The Serpent Tyrant Rages

The Serpent Tyrant and Pharaoh’s Defiance

Welcome to the teaching ministry of Kungsvinger Lutheran Church. Kungsvinger is a beacon for the gospel of Jesus Christ and is located on the plains of northwestern Minnesota. We proclaim Christ and Him crucified for our sins and salvation by grace through faith alone.

And now, here's a message from Pastor Chris Roseberg.

Afterward, Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, let my people go that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness. But Pharaoh said, who is the Lord that I should obey his voice and let Israel go?

I do not know the Lord, and moreover I will not let Israel go. Then they said, the God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go a three days journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God, lest He fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.

But the king of Egypt said to them, Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people away from their work? Get back to your burdens. And Pharaoh said, behold, the people of the land are now many, and you make them rest from their burdens.

The same day, Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their foremen, you shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks, as in the past, let them go and gather straw for themselves. But the number of bricks that they made in the past, you shall impose on them.

You shall by no means reduce it, for they are idle. Therefore they cry, let us go and offer a sacrifice to our God. Let heavier work be laid on the men, that they may labor at it and pay no regard to lying words.

So the taskmasters and the foremen of the people went out and said to the people, thus says Pharaoh, I will not give you straw. Go and get your straw for yourselves wherever you can find it. But your work will not be reduced in the least.

So the people were scattered throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for.

Straw.

The taskmasters were urgent, saying, complete your work, your daily task each day as when there was straw. And the foremen of the people of Israel, whom Pharaoh's taskmaster had said over them, were beaten and were asked, why have you not done all your task of making bricks today and yesterday as in the past?

Then the foreman of the people of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, why do you treat your servants like this? No straw is given to your servants, yet they say to us, make bricks. And behold, your servants are beaten, but the fault is in your own people.

And he said, you are idle, you are idle. That is why you say, let us go and sacrifice to the Lord. Go now and work, no straw will be given to you, but you must still deliver the same number of bricks.

The foreman of the people of Israel saw that they were in trouble when they said, you shall by no means reduce your number of bricks, your daily task each day. They met Moses and Aaron who were waiting for them as they came out from Pharaoh, and they said to them, the Lord look on you and judge because you have made a stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.

Then Moses turned to the Lord and said, Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all.

The Lord’s Covenant Promise in Exodus 6

But the Lord said to Moses, now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh. For with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land. God spoke to Moses and said to him, I am the Lord.

I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, to Jacob as God Almighty. But by my name, the Lord, I did not make myself known to them. I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners.

Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel, whom the Egyptians hold as slaves. I have remembered my covenant. Say, therefore, to the people of Israel, I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them.

And I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the Lord. Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery.

So the Lord said to Moses, go in and tell Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, to let the people of Israel go out of his land. But Moses said to the Lord, behold, the people of Israel have not listened to me. How then shall Pharaoh listen to me?

For I am of uncircumcised lips. But the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them a charge about the people of Israel and about Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, to bring the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt.

In the name of Jesus, amen. Well, how does the saying go, no good deed goes unpunished? Well, there's Moses and Aaron doing exactly what God told them to do, to go and confront Pharaoh. And well, the first meeting didn't go so well.

In fact, things turned out quite miserably for the children of Israel. So miserable, in fact, that now, rather than being set free from slavery, now they're experiencing persecution, suffering. Things have gotten worse.

And I would note, for us, it's kind of the same thing in the time of the now and the not yet, between Christ's death and resurrection, his ascension into heaven. We have been told to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations and to proclaim to them the good news that there is forgiveness of sins in Jesus Christ, and no good deed goes unpunished.

Pharaoh as the Serpent and the Burden of Slavery

Now, as we consider our text tonight, as we consider the book of Exodus here, now the showdown between Yahweh, the one true God, and Pharaoh begins. And I want you to note here, this is something you may have never made the connection about, but I want you to think in your minds for a moment, what does Pharaoh wear on his head?

What does Pharaoh wear on his head, and what does he look like? Now, because we're online, I'm going to cheat a little bit here. I can actually give you a visual that you can take a look at, and you'll get the idea here.

This, by the way, over here on the right-hand side of the screen, that's the burial mask of King Tutankhamen. And you'll note that is, well, there's a snake on the top of his head. In fact, all the Pharaohs wore this really interesting head thing that made them look like a cobra on purpose.

And then you'll note, then, if you were to just do your homework, all the Pharaohs who wear that cobra-looking thing usually will have a snake, a cobra right dead center of their forehead. The name of that particular headdress is called a uraeus, an uraeus.

That's what it's called. And so you'll get the idea here. So I want you to think visually at this point, since we know what Pharaoh's wearing, who's Pharaoh the stand-in for? He's the stand-in for the serpent, for the devil himself.

Remember, all the way back to the Garden of Eden, that God said that he would put enmity between the serpent and the serpent's seed and the seed of the woman. And so think of it this way. Who is Pharaoh?

Pharaoh is one of the seeds of the serpent. And so he's the stand-in for the devil. And this, again, is this beautiful picture of what the Exodus is. This is our story, not their story. We are wrapped up in it.

This is the paradigmatic picture of what being set free from slavery to sin, death, the devil himself, the serpent himself, looks like. So we come back, then, to the beginning of Exodus 5. Afterwards, Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, thus says, and we'll use the Hebrew here because it's correct, thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, let my people go, so that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.

But Pharaoh said, who is Yahweh? So you'll note in the Hebrew text, they use God's name, Yahweh. And Pharaoh responds, who's Yahweh? That I should obey his voice and let Israel go. And thus, the showdown begins.

So he says, I don't know Yahweh. Moreover, I will not let Israel go. So they said, the God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go a three days journey in the wilderness so that we may sacrifice to Yahweh, our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with a sword.

But the king of Egypt said to Moses, Aaron, why do you take the people away.

From their work?

Get back to your burdens. And I think that's rather fascinating. What were we cursed with as a result of Adam and Eve's disobedience? Toil and work and heavy burdens. By the sweat of our brows, we put food on our tables.

And so you'll note the theme is wonderful. And what is it that God is offering to us, that God is promising us? Salvation and being set free from our burden, set free from slavery. Have you ever stopped to think, you know, what day of creation was it when Adam and Eve fell?

What day of creation was it? Because there's six days that are mentioned, you know, and then Adam and Eve were created on the sixth day. And what was the next day that's mentioned in the Genesis account?

The Sabbath day. There are no other days mentioned after that, at least up to that point. And so a good way to think about it is that Adam and Eve, prior to the fall, they enjoyed, well, an eternal Sabbath rest.

Although they had work to do, it wasn't toilsome or anything like that. You know, they enjoyed an eternal, lasting Sabbath. And what is it that Christ has promised us? His rest. Come to me, all you who are heavy and weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

And so you'll note that the stand-in for the devil is a little bit upset at this point.

Why?

Because he thinks that Moses and Aaron are inciting the people of Israel to rest and to be idle. And he's not wrong, he's right. But his decision is, you know, well, we're going to make things worse for you.

So we know how the story went. He commanded the foreman to require the children of Israel to make the same number of bricks, but no straw was provided. And when the children of Israel complained to Pharaoh and said, why are you treating us this way?

And Pharaoh basically says, you're idle, you're idle. Yeah, get back to your work. And they realized that they were in deep trouble. And so when the foreman of Israel came out from their meeting with Pharaoh, they met Moses and Aaron who were waiting for them.

And they came out from Pharaoh and they said to them, the Lord look on you and judge you because you've made a stink in the sight of Pharaoh, and his servants have put a sword in their hand to kill us.

And so Moses turned to the Lord and said, oh, Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? Since I came to Pharaoh to speak your name, he's done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all.

At least that would be what it looks like to the eyes. But is that really the truth? And it's this little portion of the story of the Exodus that we can recognize here because in the time of the now and the not yet between Christ's ascension and his return and glory to judge the living and the dead, we Christians are made to suffer.

Jesus himself says to us in Matthew chapter 24, talking about Christians, then they will deliver you up to tribulation, and they will put you to death. You'll be hated by all nations for my name's sake.

And many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another, and many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.

But the one endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel, the good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations. Then the end will come. In the meantime, the order of the day is suffering.

In the meantime, the order of the day is tribulation and to be hated and for our burdens to be increased, for us to be always having a sword under our necks as a result of what Christ has done. In fact, in the book of Revelation, it says this in Revelation chapter 7, verse 9, after this, I look behold a great multitude that no one could number.

From every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages standing before the throne, before the lamb, clothed in white robes and palm branches in their hands, crying out with a loud voice, salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the lamb.

And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures and they fell on their faces before the throne and they worship God saying, amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever.

Amen. Then one of the elders addressed me saying, who are these clothed in white robes and from where have they come? I said to him, sir, you know, and he said to me, these are the ones coming out of the great tribulation.

They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb. Therefore, they are before the throne of God and they serve him day and night at his temple and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.

They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore. The sun shall not strike them nor any scorching heat for the lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd and he will guide them to springs of living water and God himself will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

It's a beautiful picture that God recognizes our suffering, our tribulation, the difficulty that we find ourselves in because we have been set free from toil into the freedom of the sons of God and the devil fears our idleness.

Right?

So there's the children of Israel. They're in deep trouble. Their burdens have been increased. Things are very difficult for them and Moses has cried out to God and said, why have you done nothing? Why have you done evil?

Redemption by the Outstretched Arm of Christ

But the Lord said to Moses, now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh. For with a strong hand, he will send them out and with a strong hand, he will drive them out of his land. So God spoke to Moses and said to him, I am Yahweh.

I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, to Jacob as God Almighty. But by my name Yahweh, I did not make myself known to them. I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners.

Moreover, I have heard the groanings of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as slaves and I have remembered my covenant. Say therefore to the people of Israel, I am Yahweh and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians and I will deliver you from slavery to them.

And listen to this last part. And I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. In the types and shadows, Yahweh himself says to his Israel that he will redeem them with an outstretched arm.

What a beautiful picture. Because I can name the one whose arms were outstretched and then nailed to the cross. And it is through his outstretched arms and mighty act of judgment that we have been set free from slavery to sin, death, and the devil.

And you'll note the great mighty act of judgment was the act that which Christ went through for us on the cross because he was pierced for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. And with a great mighty act of judgment, God made him to be sin who knew no sin so that we might be forgiven, so that we might be the righteousness of God.

And by a mighty act of judgment, God crushed his own son on the cross so that you and I can be forgiven and redeemed. Indeed, Yahweh has redeemed Israel without stretched arms. And because of this, we have been set free from the tyrant Pharaoh, the devil, the serpent himself.

And so with that in mind then, because we have been forgiven and redeemed, consider then what the Apostle Paul writes regarding the sufferings that we find ourselves in today while we wait for Jesus in this last time of human history.

Romans 8 says this. Paul says, I consider that the sufferings of this present time, well, they're not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.

The creation itself was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in pains of childbirth until now, and the contractions are getting stronger and stronger and shorter and shorter between them. And not only the creation, but we ourselves who are the first fruits of the spirit, we groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons and the redemption of our bodies.

For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope for who hopes for what he sees. But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Likewise, then the spirit helps us in our weakness.

For we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts know what is in the mind of the spirit because the spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good. For those who are called according to his purpose. But in the meantime, it just seems so difficult to go through. So what shall we say to these things, Paul says, if God is for us, who can be against us?

He who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us. How will he not also with him graciously give us all things? So who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies and he has declared you to be righteous in Christ.

So then who is to condemn you? Well, no one. Christ Jesus is the one who died and more than that who was raised. Who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is presently now interceding for us. So who shall separate us from the love of Christ?

Shall tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, the coronavirus, danger or the sword, I threw the coronavirus part in there, by the way, that's not in the biblical text. As it is written, for your sake, we are being killed all the day long.

And we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. No, in all these things, in all of our sufferings, in all of our persecutions, dangers and trials, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor heights or depth, or anything in all of creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The Final Victory of God’s People in Christ

And so note then that although it's really easy to think, where has God gone? We are being persecuted by our enemies. We are being whipped and they are treating us mercilessly and unjustly. Where have you gone, God?

It seems like nothing is going according to plan. Do not worry. Everything is going exactly according to the way God planned it. You have been grafted into Israel. You have been redeemed by the mighty outstretched arms of Christ who bled and died for you on the cross.

Your God will return in glory to judge the living and the dead. And the final showdown with the serpent, the dragon, is about ready to commence. And we know the outcome. So whether you live or die now, it doesn't matter, because you are already alive in Christ.

And neither death, nor life, nor anything can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Amen.

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