Exodus Chapter 7 Part 2

[Music] Shalom and welcome to via afta Israel a Hebrew phrase which means you shall love Israel we hope you'll stay with us for the next 30 minutes as our teacher dr. Baruch shares his expose Ettore teaching from the Bible dr. Baruch is the senior lecturer at the Sarah Avraham Institute based in Israel although all courses are taught in Hebrew at the Institute dr. Baruch is pleased to share this weekly address in English to find out more about our work in Israel please visit us on the web at love Israel you are G that's one word love Israel Oh our G now here's Baruch with today's lesson God a God of Revelation we see that in the psalm that we studied briefly tonight and we're going to continue to see that as we look into the book of Exodus we've been studying that for several weeks and we're going to continue tonight so with that said take out your Bible and look with me to the book of Exodus and chapter 7 we're gonna pick up where we left off last week in verse 14 and here we see that although God has already extended revelation to Pharaoh and Egypt we're going to see that God is going to begin these 10 place the assert my coat these strikes from the hand of God upon Egypt and make no mistake about it these plagues our plagues of Revelation God is manifesting himself primarily to Pharaoh but also to the Egyptians and to the Hebrews in fact throughout the world because what God is up to here it is a paradigm that has worldwide implications we're going to see so much in the book of Exodus and how God moves to redeem the people out of Egypt his people his covenant people we're gonna learn many principles in regard to the work of Messiah now before we begin we need to remember something Moses has already gone before Pharaoh and revealed God's will to Pharaoh and what is that Shalaka at a me send forth my people and what was Pharaoh's response who is the Lord that I should obey him and send forth this people so we're going to see it's already begun but we're going to see how God is going to more and more make himself known not just that he is God that he exists but the nature of God the power of God and the purposes of God and how God who is sovereign is going to bring Pharaoh to submissiveness but here's the key the question is is Pharaoh going to change his condition what condition am I talking about well let's pick up where we left off Exodus chapter 7 and verse 14 we read here and the Lord said to Moses heavy now this word heavy can also it's been translated other places into English in regard to the world word dull or insensitive now what it means is literally heavy but it has to do with that which is not responsive in the same way that a stone is not responsive can't shape it or form it or mold it in that same way Pharaoh's heart is not being molded it is not being changed conform to the revelation of God and before we go any further tonight you need to ask yourself a question the same question that I I asked myself and that is is my heart molded to the will of God to His purposes am i changing Who I am in submitting to the things the revelation the truth of God notice what he says Moses he hears the voice of God for the Lord says to Moses hard or literally covet heavy is the heart of Pharaoh and then we find may and lishala ha now the word may pen has to do with refusing it has to do with with rebellious so it says his heart is is heavy heavy with what the thoughts of this world now there's much evidence for that Pharaoh is worldly minded he's not giving any thought to a coming Kingdom it is exactly what Messiah spoke about when someone's heart is weighed down with the cares of this life this world with the material rather than the spiritual so this is what God's saying and when we are worldly minded when we are weighed down with the things of this world notice we are not going to submit to the will of God it says that he will refuse to send the people verse 15 so he says go to Pharaoh in the morning now I highlighted that term in the morning and the reason for that is there's a biblical relationship theologically speaking between mourning and the thought of light illumination like being shone forth and the point here is that Pharaoh is not going to do anything out of darkness meaning this it's not because he's unaware it's not because he doesn't know it's not big Moses has not given him the Word of God Ferrell knows us but his what he's weighed down his heart is heavy with the cares of this world that's how he's thinking so we read here go to Pharaoh in the morning behold he goes forth to the water and you shall stand this is a unique word for standing it's used later on in the book of Exodus for taking a stand and it's always in this context it's always at the response of God God reveals something and you position yourself in obedience now what this is doing is showing a a contrast between Pharaoh and Moses they both receive revelation from God Pharaoh refuses it but but Moses he submits to it and it moves of him that is God's revelation moves Moses where he needs to be to serve God and carry out the purposes of God so he says you stand too to meet him and this word for standing it can also be thought of as taking a position you take a position where you meet him along the shore of the Nile and notice something very important I highlighted this too in my Bible and the staff which was was turned into a serpent you take in your hand now notice here you take in your hand now what is God doing he is giving Moses instruction but you need to see it as revelation and this is having a change in the behavior of Moses and something else that stands out so much of what God says is Commandments God speaks to Moses Commandments and it's this instruction that positions us to carry out the purposes of God look now to verse 16 and you shall say unto Him the Lord the God of the Hebrews now the term Hebrews is important the Hebrew that word has to do with those who have crossed over they were from one location but they have passed over into a new location so it speaks ultimately of them crossing the Jordan into the promised land into the place that God formerly instructed Abraham and now where God is instructing the people to be sent forth to into the wilderness but it's the wilderness that leads to the Land of Israel let me say it another way it is the wilderness or desert that is related to trusting God to be a recipient a possessor of the promises of God look again verse 16 and you shall say to him the Lord the God of the Hebrews has sent me unto you saying send forth my people now notice there is a statement that the Hebrews that's how Pharaoh would have recognized them the god of the Hebrews this is his people who makes it very personal and here's what the reader needs to understand God is acting in regard to his covenant 'el promises he is obligated through this covenant now God initiated the covenant he is committed to these things he understands that these things are going to have a very important outcome in order that his purposes might be fulfilled and what are his purposes well we can summarize them and that is lack nice for hope the llamas day which means to to bring in blessings into this world that's what God ultimately wants to do and the vessel that God has chosen and we can even say chosen by creation is Israel his people so he says the god of the Hebrews has sent me unto you saying send forth my people why that they might serve me in the wilderness now that word for serve is also the word for worship now why is this important because notice where things begin the first thing that God is wanting is for the Hebrews to worship Him we're in the wilderness now we're going to learn that the concept of wilderness has to do with dependence trusting God and so he's going to bring them to a location where they need to trust him and it's in that spirit of trust in that spirit of dependence that they are going to worship God notice it begins with worship in the same way that Adam and Eve in the garden they began their existence being created at the end of the sixth day the last thing that was created in order that they too might worship God so what do we see here worship is foundation you can't serve God you can't learn his will you can't perform his will you can't be a pleasure pleasing to God unless you are worshiping him it is foundational so he says send forth my people that they might do something that they might serve me worship me in the wilderness behold notice what he says now he's still giving revelation to Moses he says that you behold he says you will not listen you have not listened unto now so he says you know you go and say that and you tell them you Pharaoh you haven't listened and that word listen has the implication of hearing with an obedient response up until now I've given you revelation but you have not responded properly you haven't obeyed up until now and this expression notice what it says in the verse 16 odd Col what does that mean it anticipates a change you haven't done what the revelation of God has required up until now and things are going to be different and this all lays the foundation for what for the beginning of these SM echoed these plagues upon Egypt let's move on verse 17 thus said the Lord with this you shall know that I am the Lord now this is what Pharoah said earlier who is Hashem the Lord that I should obey Him well God is saying now I'm going to give you evidence there is going to be a testimony there's going to be revelation revealed in order that you might know that I the God of the Hebrews I am the Lord now this term Lord made mention of it last week it is derived from a construction of a Hebrew verb Leo to be and when we look at it we see characteristics that is this Hebrew is a marked language there are certain markings that happens that one can find in a word and through these markings it gives us an indication of grammatical nuances so when we look at this you Dave Ave it speaks about the God who was is we'll be the God who transcends time the God who is overall who is not at all confined by anything this is why we translated where he says I am the Lord look at the second half of verse 17 behold I am michaei now the word McKay is striking when we talk about in Hebrew I serve my coat these 10 strikings we say in English plates but we need to realize that here the concept is not plagued that is that word and we'll encounter it later on but this is a word for a striking and normally this word is used in a sense of a punishment so God is going to begin to punish Pharaoh for a lack of response here again when we look at the scripture we need to make it personal are we non-responsive to the revelation of God when we read something are we responding obediently to it what we need to realize is this see too much false teaching is going up speaking about what we can do to cause God to do our will this is false teaching no the Word of God reveals things so that we might know truth in order that we might behave in agreement with the expectations of God so ask yourself am i behaving according to God's expectations Pharaoh is not and therefore there's going to be a striking there's going to be a punishment once more verse 17 the second half Hany enoki McKay vomit a which means behold I am striking with this staff now this staff or rod however you translate that word Matane it is emphasized it has been it is and it will be emphasized in this this staff represents God's authority that he has given to moshav a her own Moses and Aaron and that authority is limited to the will of God this is a very important principle you need to write it down all authority which God gives is always restricted only to his will his purposes it's never given so that we can't utilize it to what we think is best according to our thoughts our desires our will absolutely not it must be used in obedience to the instructions of God so he says behold I am striking with this staff which is in my hand upon the waters which are in the river the Nile River and they will be overturned to blood now why is blood the first plague a plague of blood now blood biblically has many messages to it we know blood is related to Redemption blood in other contexts can be related to war but here blood when blood is visible remember what the scripture says we have to deal appropriately with blood if blood is shed what do we do we bury it blood is of the utmost importance and blood which is visible well this is the show impurity and what God is saying and what he's going to convey to Pharaoh is this by your rebellion by your resistance to my revelation you are bringing impurity into the land of Egypt Egypt is impure because it's devoid of God's truth now realize something impurity is an invitation for judgment so when I behave in purely when I do things think things say things that are impure it is inviting God's punishment his discipline his judgment and that's what this miracle is is saying to Pharaoh look now verse 18 what happens and the fish which are in the Nile do you that they will die now there's something important here and that is this we can have the word fish Doug or Doug ah interesting in the prophecy of Jonah Jonah we see both but there's an emphasis on it in the feminine and the reason for that is that it relates in a way to repentance and that's what God is calling repentance involves it should be thought of as change a certain change a godly change in agreement with the will of God but we are very close in fact in Israel it's yo Michonne it's Sunday and at the end of Sunday at sundown begins Rosh Hashanah and when I was purchasing food yesterday that is on Friday before Shabbat you could buy at this place that has prepared food for Shabbat and the holidays they were selling fish shots why it's very common it's a tradition to place a fish head on your table why is that because fish represent blessing so we want a Shanna neva record a blessed ear and therefore we remember that by a fish head well here it's significant that God says and the fish which are in the Nile it will die fish it is feminine here and it's in the singing or so so it will die these these fish we think of it in the plural but it's in the singular in Hebrew he says and so the Nile will do what the Nile will will have a stench and it says here that it will become a loathsome place this is Egypt and it will be impossible to drink the water from the Nile so that water is going to become a stench it is going to be loathsome and the word here is that it won't prevent any it won't produce any revival now realize something water also in the scripture we've seen the the cartoons and movies or someone is unconscious and they come and they throw a bucket of water and it revives them well same thing here water has a purpose of life reviving and what it says here is that Egypt's going to be in a position where it cannot be revived in other words it foreshadows destruction let's move on look now to verse 18 or verse 19 and the Lord said to Moses say to our own take your staff and cast out your hand upon the waters of Egypt upon their rivers and upon their their their waters and upon their lakes and upon all mcveigh all the storage the reservoirs of the waters and they shall be all of them so it's not just the primary Nile River but the tributaries and they feed into lakes and such and even the places where water has been stored up all of this he says it shall become blood in all the land of Egypt in the wood and in the stones meaning this not even in those sister ins but also in the wood and stone containers that people might have in their homes so it's just not that he's going to strike the Nile and the Nile but all the water of Egypt water significant with life and it's saying basically that in Egypt there's an impure life people are not living according to the purity of the will of God and the one that demonstrates that first and foremost is farrell why he rejects revelation and the same thing can be said to you and me when we reject revelation the outcome of that is going to be a lifestyle of behavior which is impure and god's going to move against it verse 20 and they did that is moses and and Aaron they did thusly just as the Lord and here's this word commanded they are responding to the command of God Pharaoh is not what do they do they it says and he lifted up the staff and he struck the waters which are in the Nile before the eyes of Pharaoh and before the eyes of his servants so Pharaoh was not along all those who were under his authority those who were in his administration those that were responsible for the nation they all witnessed this what does that mean they all were a recipient of God's revelation now there's something that we would say in Hebrew lo MoveOn con not understood here because notice what it says and all the waters which are in the Nile they were turned to blood well that's clear enough verse 21 and the fish that were in denial it says died and the Nile became a stench and the Egyptians they were not able to drink the water from the Nile and it had become blood in all the land of Egypt so everything here is easy to understand God's revelation that he gave to Moses and Aaron it came about through their obedience they did what they were instructed to do exactly and God's will was manifested now here's the key they saw that God spoke and there was an outcome this is important because speaking and bringing an outcome relates to creation and what God wanted to do is that he wanted to bring a change to his creation and he was doing this we're in Egypt now Egypt biblically Egypt is kind of a a paradigm for the world we look at Egypt and we can understand the world and this is important because and I shared this before the word Egypt is derived from a Hebrew word which means narrow or a word that means trouble in the sense of stress anxiety pressure affliction hardship that's the world and the reason why God is revealing it's because of rejection of my word his truth and that brings about impurity and what they're going through and what they're going to go through all is an outcome of the impurity that characterizes this world namely in this context Egypt and we see that the fish died the blessing was no more and there was a stench so it was not a pleasing aroma in the nostrils of God but this became a stench showing decay pollution spiritual pollution those things that are what well when we pick up food we we smell it and if it's a stench we we reject it and so this stench is showing God's rejection of of Egypt that he is putting himself away from Egypt because of this disobedience look now to verse 22 it says and thus and this is the point where it says lo move on it's not understood because we read in verse 22 the heart - may mitzrayim now who are the heart - may mitzraim I mentioned these are the sorcerers the Wiseman the individuals who were Pharaoh's advisors Pharaoh when he had a problem when he didn't know what to do he would call them and they would tell him and they had power but their power was not a pure power and we see this pay careful attention to the language here verse 22 and they did that is the the Wiseman of Egypt the Sorcerer's they did thus when their enchantments so what does that mean that they did thus I mean the waters were all turned to blood well apparently they had some water that was not and they were and likewise to turn it - in Pharaoh's perception the same thing but notice they only did what was before them God did it all over Egypt they struck one place and it impacted all of Egypt you see it was without bounds but what they did was very limited limited to Pharaohs point of view and notice what the scripture says very important verse 22 is foundational because they did thus these these wise men of Egypt with their enchantments and notice what it says by a Haziq lay power which means and the heart of fair became strong that's a different word it's not the word covet heavy way down being consumed with the things of this world this is a word for power and strong and what this is having to do with a degree of being stubborn set in one's way and the idea here is highly committed to his ways now here's what happened God gave revelation but they are too mean they gave an inferior revelation and Farrell chose to go with them he's saying you know your God does something my heart to me they do something I'm a God your God but I'm going with myself he was strengthened and that's what it means his heart was strengthened now I'm going to say something that's very important notice what it says at the end of the verse Vail Oshima alayhim taught shared deber Hashem which means and he did not listen this would be Pharaoh he did not listen unto them unto Moses and Pharaoh just as kai share just as the Lord has spoken now here's what I would say what is being emphasized here is not God reaching into the heart of Pharaoh and making his heart hard and stubborn and rebellious know what's being emphasized here here's the key is gods for knowledge notice what says you can't miss it we find Pharaoh did not submit he would not listen he would not obey but what's emphasized is just as the Lord has spoken now here you have two choices you can believe false teaching or the simple truth of Scripture you can believe as some do those who are of reformed theology and their view is this that that God and he cause Pharaoh to disobey he made Pharaoh's heart hard disobedient rebellious in order that he could not and would not obey God why God needed it this was part of his plan it was not no Pharaoh would have been better off and God's plan can be carried out through obedience God's plan does not need disobedience for it to be carried out see here's the problem that I have when you accept the reform position and I'm talking about reformed Christianity not Reform Judaism and never mentioned them what you find is this that it makes God a participant the cause of Pharaoh's disobedience and God is never a cause of disobedience know what this scripture is saying is that God has perfect for knowledge and he knew not that he cuz he knew that Pharoah was going to give a priority a preference to the heart to mean this supernatural act of these sources or sorcerers rather than what Moses and Aaron did why very simple he had a heavy heart his heart was weighed down by the things of this world and he looked at this world in regard to his vision for it another wise thought don't have and don't behave moving and being led by your vision for this world for your life because that vision is probably an outcome of satanic propaganda no we need to put our vision on the cross word belongs nailed there because it's rooted in sin we need to take hold of God's vision his revelation and here's what I've said and you're to hear it a lot this week next week the week after because the scripture is going to refer to it over and over and that is this it was because of Pharaoh's desire for this world his vision that he chose to go with the revelation of the wise men the sorcerers of Egypt rather than the truth of God that Moses and Aaron wore revealing that's the same for each person we have to decide am I going to follow the instruction the counsel that meets my desires for my vision for my life the vision I have for this world my world my little kingdom so to speak or am I going to submit to the revelation of God in this book here's the message every time I reject God's revelation he made it clear what God did was so smut more superior so much more powerful than what these are two men did but nevertheless it says when Pharaoh saw that it says his heart was strengthened it was made powerful in what his desires so he did not listen unto them unto Moses and Aaron just as the Lord has spoken but but God did not independently harden and strengthen Pharaoh's heart what caused it a law when we reject God's revelation it will harden our heart well let's move on to verse verse 23 and Pharaoh turned and he went to his house and he did not set his heart also to this meaning this he never gave it any reflection he never gave any consideration to what he saw he wasn't interested this is what the scripture saying he was not interested in the revelation of God and when God gives revelation and you are uninterested in it you don't pay attention to it the outcome there's a spiritual law your heart is going to be heartened now does God bring that about yes he does I'm not saying it's not God but what I'm saying is it's because of a spiritual law that rejection of Revelation causes our heart to be hardened not that God in a vacuum purposely made Pharaoh's heart heart so that he would disobey that's not at all what the Scriptures showing and we'll see this Illustrated over and over this rejection of Revelation and the consequence of Pharaoh's heart but look again verse 23 Pharaoh turned and he came to his house and he did not set his heart also to this remember that word this one it's feminine and when it stands alone it means the primary thing God gave him a major revelation and Pharaoh did not pay attention to it whatsoever he wasn't interested in God's message to him look at verse 24 well what did all the Egyptians have to do they had to dig all around the river for water to drink Ford says here they were not able to drink the waters of the Nile directly so they had to dig down into the ground to find water now God is merciful he could have brought death but all of this was a call to revelation and revelation should lead to a tourney go back to to this verse look if you would to verse the previous verse actually verse 23 what does it say here Pharaoh turned now there's two ways that we could say it we could use the word lift note or the word shoes two very different words in Hebrew you say they both mean turn that's right but one is lift note is meaning turning and in this context this word is used because he's turning away from God but when we were use the word the shoe well we get the noun to shuva which means turning but normally it's translated repentance because teshuva is turning towards God lift note this Pinilla is turning but oftentimes turning away from God turning to the desires of our own flesh now look again at verse 24 and all the Egyptians now notice everyone was touched by this revelation from God no one could say well it's not impacting my life learn the principle God's revelation will impact your life either in a blessed way or in a ate not blessed way in this case because they were submitting to Pharaoh they were not blessed so they had to dig for their waters to drink last verse verse 25 and it says and seven days were fulfilled after the strike of the Lord upon the rivers that is upon the Nile now notice something here it says and seven days were fulfilled why is that well seven is a number of holiness holiness always we need to think of it as a purpose God did this for seven days in order his desire was to to bring holiness to Egypt now what does that mean that his purpose would be received this is the reason why he's doing it so this gives the reader a very important hermeneutical clue and that is this God's not doing this to cause the people to disobey God never does anything to bring about disobedience that's why it's so problematic when people wrongly misunderstand what it means for Pharaoh's heart to be hardened in God to tell in events it would be so God is acting in a way in order that holiness might fill the world now why do I say that because this is exactly what God's going to do ultimately his purpose is seen in the phrase kadosh kadosh kadosh hashem say vote me loco ha what's kavod Oh which means holy holy holy is the Lord of Hosts all the earth is full of his glory that's what God wants to do and that comes about through revelation when we submit to the purposes of God that means we say yes to the truth of his revelation it is going to produce holiness and that's what God is designed but what's happening here that people have rejected that Pharaoh did and the Egyptians by default but here's the good news God is going to give more revelation and we're going to see little by little more and more of his servants more and more of the Egyptians ultimately are going to turn away from Pharaoh and they're going to become a mixed multitude with the Hebrews and this mixed multitude with the Hebrews is going to be brought into a do people a redeemed people a covenant people and you know what it's called but in Israel and that is the children of Israel but they use a term by name because sons now it obviously is male and female but this word son has an important nuance you've heard me say this frequently in this context it has to do with servants and and inheritance we want to serve God in order that we can receive his inheritance and the inheritance is tied to a remote a memorial a remembering of God and that's why we need to remember the inheritance the promises the blessings of God so that we can remember to serve Him walk with Him and obey Him well we're gonna close with that until next week when we move on into an additional plague of the sephardic the frogs may God richly bless you Shalom from Israel well we hope you will benefit from today's message and share it with others please plan to join us each week at this time and on this channel for our broadcast of love Israel org again to find out more about us please visit our website love Israel not bow RG there you will find articles in numerous other lectures by Beru these teachings are in video form may download them or watch them in streaming video until next week may the Lord bless you in our Messiah Yeshua that is Jesus as you walk with Him Shalom from Israel [Music]

Channel: LoveIsrael.org

Views: 1,894

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Keywords: Book of Exodus

Id: BP5dkCpId30

Length: 45min 57sec (2757 seconds)

Published: Sun Sep 29 2019