How Do Plagues Affect You?

 

How Do Plagues Affect You?

 

I was reading about the plagues that occurred in Egypt. I was trying to think which one would be the worst. At first, I thought it would be the frogs, until I got to the part where the firstborn would be killed.

In every plague, some people were not even affected. It got me thinking about why these things happened. We know there is a purpose to everything. The purpose isn’t evident at the time, or may never be revealed to us. Faith. What is faith, and who we have faith in, really all about?

After reading Exodus chapters 5-15, so many things were swirling in my head. Honestly, I love when that happens. It actually makes me slow down and dig deeper than if I were reading for a “good story”.

I like learning and growing, and this allows me to do that. Many times, it allows me to come face to face with my weaknesses and look to God for the strength I need to accomplish what He has called me to do. I hope you know that He will also provide you with the strength to do what He asks of you.

Life isn’t easy. We are bombarded with so many things every day. Go ahead and write out or think about what you are currently being plagued by.

In this story, you won’t miss that it says God hardened Pharaoh's heart or that he was stubborn. It is mentioned at least 13 times.

In at least seven places it says God asked Pharaoh to “let my people go so they can worship me. At one point, God goes so far as to ask the question, “How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go so they may serve me.”

This is where I have to come to terms with myself and my heart. There have been times when I have not humbled myself before God. Without being humble, I can’t serve God freely. Pride- I’ll call it its name- Pharaoh is keeping me captive. Pharaoh stated he didn’t know God. What is my excuse? I know Him because I know His Son Jesus Christ. Pharaoh knew many other gods. I know the existence of many other gods as well, and I’ve learned no one has the power of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He gave us the way to Him through Jesus. He does what He says He will do.

A huge question is, why, God, did you harden Pharaoh's heart? I did find answers. Before I answer that, I want to point out you may be dealing with someone with a hardened heart towards God, or your heart may be hardened towards God because of a certain situation.

Throughout the plagues, I noticed God’s people were protected. The frogs, the lice, the hail, and such did not occupy the place where God’s people were. I hope you read the passage.

How heartless Pharaoh was about the people not having access to clean water. Essentially, without water, people die. Maybe he had good water in his castle? The people began digging to reach a clean water source.

God gave a warning about the hail, and those who “feared the Word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and livestock flee to safety.”

We are warned as well. Children of God and those who don’t know Him all get a warning. He wants to keep us safe from the enemy. God wants His people to be able to speak of His wonderful mercies. Some hearts are so hardened they don’t believe the warnings, and some are so prideful they think they are above God. Essentially, when we don’t turn to God, we are saying we don’t need Him.

Pharaoh did ask Moses and Aaron to intercede for him and go to God to stop the plagues. Each time Pharaoh said if they stopped, he would let the people go. At one point, he said, “I’ve sinned against the Lord your God and against you; please forgive my sin only this once and entreat the Lord your God.”

There was a pattern here. God, give me relief. This explains why people may ask you and God for forgiveness and continue in their hard-hearted ways after the relief comes. Again if I look within and ask myself do I really want God’s forgiveness? Of course I do. But to go right back living above the need for God should show me my heart. I want my heart to be tender towards God and His ways and towards His people.

You may have Pharaohs in your life. They come to you in hard times, always asking you to pray for them, but go right back to the lifestyle that got them into the problem in the first place. They don’t truly know God or care to live a life that pleases the Spirit, but instead continue in the flesh. They can see miracle after miracle in others' lives (yes, God still does miracles today), but it won’t matter. Remember there are several reasons why Pharaoh was so hard-hearted, and here are some of them:

1.      To know there is no one like the Lord our God. There is none like God in ALL the earth.

2.      To know the earth is the Lords

3.      To show God’s power in the people He calls

4.      That God’s name is to be declared in ALL the earth

5.      To show the Lord IS IN the midst of the land

6.      He shows there is a difference in the people belonging to Him, and sets them apart.

7.      To know God is to be honored above any person, place, or thing

8.      The Lord fights for His people

9.      God’s wonders are multiplied in the land 

10.  To testify to all generations of God’s goodness to His people 

I know people who do ask God to please soften the hearts of their loved ones and friends. We don’t know what it will take. We must leave them in the hand of God.

It was interesting how the magicians were able to do some things, but when they couldn’t, they acknowledged it was the finger of God that removed a plague. Not even the hand, just God’s finger touching something made things stop.

Finally, after the last plague, the death of the firstborn, Pharaoh let the people go. But did he really? This is unreal to me what happened after God’s people were in the wilderness.

Pharaoh said they were bewildered in the wilderness, in other words, lost. He didn’t think they were very smart, and he had no idea how much God would do for them. He was wrong.

People may be wrong about you as you walk with God. They may say things because they lack an understanding of God's love for His people. They have hard hearts, and you have God’s covering, and your heart of stone has been changed. Continue to pray and be the example to those around you who are hard-hearted.

God's people went out in boldness. Seeing how they were protected from the plagues must have helped them know God was with them and in control. Those who applied the blood of the lamb to their doorposts enabled their firstborn to be saved from the judgment brought upon those led by a hard-hearted leader. They had much to rejoice about as they were about to be released from the bondage they had lived in.

They were given supplies and gold as they obeyed God when He told them to ask for those things. The Israelites found favor with the Egyptians that were willing to give them these things. I think of Proverbs 16:7 that says when a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies be at peace with him. God allowed the Egyptians to feel peaceful around the Israelites, so they gave them what they asked for. God set His people up with provisions for the journey.

Like the Israelites, we too start with boldness, go where God leads us, and then something happens. Let's see what happened to the Israelites. God knew what Pharaoh, in his still-hard heart, was doing, and God set it up so that He would gain honor over Pharaoh and his whole army, and the Egyptians would know that He is the Lord.  

Be assured, as you start the journey with God by receiving His Son, Jesus Christ, which enables you to go to Him boldly, the enemy will hunt you down. It happens in very subtle ways. When the people saw Pharaoh's army come after them, they got fearful; we are told, very afraid, and they cried out to the Lord. They cried out to the Lord and then complained. They complained to Moses and actually wanted to go back to serve the Egyptians.

They wanted to go back to what they knew, what they thought was going to keep them alive. Yes, they would be alive but not truly living. They would be living to fulfill someone else's dream and accomplishments. They weren’t free to fulfill God’s purpose for them.

Living for the purpose of God, our creator, is a divine, joyful, exciting life. To trust God to lead us as we are chased by others, our own emotions, and the world's ever-changing technology is exciting.

So as you step out into the wilderness and into the life-giving water, know God has a history of parting the waters for His people.

Remember these words:

So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord. They then complained to Moses. Moses said, “Do not be afraid, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today.

The Lord WILL fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”

 

Based on Exodus Chapters 5-15. Hope you read it!!