Although it's possible to find instances in the Bible where people successfully "bargained" with God, unless we're very sure of right standing with Him, it's not really a good idea. Pharaoh of Egypt demonstrates this.
Moses and Aaron appeared before the ruler to inform him that God wanted His people to travel a three-day journey into the wilderness to hold a festival in His honor. "This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Let my people go."
Pharaoh adamantly refused, even when the men demonstrated their authority by turning Aaron's staff into a serpent and causing the water in the Nile and everywhere else to become blood. But the king's magicians were able to conjure up both these signs, and he was implacable. The two called up frogs from the Nile to swarm the land—even in the ovens and kneading bowls and beds. Ugh! The magicians were able to bring up the frogs too, except there's no record that they could control the creatures and herd them back into the river! When Moses cried out to the Lord, though, the frogs all died and created a terrible stench! Was Pharaoh now persuaded? No way.
Next, gnats (or lice?) infested the entire land, covering animals and people alike. Ugh! The magicians couldn't create living things and had to declare, "This is the finger of God!" Their confession did not move Pharaoh however; he was as hard-hearted and hard-headed as before.
The two men warned Pharaoh of the next disaster to come: flies filling the houses of the Egyptians and covering the ground. Ugh! But this time, a distinction was made. Miraculously there were no flies where the people of God lived. They were spared, while the whole land of Egypt was thrown into chaos by the swarms of flies. At this, Pharaoh relented and
4 began to bargain.
“All right! Go ahead and offer sacrifices to your God,” he said.
4 “But do it here in this land.” But Moses insisted that wouldn't work. The Egyptians detested the sacrifices to God and might stone the people as they worshipped. "We must take a three-day trip into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God, just as he has commanded us.”
Pharaoh offered his second bargaining chip. “All right, go ahead,” Pharaoh replied. “I will let you go into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord your God.
4 But don’t go too far away. Now hurry and pray for me.” But no sooner were the flies gone than the king became stubborn again.
It took a deadly disease attacking the Egyptian livestock, festering boils breaking out on people and animals alike, and devastating hail that destroyed the ripening crops and the trees in the land to convince Pharaoh that he had sinned. However, once the disease abated, the boils dried up, and the hail and thunder stopped, he refused again to let the people go.
Locusts descended on the land, devouring whatever was left of plants and trees. One could not even see the ground, the swarm was so great. They overran the palaces and all the homes in Egypt. Ugh! “All right, go and worship the Lord your God. But who exactly will be going with you?”
Moses told him, “We will all go—young and old, our sons and daughters, and our flocks and herds. We must all join together in celebrating a festival to the Lord.”
Pharaoh retorted, “The Lord will certainly need to be with you if I let you take your little ones! I can see through your evil plan.
4 Never! Only the men may go and worship the Lord, since that is what you requested.” And he threw them out of the palace. As soon as the locusts were gone, he again refused his permission to leave.
Darkness came over the land, darkness so thick that you could feel it, and people scarcely moved for three days because it was impossible to see. Finally Pharaoh called for the men, “Go and worship the Lord,” he said.
4 “But leave your flocks and herds here. You may even take your little ones with you.”
Moses told him that all the livestock must go also—not a hoof left behind—and furthermore, the ruler must provide additional animals for sacrifices and burnt offerings to the Lord! Pharaoh was enraged. He yelled at Moses, "Get out of here! I’m warning you: never let me see your face again or you're dead!”
Pharaoh was out of chances. The death angel visited every Egyptian family from the palace to the prison, taking the life of every firstborn son. Even the first in the barns and sheep pens died. During the night Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron once more. “Get out!” he ordered. “Leave my people—and take the rest of the Israelites with you! Go and worship the Lord as you have requested. Take your flocks and herds, as you said, and be gone.
Moses and Aaron appeared before the ruler to inform him that God wanted His people to travel a three-day journey into the wilderness to hold a festival in His honor. "This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Let my people go."
Pharaoh adamantly refused, even when the men demonstrated their authority by turning Aaron's staff into a serpent and causing the water in the Nile and everywhere else to become blood. But the king's magicians were able to conjure up both these signs, and he was implacable. The two called up frogs from the Nile to swarm the land—even in the ovens and kneading bowls and beds. Ugh! The magicians were able to bring up the frogs too, except there's no record that they could control the creatures and herd them back into the river! When Moses cried out to the Lord, though, the frogs all died and created a terrible stench! Was Pharaoh now persuaded? No way.
Next, gnats (or lice?) infested the entire land, covering animals and people alike. Ugh! The magicians couldn't create living things and had to declare, "This is the finger of God!" Their confession did not move Pharaoh however; he was as hard-hearted and hard-headed as before.
The two men warned Pharaoh of the next disaster to come: flies filling the houses of the Egyptians and covering the ground. Ugh! But this time, a distinction was made. Miraculously there were no flies where the people of God lived. They were spared, while the whole land of Egypt was thrown into chaos by the swarms of flies. At this, Pharaoh relented and
4 began to bargain.
“All right! Go ahead and offer sacrifices to your God,” he said.
4 “But do it here in this land.” But Moses insisted that wouldn't work. The Egyptians detested the sacrifices to God and might stone the people as they worshipped. "We must take a three-day trip into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God, just as he has commanded us.”
Pharaoh offered his second bargaining chip. “All right, go ahead,” Pharaoh replied. “I will let you go into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord your God.
4 But don’t go too far away. Now hurry and pray for me.” But no sooner were the flies gone than the king became stubborn again.
It took a deadly disease attacking the Egyptian livestock, festering boils breaking out on people and animals alike, and devastating hail that destroyed the ripening crops and the trees in the land to convince Pharaoh that he had sinned. However, once the disease abated, the boils dried up, and the hail and thunder stopped, he refused again to let the people go.
Locusts descended on the land, devouring whatever was left of plants and trees. One could not even see the ground, the swarm was so great. They overran the palaces and all the homes in Egypt. Ugh! “All right, go and worship the Lord your God. But who exactly will be going with you?”
Moses told him, “We will all go—young and old, our sons and daughters, and our flocks and herds. We must all join together in celebrating a festival to the Lord.”
Pharaoh retorted, “The Lord will certainly need to be with you if I let you take your little ones! I can see through your evil plan.
4 Never! Only the men may go and worship the Lord, since that is what you requested.” And he threw them out of the palace. As soon as the locusts were gone, he again refused his permission to leave.
Darkness came over the land, darkness so thick that you could feel it, and people scarcely moved for three days because it was impossible to see. Finally Pharaoh called for the men, “Go and worship the Lord,” he said.
4 “But leave your flocks and herds here. You may even take your little ones with you.”
Moses told him that all the livestock must go also—not a hoof left behind—and furthermore, the ruler must provide additional animals for sacrifices and burnt offerings to the Lord! Pharaoh was enraged. He yelled at Moses, "Get out of here! I’m warning you: never let me see your face again or you're dead!”
Pharaoh was out of chances. The death angel visited every Egyptian family from the palace to the prison, taking the life of every firstborn son. Even the first in the barns and sheep pens died. During the night Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron once more. “Get out!” he ordered. “Leave my people—and take the rest of the Israelites with you! Go and worship the Lord as you have requested. Take your flocks and herds, as you said, and be gone.
4 Go, but bless me as you leave.”
You know the disastrous end of Pharaoh, his troops, his horses and chariots—all drowned in the Red Sea. He thought he would pursue the Israelites and make them return to slavery. He changed his mind one last time to his own destruction. He had bargained with God once too many times.
But we would not be so foolish--
Would we?
MaryMartha
The story of the Exodus is found in the book of Exodus, chapters 7-14. I have used some verses from the New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved.
You know the disastrous end of Pharaoh, his troops, his horses and chariots—all drowned in the Red Sea. He thought he would pursue the Israelites and make them return to slavery. He changed his mind one last time to his own destruction. He had bargained with God once too many times.
But we would not be so foolish--
Would we?
MaryMartha
The story of the Exodus is found in the book of Exodus, chapters 7-14. I have used some verses from the New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved.
Art from http://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/pictures
No comments:
Post a Comment