March 14, 2023

Are you grieved by sin or its consequences?

Exodus 8–9

Matt Moss
Tuesday's Devo

March 14, 2023

Tuesday's Devo

March 14, 2023

Tuesday's Devo

March 14, 2023

Tuesday's Devo

March 14, 2023

Big Idea

God reveals the way and His will through His Word.

Key Verse | Exodus 9:27-28

Then Pharaoh sent and called Moses and Aaron and said to them, "This time I have sinned; the LORD is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong. Plead with the LORD, for there has been enough of God's thunder and hail. I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer."

Exodus 8–9

The Second Plague: Frogs

1  1 8:1 Ch 7:26 in Hebrew Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Let my people go, that they may serve me. 2 But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will plague all your country with frogs. 3 The Nile shall swarm with frogs that shall come up into your house and into your bedroom and on your bed and into the houses of your servants and your people, 2 8:3 Or among your people and into your ovens and your kneading bowls. 4 The frogs shall come up on you and on your people and on all your servants.”’” 5  3 8:5 Ch 8:1 in Hebrew And the LORD said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the canals and over the pools, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt!’” 6 So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. 7 But the magicians did the same by their secret arts and made frogs come up on the land of Egypt.

8 Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, “Plead with the LORD to take away the frogs from me and from my people, and I will let the people go to sacrifice to the LORD.” 9 Moses said to Pharaoh, “Be pleased to command me when I am to plead for you and for your servants and for your people, that the frogs be cut off from you and your houses and be left only in the Nile.” 10 And he said, “Tomorrow.” Moses said, “Be it as you say, so that you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God. 11 The frogs shall go away from you and your houses and your servants and your people. They shall be left only in the Nile.” 12 So Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and Moses cried to the LORD about the frogs, as he had agreed with Pharaoh. 4 8:12 Or which he had brought upon Pharaoh 13 And the LORD did according to the word of Moses. The frogs died out in the houses, the courtyards, and the fields. 14 And they gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank. 15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart and would not listen to them, as the LORD had said.

The Third Plague: Gnats

16 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, so that it may become gnats in all the land of Egypt.’” 17 And they did so. Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and there were gnats on man and beast. All the dust of the earth became gnats in all the land of Egypt. 18 The magicians tried by their secret arts to produce gnats, but they could not. So there were gnats on man and beast. 19 Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the LORD had said.

The Fourth Plague: Flies

20 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning and present yourself to Pharaoh, as he goes out to the water, and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Let my people go, that they may serve me. 21 Or else, if you will not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and your servants and your people, and into your houses. And the houses of the Egyptians shall be filled with swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand. 22 But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people dwell, so that no swarms of flies shall be there, that you may know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth. 5 8:22 Or that I the LORD am in the land 23 Thus I will put a division 6 8:23 Septuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew set redemption between my people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall happen.”’” 24 And the LORD did so. There came great swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh and into his servants' houses. Throughout all the land of Egypt the land was ruined by the swarms of flies.

25 Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God within the land.” 26 But Moses said, “It would not be right to do so, for the offerings we shall sacrifice to the LORD our God are an abomination to the Egyptians. If we sacrifice offerings abominable to the Egyptians before their eyes, will they not stone us? 27 We must go three days' journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God as he tells us.” 28 So Pharaoh said, “I will let you go to sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only you must not go very far away. Plead for me.” 29 Then Moses said, “Behold, I am going out from you and I will plead with the LORD that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, tomorrow. Only let not Pharaoh cheat again by not letting the people go to sacrifice to the LORD.” 30 So Moses went out from Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD. 31 And the LORD did as Moses asked, and removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; not one remained. 32 But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and did not let the people go.

The Fifth Plague: Egyptian Livestock Die

1 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, “Let my people go, that they may serve me. 2 For if you refuse to let them go and still hold them, 3 behold, the hand of the LORD will fall with a very severe plague upon your livestock that are in the field, the horses, the donkeys, the camels, the herds, and the flocks. 4 But the LORD will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that nothing of all that belongs to the people of Israel shall die.”’” 5 And the LORD set a time, saying, “Tomorrow the LORD will do this thing in the land.” 6 And the next day the LORD did this thing. All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one of the livestock of the people of Israel died. 7 And Pharaoh sent, and behold, not one of the livestock of Israel was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go.

The Sixth Plague: Boils

8 And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from the kiln, and let Moses throw them in the air in the sight of Pharaoh. 9 It shall become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and become boils breaking out in sores on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt.” 10 So they took soot from the kiln and stood before Pharaoh. And Moses threw it in the air, and it became boils breaking out in sores on man and beast. 11 And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils came upon the magicians and upon all the Egyptians. 12 But the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them, as the LORD had spoken to Moses.

The Seventh Plague: Hail

13 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning and present yourself 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 yourself, 7 9:14 Hebrew on your heart and on your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is none like me in all the earth. 15 For by now I could have put out my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth. 16 But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth. 17 You are still exalting yourself against my people and will not let them go. 18 Behold, about this time tomorrow I will cause very heavy hail to fall, such as never has been in Egypt from the day it was founded until now. 19 Now therefore send, get your livestock and all that you have in the field into safe shelter, for every man and beast that is in the field and is not brought home will die when the hail falls on them.”’” 20 Then whoever feared the word of the LORD among the servants of Pharaoh hurried his slaves and his livestock into the houses, 21 but whoever did not pay attention to the word of the LORD left his slaves and his livestock in the field.

22 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, on man and beast and every plant of the field, in the land of Egypt.” 23 Then Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and fire ran down to the earth. And the LORD rained hail upon the land of Egypt. 24 There was hail and fire flashing continually in the midst of the hail, very heavy hail, such as had never been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. 25 The hail struck down everything that was in the field in all the land of Egypt, both man and beast. And the hail struck down every plant of the field and broke every tree of the field. 26 Only in the land of Goshen, where the people of Israel were, was there no hail.

27 Then Pharaoh sent and called Moses and Aaron and said to them, “This time I have sinned; the LORD is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong. 28 Plead with the LORD, for there has been enough of God's thunder and hail. I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer.” 29 Moses said to him, “As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will stretch out my hands to the LORD. The thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that the earth is the LORD's. 30 But as for you and your servants, I know that you do not yet fear the LORD God.” 31 (The flax and the barley were struck down, for the barley was in the ear and the flax was in bud. 32 But the wheat and the emmer 8 9:32 A type of wheat were not struck down, for they are late in coming up.) 33 So Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh and stretched out his hands to the LORD, and the thunder and the hail ceased, and the rain no longer poured upon the earth. 34 But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet again and hardened his heart, he and his servants. 35 So the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people of Israel go, just as the LORD had spoken through Moses.

Footnotes

[1] 8:1 Ch 7:26 in Hebrew
[2] 8:3 Or among your people
[3] 8:5 Ch 8:1 in Hebrew
[4] 8:12 Or which he had brought upon Pharaoh
[5] 8:22 Or that I the LORD am in the land
[6] 8:23 Septuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew set redemption
[7] 9:14 Hebrew on your heart
[8] 9:32 A type of wheat

S2:052 Exodus 8-9

Listen Now

Dive Deeper | Exodus 8–9

In Exodus 8-9 we are told of six plagues that God uses to demonstrate who He is to Pharaoh. We don't see the heart of Pharaoh moved to repentance or belief in God, but instead we see his desperation to remove the penalty of his sins. In response to the final plague in these chapters, Pharaoh acknowledges the connection of his disobedience with the calamities unfolding and cries out for relief: "there has been enough" (Exodus 9:27).

Most of us have been in Pharaoh's shoes. Perhaps we have tried to "manage God" by obeying Him only out of a desire to earn His favor. Or we experience suffering and blame God.  Or we pursue endeavors we think will lead to pleasure, comfort, affirmation, or fulfillment, ignoring that they are at odds with God's will.

This mindset reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of who God is, who we are, and how humans are most fulfilled here on earth. The Bible teaches us:

  • God: LOVES us beyond our understanding (1 John 4:8; John 15:13), and His constant desire is for what's best for us (Matthew 7:21; Jeremiah 29:11)
  • Man: Our ways, plans, and schemes are inferior to God's (Isaiah 55:9; Proverbs 16:9), and our sins have led to brokenness, pain, and suffering in this world (Romans 6:23, 8:22)
  • Fulfillment: Following God's ways is the path to fulfillment on earth (John 10:10; Deuteronomy 12:28)

This posture of our heart determines not only fulfillment on earth, but our eternal destination. At some point, God's patience with our distrust and rebellion will expire, and we will face judgment (Hebrews 9:27).  For Pharaoh, that occurs within these chapters, midway through the plagues. Note that for six of the first seven plagues, the text says that "Pharaoh hardened his heart/his heart was hardened"; while in four of the last five, it says, "The Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart." 

God's message is clear: He wants us to grieve our sin (not just the consequences of it) and allow it to lead us to trust in Him and His ways, so our life on this earth is fruitful, and our life in eternity is spent with Him.

This month's memory verse

27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

– John 14:27

Discussion Questions

1. What is your typical reaction to adversity in your life? Do you get mad at the world or God? Do you immediately move into problem-solving mode to fix it yourself? Do you get depressed? Or do you consider it joy (James 1:2), potentially helpful discipline from God (Proverbs 3:11-12), or a natural consequence of broken world that includes your own brokenness (Romans 3:23)?

2. What is a recent, significant decision you have made? How did you invoke the counsel of God (e.g., through Scripture, prayer, or godly community) in making that decision?

3. Do you trust that God loves you infinitely and has your best interests in mind 100% of the time?

Respond to Today's Passage

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HS

Hugh Stephenson

GM Matt. Love this verse, “Plead with the LORD, for there has been enough of God's thunder and hail.” Is this the prayer of a prodigal OR WHAT? Q1 & Q3. Initially I hated James 1:2-4. It’s a “throw-the-book-against-the-wall” verse. Over time, the truth of Malachi 3:3 become real. Q2. May 2021- 180 degree turn in understanding how to love my prodigal children as God loves them. All through the counsel of faithful friends and fellow leaders in Prodigal. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Early on in our parenting journey we got good advice to help our kids learn that they could choose the road they would walk; easy or hard. EXAMPLES-They could eat what was for supper. Or if not, eat it the next day for breakfast. They could do chores. Or stay home the next weekend. As teenagers things got much tougher. Self-will/rebellion became an issue.
HS

Hugh Stephenson

The easy road vs hard road became a battle of wills. 1 of the 3 saw God’s wisdom. We continually explained that God made the world a certain way. It wasn’t up to us. The easy road / hard road paradigm was a fact of life, (Psalm 1). You know how it turned out. I can’t blame them really. Me and my three sisters did the same thing and made the same bad choices. Yahweh, the relational and convenient keeping God, had to stand by and watch me wreck my life. I call it the “prodigal-slow-motion-train-wreck”. Thankfully, no one rescued me. The hard road is a hard teacher, but a very effective one. Oswald Chambers edifies- https://utmost.org/decreasing-for-his-purpose/ Easy road for Pharoah or hard road? Up to him. Like suspense thriller movies when the hero says to the villain “you know, this doesn’t end well for you”.
HS

Hugh Stephenson

What still resonates with me is that the Bible doesn’t mention who this Pharaoh is. Lots of guesses but nothing like certainty. But this Pharaoh is certainly getting to know who Yahweh is. And why would it go well for anyone who doesn’t know Him? Materially? Possibly. The newspapers are full of examples. Relationally? Maybe. But like the Beatles said, “Can’t Buy Me Love”. And time? Can’t buy that either. This pharaoh is on a shot clock. He’s not on track for eternal life. Moses and Aaron? They have no shot clock. It turns out that Pharaoh was just a deluded teenager. He thinks he’s in charge. And won’t consider any evidence to the contrary until there’s no other choice. And we know how it turned out for him, too.
MS

Michael Sisson

“Exodus 12:12 God says, ’... on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments.’ Thus the plagues are thought to be symbolic of the defeat of various gods venerated in ancient Egyptian mythology (and occultism in general): 1. Water turned to blood - Hapi and/or Khnum (god of the Nile) 2. Frogs from the Nile River - Heket (goddess of fertility and water) 3. Gnats from the dust - Geb (god of the Earth) 4. Swarms of Flies - Khepri (god of creation, lord of flies or beetles) 5. Death of Livestock - Apis (goddess of animals depicted as a bull); Osiris 6. Ashes to boils - Isis (goddess of nature, healing and peace) 7. Hail and Fire - Nut (sky goddess and sister of Geb) 8. Locusts sent from the winds - Set (god of storms, darkness, and disorder) 9. Three days of darkness - Ra (the Sun god) and Set (god of darkness) 10. Death of the firstborn - Pharoah ("son of Ra"); Khnum/ Amon (ram god)” — Hebrew For Christians https://www.hebrew4christians.com/Scripture/Parashah/Summaries/Va_era/va_era.html
CL

Chris Landry

These four verses described to me the omnipotence and sovereignty of God. Exodus‬ ‭9‬:‭4‬, ‭7‬, ‭16‬, ‭26‬ ✔️ But the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and that of Egypt, so that NO ANIMAL belonging to the Israelites will die. --Imagine the sovereignty it takes to distinguish the ownership of animals in a field. Imagine that! ✔️ Pharaoh investigated and found that NOT EVEN ONE of the animals of the Israelites had died. Yet his heart was unyielding and he would not let the people go. -- 🤯🤯 ✔️ But I [God] have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. -- Pharaoh had no idea, at the time, that he was a ministry tool in the hands of God for his own enlightenment, and for his people to see the power of God! ✔️ The ONLY place it did not hail was the land of Goshen, where the Israelites were. -- Again. God's omnipotence and sovereignty on display. 🤯🤯 ‭‭‬‬
MS

Michael Scaman

The fallen heart of man without restraints will sink under its own weight. Pharaoh is poster boy of that. He made a wreck of his own country and looked like he repented but never came to the point of saying 'the Lord is the God of heaven and earth' worshiping and treasuring him. Genuine repentance will have new treasures and pleasures.
AL

Amy Lowther

1. “Oh man, why?” No, I try to understand what’s going on and fix it if I can. I do not get depressed or overjoyed. I try to stay level and work through things. 2. I baked a Pineapple Upside Down Cake. Going to God in prayer helped ensure the sugar and butter mixed well to become the topping of the cake along with the pineapple slices and the cherries. Going to God in prayer also helped me to flip the cake and set it correctly as a Pineapple Upside Down Cake that would be enjoyed. 3. Yes.
JC

JOHN CIMMERMAN

God used the plagues for a very subtle purpose as well as His other purposes. Moses self-image was shattered when the two Hebrew fighters rejected his attempt at peacemaking. Then, he found out that Pharoah knew about him killing an Egyptian. He panicked and fled the country. For the next 40 years, he relived the situation over and over. His self esteem crumbled. (Exodus 2:11-15). When he encountered God at the burning bush, his poor self esteem made him unfit to serve God in any way. (Exodus 3:11-4:12). God used the plagues to bolster his esteem. God called Aaron to be Moses mouthpiece when talking to Pharoah. In the plagues you see when God healed Moses emotional wounds through his action in each plague. In plagues 1-3, God used Aaron to speak to Pharoah. Moses was silent. (7:12a,7:19a, 8:5a, 8:6a, 8:16a, 8:17b). In plagues , 4-5 God used Moses to speak to Pharoah. In plagues 6-9, God used Moses’ outstretched hand to speak to Pharoah. In plague 10, God used Moses, to speak to Pharoah. Aaron was not mentioned after the third plague. God transformed Moses from a frightened emotional wreck of a man to become a fearless godly leader of the Israelites. God used the plagues to prepare Moses for all that God planned for his ministry from that day onward. God bless y’all as we read the Bible together!