Jan 24 (Exodus 9-11)

Exodus 9

The fifth, sixth and seventh plagues fall upon the people of Egypt, but not upon the people of Israel. This is an example of what God does for those who follow Him...He protects them from His wrath upon man. God allows disasters and trials in our lives, but He doesn't instigate them. As we read in Job, God ALLOWS Satan to torment us, but only to a point. God wants us to grow and rely upon Him, and trials are usually the best and only way to break us down and have us rely upon Him.

I tell this story to my kids about this concept:

There was this man, who only prayed when life was hard on him...but when he prayed, he prayed fervently. After many trials and years of tragedies, the man finally asked God the question, "I pray so hard to you, and yet, there so many tragedies in my life...why?" And God replied back, "Only when you're in trouble do you talk with me. I love you and want to have fellowship with you, so you leave me no other choice!"

Exodus 10

The eighth and ninth plagues befall Egypt, and Pharaoh does a very interesting thing...he confesses his sins to God. Some people think that if we just say the sinner's prayer (that we're sinners and need a Savior), then we're automatically saved. It's like there is some magic phrase or chant that allows us salvation.

It's not that easy, and it can't be that easy! We can't say or do anything to earn our salvation. Only God Himself can do that for us, and many years after Moses, God Himself became flesh and died in our stead. If one says the sinner's prayer, and their heart is true, then God will justify us before Him, and we are saved. However, if this happens and the Holy Spirit enters our lives, then there HAS TO BE a change in us. We don't do good works to get saved, we do good works BECAUSE we are saved!!!

This is what separates born-again Christianity from all other faiths...even denominational faiths that require works prayers to mortals, reliance upon men and indulgences to assure salvation.

Exodus 11

The tenth plague will do the trick, and Pharaoh will ultimately allow the Jews to leave Egypt. One thing to note about all ten plagues...they represent 10 of many gods that the Egyptians worshipped. God was showing the Egyptians that He is the true God, and their fake gods were being schooled by the Master!!!

God warns Pharaoh that all the firstborn children and livestock will die, which is also a prophecy that He will Himself offer His Firstborn Son. Jesus is our Passover Lamb who takes away the sins of the world as John the Baptist proclaimed in (John 1:29, 36).