When God Goes Through the Motions
(Exodus 11:1-10)
Main idea: We learn about God from His dealings, and in our text we learn that God makes offers He knows will be refused and He frequently stacks the deck.
I. The Announcement of the LAST Plague (Exodus 11:1-8)
A. Plague of the FIRSTBORN While Moses is With Pharaoh (1)
Shortly after the time of Moses, we find inscriptions like this in Egyptian tombs:
398c. He sits, his side towards Geb.
399a. It is UNAS who judges with him whose name is hidden,
399b. (on) this day of slaying the eldest.
399c. UNAS is lord of offerings, who knots the cord,
399d. who himself prepares his meal.
400a. UNAS is he who eats men and lives on gods,
The Decesased King in Heaven Utterances, "Unas Pyramid Texts" e.g., www.sacred-texts.com/egy/pyt/pyt13.htm
B. God Works in UNBELIEVING Egyptians (2-3)
From another ancient Egyptian source:
2:5-6 Plague is throughout the land. Blood is everywhere.
2:10 The river is blood.
2:10 Men shrink from tasting - human beings, and thirst after water
3:10-13 That is our water! That is our happiness! What shall we do in respect thereof? All is ruin.
2:10 Forsooth, gates, columns and walls are consumed by fire.
10:3-6 Lower Egypt weeps... The entire palace is without its revenues. To it belong [by right] wheat and barley, geese and fish
6:3 Forsooth, grain has perished on every side.
5:12 Forsooth, that has perished which was yesterday seen. The land is left over to its weariness like the cutting of flax.
5:5 All animals, their hearts weep. Cattle moan...
9:2-3 Behold, cattle are left to stray, and there is none to gather them together.
9:11 The land is without light.
4:3 (5:6) Forsooth, the children of princes are dashed against the walls.
6:12 Forsooth, the children of princes are cast out in the streets.
6:3 The prison is ruined.
2:13 He who places his brother in the ground is everywhere.
3:14 It is groaning throughout the land, mingled with lamentations.
7:1 Behold, the fire has mounted up on high. Its burning goes forth against the enemies of the land.
3:2 Gold and lapis lazuli, silver and malachite, carnelian and bronze... are fastened on the neck of female slaves.
The Ipuwer Papyrus, dating from the Middle Kingdom [source: ohr.edu/yhiy/article.php/838]
C. Moses Announces The Plague to Pharaoh BEFORE Departing (4-8)
gods insulted
(show Osiris) get photos off on intenet --god of life
(show Seth) -- god of destruction, death, and disaster
We learn about God from His dealings, and in our text we learn that God makes offers He knows will be refused and He frequently stacks the deck.
II. God’s Pattern Of Making Offers He Knows Will Be REFUSED (9-10)
A. The PHARAOH (9-10)
Exodus 11:9-10 The LORD had said to Moses, "Pharaoh will refuse to listen to you—so that my wonders may be multiplied in Egypt." 10 Moses and Aaron performed all these wonders before Pharaoh, but the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the Israelites go out of his country.
B. The 1st Century Nation of ISRAEL
Acts 3:19-21 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.
Jeremiah 7:25-28 From the time your forefathers left Egypt until now, day after day, again and again I sent you my servants the prophets. But they did not listen to me or pay attention. They were stiff-necked and did more evil than their forefathers.’
"When you tell them all this, they will not listen to you; when you call to them, they will not answer. Therefore say to them, ’This is the nation that has not obeyed the LORD its God or responded to correction. Truth has perished; it has vanished from their lips.
C. Those Who Will Not Believe
2 Corinthians 5:15-16 For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?
We learn about God from His dealings, and in our text we learn that God makes offers He knows will be refused and He frequently stacks the deck.
III. Implications of the GAMES God Plays
A. CONDESCENSION
• God grieved at the Flood, yet created the earth with water to destroy it
• God relates to us in the realm of time as though He were subject to it (He is not)
• We call this "anthropapetheia"
• God test Abraham to see what He would do---but He knew beforehand
B. Dual Track of God’s SOVEREIGNTY and Man’s Responsibility
• When looking forward, I can barely see the piano and organ out of the corner of my eye…if I get a good look at one, I can’t see the other
• When I look ahead, I can barely grasp both…
C. The DIRECTION of history
• Justice in the long run
• Often for people groups (in this life), not individuals
• Hebrews born & died in slavery…but the last generation gets the payback
• Riches taken = compensation for wages
• Firstborn Egyptians killed = justice for killing newborn Hebrew babies
We learn about God from His dealings, and in our text we learn that God makes offers He knows will be refused and He frequently stacks the deck.
Conclusion
Which side would you rather be on? All of us are either like the Egyptians or the Hebrews…in God’s favor or outside of it.
We receive God’s favor/grace when we trust Christ…
