The Man Moses #11

The Lord said to me,.."I will test my people with a plumbline. Amos 7:8 (TLB)

The Plumbline is a blog to encourage the Body of Christ.

The Man Moses #11

J. C. Sheridan, 2nd

The Angel and the Promises  Exodus 23:20 (NKJV)“Behold, I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared.  The communication of these laws, made to Moses and by him rehearsed to the people, was concluded by the addition of many animating promises, intermingled with several solemn warnings that lapses into sin and idolatry would not be tolerated or passed with impunity.  This angel is frequently called Jehovah and Elohim, that is, God.

I will send hornets before thee. (See on Jos 24:12)—Some instrument of divine judgment, but variously interpreted: as hornets in a literal sense; as a pestilential disease; as a terror of the Lord, an extraordinary dejection.

 I will not drive … out … in one year; lest the land become desolate—Many reasons recommend a gradual root out and destroy completely the former inhabitants of Canaan. But only one is here specified—the danger lest, in the unoccupied grounds, wild beasts should inconveniently multiply; a clear proof that the promised land was more than sufficient to contain the actual population of the Israelites.

Exodus 24:3 (NLT) Then Moses went down to the people and repeated all the instructions and regulations the Lord had given him. All the people answered with one voice, “We will do everything the Lord has commanded.

God summoned Moses before Him with Aaron, Aaron’s two eldest sons Nadab and Abihu (cf. Lev. 10), and 70 of the elders (leaders) of the people, though the men, all 73 of them, except for Moses were to keep their distance (cf. Ex. 19:12-13, 24) from the Lord out of respect for His majesty and holiness. Moses went to the top of the mountain, the 73 other leaders were on the mountain but not at the top, and the people were below at the foot of the mountain.

God was now ready to confirm the Mosaic Covenant with His people. Moses rehearsed before the people all the Lord‘s words and laws (20:22-23:33), called “the Book of the Covenant” (24:7). After hearing these laws the people heartily submitted themselves to obey them (cf. 19:8) and Moses … wrote down God’s commands.

Then Moses prepared the people for the ratifying of the Law. First Moses made an altar at the foot of Mount Sinai and erected 12 stone pillars to represent Israel’s 12 tribes. Since the Levitical priesthood had not yet been organized, young Israelite men (perhaps the dedicated firstborn, 13:1-16), and Moses served as priests and offered burnt offerings and … fellowship offerings to the Lord. In the ratification ceremony Moses sprinkled blood … on the altar (24:6) and on the people (v. 8) who had heard Moses read the Book of the Covenant and had promised once again to obey it (v. 7; cf. v. 3). This is the only time in the Old Testament when people were sprinkled with blood. Possibly the people were sprinkled in the sense that the stones which represented them (v. 4) were sprinkled. (On the relationship of obedience and sprinkling of blood see comments on 1 Peter 1:2.) The sprinkled blood, then, symbolized the legal transaction between God (represented by the altar, Ex. 24:6) and the people (represented by the stones). Israel was thus ceremonially set apart through blood (the blood of the covenant) as the people of the true God. Later the New Covenant, established by Jesus, was also ratified by blood, His own (Luke 22:20; 1 Cor. 11:25-26).

Moses … Aaron, Aaron’s two eldest sons, and the 70 elders … went up the mountain to confirm and ratify the covenant before God. Since no one can see God and live (see comments on 33:11, 20; John 1:18), they probably saw the God of Israel in the sense that they had a vision of Him in which they discerned who He is. Apparently the sight was so grand and awesome that their eyes saw only below His feet. The splendor of God looked like sapphire (cf. the throne of sapphire in Ezek. 1:26). Then they ate a meal before Him. It was common to symbolize the ratifying of a covenant with a meal (cf. Gen. 26:30; 31:54; Luke 22:15-20).

The Man Moses #10

The Lord said to me,.."I will test my people with a plumbline. Amos 7:8 (TLB)

The Plumbline is a blog to encourage the Body of Christ.

The Man Moses #10

J. C. Sheridan, II

Exodus 20:18 (NKJV)  Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off.

The people’s response (20:18-21)The response of the people gathered before the mountain was one of fear and awe (cf. 19:16). Recognizing the mighty power and majesty of God, they wanted to hear of Him through Moses—not directly lest God destroy them. Moses assured them that the purpose of this display of God’s power and holiness was to test their reaction to Him. Fear of Him would help curb their disobedience. Tragically Israel soon lost this fear of Him (Ex. 32)—a frequent theme in her history.

The Book of the Covenant (20:22-24:11) God applied and elaborated on the Decalogue in its civil and religious implications for the nation. This section is called “the Book of the Covenant,” based on that phrase in 24:7.

Statutes concerning worship (20:22-26) God gave the nation regulations about their worship of the true God and the building of an altar. He had come from heaven to Mount Sinai (19:20) to give the Ten Commandments. Now (20:22-23:19) He elaborated on many of the 10 Commandments. The command to worship God alone, not other deities (20:23), and the caution against making carved or molten idols of silver or... gold, re-emphasizes the first and second commandments (vv. 3-4).

On an altar the people were to offer burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, which would result in His name being honored and their lives being blessed. Reference to a single altar indicates that God intended that worship should be centralized in one place.

The altar was to be unadorned by craftsmanship; it was to be of earth (i.e., of natural stones; cf. Deut. 27:5-7), and without steps so the priests would not be indecently exposed. Altars with elaborate craftsmanship and elevated platforms with staircases were common in the worship of false deities.

God said, I will fix your boundaries - Exodus 23:31 (NLT) And I will fix your boundaries from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, and from the eastern wilderness to the Euphrates River. I will hand over to you the people now living in the land, and you will drive them out ahead of you. Then the Lord prescribed the borders of the Promised Land. The Red Sea in this case is the part of the Red Sea now known as the Sea of Aqaba (probably to form the nation’s southeastern boundary). The Sea of the Philistines would be the western boundary (the Mediterranean Sea), the desert the southern boundary, and the Euphrates River the northern (or northeastern) boundary. 

This territory was occupied during the time of Solomon (1 Kings 4:21) though much of it was not fully under Israel. Pockets of the enemy still lived in the land as Vassals  to Israel (cf. Deut. 11:24 and see comments on Deut. 1:7). Yet the presence of these enemies in the land was a constant menace to Israel, as God had predicted. Joshua 9:3-15 records a violation of God’s command not to make a covenant or treaty (cf. Ex. 34:12) with any of the foreign peoples in the land of Canaan. Failure to drive... out the enemy (23:31) would result in their causing Israel to sin primarily through their idolatry. Israel’s later history certainly proved this to be true.

God’s expressed plan for a territory for Israel is very different from the boarders that we know comprises Israel today!

The Man Moses #9

The Lord said to me,.."I will test my people with a plumbline. Amos 7:8 (TLB)

The Plumbline is a blog to encourage the Body of Christ.

The Man Moses #9

Clayt Sheridan, 2nd

We have attempted to emphases the character, integrity and faith of this leader that God raised up to deliver His people from bandage and slavery! As we continue our study we find Moses on Mount Sinai receiving the God’s Covenant with the Children of Israel.

The fourth commandment (20:8-11) A day of solemn worship of God should be kept weekly. Keeping the Sabbath Day... holy means to separate it, the seventh day, from the other six as a special day to the Lord. People are to work in six days and worship on the seventh. This contrasted with the Israelites’ slavery in Egypt when, presumably, they had no break in their daily routine. The basis for this commandment is God’s creating the universe in six days and resting on the seventh (Gen. 2:2-3; Ex. 16:23). This was not to be a day of slothful inactivity but of spiritual service through religious observances. For the violation of this command God imposed on Israel the death penalty (Ex. 31:15; Num. 15:32-36). In the present Church Age the day of worship has been changed from Saturday to Sunday because of Jesus’ resurrection on the first day of the week (cf. Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2).

The fifth commandment (20:12) Commandments 5-10, the second portion of the Law (vv. 12-17), deal with one’s relationships to others. All the commandments include a negative except the fourth (the last in the first group) and the fifth (the first in the second group). The fifth commandment enjoins respect (honor) of parents. It implies obedience and submission to them (cf. Eph. 6:1-2). The promise of longevity that accompanies the command (live long) refers to duration as a nation in covenant relationship with God (in the land the Lord your God is giving you) rather than a lengthened lifespan for each obedient individual. Cursing one’s parents, tantamount to repudiating their authority, was a capital offense (Ex. 21:17; Lev. 20:9; Prov. 20:20).

The sixth commandment (20:13) To help preserve society and because people are made in God’s image (Gen. 9:6), the Israelites were commanded not to take another person’s life by murder .

The seventh commandment (20:14) This commandment is directed toward protecting the sanctity of the home (Heb. 13:4; see comments on Gen. 2:24; Matt. 19:1-12), the fundamental building block of society. The marital vow is a holy commitment that should not be violated by sexual unfaithfulness under any circumstances. Adultery refers to infidelity on the part of either men or women (Lev. 20:10).

The eighth commandment (20:15) This command was given to encourage the respect of others’ property. This too is an important element in a stable society. It is closely related to the 10th commandment.

The ninth commandment (20:16) This command concerns bearing false testimony against someone that would cause him unjustified injury. Keeping this law helps maintain stability in a society by protecting individuals’ reputations.

The 10th commandment (20:17) This is a general safeguard against many other sins, particularly commandments six through nine. Israelites were not to long for, desire earnestly, or lust after what legitimately belonged to others.

These commandments are the fundamental statements of a good and wholesome society as ordered by the holy and righteous God. Though believers today are not under the Law (Rom. 6:15), they are under obligation to abide by the holy standards represented in the Ten Commandments. Nine of the Ten Commandments are repeated in the New Testament with added stipulations that are even higher than those in Exodus 20:3-17. The one not repeated is the command to keep the Sabbath; yet the first day of the week is to be set aside for worship in commemoration of the Savior’s resurrection.

Romans 6:15 (NKJV) What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!  Believers today are not under the Law (Rom. 6:15), they are however, under obligation to abide by the holy standards represented in the Ten Commandments.

The Man Moses #8

The Lord said to me,.."I will test my people with a plumbline. Amos 7:8 (TLB)

The Plumbline is a blog to encourage the Body of Christ.

The Man Moses #8

Clayt Sheridan, II

This study leads up to the Ten Commandments issued by God.  Exodus 19:1 (NKJV) reports that after three months of travel since leaving Egypt the children of Israel came to Mount of Sinai.  God had redeemed His people from Egypt, “the land of slavery” (13:3, 14; 20:2;  through the sprinkling of blood (Ex. 12) and by the marvelous deliverance through the Red Sea (Ex. 14). Now He brought them to Sinai where He entered into a covenant with them. The Law was the nation’s “constitution” for their theocratic state under their great God, Yahweh.

Obey my voice and keep my Covenant: This proposal made by God (My covenant) would give Israel an exalted position among the nations in view of their acceptance of God’s righteous standards. If they accepted and obeyed the covenant stipulations, God promised to make them His treasured possession (cf. Deut. 7:6; 14:2; 26:18; Ps. 135:4; Mal. 3:17). They would be His own people, highly valued by and related to Him. Also they would become a kingdom of priests, that is, each member of the nation with God as his King would know and have access to Him and mediate on behalf of each other as did priests. Also they would be a holy nation, a nation morally pure and dedicated entirely to the service of God. God redeemed Israel so that she might be in touch with and separated to Him.

The preparations for the covenant (19:7-25) Moses then informed the elders of Israel and the people about God’s covenant and His plan to possess them uniquely. The people heartily responded by promising to obey His laws strictly. In anticipation of the covenant God ordered the people to separate themselves from impurity and to consecrate themselves to God. The three-day purification ritual included washing their garments and abstaining from sexual intercourse. Also during the three days no person or animal was to contact the mountain or he or it would be put to death. Such careful preparation underscored the significance of the event that was about to transpire. The God of the heavens was about to make a covenant with His people. Unlike pagan deities who supposedly dwelt in the mountains, the God of Israel descended from heaven (1 Kings 8:30, 49) to the mountains to converse with His people. Only when summoned by the blast of a ram’s horn (cf. Ex. 19:16, 19) were the people to go toward the mountain (v. 13).

Then on the third day of preparation the God of heaven descended to Sinai in a display of power and majesty. God demonstrated His holiness and awesomeness; little wonder that the people trembled, standing at the foot of the mountain (v. 16; cf. 20:18). The people heard crashing thunder and a very loud trumpet blast (cf. 19:13); they saw flashing lightning.... fire, and dense billowing smoke as from a smelting furnace; and they felt the mountain trembling in a violent earthquake. The “black cloud” of smoke brought “darkness” to the sky (Deut. 4:11; cf. Ex. 20:21).

Only Moses (19:20) and Aaron (v. 24) were permitted on the mountain; the priests and the people were to stand before it. If they in curiosity saw the Lord they would perish (cf. comments on 33:11, 20; and comments on John 1:18). Though the Levitical priesthood had not yet been established, the elders (Ex. 3:18) or some young men (24:5) served as priests. Moses made three trips to the mountaintop and back (19:3, 7; vv. 8-9; vv. 20, 25). These instructions vividly reminded the people of the immeasurable chasm between the divine and the human, as well as the miracle of divine revelation.

The first commandment (20:3) The first of the Ten Commandments is that Israel was to worship the one true God. Worshiping false gods would be setting up rivals to Him  and thus overlooking His uniqueness (cf. Vv. 22-23). Unfortunately Israel often disobeyed this very first command by worshiping the idols of other nations. This eventually resulted in her being exiled to Assyria and Babylonia.

The second commandment (20:4-6) The worship of God was to be spiritual, not material. Israel was forbidden from worshiping idols (v. 3) and also from making images of God. Since God is spiritual no material representation can possibly resemble Him. To make an idol of God like something in the sky (sun, moon, stars), or on the earth (animals), or in the waters below (fish, crocodiles, or other sea life) was forbidden because God is a jealous God (cf. 34:14; Deut. 5:9; 6:15; 32:16, 21; Josh. 24:19), that is, He is zealous that devotion be given exclusively to Him. His uniqueness (Ex. 20:3) requires unique devotion. Absence of such dedication is sin and has its effect on future generations. Those who thus are influenced to hate God will be punished by Him. By contrast He is loyal to those who love Him and who show that love by their obedience (cf. 1 John 5:3).

The third commandment (20:7) The name of... God should be honored and protected. The Israelites were not to use His name for any idle, frivolous, or insincere purpose (such as speaking His name when taking an oath with no intention of keeping it, Lev. 19:12). People should not use His name for selfish or evil purposes (cf. Ps. 139:20; also see comments on Deut. 5:11), thereby seeking to usurp His authority. Deuteronomy 5:11 (NKJV)  'You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.

The Man Moses #7

The Lord said to me,.."I will test my people with a plumbline. Amos 7:8 (TLB)

The Plumbline is a blog to encourage the Body of Christ.

The Man Moses #7

Moses was a great man, who loved God and God’s people. He was an obedient servant of the Most High God!

Exodus 11:3 (NKJV) And the LORD gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's servants and in the sight of the people.

After the Israelites crossed the Red Sea via God’s great supernatural deliverance. Moses brought the great host from the Red Sea into the Wilderness of Shur. They traveled for three days into the wilderness but had no water (Exodus 15:22).

When they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters because it was bitter. Marah is almost universally believed to be what is now called Howarah located a distance quite sufficient for their march of three days. God many times allows His people to drink from the bitter wells of Marah. More often than not, He uses the situation to teach us some divine truth that will increase of effectiveness as His disciple.

The Lord showed Moses a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet -- another of God’s miracle endowed a tree with the property of purifying the bitter water -- a tree employed the sweetening touch supplied by the power of God. This was no doubt a preview of how God would use the Cross of Jesus to transform our bitter past to a sweet presence and future.

God would now bring the Israelites into circumstances which would put their faith and obedience to the test (compare Ge 22:1). Genesis 22:1 (NKJV)  Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am."

Let’s take a look at some of the great provisions God demonstrated to Israel during their trek  through the wilderness. Exodus 15:22-17:7

Verse 17; Desert of Shur. The wilderness of Shur is located in the northwest region of the Sinai peninsula. An east-west route runs through the region that connects Egypt to the King's Highway in Transjordan at Bozrah, or leads up into Palestine through Beersheba, but the Israelites did not take this route. Shur means "wall" in Hebrew, so it is possible that this term refers to the well-known Egyptian line of fortresses in this region. This is supported by Numbers 33:8, where it is called the wilderness of Etham (etham means "fort"). Built a few centuries earlier to protect the northeastern frontiers of Egypt, this series of garrisons was known as the Wall of the Ruler.

Verse 27; Elim oasis. The oasis at Elim with twelve springs and seventy palm trees is often identified as being about sixty miles down the coast of the Gulf of Suez. It features tamarisks (elim) as well as palms and springs. It remains a major resting place for modern Bedouin. Besides having the appropriate groves of tamarisks and palms, it also features twelve springs and is probably to be preferred.

16:4-9. Bread from heaven/manna. The bread from heaven was called "manna" in Exodus 16:31, where it is described (see also Numbers 11:7). Exodus 16:4 (TLB) Then the Lord said to Moses, "....I’m going to rain down food from heaven for them. Everyone can go out each day and gather as much food as he needs. And I will test them in this, to see whether they will follow my instructions or not.”

6:10-11. Glory of the Lord in the cloud. "The glory of the Lord" refers to the brightness that was evidence of his presence. Exodus 24:16 (NKJV) 16 Now the glory of the LORD rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day He called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. Exodus 24:17 (NKJV) 17 The sight of the glory of the LORD was like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel. The Glory of the Lord in the cloud was a mighty symbol of the great I AM in all His splendor and magnificence.

God chose Moses to lead the Hebrews out the Egyptian slavery and bondage while doing these marvelous things.

The Man Moses #6

The Lord said to me,.."I will test my people with a plumbline. Amos 7:8 (TLB)

The Plumbline is a blog to encourage the Body of Christ.

The Man Moses #6

J. C. Sheridan, II

Pharaoh finally permits Moses and the Hebrew people to set out for the Promised Land. However, Pharaoh’s release was short lived. He gathered his army with horses and chariots and began to pursue the Children of God.  One might think after all the disastrous happenings demonstrated by God against Egypt that a lesson would have been learned. Not so. 

Exodus 14:13 (NKJV) 13 And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever.

The great consternation of the Israelites is somewhat astonishing, considering their vast superiority in numbers, but their deep dismay and absolute despair at the sight of this pursuing army frightened God’s people.

Their fearless leader, Moses, said, … Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord—Never, perhaps, was the fortitude of a man so severely tried as that of the Hebrew leader in this crisis, exposed as he was to various and inevitable dangers, the most formidable of which was the vengeance of a seditious and desperate multitude; but his meek, unruffled, magnanimous composure presents one of the sublimest examples of moral courage to be found in history. How and where did his courage arise? He saw the miraculous cloud still accompanying them, and his confidence arose solely from the hope of a divine intervention. 

The miraculous cloud:  the angel of God -- that is, the pillar of cloud check this Exodus 13:21 (NKJV) 21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. The slow and silent movement of that majestic column through the air, and occupying a position behind them must have excited the astonishment of the Israelites Isaiah 58:8 (NKJV) 8 Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.  It was an effectual barrier between them and their pursuers, not only protecting them, but concealing their movements. Thus, the same cloud produced light (a symbol of favor) to the people of God, and darkness (a symbol of wrath) to their enemies (compare 2Co 2:16).

Moses stretched out his hand, -- The waving of the rod was of great importance on this occasion to give public attestation in the presence of the assembled Israelites, both to the character of Moses and the divine mission with which he was charged.

The Lord caused . . . a strong east wind all that night -- Suppose a mere ebb tide caused by the wind, raising the water to a great height on one side, still as there was not only "dry land," but, according to the sacred scriptures, a wall on the right hand and on the left (Ex 14:22).  Without a doubt divine intervention is an absolute imperative in his event.

The Lord looked . . . through . . . the cloud, and troubled them -- We suppose the fact to have been that the side of the pillar of cloud towards the Egyptians was suddenly  illuminated with a blaze of light, upon the dense darkness which frightened the horses of the Egyptians that they rushed confusedly together and became unmanageable. "Let us flee," was the cry that resounded through the broken and trembling ranks, but it was too late; all attempts at a get-away were frustrated.

There remained not so much as one of them -- It is surprising that some intelligent writers can maintain there is no evidence of the destruction of Pharaoh himself -- Psalms 106:10-11 (NKJV) 10 He saved them from the hand of him who hated them, And redeemed them from the hand of the enemy. 11 The waters covered their enemies; There was not one of them left.

Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea-shore. -- The tide threw them up and left multitudes of corpses on the beach; a result that brought greater infamy on the Egyptians, but that tended, on the other hand, to enhance the triumph of the Israelites, and doubtless enriched them with arms, which they had not before. The locality of this famous passage has not yet been, and probably never will be, satisfactorily fixed.

Exodus 14:30-31 (NKJV) 30 So the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 Thus Israel saw the great work which the LORD had done in Egypt; so the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD and His servant Moses.

The Man Moses #5

The Lord said to me,.."I will test my people with a plumbline. Amos 7:8 (TLB)

The Plumbline is a blog to encourage the Body of Christ.

The Man Moses #5

J. C. Sheridan, II

When Moses was sent to Pharaoh by God for the release of the Hebrew people - Pharaoh refused the request. God then through Moses began to unleash His wrath by way of several plagues.

We discussed the first two plagues in the previous edition. The first affliction was all the water of Egypt was turned to blood. The second was a plague of frogs. No matter where the Egyptians went there were frogs. After each plague Pharaoh’s heart was hardened as he failed to meet the conditions Moses delivered to him.

Plague Number 3: The infestation of lice, gnats and mosquitoes covered the country. It is all described for us in Exodus 8:16-19.

Plague Number 4: Large numbers of flies caused great discomfort and wrought destructive damage to people and animals. Exodus 8:20-32.

Plague Number 5: The plague that destroyed large numbers of cattle The mortality rate was frequent and wide spread. Exodus 19:19,21.

Plague Number 6: God told Moses to strike Egypt with an epidemic of boils  Exodus 9:8-17 gives the whole story. Any one who has suffered with a boil knows the severe pain and discomfort that accompanies such an affliction.

Plague Number 7: The seventh plague which Pharaoh’s hardened heart provoked was that of hail, a phenomenon which must have produced the greatest astonishment and consternation in Egypt as rain and hailstones, accompanied by thunder and lightning, were very rare occurrences.1  Exodus 9:18-39.

Plague Number 8: The Plague—Locusts  Exodus 10:1 (GW) Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh. I have made him and his officials stubborn so that I can do these miraculous signs among them. These insects were doubled-winged grasshoppers about 3’’ or less in length. Their numbers darkened the land and they were very destructive.

Plague Number 9: The Plague—Darkness Exodus 10:21–22 (GW) 21 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Lift your hand toward the sky, and a darkness ⌊so thick⌋ that it can be felt will come over Egypt.” 22 Moses lifted his hand toward the sky, and throughout Egypt there was total darkness for three days.The sun was an object of Egyptian idolatry what God did through Moses this was a colossal blow to these pagans. Exodus 10:27–29 (GW) 27 But the Lord made Pharaoh stubborn, so he refused to let them go. 28 Pharaoh said to Moses, “Get out of my sight! Don’t ever let me see your face again. The day I do, you will die.”29 “You’re right!” Moses answered. “You’ll never see my face again.”

Plague Number 10: The Death of the Firstborn. Exodus 12:12 (NKJV) 12 ‘For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. smite … gods of Egypt—perhaps used here for princes and grandees. But, according to Jewish tradition, the idols of Egypt were all on that night broken in pieces (see Nu 33:4; Is 19:1).2

It is UNBELIEVABLE  that Pharaoh could resist what God was attempting to achieve through His servant Moses.

The Man Moses #4

The Lord said to me,.."I will test my people with a plumbline. Amos 7:8 (TLB) 

The Plumbline is a blog to encourage the Body of Christ. 

The Man Moses #4

Clayt Sheridan

We have reached the point in our account where God uses Moses to unleash some incredible and miraculous plagues upon the willful Egyptian king and his people. Moses begins his passionate appeals to Pharaoh for the release of the Hebrews. As Pharaoh’s heart hardens and he resisted the the pleas of Moses unspeakable event begin to unfold. 

 Number One: Water changed to blood. Exodus 7:19 (NKJV) Then the Lord spoke to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Take your rod and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their streams, over their rivers, over their ponds, and over all their pools of water, that they may become blood. And there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in buckets of wood and pitchers of stone.’ ” GOD said to Moses: "Pharaoh is a stubborn man. He refuses to release the people. First thing in the morning, go and meet Pharaoh as he goes down to the river. At the shore of the Nile take the staff that turned into a snake and say to him, 'GOD, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you with this message, "Release my people so that they can worship me in the wilderness." So far you haven't listened. This is how you'll know that I am GOD. I am going to take this staff that I'm holding and strike this Nile River water: The water will turn to blood; the fish in the Nile will die; the Nile will stink; and the Egyptians won't be able to drink the Nile water.'" 
 

GOD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Take your staff and wave it over the waters of Egypt—over its rivers, its canals, its ponds, all its bodies of water—so that they turn to blood.' There'll be blood everywhere in Egypt—even in the pots and pans." Moses and Aaron did exactly as GOD commanded them. Aaron raised his staff and hit the water in the Nile with Pharaoh and his servants watching. All the water in the Nile turned into blood. The fish in the Nile died; the Nile stank; and the Egyptians couldn't drink the Nile water. The blood was everywhere in Egypt. But the magicians of Egypt did the same thing with their incantations. Still Pharaoh remained stubborn. He wouldn't listen to them as GOD had said. He turned on his heel and went home, never giving it a second thought. But all the Egyptians had to dig inland from the river for water because they couldn't drink the Nile water. Seven days went by after GOD had struck the Nile. 
 

Number Two: Frogs. Exodus 8:1–2 (NKJV) And the Lord spoke to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Let My people go, that they may serve Me. 2 But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all your territory with frogs. The duration of the first plague was for a whole week. As a judgment of God, however, it produced no good effect, and Moses was commanded to wait on the king and threaten him, in the event of his continued rejection, with the infliction of a new and different plague. As Pharaoh’s answer is not given, it may be inferred to have been unfavorable, for the rod was again raised. I will smite all thy borders with frogs—Those animals, though the natural spawn of the river, will be miraculously multiplied to an amazing extent. It is probable that the ova of the frogs, which had been previously deposited in the mire and marshes, were miraculously brought to perfection at once.