God Vs. Egypt Series

July 30, 2022

When we left Moses, he was on his way back to Egypt. Having finally arrived, he and Aaron went immediately to the elders of Israel. Aaron told them everything that had happened and performed the signs before them ---- and they believed!!!

• Exodus 4:31 - …. And when they heard that the LORD was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.

Thrilled with the response, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh:

Aaron: This is what the Lord said, ‘Let My people go, to that they can celebrate a festival for Me in the desert.’

Pharaoh: NO! I don’t know your God and I will NOT let your people go worship him – and by the way, get back to work!

Pharaoh stopped deliveries of straw for making bricks YET ordered that brick production must remain the same.

The Israelite foremen went before Pharaoh to plead their case:

Foremen: Why are you treating us this way?

Pharaoh: You’re lazy! Why else would you say, ‘Let us go worship our God in the desert.’ Now get back to work!

The Foremen went and found Moses and Aaron…..

Foremen: What have you done to us?! Pharaoh despises us now more than he already did and you have given him the ammunition to kill us!

Things could not have turned out worse for our poor sheep herder. The Egyptians were laughing at him and the Israelites wished he’d just go away.

• Exodus 5:22-23 - Then Moses returned to the LORD and said, "O Lord, why hast Thou brought harm to this people? Why didst Thou ever send me? 23 "Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Thy name, he has done harm to this people; and Thou hast not delivered Thy people at all."

God responded {Exodus 6:1-8}:

Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for under compulsion he shall let them go, and under compulsion he shall drive them out of his land ….

I am Yahweh;

I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as God Almighty…. But my name is Yahweh.

I established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan….

I have heard the groaning of the sons of Israel, because the Egyptians….

I have remembered My covenant.

Say, therefore, to the sons of Israel,

I am Yahweh.

I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

I will deliver you from their bondage.

I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.

I will take you for My people.

I will be your God; and you will know that it is I who brought you out from under the burden of the Egyptians….

I will bring you to the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob….

I will give it to you for a possession….

I am Yahweh.

God vs. Egypt {Exodus 7:8-12:30}

I have no doubt that God would have preferred the headline “Pharaoh frees slaves after Moses’ staff eats Priest’s staffs”, but Pharaoh wanted to play, “My gods are bigger than your God” ---- and so, the fun began.

Blood: God turned the Nile and its tributaries to blood ---- Pharaoh could have raised the white flag – he didn’t:

• Exodus 7:22 - …. and Pharaoh's heart was hard, and he did not listen to them, as Yahweh had said.

Frogs: God sent an overwhelming army of frogs ---- Pharaoh could have raised the white flag – he didn’t:

• Exodus 8:15 - But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he made his heart insensitive and did not listen to them, as Yahweh had said.

Lice: God sent swarms of gnats/lice ---- Pharaoh could have raised the white flag – he didn’t:

• Exodus 8:19 - Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God." But Pharaoh's heart was hard, and he did not listen to them, as the Yahweh had said.

Flies: God sent swarms of flies ---- Pharaoh could have raised the white flag – he didn’t:

• Exodus 8:32 - But Pharaoh made his heart insensitive this time also, and he did not let the people go.

Death of Livestock: God sent a plague upon the livestock and decimated their food supply even further ---- Pharaoh could have raised the white flag – he didn’t:

• Exodus 9:7 - And Pharaoh sent, and behold, there was not even one of the livestock of Israel dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was insensitive, and he did not let the people go.

Boils: After Moses and Aaron threw ash from the furnace into the air – painful, festering boils broke out on both men and animals ---- Pharaoh could have raised the white flag – he didn’t: