Plagued With Problems Series

Plagued with Problems

Selected Passages from Exodus 7-11

Series: Essential 100

January 27, 2008

Morning Service

God seems to do nothing of Himself which He can possibly delegate to His creatures. He commands us to do slowly and blunderingly what He could do perfectly and in the twinkling of an eye. C.S. Lewis, Studies in Theology.

God has a way of stepping into the stream of human history and changing everything in an instant. He can do this because, well He is God. God does what needs to be done as it needs to be done and how it needs to be done. The greatest miracle it seems is the fact that He uses us at all in his plans.

Meaning of Miracle (dictionary.com)

1. An effect or extraordinary event in the physical world that surpasses all known human or natural powers and is ascribed to a supernatural cause.

2. such an effect or event manifesting or considered as a work of God.

3. a wonder; marvel.

A poll was conducted of adults on the question of miracles. Percentage of adults who mostly agree or completely agree with the statement, "Even today, miracles are performed by the power of God": 82.

God sends the means to make His mission possible. The means were the ten plagues and the mission was to set His people free. If you have your Bibles open them to Exodus 6:6-8

The Ten Plagues reveal the Significance of God (Knowledge)

6 "Therefore, say to the Israelites: `I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. 7 I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. 8 And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the LORD.’ " Exodus 6:6-8

God makes it clear to Moses that He is about to make Himself known. This means that God was going to reveal Himself through a variety of means. The history of Israel was filled with three major times of miracles. The last time of miracles was during the life of Jesus, the second was during the life of Elijah and the first was during the life of Moses.

The word used here for know meant to make known, to declare or to reveal oneself. This was exactly what God was going to do. God tells Moses that He is going to do something so great and so incredible that it will get everyone’s attention. In other words, God was going to do something that no one could ignore. People might still reject but there would be no way to ignore.

What was God going to show?

His divine person – I Am that I Am – Yahweh

God had given Moses His personal name at the burning bush, I Am that I Am – Hebrew word Yahweh. God is now declaring who He is to those who do not yet know or those who are seeking to know. Remember God called Moses because He had heard the cries of His people in Egypt. God is now going to reveal Himself to His people and to the world.

His divine position – LORD

God is also called Lord and this designates His position in the universe. The Israelites have lived under the rule of the Pharaoh and Egypt for too long. The Egyptian belief was that the Pharaoh was a god and the ruler over them. No one could stand against his rule and now God was going to step in to declare Himself.

His divine Power - God

God also declares Himself as Almighty. The Hebrew elohim is used here to describe that He is the Almighty God of all the universe.

Who was God going to reveal Himself to?

The people of Israel (6:7)

God was going to show Himself to His people Israel and reveal the things that only he could do. He was going to show them that He was the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He was their God and He would be their deliverer. His wrath was going to be poured out on Egypt for the suffering of His people.

The people of Egypt (7:5)

And the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it."

God was going to reveal Himself to the people of Egypt and remind them who really was God. Before all would be finished, everyone in Egypt would know that God was above all and over all.