PLAGUES OF EGYPT 1 “And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt…” (Exodus 7:5 KJB) The plagues that befell Egypt were as a result of the stubbornness of Pharaoh who saw himself and his gods invincible. He was determined to prove to the God of Moses that he is the man that cannot be threatened by an invisible God, for he believed that a true god should be visible to his people. He challenged the instruction from the Lord and said, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and moreover, I will not let Israel go?” (Exodus 5:2 ESV). This was a direct defiance to God’s authority, malevolent contempt of the Creator of the heavens and earth and everything that is on the earth, including the very nature that the king of Egypt worshipped. Pharaoh’s pride, arrogance, ambition and covetousness made him obstinate to reasoning, deciding to be deliberately ignorant to a very obvious fact that he is a creature and the nature he worshipped was also creature by a supernatural Being greater than his gods. His failure to realise that there is Someone bigger than the gods he worshipped led to the disaster that was experienced not only by him but by the entire population of Egypt. By one man the whole nation had to suffer, for God said, “And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD…” (Exodus 7:5 KJB). Commenting on the stubbornness of Pharaoh against God’s command Ellen G. White says, “Gradually the Lord withdrew His Spirit. Removing His restraining power, He gave the king into the hands of the worst of all tyrants,—self (The Review and Herald, July 27, 1897). If Pharaoh had hearkened to the voice of the Lord as He spoke through Moses and Aaron, the ten plagues that befell Egypt would have been avoided. Quite often leaders, not only outside of the church but also in the church fail to follow God’s simple instructions contained in the Bible. The same pride, arrogance and covetousness that made Pharaoh harden his heart are the same sins that make leaders of the last days, who are supposed to lead God’s church to salvation, follow their inclinations and desires. The devil cunningly uses undiscerning leadership to draw attention of God’s children away from their core call and service. Such leaders do not care whether God’s church that is supposed to form a formidable force against the devil becoming a playground of the evil one and his entourage of demons. Ellen G. White further says, “Those who exalt their own ideas above the plainly specified will of God, are saying as did Pharaoh, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice?” Every rejection of light hardens the heart and darkens the understanding; and thus men find it more and more difficult to distinguish between right and wrong, and they become bolder in resisting the will of God” (Manuscript 3, 1885). Let us therefore watch and be vigilant that we should become leaders that listen not to self but God alone, and have a conscience guided by the Holy Spirit, lest God declares unto us, I sent plagues among you as I did to Egypt. I killed your young men with the sword, along with your captured horses. I filled your nostrils with the stench of your camps, yet you have not returned to me… (Amos 4:10 NIV). © 2014 ZET Productions
Posted on: Tue, 26 Aug 2014 05:16:23 +0000
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