DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEART - THE DAILY FOUNTAIN DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE OF THE CHURCH OF NIGERIA (ANGLICAN COMMUNION)
THE DAILY FOUNTAIN DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE OF THE CHURCH OF NIGERIA (ANGLICAN COMMUNION)
DATE: SATURDAY, 26TH MARCH, 2022
TOPIC: DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEART
TEXT: EXODUS 11
1. And the LORD said to Moses, "I will bring yet one [more] plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. Afterward he will let you go from here. When he lets [you] go, he will surely drive you out of here altogether.
2. "Speak now in the hearing of the people, and let every man ask from his neighbor and every woman from her neighbor, articles of silver and articles of gold."
3. And the LORD gave the people favor 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.
4. Then Moses said, "Thus says the LORD: 'About midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt;
5. 'and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the female servant who [is] behind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the animals.
6. 'Then there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as was not like it [before,] nor shall be like it again.
7. 'But against none of the children of Israel shall a dog move its tongue, against man or beast, that you may know that the LORD does make a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.'
8. "And all these your servants shall come down to me and bow down to me, saying, 'Get out, and all the people who follow you!' After that I will go out." Then he went out from Pharaoh in great anger.
9. But the LORD said to Moses, "Pharaoh will not heed you, so that My wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt."
10. So Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh; and the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go out of his land.
MESSAGE:
Our God is a Master planner! He had visited Pharoah and the Egyptians with nine plagues that caused them untold hardship and suffering. In spite of all this, Pharoah remained adamant. Now God brought the final plague that compelled Pharoah to release the Israelites. The tenth and final plague was that of the death of the firstborn sons of every Egyptian family and animal.
This inflicted a big blow on the Egyptians. This action by God might seem rather harsh but that was punishment for Pharoah’s stubbornness and the Egyptians’ wickedness towards the Israelites. God instructed Moses to tell the Israelites to request articles of silver and gold from the Egyptians and assured the Israelites of favour. The pronouncement of Pharoah that Moses would not see his face again did happen. The host of the Egyptian army perished at the Red Sea in pursuit of the Israelites (Exod. 10:28-29; cf. 14:1-8). There is power in the tongue (Prov. 18:21). We need to learn from today’s passage that God is all-powerful. No power can resist His purpose and plan. He makes a distinction between the obedient and disobedient. The tenth plague is a demonstration that God judges righteously: No wickedness will go unpunished! Are you obedient or rebellious to the Will of God?
PRAYER:
Almighty God, Your thoughts towards me are for good. Help me to continually surrender to Your will and purposes in my life in Jesus name. Amen.
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