Exodus Part 6- Can You Hear Me Now? Series

Exodus – “The story of God’s presence”

Part 6

“Can you hear me now?”

Exodus 11:1-12:51

This story fits me pretty well but it is not my story

Although some my believe it is about me

A man after being told for years by his wife that he could not hear

Finally relented and went to the doctor for a hearing test

The doctor put him through all the tests and he passed with flying colors

But

The man was confused

He was convinced that he did indeed have a hearing problem

So the doctor ran one more test

He took a small wind up alarm clock out of his desk drawer , you know the kind that still actually ticks

He wound it up and it began ticking

Tick – tick – tick

He asked the man

Can you hear the ticking?

Yes

I hear it

Go out into the hall

Can you hear the ticking?

Yes

I hear it

Go out into the lobby

Can you hear the ticking?

Yes

Ii hear it

Finally the doctor

Told the man

You don’t have a hearing problem

You have a listening problem

We are picking back up today in our study of Exodus in Chapter 11

Last week in our bible studies and in our sermon series we looked at the first 9 of 10 plagues that God sent on the land of Egypt

God had told Pharaoh over and over through Moses and Aaron to let his people the Hebrew go

Pharaoh heard God

But he was not listening

So God through a series of plagues had to get his attention

We studied last week how Pharaoh continually hardened his heart

How he remained blatantly disobedient

How he tried to make deals

How he acted with insincerity and how although he was convicted

He never fully committed

You see

He heard

But

Did not listen

So God in an effort to finally get his attention sent one last Plague

Let me remind those of you that come to our bible studies

Or inform those who don’t about the plagues

All of the plagues were a direct attack on the Egyptian religious system

God was showing who he was

And that these so called Egyptian gods had no power

That they were just worthless idols

Just chucks of wood and stone

Imaginary

But also remember that Pharaoh himself was considered to be the head “god”

And this final plague would disprove his claim of deity

In the first 3 plagues

Everyone in Egypt- Egyptians and Hebrews alike was affected

In the next 6 God made a distinction between his children and the ones who refused to listen to him

Only the Egyptians were affected by plagues 4-9

Let me read for you from God’s word the account of Plague number 10

Please open your bibles to Exodus 11

If you don’t have a bible

Or don’t have a bible that you can understand

Please come see us after service and we will get you your own copy of God’s word

Exodus 11 verse 1

“Then the LORD said to Moses, “I will strike Pharaoh and the land of Egypt with one more blow. After that, Pharaoh will let you leave this country. In fact, he will be so eager to get rid of you that he will force you all to leave.”

God had tried to get pharaoh to listen to him

Now he was fixing to get his attention

Skipping to Exodus 11:4-8

“Moses had announced to Pharaoh, “This is what the LORD says: At midnight tonight I will pass through the heart of Egypt. 5 All the firstborn sons will die in every family in Egypt, from the oldest son of Pharaoh, who sits on his throne, to the oldest son of his lowliest servant girl who grinds the flour. Even the firstborn of all the livestock will die. 6 Then a loud wail will rise throughout the land of Egypt, a wail like no one has heard before or will ever hear again. 7 But among the Israelites it will be so peaceful that not even a dog will bark. Then you will know that the LORD makes a distinction between the Egyptians and the Israelites. 8 All the officials of Egypt will run to me and fall to the ground before me. ‘Please leave!’ they will beg. ‘Hurry! And take all your followers with you.

As we discussed last week

Pharaoh had hardened his heart

He had refused to listen to God

Others had tried to convince him

But he would not be moved

Now God delivers one more powerful blow

The entire first born in Egypt from the highest official to the lowest servant

Including the first born of the animals

Would die

There would be no house in all of Egypt that was not affected