2026_04_26_Exodus

[0:00] Amen. Okay, we're ready for chapter 8. We're actually going to pick up with verse 16.

[0:12] ! Did they turn down the oil for your lamps? Oh, wait, that's out of context. It's a little house joke. So, what happened when Aaron tossed the rod to the ground before Pharaoh?

[0:45] You see, if we dawdle too much, I'm going to be late again. What happened when he threw the rod before Pharaoh? It turned into a serpent, right?

[1:00] Okay, now, what did the sorcerers do? They threw down their rods, and what happened?

[1:12] More snakes, or earthworms, as someone said last week. What happened after theirs became snakes?

[1:30] Aaron's rod, or Aaron's serpent, ate theirs. He picked it back up. It's a rod. Now, our question, because the next time he struck the waters of the Nile and all the surface water in Egypt, what?

[1:50] Turned to blood. What did the sorcerers do? Same thing. Now, the third time, he called forth frogs, and they got everywhere.

[2:09] Romans, or Romans. I'm sorry. Exodus chapter 8. So, he called forth frogs, and they're every place.

[2:21] And what did the sorcerers do? Same thing. So, three times in a row, the sorcerers have been able to duplicate it, and our question was, does Satan have equal power with God?

[2:42] Thank you for that answer. No. But for some reason, God allowed them to do this. Remember, remember Job.

[2:57] He allowed Satan to have temporary, by the way, control of weather. Remember, the whirlwind came and killed his family.

[3:12] He allowed that much. in Daniel, he allowed the prince of Persia, he called him, to withstand the angel who brought God's answer to Daniel.

[3:32] In Revelation, he's going to allow, he's going to allow the Antichrist and the false prophet great leeway with miraculous power.

[3:49] Such that it's going to deceive almost all of the world. But, ultimately, God can stop him.

[4:05] And we should find great comfort in that. See, I need to understand that even though this looks like it's a wrestling match, it's not.

[4:20] It's not like somehow, cosmically, God may or may not be able to fulfill his promises. promises. If everyone on earth turns against God, can we unseat God?

[4:39] No. I find great comfort there. Great comfort. Because the God who promises is the God who fulfills. And he has absolute power.

[4:52] Yes. Yes. Well, we brought that up last week, didn't we?

[5:05] Yeah, I found that interesting. If he had so much faith in his magicians, why didn't he entreat them to take the frogs away? But he didn't.

[5:17] Okay, so now we come to verse 16. By the way, just as a reminder, why we study this, and why we look at this, and why we watch the hand of God working, when it says in Exodus, God stretched forth his hand, it's an, we give him man-like characteristics, he doesn't have a, his hand's not restricted like mine.

[5:51] He stretched forth his hand. When we see how that works, then when we read in Ephesians that your salvation has been in the mind of God for eternity, and this all was in the plan of God, yes, the offer of the kingdom was true to Israel, but God already knew what that was going.

[6:20] When was the lamb slain? from the foundation of the world in eternity. And the apostle Paul in the revelation of the gospel of the grace of God says, this gospel was in God's mind for all time.

[6:41] Well, beyond all time. It was, it just was unrevealed. Doesn't mean he changed his mind, it means he just hadn't revealed it yet.

[6:52] And it's in God's wisdom and sovereign plan that he does it that way. And we can find great comfort in that, because as I look at life with this much vision, it doesn't look like things are in control.

[7:10] control. But they're not supposed to be in my control, they're supposed to be in God's control. And he hasn't slipped, and he hasn't faltered, and he hasn't gone to sleep, and he hasn't forgotten.

[7:25] Remember some of the promises where we went over where it says, and God remembered his covenant. He hadn't forgotten his covenant, it's just he brought it up now.

[7:38] When, by the way, the scripture will tell us, when was Christ, did Christ come, manifest as a child, grow, and take my sin to the cross?

[7:56] When did that happen? In the fullness of time. Exactly when God planned it to happen. it's not a plan B.

[8:09] I'm very thankful for that. I'm very thankful for that. Okay, Exodus chapter 8, beginning with verse 16. Now, Pharaoh has seen one sign, the snakes, and two plagues, has his mind changed?

[8:35] no. Still, in fact, though it doesn't say he increasingly hardened, it does appear that way.

[8:49] He's getting more and more stubborn. It's getting bigger and bigger stakes, and he's digging in harder and harder. there. It's a little bit, it's a little bit like the government.

[9:03] I heard a guy say, you know, the government's never been too quick to let go of a bad idea. Pharaoh's not too fast to let go of a bad idea, is he?

[9:16] So, he's had a couple of plagues. Every time there's a remission, he hardens his heart again.

[9:29] So, beginning there with verse 16, what is God's word to Moses now? What's next up?

[9:43] Okay, smite the dust, and it'll become what? some say gnats, is that right?

[9:56] This is lice, some say lice. The swarms will be in a bit. Okay, who has King James?

[10:09] And it says lice. Who has New American Standard? New gnats or lice.

[10:23] The English translation is not definitely clear, but this is different than the one that will be coming later. So, they become lice, and where do they go?

[10:38] Where do these lice go? on everyone and everything.

[10:52] And through what region? Egypt. All the land of Egypt. Okay, now, now the Egyptian sorcerers are going to duplicate it, right?

[11:10] they try, but what happens? They can't. They come to a conclusion. What do they tell Pharaoh?

[11:25] This is the finger of God. We can't do this. So, God has now stopped them from being able to duplicate. See, God's still in control.

[11:38] He allowed them to do this, but he's not going to allow them to do that. So, that convinced Pharaoh, right?

[11:50] What? What? Well, here we go again. His heart was hardened and he didn't listen to them or he didn't hearken to them.

[12:05] That is, listen with obedience, if you will. So, God tells Moses and Aaron, Pharaoh's heading out to the river.

[12:19] What does he want them to do? well, what do they say to him?

[12:34] This is a common phrase in the scripture. Thus, yeah, thus saith the Lord.

[12:45] God's talking. And by the way, when God talks, I should listen and hearken, right?

[12:57] I'm glad I always do. So, he says, thus saith the Lord, let my people go that they may serve me or worship me.

[13:12] and now he tells him, but if you don't, what? Okay.

[13:34] of flies is not actually in there. The English translators put it in. You'll notice in your scripture it's in italics.

[13:46] That's because we didn't have really a word. It's swarming. So, the swarming. So, we don't know what kind of fly it is necessarily.

[13:59] But anyway, if you don't, I'm going to send swarms of flies and they're going to be everywhere. They're going to be all over the ground. They're going to be in your house. They're going to be on you every place.

[14:11] Now, he doesn't stop there. God tells Pharaoh now that he's making a distinction. What's the distinction?

[14:30] Okay. He said the flies are going to be in all the land of Egypt except Goshen wherein dwells Israel.

[14:41] And he says, I'm going to make sure that you understand that I'm making a specific distinction between you and my people.

[14:54] So, why does he tell Pharaoh this? God actually tells him exactly why he's saying this. That you may, there's that phrase again, I am the Lord.

[15:15] That you may know that I am the Lord and I'm restricted to Israel. No.

[15:31] Well, in the midst of the earth. I am in the midst. I'm, in fact, God will regularly, if we jump in our time machine and move forward, God's going to regularly show all the pagan nations that talk about, he's, for instance, he's God of the, he's the God of the hills, he's not God down here on the plain.

[16:00] Well, is that true? Where is God not God? Where does God not have power?

[16:17] God, God caused the psalmist to write, if I go into the heavens, you're there. If I go to hell, you're there.

[16:31] If I go into the middle of the ocean, I need to learn from that, don't I? And I need to find comfort in that because God is God everywhere, even when I don't feel it.

[16:57] He's not dependent upon my feelings. He's not someone I conjure up. He is, and he is as he is regardless of what I think.

[17:12] And that also is very comforting and security because if he could be thwarted someplace, where would I trust him?

[17:29] But I can trust him. Why can I trust him? Why can I look at Romans 8 and find great comfort? Because he has proved himself throughout history.

[17:40] So, he says, look, Pharaoh, so that you may know that I am the Lord. Remember what Pharaoh said when Moses and Aaron first came to him.

[17:55] Jehovah said that let my people go out into the wilderness and worship me. What was Pharaoh's first response? Who is the Lord?

[18:07] I don't know him. Why should I listen? God says, you're going to know. You're going to know. So, so that you may know that I am the Lord in the midst of the earth.

[18:23] I'll put a division between my people and your people and tomorrow I'm going to do it. So, what does God do? By now we're at verse 24 if my rambling has lost you.

[18:39] Okay, the Lord did so. There came a grievous swarm. Horrible swarm. And the land was corrupted by the reason of the swarm.

[18:52] It was in everything. Everything was messed up. Alright, so, he calls for Moses and Aaron and what does he say?

[19:06] This is Pharaoh calls for Moses and Aaron. What does Pharaoh say to them?

[19:19] Yeah, go sacrifice to God but do it in Goshen. he's going to try to deal with God.

[19:34] Yeah, well, yeah, it's a compromise. You see, now, I can condemn Pharaoh very easily because I've already read the book, right?

[19:49] But, do you know anyone, I don't want an answer, who has ever tried to bargain with God, if you will?

[20:04] God says, this is what you do, and I say, well, I'll go this far, you know, I'll meet you halfway. God's not a halfway God.

[20:18] So, he says, sacrifice in the land. What's Moses' reply? He gives the reply, and he gives the reason for that reply.

[20:36] What are they? not a way?

[20:52] Well, either way, he said, in the land, not in the wilderness. Right.

[21:08] He says, we're going to sacrifice what is an abomination to the Egyptians, and they'll kill us because we're sacrificing what they consider abominable.

[21:23] Now, he says, we're going to go into the wilderness to do the sacrifice, which was what he had said from the beginning.

[21:34] Pharaoh's response. Yeah, you can go into the wilderness, but only go, you know, only go three miles.

[21:54] I may have made that up, but only, don't go very far in. And then he asks him to do what?

[22:12] Entreat the Lord for me. Okay. Is Pharaoh recognizing God? This isn't the first time he has said, entreat the Lord or entreat for me.

[22:30] So, does Pharaoh recognize God? He recognizes that God has some power.

[22:45] Is he recognizing God for who God is? He doesn't respect him, that's for certain. Brings us a little bit back to Romans chapter one.

[22:56] Why are all men accountable before God? Whether I have heard the gospel or not, why am I accountable to God? Specifically because I can tell something about God's holiness and his deity just by looking at creation.

[23:25] general revelation or natural revelation. There is enough. The heavens declare the glory of God.

[23:38] God. So, because I can see that there is a God who is not confined by that, his divine nature, his eternity, because I can tell that just by natural revelation, I am responsible because, go ahead.

[24:06] Right.

[24:30] Right. Well, nor does it for any man. See, what makes all men accountable is that they know there's a God, and they know He's eternal, and they know He is holy, but specifically because I refuse to acknowledge Him as God.

[24:54] And because I won't acknowledge Him as God, all men are condemned. Whether they've heard the gospel of Jesus Christ or not.

[25:05] Now, God does not say that you will know everything I have revealed about myself just by looking at nature. That's not true. And He definitely says, you will not know everything about me or my plan by your own human reason.

[25:25] 1 Corinthians. 1 Corinthians. He makes that definitely clear, but that doesn't mean that I'm not responsible.

[25:38] The, I've lost His name. He was quite a famous philosopher. He knows the truth now, by the way. So, He was asked, what will you say to God if you're wrong?

[25:56] He didn't give me enough information, enough evidence. Well, yes, He did. They are without excuse. And they'll know it.

[26:06] So, specific or reveal the revelation that God gives through His Word by His prophets and apostles, says the Scripture.

[26:26] The specific revelation about the gospel of the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ has to be a revealed truth. Truth.

[26:36] But that doesn't mean if I haven't heard it, I'm not accountable. I'm still accountable. Because the suppression of the truth is suppressed because of who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.

[26:54] It's a suppression of the truth. It's not an ignorance of the truth. It's a suppression of the truth. I don't want to believe there's a God. Because if I believe there's a God, then I start to get these ugly moral issues cropping up.

[27:11] He starts messing with my life. And I don't want that. Not in my old flesh. Thank God, when the revelation of Jesus Christ does come, and we trust Christ, and we recognize our sinfulness, and we recognize our need, God says, come on, I will give you righteousness, based upon just because you trust me.

[27:46] I find that very, very awesome in the strict sense of the word. I don't know that we are born with a, we are not necessarily born, it's not like we're born with a consciousness of God, and then we fell from God.

[28:25] And then he brought us back. I wasn't, I wasn't sick in my sin, or I didn't die in my sin. I was dead in sin. I had to be born again to life.

[28:40] So I can't say necessarily that, but there is something in men that recognize that there's a God. There has to be.

[28:52] There has to be somebody who made it all happen. The first cause, if you will, of all causes.

[29:03] The one who exists in and of himself, which is what the I am refers to when he says, tell them that I am has sent me.

[29:14] And Jesus will reiterate that to his disciples when he says, look, the Father has life in himself. He's independent.

[29:25] He's not confined by, he is not dependent upon anything. He has life within himself. And the Son has life in himself.

[29:38] And he gives it to whomsoever he will. I have, and otherwise he will say, no man takes my life from me. I lay it down willingly.

[29:51] And I have the authority to, to take it up again. He is self-existent.

[30:01] And all men know there has to be something, someone like that. And, and so, as is pointed out, what, what, what the atheistic, humanistic, or naturalistic, or all of them ands, wind up doing is attributing to a nonsensical nature, so they say.

[30:30] Random aspects, items that belong only to intellect. Like nature designed. Or nature gave.

[30:45] Or nature did this. Or nature thought that, if you will. So, they ascribe to the creature that which belongs only to the creator.

[31:02] Right. Again, Romans chapter 1. But, so, Pharaoh's not really acknowledging God as God.

[31:12] He's trying to make deals with him. He still sees God the same way he sees his pagan deities. Somewhat restricted. If you do the right things, maybe they'll make a deal.

[31:27] So, Or, Moses says, I will, I will entreat the Lord for you.

[31:39] But he tells Pharaoh something else. He finishes it with what? Verse 29 or 30.

[31:57] 29, I think. Don't lie to me again.

[32:08] And, of course, he changed Pharaoh's mind. Pharaoh didn't lie again, right? Some of us are slow learners.

[32:26] Pardon me. I'm sorry. So, yeah. And some don't learn at all. Ever. Did Moses pray for him?

[32:41] Yes. Did the swarm remove? Yes. And, Pharaoh let Israel go.

[32:55] And, here we go again with the same refrain, isn't it? It's like the chorus. The same refrain. He hardened his heart again.

[33:07] Here we go again. He did not let him go. Okay. Chapter 9. We will just entertain this. Now, we're coming up to another one.

[33:21] He's witnessed the sign of the serpents. He's witnessed four judgments. Twice he has said that Israel could go.

[33:32] So is the battery.

[34:01] Okay. Okay. I'm sorry about that. Quit fiddling in your pocket, right? Okay.

[34:12] So, it's time for the fifth. Chapter 9, verse 1. Now, God tells Moses, go tell Pharaoh this. What's he telling?

[34:23] Yeah. Yeah. Here we go again. Thus says the Lord, what? And?

[34:38] If you refuse. What? What? Yeah. I'm going to send a plague upon your animals.

[34:54] A grievous plague. And? He's going to give him another sign along with this plague.

[35:08] He's going to reiterate it again. What is it? Your animals are going to die from the plague. But what? Israel's will not.

[35:21] I'm going to show you there's a distinction. I'm going to show you that I have the power to do this. Remember with the frogs? He gave Pharaoh the opportunity to choose when that went.

[35:36] Just to make sure that Pharaoh knows this isn't a conjurer's. This isn't like your magicians do.

[35:48] This is God at work. You get to choose what day it is. And Pharaoh chose and that's what happened. But even that didn't.

[36:00] See, I often talk about Israel being hard-hearted and stiff-necked. Well, the Lord talks about that. When they will leave Egypt.

[36:14] But the Pharaoh's no better, is he? He's still seeing sign after sign and he's not changing either. That's mankind. That's not one nation or another nation or one person in another.

[36:28] That's just the nature of man. Makes the grace of God just a wonderful thing, doesn't it? So, if you refuse to let them go, I'm going to put a sign to you.

[36:47] I'm going to put a plague on your livestock and I'm going to make a difference between yours and Israel's. When does the disease strike?

[37:03] Okay. And notice he says, the Lord appointed a set time. The Lord has appointed a time.

[37:13] By the way, it is appointed unto man once to die and after that the judgment.

[37:26] Now, thankfully, Christ has intervened. He has interposed as the propitiation. So that I will not stand in judgment.

[37:39] Not because I'm so great. But because of what Christ has done. It is vitally important.

[37:52] It is, well, vitally. It is fundamentally important that I understand that it is only, only by the work of the Lord Jesus Christ that I can stand before God righteous.

[38:12] That's the only reason. It is not in man to stand before the holy God. So, God strikes, God sends the plague, and Pharaoh checks on what God has said.

[38:40] What does Pharaoh do? He sends some people up to Goshen to do what?

[38:53] Check it out. Did this happen? And? Here we go again, right?

[39:04] Right. And he said, He said, He sends his someone, his envoys, to check out Goshen.

[39:21] They find out that, yep, Israel's cattle are doing fine. And Pharaoh said, I'm convinced.

[39:35] No. He hardened his heart again. And he would not let the people go. And I'm going to stop there and have a blessed week.

[39:51] God willing, we'll pick up with chapter 9, verse 8, next week.