Êxodo 7
Warren Wiersbe · Citado em PreceptAustin
Êxodo 7
Wiersbe - The first nine plagues divide into three triads, each triad climaxing with a plague that wasn’t announced. The third (gnats), sixth (boils), and ninth (darkness) plagues came without warning; all the others were preceded by an announcement. Pharaoh had no right to complain because God told him what He was going to do....The longer Pharaoh resisted God, the more serious the judgments became. The first three plagues were distressful (water to blood, frogs, gnats); the second three were painful and costly (flies, death of the livestock, boils); and the last four were dangerous and destructive (hail, locusts, darkness, and the death of the firstborn). The longer sinners resist God’s will and refuse to hear His Word, the “louder” He has to speak to them through His judgments.(Be Delivered) And you shall take in your hand the staff that was turned into a serpent - Here the word for serpent is again nachash, the same word used in Ex 4:3 and not the word tannin used in Ex 7:9. Clearly the simple staff is taking center stage in this drama of the ages, for the staff was a symbol of the power of Jehovah. Staff (rod, tribe)(04294) matteh, mattah - Uses in Exodus - Ex 4:2; Ex 4:4; Ex 4:17; Ex 4:20; Ex 7:9; Ex 7:10; Ex 7:12; Ex 7:15; Ex 7:17; Ex 7:19; Ex 7:20; Ex 8:5; Ex 8:16; Ex 8:17; Ex 9:23; Ex 10:13; Ex 14:16; Ex 17:5; Ex 17:9; Ex 31:2; Ex 31:6; Ex 35:30; Ex 35:34; Ex 38:22; Ex 38:23; Thompson summarizes the plagues...However, when we carefully analyze these plagues, we may notice that they appear to come in three sets of three, with the final plague being unique in itself and is specifically identified as the “one more plague” (Ex. 11:1): 1) The account of the first of the three plagues series always begins with God giving a reason to Moses for the plague–Ex. 7:17; 8:22; 9:14. 2) The account of the first of the three plagues series always starts in the morning –Ex 7:15; 8:20; 9:13 3) The last plague of the three plagues series comes on Pharaoh without any warning –Es 8:16; 9:8; 10:21 4) The first set of three plagues may have affected both the Egyptians and Israelites, but all the other plagues only affected the Egyptians . (ED: The first three may not have impacted Israel - Why? The first plague has no record of Israelites digging for water. The First, Second and Third plagues are stated to be over the "land of Egypt" but not the "land of Goshen" mentioned in Ex 8:22. This is not hard evidence but suggestive of the fact that Israel was protected from all 10 plagues.) Three of the three plagues actually involve the Nile River–Plague #1 (Ex 7:15), Plague #2 (Ex 8:3) and Plague #3 (Ex 8:20). The reason for this is that the Egyptians mythologically believed that the Nile River was a sacred “god.” Not only was the snake worshipped by the Egyptians, but so was the Nile. In fact, many of their invented “gods” were associated with the Nile River. For example, Khnum was considered to be the deity who guarded the Nile. Hapi, who was depicted by a fat man with the breasts of women which supposedly represented fertility and nourishment, was supposedly the spirit of the Nile. One of the more famous deities was “Osiris” who was supposedly the deity of the underworld with the Nile supposedly his bloodstream. Well, God was about to shatter their view that the Nile was a deity. Their invented Hapi would not end up happy. (Sermon) Rod Mattoon gives us one way to summarize the 10 plagues...These ten plagues are grouped into three cycles of three plagues each, with the tenth being a climatic judgment. A look at these plagues reveals interesting insights, contrasts, and comparisons. Plagues 1, 4, and 7 begin each cycle and are introduced by the words, "in the morning." (Ex 7:15; 8:20; 9:13) In cycle one, the three plagues were loathsome, affecting the comfort of the Egyptians. Israel was afflicted too. Aaron's rod was used in these plagues of bloody water, frog infestation, gnats or a mosquito pestilence. In cycle two, the plagues were bothersome, affecting their possessions such as land, cattle, and themselves. No rod or staff was used and only the Egyptians were affected. The plagues consisted of a pestilence of flies, the death of the livestock, and bothersome boils on their bodies. In cycle three, the plagues were natural disasters bringing desolation and death to the Egyptians. Moses' staff was used and in the final plague, the firstborn died. God knew how to get the attention of those concerned. He messed with their comfort, their possessions, and their health. The longer sinners resist God's will and refuse to hear His Word, the "louder" He has to speak to them through His judgments. In all three cycles, a warning was issued in the first two judgments of each cycle, but no warning was given before the final judgment of each cycle. These ten plagues may have occurred over a period of at least nine months. The Nile rises in July and August (Plague 1). The barley ripens in January (Plague 7). The east winds bring locust in March and April (Plague 8). The Passover is in April (Plague 10). What are the Purposes of the Plagues? 1. First, they reveal the omnipotence of God and the impotence of Pharaoh who was considered a god by the Egyptians. God was trying to get the king to let His people go from the land. 2. The plagues demonstrate God's protective power in shielding His people and that He cares for us. Exodus 8:19-Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said. 3. They were a divine visitation of God's wrath and a punishment of Pharaoh and the Egyptians for the cruel treatment of the Jews. Exodus 10:16-Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste; and he said, I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you. 4. The plagues were also a judgment of God upon the demons and fake gods of Egypt. Exodus 12:12-For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. Numbers 33:4-For the Egyptians buried all their firstborn, which the Lord had smitten among them: upon their gods also the Lord executed judgments. 5. The judgments were a solemn warning to other nations that God would curse those who curse Israel. Genesis 12:3-And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. Joshua 2:8-9-And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof; [9] And she said unto the men, I know that the Lord hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. 1 Samuel 4:8-Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness. 6. The plagues were a series of testings for Israel that were designed to soften their hearts and create a desire to leave Egypt. They had been in Egypt for 400 years, a country steeped in idolatry. God would use the plagues to deliver His people. Deuteronomy 4:33-35-... Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live? [34] Or hath God assayed to go and take him a nation from the midst of another nation, by temptations, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by a stretched out arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? [35] Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the Lord he is God; there is none else beside him. Exodus 15:11-Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? This was the result of the plagues and their departure. 7. The judgments were designed to strengthen the faith of Moses. He needed faith for the wilderness journey that was ahead of him. James 1:3-Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. Unbelief puts our circumstances between us and God, but faith puts God between us and our circumstances. When we look at the plagues, we will also note that many of the judgments and events in Egypt will take place again during the Tribulation period, described in the book of Revelation. In spite of all the plagues, none of them softened Pharaoh's heart. He let them go after the death of the firstborn, only to pursue Israel later to his own death. Pharaoh was a proud man. James Montgomery Boice sets the stage for the 10 plagues that begin in this passage writing... The ancient Egyptians had about eighty major gods and goddesses. A lot of minor deities clustered around the others, but those eighty gods and goddesses were themselves clustered around the three main forces in Egyptian life: the Nile, the land, and the sun. The ancient historian Herodotus called Egypt “the gift of the Nile.” If it weren’t for the Nile, Egypt would have been part of the desert that stretches across North Africa to the west and across the Gulf of Suez to the Arabian Desert to the east. In ancient times the Nile overflowed its banks every year, depositing in that river valley the wonderful soil that had been carried down from central Africa and making Egypt one of the most fertile lands of the ancient world. Combined with the rich land and the water, the brilliant sun produced marvelous crops. The plagues were directed against these three forces and against the gods and goddesses of Egypt that were grouped around them. The first two plagues were directed against the gods and goddesses of the Nile and everything associated with the Nile. Four plagues were directed against the gods and goddesses of the land. The final four plagues were directed against the sky and everything associated with the sky. Even the tenth plague, the death of the firstborn, was against the sky. Pharaoh was considered the earthly incarnation of the sun god Ra, the most powerful force in the sky. His firstborn son would have been the next incarnation. (The Life of Moses: God's First Deliverer of Israel) The Ten Plagues on Egypt THE PLAGUE EGYPTIAN DEITY THE EFFECT ON PHARAOH 1 BLOOD (Ex 7:20+) Hapi Pharaoh hardened (Ex 7:22+) 2 FROGS (Ex 8:6+) Heqt Pharaoh begs relief, makes promise (Ex 8:8+) then is hardened (Ex 8:15+) 3 GNATS (Ex 8:17+) Hathor, Nut Pharaoh hardened (Ex 8:19+) 4 FLIES (Ex 8:24+) Shu, Isis Pharaoh bargains (Ex 8:28+) but is hardened (Ex 8:32+) 5 PESTILENCE (Ex 9:6+) Apis Pharaoh hardened (Ex 9:7+) 6 BOILS (Ex 9:10+) Sekhmet Pharaoh hardened (Ex 9:12+) 7 HAIL (Ex 9:23+) Geb Pharaoh begs relief (Ex 9:27+), makes promise (Ex 9:28+) then is hardened (Ex 9:35+) 8 LOCUSTS (Ex 10:13+) Serapis Pharaoh bargains (Ex 10:11+), begs relief (Ex 10:17+), but is hardened (Ex 10:20+) 9 DARKNESS (Ex 10:22+) Ra Pharaoh bargains (Ex 10:24+), but is hardened (Ex 10:27+) 10 FIRSTBORN KILLED (Ex 12:29+) Pharaoh beg Israel to leave (Ex 12:31-33+) Exodus 7:16 "You shall say to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying, "Let My people go, that they may serve Me in the wilderness. But behold, you have not listened until now." The LORD, the God of the Hebrews - Ex 3:18 Ex 5:3 9:1,13 10:3 1Sa 4:6-9 Let My people go - Ex 8:1,20 13:15 14:5 Isa 45:13 Jer 50:33 Ac 4:21-23 that they may serve Me - Ex 3:12,18 5:1-3 9:1 Exodus 7 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries You shall say to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you - Moses and Aaron are first to be crystal clear on Who it is that has sent them. Pharaoh might be taken a little aback as he has already rejected their request and ratcheted up the pressure on the people. And yet here they are again, and this time the meeting ground is not his palace but God's creation, the Nile River, the life blood of the nation of Egypt. The timing and the location have been specifically selected by Jehovah to have maximum impact on hard hearted Pharaoh. Currid on sent me to you - A play on words appears in this verse. The verb describing the activity of God in sending Moses to Pharaoh is to ‘send out’. (shalach) This is the same verb that God employs in commanding Pharaoh to ‘Send out my people’ (Let My people go). The latter form, however, is a Piel imperative. The Piel stem is properly understood to mean the putting of something into action. God of the Hebrews occurs 6 times in the Old Testament all in Exodus - Exod. 3:18; Exod. 5:3; Exod. 7:16; Exod. 9:1; Exod. 9:13; Exod. 10:3 Saying, "Let My people go, that they may serve Me in the wilderness - Let My people go is "‘Send out my people’ (see Currid's note above) Notice (1) although Aaron (or Moses) speak the words, the words are God's very words. (2) God sees Israel as My people, not slaves of Pharaoh (and even as they belong to Him so too even mores, every believer belongs to Him - 1 Cor 6:19,20+) (3) Let go is not a suggestion but a command from the Most High God! The Septuagint (Lxx) translates "let go" (shalach) with the verb exapostello in the aorist imperative which is a command to DO IT NOW! DO NOT DELAY! (4) God's purpose in context is that His people would serve Him. For serve the NLT has "worship" where the Hebrew verb abad (usually translated serve but occasionally worship) is translated in the Septuagint (Lxx) with the verb latreuo which means to serve in the sense of carrying out religious duties with a spirit of worship. Let My people go, that they may serve Me - This command is repeated some 9 times (Ex 5:1+; Ex 7:16+; Ex 8:1+; Ex 8:20+; Ex 8:21+; Ex 9:1+; Ex 9:13+; Ex 10:3+; Ex 10:4+) Play Louis Armstrong - Go Down Moses - Let My People Go THOUGHT - Clearly God wants a repetition of the people's response in Exodus 4:31+ when "they bowed low and worshiped." And this is what Jehovah desires for all of us who have been rescued from slavery to sin and Satan and transferred into Kingdom of His beloved Son, Jesus Christ (Col 1:12-13+) -- that now we would daily "present our bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is our spiritual service of worship (noun latreia)." (Ro 12:1+) Let me ask you (even as I must ask myself), am I "worshiping" only on Sunday (and doing so because that is what is expected) or am I expectantly, adoringly, gratefully, reverentially worshipping Jehovah every day? In Romans 12:1 the verb "present" is in the active voice which practically means we each need to make a conscious, volitional, willful choice to worship! Living a life of worship won't happen on a whim, but only by our will! May God's Spirit initiate and energize (cf Php 2:13NLT+) such a spirit in each of our hearts, for the glory of the Lamb. Amen Let My people go occurs 9x in 9v (and only in Exodus) - Ex 5:1; Ex 7:16; Ex 8:1; Ex 8:20; Ex 8:21; Ex 9:1; Ex 9:13; Ex 10:3; Ex 10:4 But behold, you have not listened until now - Note Moses adds a behold so that we will give special attention to this statement. ESV has "But so far, you have not obeyed." Behold (02009)(hinneh) is an interjection meaning behold, pay attention and is used to express strong feelings giving vividness to the scene that follows. Hinneh directs our mind to the text, imploring the reader to give it special attention. In short, the Spirit is trying to arrest our attention!
Êxodo 7
Wiersbe - The miracles and plagues were also God’s way of judging the gods of Egypt and proving them false and futile. “Against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord” (Ex 12:12; and see Ex 18:11 and Num. 33:4). More than eighty different deities were worshiped in Egypt, but they could do nothing to deliver the land and the people from the terrible judgments Jehovah sent. If nothing else, the Egyptians learned that Jehovah was the true and living God. But the people of Israel also needed to learn this lesson. According to Ezekiel 20:1–9 (ED: TAKE A MOMENT AND READ THIS PASSAGE RECORDED BELOW), some of the Jews had begun to worship the Egyptian gods; and when they were delivered from Egypt, they took their gods with them! (ED: STEPHEN DOCUMENTS THIS IN HIS SERMON IN Acts 7 -- SEE EXCERPT BELOW) Did they compromise their faith in an attempt to please their captors and receive better treatment? But how could they forsake Jehovah after seeing all the demonstrations of His power? “Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders; they did not remember the multitude of Your mercies” (Ps. 106:7, NKJV).(Be Delivered) Ezekiel 20:1–9 Now in the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth of the month, certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and sat before me. 2 And the word of the LORD came to me saying, 3 “Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Do you come to inquire of Me? As I live,” declares the Lord GOD, “I will not be inquired of by you.”’ 4 “Will you judge them, will you judge them, son of man? Make them know the abominations of their fathers; 5 and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “On the day when I chose Israel and swore to the descendants of the house of Jacob and made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt, when I swore to them, saying, I am the LORD your God, 6 on that day I swore to them, to bring them out from the land of Egypt into a land that I had selected for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands. 7 “I said to them, ‘Cast away, each of you, the detestable things of his eyes, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the LORD your God.’ 8 “But they rebelled against Me and were not willing to listen to Me; they did not cast away the detestable things of their eyes, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I resolved to pour out My wrath on them, to accomplish My anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. 9 But I acted for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations among whom they lived, in whose sight I made Myself known to them by bringing them out of the land of Egypt. Acts 7:39 “Our fathers were unwilling to be obedient to him (MOSES), but repudiated him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt, 40 SAYING TO AARON, ‘MAKE FOR US GODS WHO WILL GO BEFORE US; FOR THIS MOSES WHO LED US OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT–WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM.’ 41 “At that time they made a calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in the works of their hands. 42 “But God turned away and delivered them up to serve the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, ‘IT WAS NOT TO ME THAT YOU OFFERED VICTIMS AND SACRIFICES FORTY YEARS IN THE WILDERNESS, WAS IT, O HOUSE OF ISRAEL? 43 YOU ALSO TOOK ALONG THE TABERNACLE OF MOLOCH AND THE STAR OF THE GOD ROMPHA, THE IMAGES WHICH YOU MADE TO WORSHIP. I ALSO WILL REMOVE YOU BEYOND BABYLON.’ (Acts 7:39-43+)
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Wiersbe - The three sign miracles that we’re considering—the staff turned into a serpent, the water turned to blood, and the invasion of the frogs—have in common the fact that all of them were duplicated by Pharaoh’s court magicians. Perhaps “counterfeited” is a more accurate word, because what they did was more likely deceptive sleight of hand. However, Satan can empower his people to perform “lying wonders” (2 Th. 2:9–10; Mt. 24:24; Rev. 13:11–15), and that may have been the source of their power....Satan is a counterfeiter who “plants” imitation Christians in this world. Paul called them “false brethren” (2 Cor. 11:26). Satan has an imitation gospel (Gal. 1:6–9), a counterfeit righteousness (Rom. 10:1–3), and even counterfeit ministers who spread his lies (2 Cor. 11:13–15). Satan will one day produce a false Christ who will deceive the whole world (2 Thes. 2:1–12). (Be Delivered) And Pharaoh's heart was hardened (chazaq; Lxx = skleruno = hardened like "sclerosis" of coronary arteries) - The literal Hebrew is "strong heart" but not like the great movie "Braveheart!" This is the second time Moses says Pharaoh's heart was hardened (see Summary of Passages on Hardening Pharaoh's Heart) but does not tell us if the hardening is a result of his volitional choice or a result of God's judgment on Pharaoh. And he did not listen to them, as the LORD had said - The result of Pharaoh's hard heart was that he would not listen to Moses and Aarons command from God. He heard it but he did not "heed" it -- in many contexts, to hear or listen connotes the sense of to obey and that is clearly the case in this passage for Pharaoh heard the words of God (through Moses, from Aaron) but he refuse to obey the command of God. Cassuto - In those directions towards which Aaron had not stretched forth his hand, pure water was left, and these the magicians transformed into blood by their secret arts (here the word בְּלָטֵיהֶם belāṭēhem, ‘secret arts’, is spelt without a Hē’ [after the Lāmedh], not as in v. 11). In this detail, also, there is an element of derision. What did the wise men of Egypt achieve by their efforts? They added plague upon plague! But Pharaoh was satisfied with the fact that his magicians were able to perform, with their magic arts, similar wonders to those shown by Moses and Aaron Mattoon - Unfortunately, they couldn't change the blood back to the water. Why did not the magicians change the blood back into water? That would have alleviated the misery and distress of the people of Egypt. Changing what water was left into blood, only aggravated the situation for the Egyptians. There was not much good water around and the magicians made it even less. That was pretty stupid, but this is what Satan does to people when they reject God. He robs them of common sense! I never cease to be amazed at the stupid choices that backsliders make in their lives. They ruin their lives and create more problems for themselves when they run from God. What mercies Egypt had, the magicians would take even those away. All of this tells us that the devil cannot remove judgment, he can only compound and add to it. Likewise when people come up with clever arguments to reject God's will and way, they do not improve their situation but only make it worse. They do not bless others around them by encouraging them with their clever arguments to disobey God; they only curse them. This duplication by the magicians deceived and dulled Pharaoh more. He considered the blood as another trick and became dispassionate toward God's work. Pharaoh could accept an inferior performance by the magicians but the great work of Moses and Aaron was found unconvincing to his heart. PARALLELS WITH THE REVELATION Alva J. McClain writes that There is a definite parallel between the supernatural preparation for the kingdom (Ex 19:6+) in history under Moses and the supernatural judgments which shall be poured out upon a rebellious world in preparation for the future Millennial Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ at His second advent. (1) There is the same insolent challenge to the true God on the part of the Gentile powers (Ps. 2:1-3). (2) There will be a similar gracious but infinitely greater preliminary miracle [like Ex. 7:12]—the Rapture of the Church—warning men of the supremacy of Jehovah and the ultimate defeat of all who rebel against Him. (3) There will be the same swift progression in the severity of the divine judgments which follow, and even a striking parallel in the nature of the judgments (cf. Rev. 6:1-17-18+). (4) There will be the same victorious outcome, the destruction of the antichrist and his armies in the judgment of Armageddon, and deliverance of the people of Israel (Rev. 19:1-21+). (5) There will be another song of victory, significantly referred to as ‘the song of Moses. . . and the song of the Lamb’ (Rev. 15:1-3+). (The Greatness Of The Kingdom Winona Lake, IN: BMH Books, 1959, 56.) There is a parallel in Revelation 8:8-9 with the Trumpet Judgments... The second angel sounded, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea; and a third of the sea became blood, and a third of the creatures which were in the sea and had life, died; and a third of the ships were destroyed. Tony
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Wiersbe - The fact that there were still frogs in the river indicates that the water was again normal (Ex 8:5). If the water were still blood, the frogs would have died. (Ibid) Thompson - one thing that often gets overlooked here is that after seven days, God, in pure grace, turned the blood back into water. Now one thing about Pharaoh that is so applicable today is that God shows him that he is heading to judgment and Pharaoh doesn’t seem to be concerned about it. God is displaying his power today through sink holes, fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, typhoons, power outages and storms and people are more concerned about their house than their own soul. Don’t let us make the same mistake. Plead with God to always make your heart soft and tender to His Word and will. Once we learn that we are nothing, that is when we will see God do something Seven days passed after the LORD had struck the Nile - One can only imagine the impact of one week of "bloody water" that continually reeked. If you have never smelled dead fish, you don't know what you are missing! But be glad you have missed it, because it is one of the most horrible smells I have ever smelled (and as a doctor I have smelled some horrible odors!) (See Why Rotting Fish Smell More than Meat) Rod Mattoon - For seven days they had to dig for their water to survive. Seven days reveal the obstinance of Pharaoh and the opportunity that God was giving Him to repent before the next plague. If God is trying to get your attention, then pay attention. If He is giving you an opportunity to be saved or serve Him, then take advantage of the opportunity. He says, “AT THE ACCEPTABLE TIME I LISTENED TO YOU, AND ON THE DAY OF SALVATION I HELPED YOU.” Behold, now is “THE ACCEPTABLE TIME,” behold, now is “THE DAY OF SALVATION”– --- 2 Corinthians 6:2 Currid applies this section - The entire plague account is a mere foreshadowing of the plagues that will strike the followers of Satan at the end of time (see Rev. 16:1-21). It is a model, or paradigm, of judgement that will come upon all unbelievers. The first plague in Egypt is prominently repeated in the end-time. Revelation 16:3–4+ describes the second and third bowls of wrath in that light: ‘And the second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became blood like that of a dead man; and every living thing in the sea died. And the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of waters; and they became blood.’ The similarities between this description and the account in Exodus are obvious. The only difference is that the extent and intensity of the plagues in Revelation are so much greater. Thus the episode in the Old Testament is a mere foretaste of what will come upon unbelievers in the final days. (Ibid) J Ligon Duncan - we can also say that the plagues in general foreshadow the judgment that is going to come against all the followers of Satan, against all unbelievers in the end times. In the book of Revelation, in a passage that you’re going to hear not too long from now on Wednesday night. Revelation, chapter 16, goes back and mirrors the language of Exodus, chapter 7, and applies it to the final pouring out of the bowls of wrath against the wicked. In the book of Exodus, we not only have a display of God’s sovereignty in redeeming His people out of Egypt, but we have a picture of God’s final judgment against all those who resist His will. The choices are very simple. You accept His revelation, you acknowledge Him as Lord, He makes you to be His People, and He becomes your God. Or, like Pharaoh, you respond by going into your house with no concern, rejecting Him, and the final judgments of God are visited upon you. Those are the only two options for us in this passage or anywhere else in Scripture. Bow the knee, and accept the Lord Jesus Christ, or be judged in God’s just judgment. That’s the message of Exodus 7, verses 14 through 25.