LECTURE 3, — Exod. 10:1-9, 111And the Lord said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might show these my signs before him: 2And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son's son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that ye may know how that I am the Lord. 3And Moses and Aaron came in unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? let my people go, that they may serve me. 4Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast: 5And they shall cover the face of the earth, that one cannot be able to see the earth: and they shall eat the residue of that which is escaped, which remaineth unto you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which groweth for you out of the field: 6And they shall fill thy houses, and the houses of all thy servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; which neither thy fathers, nor thy fathers' fathers have seen, since the day that they were upon the earth unto this day. And he turned himself, and went out from Pharaoh. 7And Pharaoh's servants said unto him, How long shall this man be a snare unto us? let the men go, that they may serve the Lord their God: knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed? 8And Moses and Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh: and he said unto them, Go, serve the Lord your God: but who are they that shall go? 9And Moses said, We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go; for we must hold a feast unto the Lord. (Exodus 10:1‑9)
11Not so: go now ye that are men, and serve the Lord; for that ye did desire. And they were driven out from Pharaoh's presence. (Exodus 10:11)., 12:29-39, 13:17, 14.
THE book of Exodus sets out primarily the mode and manner of redemption. Bringing out the weakness of Israel and the strength of God; the resistance of Pharaoh and the power of God; the sorrows of Israel, their burdens increased by reason of their deliverance being demanded, and their consequent unbelief.
God never stoops to our thoughts of our belief as regards circumstances. He may bear with them, but He goes on. The Word of God is given us to form our faith in God. When God enters into conflict with Pharaoh, He shows Himself that He is God. We lose by not considering such records. They were written for strengthening our faith and trust in God. God, when He has fixed His own terms, will have no other. God not only humbles Pharaoh, but takes the strong man’s will in. His hand and bends it, and makes the most unwilling willing, turning his will into His (compare chap. 5:1, 2, with chap. 12:31, 32).
God turned the tables thus upon the strong one. And there are struggles within our own hearts known only to God. Think you not that He will give us power over our besetting sins and cause us to thrust them out — aye, the very ones we rolled as a sweet morsel under our tongue? The practical use of the display of this great power is that we should roll ourselves on God, asking His power against those sins which would overcome us.
Now for the final struggle — thy first-born for My first-born; having taken the people to be His people He will dignify them as His people. When we have closed with His great redemption and accepted God’s mercy in Christ — put into relationship with Him — we ought not to have to learn how safe we are (we are most safe) within the house; but we need to learn how weak we are, and how good, how strong God is. The importance of what He has done for us and in us, is best understood by Himself — the immense dignity put upon us who are brought into relationship with Him. He made the difference, He best knows the greatness of the difference. Let us be more occupied with the Lord than with the difference which Ile has put between us who by grace believe and they who believe not.
I dwell not on chap. 12., the redeemed people under shelter of the blood, &c.; my object is to trace the conflicts of Israel and the power of God. But in verse 31, &c., we see it is no longer needful for Moses to entreat, May we go? for Pharaoh calls them to be gone. Whoever fought against God and prospered? Whoever entered the lists against Him and conquered? Measure not God by your feelings and apprehensions of Him, but by His testimony of His own power. Man ever changes, but God’s power and grace are ever the same; as He was, so He is. Unless converted, man is in as great collision with God now as was Pharaoh. If you refuse to come to God by Him whom He hath ordained, His Christ, you are at issue with God. It pleased God to bruise Him. Why? because there is no other way. Deny the needs be for Christ’s coming into the world, and you charge God with doing what was useless.
It is a question of man’s need, but as regards you, you do not want it. God grant you may feel the need, and go into the shelter!
“Lest they return” (chap. 13:17). Wonderful grace of God! We anticipate evils, and we make them; we would stave them off, but thereby often double them; but when God undertakes to do it, it is another thing altogether. How tender His care, knowing their weakness! He will not bring them into trial. The Lord will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able (1 Cor. 10:1313There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)). He will only send as much as His people can bear, no heavier burden. Don’t see difficulties, see God — the same God to-day as then. Such testimony to God lifts up the soul. Learn to fall back upon God. These proofs of God’s provision and foreknowledge are a wonderful help to the tried soul (ver. 19). He that believeth shall not make haste. There is no haste here. A man had trusted God with his bones, and in the bustle of that night the dead man’s bones were not forgotten — how gracious, how condescending our God! This Joseph trusted My promise, and I’ll remember it; his bones shall rest with his father in the land of promise. How calm, how grand, everything that God does! He can do the largest work without neglecting the smallest matters. We have to do with the same God who will not neglect the most minute circumstances; nay, more, is interested to be brought into them all — aye, and delights to have us bring Him into them at lowest ebb; think of this scene at night and the dead man’s bones, and it shall lift you up.
Pharaoh, the enemy of God’s people and God’s enemy, sets out in pursuit of them, but unknown to them, not unknown to God. God prepared for every emergency. Unfailing provision! The enemy has not to do with us but with God; if we are in our right place let the enemy arise, let trouble come, my answer is with God. With the Church it is the same thing; thrown in simple dependence on the Holy Ghost, what is the value of our position of faith? ‘Tis everything, tis safety. We shall be attacked, not a doubt of it; we shall be tried, not a doubt of it; our faith shall be tested, not a doubt of it, for God sets us there (i.e., in the position of faith).
It was God who undertook to bring up the people: it was God who undertook to shelter them and guide them in the way; it was God who undertook to bring them into the land. He sware unto their fathers, He had prepared a place for the people, His provision secures them in every step of the way of danger that awaits them. See God stepping aside, talking to His servant — the blessed Friend — and the care taken of His people. They were converted to Him, and He pledged to them. He was never a whit behind the enemy of His people, but beforehand with everything that could militate against their happiness. To fall back on this is peace, none besides.
We are brought to God, we can afford to be quiet from fear of evil, for He knows everything and undertakes for us. Instead of thinking of God when they scud away from Pharaoh, they only thought of what they said, and were properly frightened, “Better we should die,” &c. (Exod. 14:1212Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness. (Exodus 14:12), &c.). And is it not so with us? Do we not get frightened in trouble before God is brought in? Yet God settled with the enemy; they struggled hard to get to Israel, but they could not; nay, more, they should not, God’s power was against them.
But was this the people that God so loved? for whom He had put forth His mighty power? Yes, and this is written that we may know God “there is none like unto Thee”; and if any here are saying, “I am too bad, I am too weak,” or anything else, they may see here what a long-suffering gracious God is He with whom we have to do.
Oh, let us learn to trust Him? We ought to get on in this way; we ought to give credit to God and the lie to the devil.
But they had nothing before them but Pharaoh and their own opinions of God. What a terrible position! There is no arguing with those who will not take God’s word. “Go forward — pray for them — out — go you forward.” What if reproached? Jesus was — our God was by His own people — ‘tis but sympathy with Him.
Oh, the mercy of having to do with a God who knows us altogether! Who is a God like unto our God? Why do we ever leave our great resting-place in Him? Oh, may we increase in the knowledge of Him! How thoroughly has He wrought out our redemption! We need not ask Him to be kind — He is kind. We come to beg Him to show us how gracious, how kind He is, and trust Him.
Water always finds its level, we say, but when God bid those waters stand, they seek not their level, they make a wall for the chosen (God above the law He gives His creation). Moses’ song in everything referred to God — God brought forth His people. So in redemption everything is guaranteed, all glory acclaimed to Him, that all may Honor the Son even as they Honor the Father. To whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.