Sun.’s Devo - The Plagues

Read Exodus 8:1-9:35; Matthew 19:13-30; Psalm 24:1-10; Proverbs 6:1-5 I noticed for the first time that it never says Moses prayed for the Nile and it stopped being blood. It just says that Pharaoh went back to his palace and forgot about it while his servants had to dig for water. Moses was sent back to tell Pharaoh about the second plague. Out of the Nile would come frogs. They would also come from the rivers, canals and ponds of Egypt. The magicians were able to do the same thing but they weren’t able to stop the frogs. Pharaoh had to beg Moses to have his God do that. Pharaoh promised he would let them go, but once the frogs were gone he refused to let them go. This time God didn’t sent Moses back to Pharaoh, he told Aaron to lift his staff and strike the ground. The dust turned to gnats which infested the land. This time Pharaoh’s magicians couldn’t do that and they said it was the finger of God. Pharaoh refused to listen to Moses so God told Moses to meet Pharaoh on his way to the river and tell him if he refused to let them go he would send flies. This time he would spare the region of Goshen where the Israelites lived to show Pharaoh that God made a distinction between his people and God’s people. When the flies covered the land of Egypt, Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and told them to go sacrifice but they had to do it in his land. Moses explained why they had to leave. The people of Egypt would stone them when they saw them sacrifice animals that they worshipped. Pharaoh finally agreed but told him not to go too far. Moses prayed for the flies to leave and they did. Pharaoh hardened his heart again and wouldn’t let them leave. Moses told Pharaoh that the next plague would be on their horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, sheep and goats. They died the next day and none of the livestock of the Israelites were plagued. This affected their transportation, harvest, and their food supply. Pharaoh still refused to let them leave. God told Moses to take soot and stand before Pharaoh. He was to throw it into the air and when he did, boils broke out on the people and animals that were still alive. His magicians were unable to stand with Pharaoh because of the boils. Moses was to tell Pharaoh that if he didn’t let his people go, he would continue to send more plagues. He could have killed them but he kept them alive so he would show the earth his power. Tomorrow he would send a hail storm. Any living creature left outside would die. Some of the Egyptians feared God and took their animals inside. The thunder, lightning and hail killed all the people, animals and plants that were living outside. But, there was no storm in Goshen. Pharaoh summoned Moses and finally admitted he had sinned and the Lord was the righteous one. He admitted that he and his people were the ones that were wrong. Moses called his bluff, but he did pray for the hail to stop and it did. Sure enough, Pharaoh refused to let them go. In Matthew, Jesus rebuked the disciples for stopping the children from coming to him. Then a man asked what good deed he needed to do to have eternal life. This man was missing the point that salvation was about the heart and not deeds. When Jesus told him to sell everything he had and come and follow him he was speaking to the man’s heart. He knew that money was his heart, not following God. The man could not do it. Jesus told his disciples that it was hard for a rich man to enter heaven but with him all things were possible. Everyone who sacrifices here on earth will be rewarded a hundred times more in heaven. When our hearts are right, we want to do good deeds. Our deeds should follow our heart and not vice versa. Lord, help us to give our hearts to you completely. May we be about your Kingdom.