15th May 2024

15th May 2024


Pray (ACts)


Read (Exodus 12:29-42 focus v31-32)


Message (Alan Burke)


Many of you will remember the Cold War that began in 1947 and ran until 1991 with the fall of the Soviet Union. Then the two world super powers were the United States and the Soviet Union. The two supper powers played out the struggle between them with what are known as proxy wars as they supported opposing sides. The United States even contributed billions to rebuild Europe after WW2 under what is often known as the Marshall Plan, or officially the European Recovery Program to avoid Europe being swallowed up by the Soviet Union. Thankfully the Cold War never really got too heated as there were plenty of nuclear weapons around that had the potential to have ruined my lovely view of the golf course from the study window. In all that time no one would have expected Nikita Khrushchev giving in completely to the demand to Dwight D. Eisenhower or John F Kennedy while he was in office or the other way about. 


That is though wha the have here, the worlds most powerful man, the one who ruled over the largest superpower at the time, who was seen as a god, to whom people would have prostrated themselves before him as they approached had been broken by his opponent. The Lord God had bought Pharaoh to his knees. Notice the way he says it, it is a three fold command of Pharaoh, v 31 he tells them twice in different ways to go, Up he says, then leave my people, you and the Israelites and go, then again in v32 he tells them to go. He is a man who had been humbled by the Lord. He had refused to obey the word of the Lord, he had refused to let the people go, he was obstinate before the Lord but now he wants nothing more than the people of God away from him and his people, all of them and their flocks and herds. 


It is what comes then though at the end is striking, for Pharaoh asks that Moses would bless him. Before he had asked for prayer, never blessing and when he asked for prayer Moses did pray for him even though he knew that Pharaoh would change his mind but here there is nothing said of Moses answering the request of Pharaoh. It was too late for Pharaoh and this was one last desperate attempt for something, some kind of favour from God, but there is no repentance from Pharaoh. He wants the blessings of God on his terms. The blessing that the people received is that they were spared this judgement and it came thought the blood, while God makes the rain to fall and the sun to shine on the just and the unjust it is only his people whom he blesses through the blood sparing them what they deserve. Pharaoh and the people of Egypt had received what they deserved. 


There are many people act like Pharaoh, they are obstinate in their refusal to give their lives to his plans and purposes, they will not bow the knee but in their lives they want God to bless them, they want his help when they are in the midst of trial, they want the Lord to act on their behalf but God gives his blessing through the true passover lamb, how the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ was spilled for us. In Christ we are forgiven, redeemed, sanctified, the Lord brings us into relationship with him, as step Holy Spirit works within us we can call out Abba Father (Gal 4:6), ‘And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him’ (1 Jn 5:14-15). Why would God bless or listen to those who refuse to hear and obey his word?


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q39 What is the duty which God requireth of man?
A The duty which God requireth of man, is obedience to his revealed will.
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