Back to Exodus chapter seven,
if you would. Last week, we saw how Moses was
made a god unto Pharaoh. He was made a god unto Pharaoh
by divine, by the divine purpose and decree of God. And acting
in God's stead, Moses would soon rule over Egypt's proud king. Moses would soon command Pharaoh
and what he should do. Moses would pronounce God's judgment
on Pharaoh by the plagues that he would sin. And soon Pharaoh
would plead to Moses for deliverance. Moses became a God and that word
little g God in the Hebrew means a mighty judge. And certainly
he became that. And in verse one, we saw, we
read, and the Lord said unto Moses, see, I have made thee
a God to Pharaoh, and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet. In the matter of salvation, God
is going to employ a prophet in the sense of a preacher to
accomplish the believer's deliverance from bondage. As I was reading
that verse again this morning, That word see there kinda lit
up like a flashing neon light. God gives his people eyes to
see. If he doesn't, we'll never see.
God's people are gonna see God's will and God's purpose in the
salvation and in the deliverance of his people. God's gonna reveal
himself. He's gonna reveal his will to
those whom he gives sight. And I was thinking oftentimes
we'll be talking to someone about no particular subject and we'll
make a prediction to how we think something might turn out. And
then when it comes to pass, we say to that one whom we made
the prediction, see, see, I told you so. And what we're saying
is now you see that I was right. We don't say much when our prediction's
wrong, but what we say concerning things don't mean much, not you
and I, but it means everything when God says it, when God says
something. How many times has God said to
you and me when his promises come to pass? We so unbelieving,
And his promises come to pass and God, in that small, still
voice says, see, see, I told you so. I wonder how long we'll
doubt God. Oh God, help us to believe you. Living a life of unbelief will
be the only sin that in the end will cause you and I to perish.
But when God gives a servant eyes to see, they better believe. To not believe him is a great
sin and it's a great disgrace to doubt a sovereign God. Now
God had demonstrated to Moses what he was. Standing alone before
Pharaoh, he was helpless. God had demonstrated to Moses
what Pharaoh was. He was an enemy that Moses was
no match for. And now God tells Moses, see,
I've made you a God, a judge to Pharaoh. Now you're gonna
see who I am. And you're gonna see what I can
do. And now you're gonna see how I'm gonna use you. God made
Moses a god, a judge to Pharaoh, according to his own good pleasure
and will. Wasn't anything in Moses, nothing
about Moses, other than God had put his hand upon him, and God
had called him, and God equipped him to do this job. And Moses is made a god under
Pharaoh by God's presence with him. I might add at this point that
we're no match for Satan. Men act foolish and unscriptural
very often in that sense. They claim that they have authority
over the devil. They think that they have power
to rebuke the devil. But I'm telling you that Michael,
the archangel, when contending with the devil over the body
of Moses when he died, didn't bring him a railing accusation,
but simply said, the Lord rebuketh thee. I've been around folks
and know some even now that claim to have authority over Satan.
They go about rebuking him constantly in the name of Jesus. And you
disagree with them, and you disagree with their, what I call name
it and claim it gospel. They'll rebuke you in the name
of Jesus. They attribute everything that
they think to be bad, hurtful, painful in this life to be the
work of the devil, and that you don't have to take it. You don't
have to take that. You don't have to live a defeated
life, they say. Take authority over the devil,
they'll tell you. I saw a sticker on the back of
a man's phone recently that said, stomp the devil. Well, ask Moses
how that worked out for him. When he and Aaron went to Pharaoh,
who represents Satan in the power of their own flesh, ask him how
that worked out for them. It almost destroyed them, and
they were ready to quit God's service. And Israel was discouraged,
forgot God's promise to them. And they even went to plead to
Pharaoh himself. And if God had not kept them
by His power, kept by the power of God. Israel would have never
been delivered out of the land of Egypt. And it's so with you
and I, dear believer. We have no power, we have no
authority, we have no strength, but glory be to God that when
we were without strength, in due time, in God's appointed
time, Christ died for the ungodly, Romans 5, 6. And it's in our
weakness that we see the power of God and the deliverance of
sin. Now in verse two, God said, thou shalt speak all that I command
thee, and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh that he send
the children of Israel out of his land. God's command here
was very specific. His command was very definitive. Moses was not free to add or
take away from Jehovah's words as he did in the first meeting
with Pharaoh. We looked at that last week.
That'll get you in trouble every single time. Let me show you
that. Turn over, keep your place here,
obviously, and turn over to Deuteronomy chapter four, if you would, please. Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and
Deuteronomy, chapter four. Look at verse one. Now therefore hearken, O Israel,
unto the statutes and unto the judgments which I teach you,
for to do them that ye may live. And go in and possess the land
which the Lord God of your fathers giveth you." Notice verse two,
you shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither
shall you diminish, ought from it, take away from it. that you
may keep the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command
you. To believe, friends, is to obey.
I know that we can't keep the commands of God, much less keep
them perfectly as God requires, but the true child of God wants
to keep them. The true child of God strives
to be obedient to his Savior. Turn over a few pages to Deuteronomy
chapter 12. Deuteronomy 12, verse 32. What thing soever I command you,
observe to do it. Thou shall not add thereto, nor
diminish, from it. The beloved John in the book
of Revelation chapter 22 said this, he said, for I testify
unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this
book. Speaking of this book. If any man shall add unto these
things, God shall add unto him the plagues that were written
in this book. Now in the first meeting with
Pharaoh, Moses and Aaron added and to the commandment of God.
And it, as I said, only brought them heartache, hardship, grief,
and great discouragement. It will do the same to you and
me. Yet in all the future meetings between the servant of God and
the rebellious king, God's word would be spoken plainly, directly,
and unaltered. From this time forward, None
of the plagues that would fall upon Egypt would affect the people
of God in the land of Goshen. To obey is always better than
sacrifice. And we must never add or take
away from the word of God. And may we learn and trust to
obey God's word. Now, did you notice also in verse
two, back in Exodus 7, Did you notice the language of the Lord
here? He commanded Moses and Aaron to speak all that he had
commanded. Well, what was the command? God's
command to Pharaoh was to send the children out of Israel. Send the children of Israel out
of his land. God is gonna deliver them as
he promised, but Pharaoh is gonna be made to do the sending. Remember
what God told Moses in chapter six? He said, now thou shalt
see. There's that word again. You're
gonna see what I will do to Pharaoh. For with a strong hand shall
he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out
of his land. You know, God accomplishes his
will even with the most hardened and obstinate rebel, and God
is gonna make Pharaoh obey his commandment. That confirms very
well the very thing that's written in Romans chapter nine, for the
scripture saith unto Pharaoh, you know the passage well, even
for this same purpose have I raised thee up that I might show my
power in thee. Now notice what God adds here
in verse three. God lets Moses and Aaron in again
on his will and his purpose. There's not gonna be any surprises
to them. There's not gonna be any misunderstanding,
no future confusion whatsoever, no discouragement like there
was the first time when Pharaoh says no. Verse three, God says,
and I will harden Pharaoh's heart. and multiply my signs and my
wonders in the land of Egypt. Now, verse three brings before
us, I believe, one of the most solemn truths revealed in all
the scriptures. That being the divine hardening
of human hearts. This is a truth that's very difficult
for many to believe. A lot of folks have trouble with
that. This certainly reveals the slowness
of a man to believe all that the prophets have spoken. But
the words of God are not easily misunderstood here. He plainly
said right there in verse three, and I will harden Pharaoh's heart. Now, does God mean what he says? Absolutely. He means what he
says, he says what he means, and he means what he says. And
many believe and argue that if Pharaoh's crimes was the result
of God's hardening his heart, that that somehow makes God the
author of sin. And God must be unjust and unrighteous
in punishing one for their sins. But that's the very argument
that Paul makes in Romans chapter nine. Would you turn there with
me? Again, stick your marker here. And I know these verses
are so familiar, but I never grow tired of looking at them.
It seems like the Lord shines new light upon them every time
I do. Romans chapter nine. In verse 19, Paul wrote, that
wilt say then unto me, why doth he being God yet find fault for
who hath resisted his will? And you know, the answer to the
skeptics is always the same. And here, beginning in verse
20, Paul asked four questions that make it very clear that
God has the right to do what he will with his own. You know
that he does, don't you? God has a right to do what he
will with his own. And in his questions, he makes
obvious the answers. Look at verse 20, first question.
Nay, but O man, who art thou that replies against God? Who
has the right to ask God, what doest thou? Our God's in the
heaven. He's done whatever he's pleased. who is able to stay his hand,
who's able to say unto him, what doest thou? Then the second question
Paul asks is, shall the thing formed, the thing created, say
to him that formed it or created it, why hast thou made me thus? Why did you make me this way?
The third question, verse 21, hath not the potter power over
the clay? And of the same lump to make
one vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor? Fourth question,
verse 22, what if God willing to show his wrath and to make
his power known endured with much long suffering, 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, even us whom he hath called. It is
obvious that God hardened Pharaoh's heart to bring glory to his own
great name. He said, for this reason I've
raised thee up, that I might show my power and that my name
might be declared throughout all the earth. That's talking
about God's glory. And it's obvious that the Lord
hardening the heart of Pharaoh was to show in full display the
working of God's mighty power. And against this, Dark backdrop,
if you want to call it that, of divine hardening. A lot of
folks, like I said, they just, oh, they shudder at the thought
that God would harden a man or woman's heart. But against that
backdrop, we see the glorious light of God's divine holiness. Pharaoh had said, who is the
Lord that I should obey him? Pharaoh said, I know not the
Lord and neither will I let Israel go. And God is too holy and too
just to excuse or disregard the rebellion and the disobedience
of man. God will by no means clear the
guilty, the soul that sinneth it shall die. But I think from
Romans nine, we also glean the wondrous truth that God hardened
Pharaoh's heart to accomplish the deliverance of his people.
God rightly was made to show his wrath against Pharaoh to
show the salvations of the Lord. Salvations of the Lord. But we
also see how God endured with much longsuffering this vessel
of wrath fitted for destruction. Now you think about that. As
we will see, after each of the 10 plagues, God endured with
much longsuffering, the rebellion and the hardness of Pharaoh's
heart. And each time, Pharaoh only hardened his heart more.
With each plague, the power of God and at the same time, the
longsuffering of God was increasingly made known. There was no doubt
In Israel's mind, when it was all finished, the salvation was
of the Lord. And when it was all said and
done, the riches of God's glory on the vessels of mercy that
we just read there in Romans 9 was made known, for God had
aforeprepared, ordained, and predestined this amazing deliverance. Now, many people argue that God
simply permitted Pharaoh to harden his own heart. Pharaoh did harden
his own heart. But the scriptures most certainly
affirm that the Lord hardened his heart. Both are true. Now,
did the Lord harden Pharaoh's heart because Pharaoh hardened
his own heart? Or did Pharaoh harden his heart
because God hardened it? I don't know. I know this much,
God's the first cause of all things, but And I know this,
God has the right to have mercy on whom he will, and God has
the right to have compassion on whom he will, and God has
the right to harden whom he will. And that's what we see in the
last part of verse 18, that he hardeneth whom he wills, and
whom he, God will he hardeneth. Now, men may ask how God could,
in any sense, harden a man's heart without him being the author
of sin. But God Almighty has not explained
the matter. And as God, He's not required
to give the answer to anything that He does. He
simply has the right to do what He will with His own. And that's
what upsets folks. That's what upsets them. There
are many things in the scripture, many things. The older I get,
the more I study, the more I see how many things that I believe
but cannot explain. For I know that God cannot lie. But I know this much. God hardening
Pharaoh's heart was much more than just God allowing Pharaoh
to harden it. Now listen to me carefully. I'm
going to read this because I don't want to mess it up. Thought about
this a lot. In this hardening, if this hardening, excuse me,
was nothing more than just a passive permission of God for men to
harden their own hearts, then men could also argue that it
was the same permission given on God's part for men to soften
their own hearts. You see what I'm saying? It's
God who hardens hearts and it's God who breaks them. We know
for a certainty that that's not so as far as God just simply
giving a passive permission for men to harden their hearts. God
divinely and sovereignly intervenes in the lives of his people. And
he gives them a new heart. He puts a new spirit within them,
taking out the stony heart of their flesh, according to Ezekiel
36. And when the heart is referred
to in the scriptures, it's not talking about this muscle that
pumps blood to the rest of the body. It's talking about the
spirit within a man. It's talking about the, the understanding
of a man or woman, the will of a man and woman, the heart of
man has always been the same, naturally speaking. In the days
of Noah, God saw the wickedness of man was great in the earth
and that what? Every imagination of the thoughts
of his heart was only evil continually. Now the heart the will, the understanding of the sinner. It can't be reformed. It can't be changed. It's incapable of understanding. The natural man receiveth not
the things of the Spirit of God. It's incapable of loving God. That's right. It's under the
dominion of an evil nature. And God must give us a new nature
if we're ever able to understand, believe, or to be saved. I remember
my mother used to say things to me like, I don't want you
hanging around with so-and-so. He's a bad influence. Little
did she know that I was the bad influence. She would say things,
I don't want you running around with the wrong crowd. She didn't
know that I was the wrong crowd. The heart of a man is not affected
by bad influences. The natural heart of a man is
the bad influence. Do you see what I'm saying? It's
deceitful above all things. That's what Jeremiah said. It's
desperately wicked. Nothing more wicked than our
hearts. And you and I don't have any
idea how wicked it is, because only God knows. The heart is
deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know
it? Only God can. And I hear preachers say things
like, give your heart to Jesus. What would he want with it? Pharaoh's
hardened heart now, I'm convinced, shows us something of our need
of a new heart. A new heart. A new heart is simply a new birth. That's exactly what we need,
and that's exactly what we've got to have. It's not the removal
of anything from the center. It's not the changing of anything
in the center. It's not your old heart being
enabled to do anything. It's the giving of a new heart
that was not there before. David said, Lord created me a
clean heart. is filthy and there's nothing
I can do about it. That's just so, that's true of
all of us, naturally speaking. David said, renew a right spirit
in me. Mine's all wrong. God's got to
give me a new one. This is a creation of God that
only he can do. A new heart is a new birth. Okay,
back in Exodus chapter seven, and I'll start winding this down,
keep you too late. The Lord continues here, revealing
to Moses and Aaron what to expect from Pharaoh. And God tells us
in his word what we can expect from this unbelieving world.
Did you know that? You remember what the Lord Jesus
said? He said, if the world hates you, you know that it hated me
before it hated you. Don't be surprised if the world
hates you. He said, they shall put you out of the synagogues,
yea, the time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he
doeth God's service. In verse four, God says, but
Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you. Don't be surprised and don't
be discouraged if folks won't hearken to your testimony of
Christ. But Pharaoh shall not hearken
unto you, why? He says that I may lay my hand
upon Egypt. God's gonna make a point and
he's gonna make a strong point. He said that I may lay my hand
upon Egypt and bring forth mine armies and my people, the children
of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgment. I got
thinking about that today He said, I'll bring forth mine armies. What armies would God bring forth? God can make an army out of anything.
God can make an army out of everything. God brought forth an army of
frogs. God can do that. Frogs climbed
into bed with Pharaoh. God stationed an army of lice
in his barracks in Egypt. The dust of the earth became
lice on beast and man, as we'll see. God called a swarm of flies
to attack Egypt, his enemy. They flew everywhere in Egypt,
but not in the land of Goshen. God deployed an army of hail
that fell from heaven. An army of locusts were at God's
disposal. He sent forth his army. Oh, I
don't want to send his army against me, do you? God even brought
darkness so dark that the scriptures say it could be felt. Have you
ever been in such a dark place you could just feel it? And God
called on the soldier of death to destroy the firstborn in Egypt.
Moses and Aaron, they weren't a match for Pharaoh, but Pharaoh
was no match for God and his armies. Now, why did God do all
these things? Look at verse five, and the Egyptians
shall know that I am the Lord. Let me read that again. And the Egyptians shall know
that I am the Lord. His name's gonna be declared
throughout this earth. That's the reason he raised Pharaoh
up. And he said, when I stretch forth my hand upon Egypt and
bring out the children of Israel from among them, when God stretches
forth his hand, none can stay it. Now let me ask you the question
that the Apostle Paul asked. What should we say to these things?
What should we say to these things? If God be for us, who can be
against us? Lord, help me to remember that
the next time that I'm in one of these woe is me, poor pitiful
me attitudes that I sometimes have, poor pitiful me. Isaiah
said it this way, no weapon that is formed against thee shall
prosper. And every tongue that shall rise
against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage
of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of
me, saith the Lord. If God's for us, who can be against
us? Now look at verse six. And Moses
and Aaron did as the Lord commanded them, so did they. Boy, that's great scriptural
advice. If God commands, we better do. Verse seven, and Moses was four
score years old and Aaron was four score and three years old
when they spoke unto Pharaoh. 80 and 83, isn't that right?
I believe the reference here to the ages of Moses and Aaron
show us very clearly again the power and the grace of God Almighty. God was, Pleased to employ two
aged men as his instruments. And I don't know about you other
fellas, but I prefer aged against old. Aged, that just sounds better,
doesn't it? That gives me great encouragement.
Maybe the Lord will be pleased to use me. Maybe the Lord will
be Pleased to use you. Paul, Aaron was older than you
by a few months. Maybe God would be pleased to
use us. We certainly can't use our age as an excuse not to be
faithful to him. Oh, I pray and hope that God
does use us. I really do. God might use this
church. One thing for sure, if he does,
We know that it's His doing and not ours.