God Delivers Through Judgment
Exodus 1-6: God is a God who hears
- He hears His own people (their groaning)
- He sees (their misery)
- He knows
Exodus 7-12: God delivers His people and rescues them from hopeless oppression (a basis of the New Testament concept of redemption through JC)
- delivers through judgment; simultaneously rescues and brings justice
- redeems by defeating His enemies
- shows world that He is Lord
The Ten Plagues
- to declare He has no rivals
- hardening of Pharaoh's heart
- supremacy of God over entire Egyptian culture
1st- Nile River
- importance
* way of life
* life or sustenance
* much needed water for country
- related idolatry
* Hapi: Nile god
* god of water, life, and fertility
* maintain order in the universe
- significance of attack
* it is the heart of Egypt and understanding of their gods
* retribution for terrible atrocities (Pharaoh's targeted genocide from Ex. 1:22)
* God uses Egypt's love and worship of water against them
- blood
* not literal blood
* sign of judgment/an appearance of blood
* Joel 2:31; Revelation 6:12
- natural elements
* could be foreign bacteria to disturb oxygen balance in water killing the fish
* but Moses performed sign in presence of Pharaoh and servants
* all water from Nile (no matter where it is stored) was contaminated for seven days
2nd- Frogs
- importance
* connected to the Nile
* Nile was home to frogs
- related idolatry
* Haqet: goddess, wife of god Khnum (considerd Lord of created things)
* goddess of life and fertility, especially childbirth
* believed priestesses were trained in midwifery
- significance of attack
* magicians could replicate, but could not stop the plague
* land stank
* fertility god became overwhelming and devastating
- comic relief (versus 9)
* Pharaoh asks Moses to make plague stop
* Moses asks when
* Pharaoh wants frogs stopped tomorrow.... (why not now?!?!?!)
3rd- Gnats
- importance
* no warning
* Egyptian worldview valued ecological harmony
- significance
* magicians could not recreate the plague
* magicians admit the God of Hebrews was greater
* Egypt was experiencing judgment, first cycle of plagues completed
4th- Flies
- importance
* second cycle begins
* "No other Gods Before Me"
* Pharaoh try to find ways to appease God's wrath without full obedience
- separation
* first time God separated Israel as 'my people' from Egypt 'your people'
* Israel protected, Egypt punished
* to make a distinction between Egyptians and the Israelites
Application
God of the universe has no rivals and must be obey.
False gods/idols is human beings'attempt to control their lives, therefore will become self-destructive.
Psalm 115:3-8
Idolatry is anything...
- more important more than Gd
- absorbs your heart and imagination more than God
- seek to give you what only God can give
Counterfeit god- anything so central and essential that, should you lose it, life would feel hardly worth living
Idol- whatever you look at and say in heart of hearts "If I have that, I'll feel my life has meaning, I'll know I have value, I'll feel significant and secure."
Am I consumed with a career, making money, achievement, saving 'face', social standing, the perfect family, a romantic relationship, beauty, intelligence, sex, power, control, or happiness?
False gods are DESTRUCTIVE.
Say this: I am a sinner. I cannot save myself. By faith I need to put my trust in Christ.
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