8 May 2017, Ex 9-10 出 9-10 章, Who Harden whose Heart? 谁使法老的心刚硬？

Posted on Apr 28, 2017 in Devotions, Exodus |

Scripture Reading        : Ex 9-10

Theme                            : Who Harden whose Heart?

 

All Moses wanted was Pharaoh’s permission to take the people on a three-day journey to a place where they could worship God. God had differentiated His people and the people of Egypt, just as today He has differentiated 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 tries to offer 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 when in fact, 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. [1]


Praying the Scripture

  1. God gave Pharaoh 24 hours to release the Israelites otherwise all the livestock in the Egyptian fields would be killed by a terrible pestilence. Pharaoh hardened his heart and almost all the Egyptian livestock were killed. Yet the livestock that belonged to the Jews living in the land of Goshen were fine. Do you see the important of separation? Let’s pray that we are willing to be separated for holiness.
  2. It is important to notice that this is the first time since the plagues broke out that the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart (Ex 9:12). During all the previous occasions, Pharaoh hardened his own heart. However the judgment has arrived, Pharaoh has lost the opportunity to repent. Why did the Lord harden Pharaoh’s heart? The Lord Himself said in Exodus 9:15, “For if by now I had put forth My hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, you would then have been cut off from the earth. But, indeed, for this reason I have allowed you to remain, in order to show you My power and in order to proclaim My name through all the earth. (Ex 9:15-16) Let’s repent while there is still an opportunity. The door will close one day. When judgment comes, it will be too late.
  3. Has Pharaoh repented since he confessed, “I have sinned this time; the LORD is the righteous one, and I and my people are the wicked ones?” (Ex 9:27). If so, why Exodus 9:35 said that he sinned again and he did not let the sons of Israel go (Ex 9:35). Let’s pray we truly repented.

[1] Warren W. Wiersbe, With the Word Bible Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1991), Ex 9:1.

 
 
 

经文：出9-10 章

主题：谁使法老的心刚硬？

 

摩西对法老的要求只是让以色列人去一个离埃及三天路程的地方来敬拜神。法老不肯。神就将自己的子民和埃及的子民分别开来，就像今天他已经把自己的子民，和属世界的子民分别开来一样（林前6:14-18）。但是这世界并不要信徒太过激进或分别太清楚，所以它试图给予各种的妥协：“在这地祭祀”（8:25）、“不要走得很远”（8:28），“留下你们的孩子”（10:8-11）“留下你们的羊群牛群”（10:24-26）。你是否受到这些妥协的诱惑呢？

当神的审判几乎已经毁了埃及地，法老仍然不肯投降。他还要保持自己的尊严，但事实上，神正使用法老来显示神祂的主权（9:16；罗9:17-18）。神超乎所有的国王/统治者，所以我们从来就无需害怕任何政权（但 4:34-37）。

法老的“认罪”（9:27）并不真诚，他只希望摩西停止灾殃。真正的悔改必须包括思想的改变，从而导致生命的变化。巴兰（民22:34）、扫罗（撒上15:24）、犹大（太27:4）都犯了言不由衷的认罪。


用经文祷告

  1. 神给法老24小时来释放以色列人，否则在埃及地的一切牲畜将感染可怕的瘟疫而死。但法老却使自己的心刚硬，因此所有埃及的牲畜都几乎都死了。然而住在歌珊地属于犹太人的牲畜却不受影响。在这里你看到分离的重要了吗？让我们祷告，我们愿意将自己分别为圣来归给神。
  2. 自从灾殃发生以来，这是耶和华第一次使法老的心刚硬。这是一个重要的发现。（出 9:12）在这之前，都是法老使自己的心刚硬。这时候，审判已经到来了，法老已经失去悔改的机会了。因为神使法老的心刚硬了。为什么主这时候使法老的心刚硬呢？主自己在出埃及记9:15说：“我若伸手用瘟疫攻击你和你的百姓，你早就从地上除灭了。其实，我叫你存立，是特要向你显我的大能，并要使我的名传遍天下。”（出9:15-16）让我们学习一个重要的功课：让我们现在、马上、立刻悔改吧。有一天，这扇大门将会关闭。当判断来临时，一切都为时已晚。
  3. 法老承认说：“这一次我犯了罪了。耶和华是公义的；我和我的百姓是邪恶的。”（出9:27），法老是否真的悔改了呢？如果是的话，那为什么出埃及记9:35说他不让让以色列人去呢？（出9:35）。让我们祷告，我们能够真正的悔改。