before he creates them now why? Well, he tells us here. That he might show his power and Show his mercy to those others he saved. Even when he didn't have to tell the Lord acts even hardening is here in chapter 10 that we met we may tell.
Especially our children and grandchildren. I think other people's children and grandchildren too for that matter. We may tell of how great he is. Remember a couple weeks ago. What's it all about? What's it all about?
What's all this about? Is it about our free choice? Saving ourselves. No, what's it all about? It's about God's glory. No. The Lord hardens that we may know something about God in ourselves something.
We something we really need to know his absolute power and our complete dependence. You Know today people read the Bible the few who do and they probably only read the selected parts and reason that you know.
If God said do something like repent like believe like be perfect. It's already too late for that. So I don't know how they do that. But they reason you read these commands. Well, then it must be possible For us to do that.
He commands it. It's got to be possible to do it. That God would never command people to do something that it's impossible for them to do. But here we see that that that reasoning is simply false. Maybe God has another purpose in mind for commanding something that you can't do.
Well, you know here we see it's false. The Lord commands Pharaoh to let the people go but then hardens his heart. So he wouldn't now you can say well Pharaoh hard disheart. He got to take responsibility for his own hardening.
Of course, he hardened his heart. He's a sinner. That's what sinners always do without the grace of God. Now the key question is not that you're getting distracted. The key question is whether God has a will that he decrees he orders things to happen.
Like Pharaoh refusing to let the people go that is different. That is the opposite of what he commands. God is commanding. Let my people go. He's hardening his heart to prevent him from doing it. Does God have such a thing?
God Commanded Herod and Pontius Pilate not to murder innocent people. But he decreed that they would murder the only perfectly innocent person who ever lived. See Acts chapter 4 verse 28 he can command and decree.
Different things now you might protest that's not fair. Sure. It's not fair if you or I did that, you know, we told a kid to Slam dunk a basketball and he can't possibly get up that high. You know, it's not fair if we do that.
But you are I are not the one you know, you are I are not the I am. You are I are not the one that there is no other like in all the earth. All this is so we'll know who is the one there is no other like in all the earth and I wonder What does it take to get through to us that God is God and we're not.
Well very quickly two more blows and a final warning starting in chapter 10 the second blow of the final round the locust first the warning Moses tells Pharaoh goes into his throne room. Probably whatever whatever's left from the hail locusts will take care of.
They'll so cover the land. You want to even be able to see the ground? I mean there want to be as this all locusts everywhere and like the frogs and flies. Oh, you'll just be everywhere and Moses. Moses is court by now feared notice how they're getting more and more fearful.
Here first Moses is court. In other words his assistants fears this warning before they didn't look like they take the warning seriously now they do. And they implore Pharaoh in verse 7 chapter 10 verse 7.
Do you not understand? Yet that Egypt is ruined. In other words, what's it gonna take to get through to you? His own assistants are talking to him like this. That we're ruined this time before the actual blow.
Pharaoh tries to avert it for the first time. He takes a warning seriously, but rather than confessing and surrendering He tries to negotiate. Verses 8 to 11 trying to negotiate with God. You know people today try to negotiate with God, you know, if God if you'll heal me I'll go back to church.
If you make my business boom, I'll give 10 you know, if you give me that dream spouse, I'll be a zealous servant of God and maybe. They reason, you know, they'll try to keep their end of the bargain first.
So they'll go to church and they'll give their 10 and they'll actively serve hoping that one day soon. Very soon it better be soon. God will come through with his end of the bargain. You can tell when they've been thinking that way thinking this is all about negotiations with God getting leverage on him getting something from him.
When they finally get tired of waiting on God and they drop it all and they are quote angry with God. You've heard of people who are angry with God. You know, he didn't come through. I Went to church.
I gave my money I served and he didn't give me what I wanted. Now there's a scene from the Breaking Bad series. Which the main character Walter White, you know in his gang is to people a henchman. They're debating on what to do with this woman.
They think has betrayed them and they have her captive and are trying to decide whether to kill her or to Believe her and of course she is furiously trying to negotiate for her life. And so finally Walter White says to her You're a smart businesswoman, you know what leverage is.
You don't have any. Here Pharaoh, you know like a lot of people today thinks he can negotiate with God, you know get some some leverage on him. To get him to do what we want to do. As though and the the assumption is as though God is so desperate for us.
So we can we can withhold ourselves. We have something God wants and we could hold it back. Get him to do what we want to do. You know, we'll withhold our church attendance our prayers. Let's stop praying.
No, that'll show that'll show him. Well, hope withhold our giving his leverage to God. Straighten that God out get him to do what we want. What's it gonna take to get through to us? We don't have any leverage with God.
Well Pharaoh has been pummeled by the Lord seven times by now is being threatened with another blow. He's repeatedly broken his word. He's hardened his heart and yet notice in verses 10 and 11 chapter 10 verses 10 and 11.
That he is the one after all this sin on his part that he is the one who is who is angry. He's Self-righteous. He is the one accusing Moses of some evil purpose. You have an evil purpose. You've been throwing their boys in the river.
You've been killing them. You've been breaking your word. You're a liar. You're. He's accusing of an evil purpose. He's sinful. He's self-centered. He's self-righteous. It's an impenetrable combination.
So Locust it is. It was as bad as the Lord had warned notice the several verses. They're describing how bad it was. So Pharaoh says hastily called Moses and Aaron in verse 16 other they're panicking now and Again, he confesses I have sinned.
He pleads in verse 17 forgive my sin, please only this once. Only this once. I'll never do it again. It's another shallow confession just to avoid the consequences, but Moses intercedes and the Lord does indeed withdraw the locust.
Result is the same. Pharaoh lacking God's grace won't let them go and verse 20. Now sure sure Moses Pharaoh hardened his own heart, but verse 20 looks to the ultimate cause the Lord Hardens his heart.
Well, the last blood with the three cycles of three is the darkness and here the Lord takes on the chief Egyptian God Called rah or a rah the Sun God. And the Lord will blot out the Sun in Egypt except for where the Israelites live.
He'll do that for three days again. There's something of a contest of the gods. The God they believed was the most powerful Would be defeated by the Lord. And so with every blow the Lord has been discrediting their gods and he does the same today.
You know if we serve another God other than the Lord He will discredit it. I don't think it's a coincidence. I'm not saying I know for sure but I just don't think it's a coincidence that the culture our culture that made a God out of romance, you know so much of.
So much so that everything we believe in our culture today can be sacrificed for what we call love. It's everything. It's not a coincidence that that culture this culture. Is the one with the highest divorce rate?
It says the Lord now is is discrediting that God Made a God out of pleasure. So SDDs and AIDS are epidemic. The Lord warned the Lord. Jesus himself warned of the deceitfulness of riches. Otherwise many people pursue Wealth as their God and he says it is deceiving you at the end.
It will be discredited if you serve it. Sacrificing family children church for seeking first the kingdom of the dollar and its riches. You'll find your God discredited in the end. Like Ra the God of the Sun here who was blotted out by the Lord.
Well, there's no warning this time. Just just pitch darkness for three days. What does it take to get through to Pharaoh, you know, even with this he tries to negotiate with God, you know to torchlight I guess because you know, it's dark everywhere.
So they must have some torches lit and He's trying to negotiate. Moses has no deal. We must serve the Lord with everything we have not a hoof shall be left behind besides Pharaoh. You have no leverage.
You have nothing to bargain with. And of course neither do we? The Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart. Chapter 10 verse 27 again looking past the human cause Pharaoh to the ultimate cause the Lord and without God's grace.
Most Pharaoh is angry the end of chapter 10. Threatening to kill Moses you ever see you again. You're gonna be dead in verse 28 Moses says so be it. But he has one last word as this furious Confrontation continues into chapter 11.
There's a little interruption sort of flashback. I think in verses in chapter 11 verses 1 to 3 as we find out what the Lord has revealed to Moses before this. The Lord had told Moses yet one more blow I will bring on Pharaoh and upon Egypt.
Afterward, he will let you go. Okay, the Lord has told Moses this and they're gonna be able to plunder the Egyptians. And so before this angry last meeting the Lord told Moses what's it's going to take so imagine this scene then.
You know Pharaoh is angry. He's threatened to kill Moses and Before storming off Moses tells Pharaoh What's coming? He gets the last word the lantern light. It's dim of the night blow because it's dark outside.
He warns him. Moses warns Pharaoh about the knockout blow that's coming at midnight when it's dark, too. Just like it is now every firstborn of the land of Egypt shall die even your son Pharaoh the heir to the throne Gonna be dead.
Everyone to those to the lowliest slave grinding grain even to the animals in verse 6 He says there will be a cry in Egypt. You know this story began. Remember, I'll be back in chapters 1 2 with Israel crying to the Lord.
Now at the end Egypt will be crying. Moses stands in the dimly lit throne room and warns Pharaoh one last time your child will die. Your country will cry but not even the dogs will growl at God's people that you may know.
That the Lord makes a distinction he separates in this world his people from others. Now finally Moses's voice rising in hot anger. Pointing to the men all around Pharaoh's age who by now by now revered Moses.
Moses tells Pharaoh in verse 8 all these your servants will come down to me and bow down to me. They'll beg me to leave no longer willing to wait on you and after that I Will go out and with that Moses turns and leaves Pharaoh.
I should be enough. Don't you think to finally? Get through to him. Pharaoh's own son is now in the crosshairs. Is it the warning enough? No. It's not. You know people today They have the warning of hell of eternal destruction of Destroyed lives if they build them on the sand of their own opinions.
Lots of those warnings from Jesus himself and still. It's not enough to get through to them. The Lord tells Moses Pharaoh will not listen to you. Now, yes, he's hard in his own heart inexplicably. It makes no sense.
His age have been begging him. He had to know by now with the Lord now triumphant over their highest God. He had to know that the earth and the Sun is the Lord's. Still he did what sinners do he hardened his heart?
But the Bible goes beyond the human cause here to the ultimate cause once again three times in a row. After the last two three times though, it says the Lord says. Says Pharaoh will not listen to you in order that this is the purpose.
This is the reason the ultimate cause for Pharaoh stubbornness. My wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt. That's why he won't listen. Now that's not why Pharaoh did it of course. You know, that's from God's point of view.
He's hardening Pharaoh's heart. So he kept. God can multiply his wonders from Pharaoh's point of view. He's hardened his own heart because of pride. Because he was raised being told he was a god that whatever he said was true.
That his will would be done that nothing could be denied him. They could always have everything he wanted. But Pharaoh isn't in control here. He isn't even in control of his ultimately of his own heart in that last verse of chapter 11.
His Moses and Aaron did all these wonders. But he still wouldn't believe. Now sure he hardened his own heart. That's all that he could do without God's grace in. The end though, we're told the Lord Hardened his heart.
What does it take to get through? To a man like Pharaoh or people like us. We too we try to negotiate with God only like him. We only take his threat seriously when we're being hammered by his blows. People like him who can sit in the darkness that God has created.
Imagine that it's sitting in the darkness. God has created discrediting our God our God of romance our God of the dollar whatever while we. We're angry. We're angry with God. We're self-righteous. We're demanding.
We're threatening. We're refusing. We're angry with God because he hasn't jumped when we snapped our fingers. What's it take to get through to us? Blows don't do it. Threats don't do it. We're drawing blows and speaking nicely and sweetly positively and encouragingly doesn't do it because deep down.
We're like Pharaoh. Thinking we are God. What's it gonna take? To get through to hard-hearted people like us. Only that the God who can't harden. Would graciously choose to soften it takes God's grace.