Studying Exodus
online with Pastor Jim Cymbala for my daily devotionals. He’s been talking about the spirit of Pharaoh. We know the story of Pharaoh and Moses. (See
Exodus 7-11) but I’m seeing a new perspective on Pharaoh.
In the midst of ten
plagues, Pharaoh tells Moses the people can leave, seven times. Seven times, he says “go” and seven times, he
changes his mind. Analysis of this makes me squirm.
Every drop of water
in Egypt turns to blood and Pharaoh doesn’t even flinch. Frogs cover the land and he agrees to let the
people go if the frogs do. The frogs go,
but the people don’t. Scripture says,
“when Pharaoh saw that relief had come, he became stubborn.” Here come the gnats. No response from Pharaoh. Here come the flies. Again, Pharaoh says “Go”
with conditions. Moses refuses the
conditions and Pharaoh gives in, for a minute.
The Egyptians and
their economy are in trouble. Egypt is an agricultural state so these plagues are
taking a toll. Now, the livestock are dying
and still, Pharaoh remains
“stubborn”. Every Egyptian is covered in
boils, including Pharaoh, even so, stubborn.
Next, God sends a hailstorm. This is an affliction I can relate to. Living in Oklahoma and Colorado, I know
firsthand what hail can do to your plants, house and cars. Pharaoh doesn’t even
speak to Moses.
At this point,
Pharaoh’s officials come and say the country is ruined, get these people away
from us. They are killing us! Pharaoh calls Moses in and says okay, only
the men can go. Such audacity, after
bloody water, frogs, gnats, flies, dead cows, painful skin, and hail; this guy
still has the guts to argue. Moses says no, and so does Pharaoh. Enter locusts. Now, Pharaoh “quickly” calls
for Moses. He pleads for forgiveness and
the locusts to be eradicated. Moses prays,
locusts gone and Pharaoh refuses again.
The whole land is covered in darkness for three days, pitch black, no
one could even move. Pharaoh tells Moses
they can go but can’t take their livestock.
BTW, the only living livestock was Israel’s, Egypt lost all theirs 4 disasters
back. Of course, Moses cannot negotiate
with this guy. He’s got a mandate from
God.
Finally, “. . . the
Lord struck down all the firstborn sons in the land of Egypt, from the
firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sat on his throne to the firstborn son of the
prisoner in the dungeon. . .. loud
wailing was heard through the land of Egypt.
There was not a single house where someone had not died.” (Exodus 12:29-30 NLT) Pharaoh can’t get the
Israelites out of Egypt fast enough.
I’ve always focused
on the unreasonably obstinate Pharaoh, the guy who just wouldn’t give in. Today I’m thinkin’ about the Pharaoh who
SEVEN times did give in. Seven times he
told Moses to go, but when relief from his trouble came, he changed his
mind.
I live in a world
where the spirit of Pharaoh is alive and well.
People make all manner of promises in the midst of trouble. When trouble
abates, those are forgotten or modified.
Remember when your community clapped, hollered or howled for healthcare
workers every night? Remember when the
only news was Rona numbers. Remember
when governors did daily news conferences?
Then, when the “models” were wrong, those events died down. Even we, who proclaim to be God’s people fall
back into complacency when things get better.
Like Pharaoh, we make all kinds of promises during a plague and back off
our fervency in the relief. During a
crisis, it’s easy to spend time in the Word and in prayer, in desperation for
God to act.
As we move forward
and Rona numbers decrease, our cities reopen and life becomes a little more
normal; we dare not embrace the spirit of Pharaoh. There has never been a crisis in our
lifetimes like this one. Never before
have we been so dependent on the God of the Bible. When
we can hug again, have dinner together again, take trips again, join in our
houses of worship; let’s remember to keep the promises made in desperate
times. Let’s remember to acknowledge the God of the plague.
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