12th April 2024

12th April 2024


Pray (ACts)


Read (Exodus 9:1-12)


Message (Alan Burke)


The next sign and wonder that the Lord preformed, the next plague was on the livestock. Pharaoh was warned but unrelenting, again God’s makes a distinction between his people and the Egyptians. The Lord always makes a distinction between those who are his and those who aren’t eternally, here he did it in a temporal sense showing that he was their protector. I want you to notice though that these signs and wonders do not make the heart believe. Pharaoh was warned that the Lord would make a distinction between the Egyptians and Israelites and in v7 we are told he sent men to investigate. This is only mentioned here in this plague that Pharaoh sent men to investigate, but the response of what he was told “Yet his heart was unyielding and he would not let the people go”. Pharaoh had seen with his own eyes, he had heard the very word of God, others had testified of the truth of that word to him and yet none of it made Pharaoh a believer. He had a front row seat on one of the greatest displays of the signs and wonders of the Lord and it made no difference to him, he become more resolute in his unbelief.


While God had hardened Pharaoh’s heart, Pharaoh had also hardened his own heart, he did not want to see, he was not willing to let the people of God go. This confronts us with a truth that we see again and again in scripture, Signs And Wonders Do Not Make The Heart Believe. Unless the Spirit of God works within us revealing our need of him and enabling us to repent and believe in Jesus Christ then no amount of signs and wonders will do anything. Maybe you think or have heard it say to you, if only I could see a sign, or a miracle, but these things will never be enough instead it is the work of God within (Jn 1:13), as the word is preached, for faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ (Rom 10:7.


The only hope for any of us is that the Lord God himself works. God had promised to his people… I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. (Eze 36:26). The only hope for sinners is that God works within. When we think of those around us it is dependant on the work of God from beginning to end, it is God who must work salvation in them, let us pray that God would give them what they need, hearts not that are hardened, hearts not of stone but of flesh that hear and respond to the gospel. Signs And Wonders Do Not Make The Heart Believe


Finally for this week the sixth plague, boils. If you’ve ever had a boil you’ll know it’s not pleasant, having one or two is one thing, it’s a different thing entirely being so covered in boils that you’re unable to stand and that is what we have here. Pharaoh was warned, Moses took the soot from a furnace as the Lord had commanded, tossed it into the air and festering boils broke out on men and animals. We also learn just how sever was the effect of the boils was on the Egyptians, there in verse 11, the magicians, the ones who were able to replicate the first two plages by their secret arts, well look what we are told, the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils that were on them and all the Egyptians. 


You have Moses and Arron standing there before them but so bad are the boils on the bodies of the magicians refer them unable to stand before them. The magicians were able to stand before the representative of the Lord God. The scriptures also speak of how the wicked will not stand in the Judgement. The scriptures make it clear that the only way to stand before the Lord is through his anointed the Lord Jesus Christ, those who have not trusted in him will never be able to stand before him, in the judgement that comes they will perish, they will face his wrath for all eternity. The sixth plague as the magicians could not stand reminds us of what will come in the final judgement at the end of time. Revelation 16 speaks of how on that day“…the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and harmful and painful sores came upon the people who bore the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. “Re 16:2”. While the magicians may have been oblivious to who they worshiped and likewise those who are not in Christ, they will all be judged and none will stand in his presence except those who have taken refuge in him (Ps 2:12). And the Lord is still calling sinners to come to him, to trust in the saviour Jesus Christ so they may escape the judgment, this is what we proclaim, this is what we hope for that sinners would come to the Lord and know the wonder of the gospel in Christ Jesus. 


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q11 What are God’ s works of providence?
God’ s works of providence are, his most holy, (Ps. 145:17) wise, (Ps. 104:24, Isa. 28:29) and powerful preserving, (Heb. 1:3) and governing all his creatures, and all their actions. (Ps. 103:19, Matt. 10:29–31)
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