When Relationships Turn Nasty Series

When Relationships Turn Nasty

Exodus 10

1.The good and bad of protocol

a. Some people are simply rude and do not know it:

DEAR MISS MANNERS -- Trying to keep the conversation going at a family dinner, I decided to look at people’s hands. I remarked that one grandson and also his wife had beautiful hands.

However when I came to my other grandson’s hands, well, they were huge and I didn’t really have much time to think, so I said,

"Your hands would be slimmer if they weren’t so fat."

Well, that obviously was the wrong thing to say, as he is overweight, although truthfully, I wasn’t thinking of that.

He was furious! My daughter-in-law said, "That’s your grandmother for you," and he said, "We don’t have to take that!"

So everyone looked at me, and I felt like crawling under the table.

Is it normal for anyone to be that sensitive? I really didn’t intend to hurt his feelings, but I do feel that most people would have just flubbed it off and said, "Thanks a lot," or something.

I am 80 years old, and I just feel that he was not respectful. Or am I wrong? Isn’t there such a thing as being overly sensitive?

b. But some people are so into protocol that they over do it and are inefficient in getting to the point:

GENTLE READER -- You know who is beginning to get oversensitive about such claims? Your very own Miss Manners. She is far too polite to exhibit fury, but she is really exasperated with the common double whammy you describe:

First you deliver an obvious, standard insult to an unsuspecting person, and then, when he is insulted by it, you hit him again, with the coy insult of being oversensitive.

It is not that Miss Manners fails to realize that people can say perfectly stupid things they don’t mean. That is why we have the fine old institution of the apology. As you immediately realized your error, you should have started groveling: "I can’t

believe I said that! That’s not what I meant at all! You have beautiful hands; I’ve always thought so. Whatever idiotic joke I thought I was attempting, it came out all wrong. Will you ever forgive me? I hate myself for being such a fool...."

Had you done this, and your nephew not finally interrupted you by muttering, "Oh, that’s all right, forget it. I know you didn’t mean it," Miss Manners would now be on your side.

But you allowed the insult to stand, thus allowing him to believe that you did mean to insult him. And now you want to act insulted at him because he was insulted that you insulted him. That strikes Miss Manners as undersensitive.

(soure: http://www.indigo.org/humor/hands.html)

c. Pastor Ed would have said: Just because you are elderly does not mean you should fail to respect those who are younger. You can never be so old that being rude or ignorant is okay. Ain’t your mama done taught you none good manners?

d. Many adults do not have proper respect for children or teens…and the kids pick up on it…everyone needs to be respected…

3. A protocol is a rule which guides how an activity should be performed…Etiquette fundamentally prescribes and restricts the ways in which people interact with each other, and show their respect for other people by conforming to the norms of society. (wikipedia)

4. The diplomatic courtesy between Moses and Pharaoh began to break down near the end, and this happened for a reason.

Main Idea: Respect and relationships deteriorate when people are not trustworthy.

I. The Plague of LOCUSTS

A. God hardened Pharaoh’s HEART (1-2)

1. Long term goal: So the Israelites would be able to recount this to their children (2)

2. Short term goal: So that the present generation would realize that Yahweh is God

B. The Confrontations Turn NASTY (3-7)

1. Moses respect gone…he simply walks away (6)

2. Pharaoh’s officials offer unsolicited criticism (7)

3. Moses no longer willing to compromise (8-10)

4. Moses & Aaron driven away (11)

C. The FRESH START Cycle Over Again (12-20)

• plagues of locusts were not unknown, but they would hit a region and move on; in this case, all of Egypt was plagued at once…like never before…

• Normal: 130 million locusts per square mile, some swarms have covered more than 400 square miles (20 miles X 20 miles); this was more massive than that; they can move up to 60 miles per day in distance

• The Book of Joel records a locust plague that was a judgment to Israel, figurative of the end time Tribulation

gods insulted included: Isis-goddess of life

Respect and relationships deteriorate when people are not trustworthy.

II. The Plague of DARKNESS