Latest / Bible in a Year with Jack Graham / Pharaoh says No! - The Book of Exodus

Transcript

Pharaoh says No! - The Book of Exodus · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord that I should
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: obey his voice to let Israel go? I do not
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: know the Lord, neither will I let Israel go. Exodus
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: 5.2 Dear Lord, as I meditate on today's scripture, I
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: will charge my soul and encourage myself when it comes
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: to my future. Today I choose to remind myself of
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: your reputation of faithfulness and blessings. When people seem to
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: get in my way to try to derail my future,
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: I thank you that I do not have to worry
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: or stress, because like Moses, it's not me against Pharaoh,
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: it's Pharaoh against God. Therefore, I declare that all obstacles
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: in my life that represent Pharaoh are not fighting against me,
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: but they are going against the God of this universe
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: who gave me my life mission and purpose. With this truth,
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: I will continue to move forward with boldness and anticipation,
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: knowing that if you are on my side, God, I
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: have the majority, and nothing can stop me from seeing
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: your vision come to pass in my life. So I
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: command that every obstacle bow down, that every mountain of
• 1:19
  Speaker 1: trouble moves out of my way, for I am God's child,
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: anointed and appointed to do great things. Thank you, Jesus,
• 1:29
  Speaker 1: that my freedom is here, that my moment is now,
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: and that my blessings are upon me. In Jesus' name, amen.
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: Thank you for making prayer a priority in your day.
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: To learn more about the Bible, stay tuned for today's story.
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: Brought to you by BibleInAYear.com.
• 2:02
  Speaker 2: Pharaoh says no. In our last story, we learned about
• 2:07
  Speaker 2: how Moses and Aaron were united under the call of
• 2:11
  Speaker 2: God to free Israel from slavery. God gave them signs
• 2:16
  Speaker 2: through Moses and the two began to win the hearts
• 2:20
  Speaker 2: of the people. In this story, we will see Moses
• 2:24
  Speaker 2: and Aaron approaching the throne of Pharaoh, the heartless tyrant.
• 2:28
  Speaker 2: They challenge him. knowing full well it is not them
• 2:32
  Speaker 2: against Pharaoh, but Pharaoh against God, as inspired by the
• 2:37
  Speaker 2: book of Exodus.
• 2:42
  Speaker 3: I'm so glad you joined us on the Bible in
• 2:44
  Speaker 3: a Year podcast today. But before we get to today's episode,
• 2:48
  Speaker 3: I want you to know that I would absolutely love
• 2:51
  Speaker 3: to send you my daily devotional that will give you
• 2:54
  Speaker 3: fresh encouragement every single morning and day. From the moment
• 2:59
  Speaker 3: we wake up, To the moment our head finally hits
• 3:01
  Speaker 3: the pillow, there are thousands of things demanding our attention.
• 3:06
  Speaker 3: But it's in the midst of all this crush and
• 3:09
  Speaker 3: hustle and bustle that you and I need peace and
• 3:12
  Speaker 3: truth in God's Word. That's why I want to help
• 3:14
  Speaker 3: you spend time each day growing in God's life-giving, life-changing
• 3:20
  Speaker 3: Word by sending you my free daily email devotional, PowerPoint, today.
• 3:26
  Speaker 3: So visit JackGraham.org to sign up for your PowerPoint Today devotional.
• 3:31
  Speaker 3: That's JackGraham.org. JackGraham.org. In our previous episode, we journeyed with
• 3:39
  Speaker 3: Moses out of Midian and back to Egypt. Along the way,
• 3:42
  Speaker 3: God prepared Moses for his meeting with Pharaoh. God called
• 3:46
  Speaker 3: Aaron to go to Moses and meet him so together
• 3:48
  Speaker 3: they could tell the Hebrew people that God had heard
• 3:51
  Speaker 3: their cries and answered. There was finally hope in Hebrew homes.
• 3:56
  Speaker 3: Deliverance was coming, but would Pharaoh allow it? Today we'll
• 4:01
  Speaker 3: hear as Moses and Aaron meet with Pharaoh and give
• 4:04
  Speaker 3: him a message from God, let my people go. Pharaoh
• 4:09
  Speaker 3: will not make things easier for Israel. To the contrary,
• 4:13
  Speaker 3: he will increase their suffering. Listen for how Moses reacts,
• 4:17
  Speaker 3: how he speaks honestly with God, and for God's response
• 4:20
  Speaker 3: to Moses. Let's go now to today's reading.
• 4:23
  Speaker 2: The doors were as tall as houses. The grand opening
• 4:28
  Speaker 2: in the throne room of Pharaoh opened with a loud
• 4:31
  Speaker 2: rumbling as Moses and Aaron entered in with the light
• 4:35
  Speaker 2: behind them. At the end of the wide hall adorned
• 4:38
  Speaker 2: with ivory pillars sat Pharaoh upon his throne. Guards and
• 4:43
  Speaker 2: noblemen of Egypt stood at his side and priests stood
• 4:47
  Speaker 2: behind him. Moses and Aaron looked up and spoke clearly. saying,
• 4:52
  Speaker 2: The Lord of Israel has spoken. He has declared, Let
• 4:57
  Speaker 2: my people go, so they might worship me in the wilderness.
• 5:02
  Speaker 2: Pharaoh sat motionless and said, Who is this God that
• 5:06
  Speaker 2: I should obey his voice? I do not know your Lord,
• 5:11
  Speaker 2: and moreover, I will not let Israel go. Aaron spoke
• 5:16
  Speaker 2: as a mouthpiece for Moses and said, THE GOD OF
• 5:20
  Speaker 2: THE HEBREWS HAS MET WITH US. ALLOW US TO DEPART
• 5:24
  Speaker 2: FOR THREE DAYS INTO THE WILDERNESS SO WE CAN WORSHIP
• 5:27
  Speaker 2: HIM LEST HIS HAND BE AGAINST US. PHARAOH, IRRITATED BY
• 5:32
  Speaker 2: THEIR VERY PRESENCE, REPLIED TO THEM, MOSES AND AARON, WHY
• 5:37
  Speaker 2: WOULD YOU TAKE MY SLAVES AWAY? GET OUT OF MY
• 5:41
  Speaker 2: SIGHT AND GO BACK TO YOUR OWN BURDENS. THESE PEOPLE
• 5:45
  Speaker 2: ARE MINE AND YOU MAKE THEM REST FROM THEIR WORK.
• 5:49
  Speaker 2: Moses and Aaron departed. Later that day, Pharaoh ordered to
• 5:55
  Speaker 2: the foreman to make the Hebrews work even harder. He
• 5:59
  Speaker 2: would limit their supplies for work, but continue to give
• 6:02
  Speaker 2: them the same workload. And he explicitly ordered their work
• 6:07
  Speaker 2: to be heavier if they cried out to worship their God.
• 6:11
  Speaker 2: So the people of Israel worked harder. With more beatings
• 6:15
  Speaker 2: in the heat of the day, their work became more exhausting.
• 6:19
  Speaker 2: and their days dragged on longer. They looked at Moses
• 6:23
  Speaker 2: and Aaron with bloodshot eyes and backs torn apart by whips.
• 6:28
  Speaker 2: They groaned and said, May the Lord judge you for this.
• 6:33
  Speaker 2: You have sunk us even lower in the sight of
• 6:36
  Speaker 2: Pharaoh and his men. You have put a sword in
• 6:39
  Speaker 2: their hands to kill us. Moses left to go be
• 6:43
  Speaker 2: with God. Moses' heart ached. He was riddled with guilt.
• 6:49
  Speaker 2: and compassion for the people, and he was mad at
• 6:52
  Speaker 2: God for not making things easier. O Lord, he cried,
• 6:57
  Speaker 2: why have you done this to them? Why did you
• 7:00
  Speaker 2: send me? I have spoken to Pharaoh, but he was
• 7:04
  Speaker 2: evil to them, and you have done nothing. Moses said
• 7:08
  Speaker 2: these things with a heavy heart. His soul could barely
• 7:12
  Speaker 2: take the suffering of his brothers and sisters. God spoke
• 7:16
  Speaker 2: to Moses.
• 7:17
  Speaker 1: Not angrily, but with compassion.
• 7:20
  Speaker 2: He comforted Moses and said, Moses, watch and see what
• 7:26
  Speaker 2: I will do to Pharaoh, for he will beg them
• 7:29
  Speaker 2: to leave soon enough. God's resolve and courage could be felt.
• 7:34
  Speaker 2: His presence was strong. He spoke again to Moses, saying,
• 7:40
  Speaker 2: I am the Lord. I am the God of Abraham, Isaac,
• 7:45
  Speaker 2: and Jacob. I am God Almighty. I made my promise
• 7:50
  Speaker 2: to give them the land of Canaan. I have heard
• 7:54
  Speaker 2: the suffering of my people and remembered my covenant to them.
• 7:59
  Speaker 2: Moses lifted his head towards heaven in awe of God,
• 8:03
  Speaker 2: but in doubt of himself. God continued and said, Say
• 8:08
  Speaker 2: to my people, I am the Lord and I will
• 8:12
  Speaker 2: bring you out from under the burden of Egypt. I
• 8:15
  Speaker 2: will redeem you with an outstretched arm. By my mighty
• 8:20
  Speaker 2: hand I will perform acts of judgment on all who
• 8:23
  Speaker 2: take away your freedom. You are not Pharaoh's people. You
• 8:28
  Speaker 2: are my people. I will be your God, and you
• 8:32
  Speaker 2: shall know that I am the Lord of all. As
• 8:37
  Speaker 2: a shepherd leads his sheep, I will lead you to
• 8:40
  Speaker 2: the land I swore to your forefathers.
• 8:43
  Speaker 3: I am God.
• 8:47
  Speaker 2: Moses boldly declared this to the people of Israel, but
• 8:51
  Speaker 2: their ears were closed off to him. Their spirits were
• 8:55
  Speaker 2: broken by slavery. Tears no longer filled their eyes. They
• 8:59
  Speaker 2: were crumbled under the heavy hand of Pharaoh and could
• 9:03
  Speaker 2: no longer feel anything. They looked at Moses with weary eyes,
• 9:07
  Speaker 2: unable to hope anymore. This brokenness grieved God. Pharaoh would
• 9:13
  Speaker 2: not go unpunished for breaking the souls of his children.
• 9:17
  Speaker 2: He turned to Moses and said.
• 9:20
  Speaker 3: Go back in.
• 9:21
  Speaker 2: Tell Pharaoh to let my people go. Moses said to God,
• 9:27
  Speaker 2: If the people of Israel would not even listen to me,
• 9:31
  Speaker 2: what makes you think Pharaoh will? I am not eloquent
• 9:34
  Speaker 2: or polished with my words. The Lord's resolve to free
• 9:39
  Speaker 2: his people did not wane. He charged Moses and Aaron
• 9:43
  Speaker 2: to go forth and confront Pharaoh. He said, I have
• 9:47
  Speaker 2: made you like me to Pharaoh, and Aaron is your prophet.
• 9:52
  Speaker 2: Go with the confidence I give you. Know this, Pharaoh
• 9:56
  Speaker 2: will have a hard heart, but I will lay my
• 9:59
  Speaker 2: hand on all of you. of Egypt. My mighty acts
• 10:02
  Speaker 2: will not be ignored. The Egyptians shall know that I
• 10:06
  Speaker 2: am the one true God, and my judgment will spread
• 10:11
  Speaker 2: like a wildfire. So Moses and Aaron left to go
• 10:16
  Speaker 2: before Pharaoh once again.
• 10:22
  Speaker 3: Today's reading begins at the doors of Pharaoh's palace. God
• 10:26
  Speaker 3: has sent Moses and his brother Aaron to tell Pharaoh
• 10:29
  Speaker 3: he wants his children back. Boldly, Moses and Aaron deliver
• 10:33
  Speaker 3: the familiar words to Pharaoh, let my people go. It
• 10:38
  Speaker 3: was a bodacious, outlandish request for his Hebrew slaves to
• 10:42
  Speaker 3: simply be released. God had already told Moses things would
• 10:46
  Speaker 3: not go well at first. God was going to harden
• 10:49
  Speaker 3: Pharaoh's heart and he would not relinquish control easily. But
• 10:53
  Speaker 3: this would ultimately lead to God's power and glory being
• 10:57
  Speaker 3: seen clearly by all. So Pharaoh refused to let the
• 11:02
  Speaker 3: people go and told Moses he doesn't even know their God.
• 11:06
  Speaker 3: The request frustrated him, so he made life harder for
• 11:09
  Speaker 3: the Hebrew slaves. The people went to Moses and Aaron,
• 11:13
  Speaker 3: pouring down accusations on them. Why did they bring even
• 11:16
  Speaker 3: more trouble upon them? Moses knew Pharaoh wouldn't be a
• 11:20
  Speaker 3: reasonable man. God had prepared him for this outcome, but
• 11:23
  Speaker 3: that didn't make it easier. We can relate to this.
• 11:27
  Speaker 3: Jesus told us in this world, we will have trouble.
• 11:30
  Speaker 3: There will be opposition and persecution and resistance, and sometimes
• 11:35
  Speaker 3: it is very painful. When that happens, we, like Moses,
• 11:39
  Speaker 3: can be honest with God and share our deepest hurts
• 11:43
  Speaker 3: and feelings. When this happens, we can, like Moses, go
• 11:48
  Speaker 3: before God and share our hurts honestly. God's response is
• 11:52
  Speaker 3: a lesson for you and me today. Throughout Scripture, we
• 11:55
  Speaker 3: see people of great faith pouring out their hearts, sometimes
• 11:59
  Speaker 3: in anger, fear, frustration, even despair. But God is always
• 12:05
  Speaker 3: the loving Father, and His response is to love us
• 12:08
  Speaker 3: and to be faithful to us in every situation, that
• 12:12
  Speaker 3: God will be steadfast, that God will always be with us.
• 12:16
  Speaker 3: That's what we see here. God was not angry with
• 12:19
  Speaker 3: Moses for his honesty. He simply reminded Moses of his sovereignty, saying,
• 12:26
  Speaker 3: I am in control of this situation, and God always
• 12:29
  Speaker 3: is in control. So then he gave Moses a message
• 12:33
  Speaker 3: to deliver to his people. God was about to show
• 12:36
  Speaker 3: Pharaoh just how powerful he is. And he would show
• 12:40
  Speaker 3: them that they were his children, not Pharaoh's people. What
• 12:44
  Speaker 3: was to follow would leave no doubt who God is.
• 12:47
  Speaker 3: He is the one true God, the great I Am. Still,
• 12:52
  Speaker 3: the spirits of the Hebrews were crushed, so Moses' words
• 12:56
  Speaker 3: didn't give them much hope or comfort at this point
• 12:59
  Speaker 3: because they were despondent. Moses doesn't doubt God, but sometimes
• 13:04
  Speaker 3: he still doubts himself. His own people have turned against him,
• 13:08
  Speaker 3: so why would Pharaoh listen? That same insecurity, the same
• 13:12
  Speaker 3: insecurity that he expressed on the mountain in Midian at
• 13:15
  Speaker 3: the burning bush, rises up again. I can't do it.
• 13:20
  Speaker 3: But God answered the same way he always answers our
• 13:23
  Speaker 3: fears and doubts. Yes, you can, because I am with you.
• 13:28
  Speaker 3: Moses and Aaron returned to Pharaoh, and the next time
• 13:31
  Speaker 3: we're going to see what happens. Dear God, we are
• 13:35
  Speaker 3: so thankful that we can bring you our fears, our frustrations,
• 13:39
  Speaker 3: our failures, and sometimes even our anger to you. And
• 13:43
  Speaker 3: yet you are always patient with us. and comfort us
• 13:47
  Speaker 3: and strengthen us. Because you do not want our spirits
• 13:50
  Speaker 3: to be crushed. You want to lift us up that
• 13:52
  Speaker 3: we would be strong in you. Thank you for this
• 13:55
  Speaker 3: story today, reminding us that you are always powerful and
• 14:00
  Speaker 3: always present in the power of your great name. Amen.
• 14:05
  Speaker 3: Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.
• 14:08
  Speaker 3: I'm Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. And before we go,
• 14:12
  Speaker 3: I want you to know that I would love to
• 14:13
  Speaker 3: send you my daily devotional, to give you fresh encouragement
• 14:17
  Speaker 3: every single day. So visit jackgram.org to sign up for
• 14:21
  Speaker 3: your PowerPoint Today devotional. That's jackgram.org.