One Final Warning

 Like many people, Pharaoh assumed that God had tried to negotiate because he didn’t want it bad enough to go all in to get his way.   By issuing an ultimatum, he had made it clear he was no longer willing to consider God’s position.    God did noyt just give in when he threatened to Kill them if Noses and Aaron came back, as Exodus 11:1 tells us.  “And the LORD said unto Moses, Yet will I bring one plague more upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; afterwards he will let you go hence: when he shall let you go, he shall surely thrust you out hence altogether.”  When God got done, Pharaoh would not just allow them to go, he would insist on their leaving.

 

For four hundred years, the Israelites had been slaves in Egypt.  Now it was time for them to be paid for their work.  While there was no way of making things right with previous generations, they could at least pay the ones who were slaves in that day, and the Egyptians could understand the justice of such payments.  Exodus 11:2-3 describes their response.  “Speak now in the ears of the people, and let every man borrow of his neighbour, and every woman of her neighbour, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold.  And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's servants, and in the sight of the people.”  While Pharaoh would not acknowledge Moses, the Egyptian people respected him greatly. 

 

Moses did announce what was going to happen next, in Exodus 11:4-8.  “And Moses said, Thus saith the LORD, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt: And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts.  And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more.  But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how that the LORD doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.  And all these thy servants shall come down unto me, and bow down themselves unto me, saying, Get thee out, and all the people that follow thee: and after that I will go out. And he went out from Pharaoh in a great anger.”

 

God was going to make a distinction between the Israelites and the Egyptians so they could see the difference between worshipping God and worshipping the Egyptian gods.  Even after all the things God had done, Pharaoh clung to his old religion and refused to acknowledge God, as Exodus 11:9-10 tells us.  “And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you; that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.  And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh: and the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go out of his land.”

 

While Pharaoh’s decision seems illogical and we may wonder why the people let him remain in power, we need to understand the final authority belongs to God.  Pharaoh was determined not to worship God, and God enabled him to cling to that attitude so that people could see God’s power, as Romans 9:17-23 explains.  “For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.  Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

 

Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?  Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?  Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?  What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,”

 

God created the world and established the laws or rules by which it is to function.   As the creator, he has every right to set whatever rules he wants, just as I have the right to destroy something I have made if it is not satisfactory, and use something else.  Part of living by faith is recognizing God has this authority and not insisting things have to be done our way.  When we insist on having our way, our attitude is almost the same as Pharaoh’s.  While God often gives people numerous chances to do what is right, there is a limit to how far he will let us go, as Genesis 6:3 tells us.  “ And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.”    Originally mankind were intended to live forever, but as a result of their rebellion  the human life span was limited to about a hundred twenty years.  Most people never get to be that old because God takes them out before that.  This was Pharaoh’s final warning, and he would not get another chance.