Chapter 58 of 1163

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” (10:8–11); 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.

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