The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Exodus 4:21,
"The Lord said to Moses, 'When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.'"
Here the Lord tells Moses he is sending him to Pharaoh to demand the release of the Israelites from Egypt. However, the Lord also tells Moses he is going to "harden his heart" so that Pharaoh will refuse to do it. Why?
The Lord did want Israel to be set free from the Egyptians and he wanted Moses to head up that job. The approach the Lord used was to indeed harden Pharaoh's heart, but in a way that would only go so far. Through a series of plagues Pharaoh would reject Moses' demand, but at the final plague, the death of all the first born in Egypt, Pharaoh did let Israel go.
The importance of the series of plagues that came to Egypt that accompanied Pharaoh's refusal makes for an amazing story- not just for today, but back when Israel was to conquer the promised land. God provided a news flash that penetrated that whole part of the world that persisted for years and years. The Lord used the series of plagues through the hardening of Pharaoh's heart to provide an account that had legs!
When Israel crossed the Jordan, some forty years later to take the first city, Jericho, one of the inhabitants, Rahab, told Jewish spies, "I know that the Lord has given you [the Israelites] this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone's courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below." Joshua 2:9-11.
The Lord used the amazing account of the plagues, as well as following events, to prepare the people living in Canaan to be defeated by creating a "great fear" of Israel [together with Israel's God] such that their "hearts melted in fear and everyone's courage failed". What Israel encountered in Canaan was a demoralized people. As Paul quoted Exodus 9:16 in Romans 9, "But I [the Lord] have raised you [Pharaoh] up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth."
I find it fascinating to watch the strategy and tactics of God when he is on the move!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know. A blog with all my posts can be found here: http://worshipfortoday.blogspot.com/
"The Lord said to Moses, 'When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.'"
Here the Lord tells Moses he is sending him to Pharaoh to demand the release of the Israelites from Egypt. However, the Lord also tells Moses he is going to "harden his heart" so that Pharaoh will refuse to do it. Why?
The Lord did want Israel to be set free from the Egyptians and he wanted Moses to head up that job. The approach the Lord used was to indeed harden Pharaoh's heart, but in a way that would only go so far. Through a series of plagues Pharaoh would reject Moses' demand, but at the final plague, the death of all the first born in Egypt, Pharaoh did let Israel go.
The importance of the series of plagues that came to Egypt that accompanied Pharaoh's refusal makes for an amazing story- not just for today, but back when Israel was to conquer the promised land. God provided a news flash that penetrated that whole part of the world that persisted for years and years. The Lord used the series of plagues through the hardening of Pharaoh's heart to provide an account that had legs!
When Israel crossed the Jordan, some forty years later to take the first city, Jericho, one of the inhabitants, Rahab, told Jewish spies, "I know that the Lord has given you [the Israelites] this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone's courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below." Joshua 2:9-11.
The Lord used the amazing account of the plagues, as well as following events, to prepare the people living in Canaan to be defeated by creating a "great fear" of Israel [together with Israel's God] such that their "hearts melted in fear and everyone's courage failed". What Israel encountered in Canaan was a demoralized people. As Paul quoted Exodus 9:16 in Romans 9, "But I [the Lord] have raised you [Pharaoh] up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth."
I find it fascinating to watch the strategy and tactics of God when he is on the move!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know. A blog with all my posts can be found here: http://worshipfortoday.blogspot.com/
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