The Offering of Compromises to God Brings Death

Let us ponder in our hearts today whether we truly are obedient to God or do we try to offer Him a compromise when He gives us instructions? God already knows how our heart is gong to react. We can fool man, saying we will do it and either have no intentions to do it or later just not follow through, but we certainly cannot deceive the all-wise, all-knowing God! We are either in obedience or not; 99 1/2 won't do!

In today's reading,Exodus 10:1 through 12:13, The Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart and sent the 8th plague, "locusts", the 9th plague, "darkness" and the 10th plague, "death". Why did God harden Pharaoh's heart?
- So that He could perform miraculous signs
- So that Moses could tell his children and grandchildren
how the Lord dealt harshly with the Egyptians and how
He performed His signs among them and
- that Moses may know that He is The Lord
Pharaoh did not listen to what the Lord said through Moses and Aaron, ("Let my people go!") Instead, he offered Moses a compromise: he would let only the men go, not the women and children. This caused the 8th plague, "locusts" settling in every area of Egypt. Locusts are one of the most destructive of creatures. A swarm may have an average density of 130,000,000 locusts per square mile. They can denude hundreds of square miles quickly, bringing horror, despair and terrible economic consequences to the inhabitants. (Joel 2:1-11), Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron to pray the Lord take the deadly plague away from him. After Moses interceded on Pharaoh's behalf, the Lord sovereignly changed the direction of the wind, carrying the locusts away. Pharaoh still would not let the Israelites go because God hardened his heart. The Lord sent the 9th plague, "darkness that can be felt", a supernatural darkness. No man was able to see anyone else! This was an especially significant judgment on Egypt, for the sun god, Ra was one of her chief deities. Pharaoh offered a fourth compromise to Moses: women and children could go, but flocks and herds could not. The Lord brought one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. The Lord told Moses around Midnight, Moses would go through Egypt and every first born son in Egypt, from the first born son of Pharaoh to the first born of the slave girl and the first born of the cattle would die. Though loud wailing would be heard throughout Egypt, the Lord said, "among the Israelites, not a dog would bark at any man or animal", meaning no one would offer the least resistance when Israel left Egypt. Thus, they knew the Lord had msde a distinction between Egypt and Israel. Pharaoh's heart being hardened by the Lord still would not let the Israelites go out of the country.

The Lord's Passover: The Lord told Moses and Aaron in Egypt, that month was to be the first month of their year. He told them to tell the whole community of Israel that on the 10th day, each man was to take a lamb (without defect like the Lamb of God) for his family, one for each household and to care for the lamb until the 14th day of the month when all of the community of Israel must slaughter them at Midnight and take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the houses' doorframes and that night eat the meat roasted over the fire along with bitter herbs and bread made without yeast. Thus, "The Lord's Passover" was instituted. "Bitter herbs" (like endive and chicory) was to remind the people of their past sins and/or their oppression in Egyjpt. "Without yeast" symbolized their haste in leaving Egypt. "The Lord's Passover" serves as a beautiful illustration of the redemption Christ accomplished at Calvary. The offering was to be without blemish, the Lamb had to be killed and the blood had to be applied.
Submitted by Sis. Joanne Thomas, Member of the Intercessory Team at the dream center church of Atlanta under the tutorage of Pastor william h. murphy, iii (lead Pastor) and Pastor danielle murphy.