Week 40, Day 1: Pharaoh Tries to Negotiate

Today’s Reading:  Exodus 10:1-29

Some thoughts from the reading…

In chapter 10 Pharaoh seems to be finally coming around to admitting he will have to let Israel go to worship Jehovah.  But he still wants to not give in to everything that is required.  We see a back and forth where Pharaoh tries to say that Israel can go but only part of the people can go (vs 10).  Then he tries to say that they can go but they cannot take all of their flocks with them (vs 24).  Pharaoh is still thinking that he is in a position to negotiate with what God has commanded.  At the very beginning when Moses came to Pharaoh he had said who is Jehovah that I should listen to Him (5:2)?  Now Pharaoh has begun to recognize that he has to listen to what Jehovah says but he is still stubbornly trying to only give in to part of what is commanded.  God knew that Pharaoh would have to be compelled to let Israel go and now we are told that God has hardened Pharaoh’s heart so that He could perfomr these signs (vs 1-2).  God would make a mockery of the Egyptians and they would know that He is Jehovah. 

Any time that someone raises their will up against what God has commanded or directed to be done they will not prosper.  No matter who they are, king or just a lowly servant, we must all be able to see from the signs performed in Egypt that God must be honored and His will must be obeyed.  So many times man wants to get puffed up and resist what God says to do.  We want to go our own direction.  To ourselves we might not say who is the Lord that we ought to listen to Him but we might think along the lines of “well I don’t want to do that”.  Either way the result is the same – we set ourselves in opposition to God’s will.  Humble yourselves before God.  Yield yourself to Him.  We are blessed that God is patient with us and has not taught us in the same manner that He taught Pharaoh.

Question:  What does it take for you to see that you are wrong?  Pharaoh seems to finally be coming around but will not yet let go completely.  What has to happen before you will say, “I’m wrong?”

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