Exodus 9-10

All Moses wanted was Pharaoh’s permission to take the people on a three-days’ journey to a place where they could worship God. God had put a difference between His people and the people of Egypt, just as today He has put a difference between the people of God and the people of the world (2 Cor. 6: 14—18).

But the world doesn’t want believers to be too radical, so it offers various compromises:

“Sacrifice in the land” (8:25); “Don’t go too far away” (8:28); “Don’t take your children” (10:8-l1); and “Don’t take your possessions to serve God” (10:24-26). Have you been tempted by any of these compro­mises lately?

God’s judgments had practically ruined the land, yet Pha­raoh would not give in. In so doing, Pharaoh thought he was showing great strength; actually, God was using him to dis­play His own sovereignty (9:16; see also Rom. 9:17-18). God is greater than any ruler, so we need never fear (Dan. 4:34-37).

Pharaoh’s “confession of sin” (9:27) was not sincere; he only wanted Moses to stop the plagues. True repentance involves a change of mind that leads to a change of life. Balaam (Num. 22:34), Saul (1 Sam. 15:24), and Judas (Matt. 27:4) were all guilty of insincere confession of sin.

With the Word - Warren W. Wiersbe

Thomas Nelson Publishers

Nashville

“Used by permission of Thomas Nelson, Inc.”