Pastor Dave Martin ~ Cross Creek Community Church ~ July 1, 2007

“When I See the Blood”

Life of Moses part 6

Exodus 7:8-12:36

Key Principles from earlier weeks…

We will attempt to move quickly through the ten plagues God poured out upon Egypt through Moses.

We will also ask probing questions only you can answer… questions of life & death…

Turn if you will to Exodus chapter 7 as we continue our study of the life of Moses.

·         It didn’t need to come to this… Pharaoh could have just released the Israelites

·         Moses threw down his staff & it became a snake… this miracle was duplicated by magicians

·         Moses/Aarons staff swallowed up the devils counterfeit… Pharaoh’s heart became hard.

1. Water turned to Blood         7:14-24            (Hapi & Khnum gods)

·         The Nile River was basic to life itself… worshipped two gods – the spirit & guardian of the Nile

·         Egyptians depended upon it for their needs… bathing, cooking, drinking, crops, fish – sustance

·         Now water is gone, fish dying, what do we do?  Water in buckets & jars turned to blood.

·         In order to survive they dug near the Nile to get fresh water to live on v24

·         Wise Men, Magicians & Sorcerers duplicated… Let my people go?  No way

2. Frogs                                      7:25-8:15        (Heqt & Hapi gods)

·         Egyptians worshipped the frog god Heqt and Hapi was the spirit of the nile where they lived.

·         Seven days later the croakers came forth!  Wall to wall croakers…

·         In the bedrooms & beds – I feel something moving…, in the ovens, in the bread they’re kneading

·         Crawling all over the people, they were everywhere… Piled in heaps the land reeked of them v15

·         The Magicians duplicated the frogs by their secret arts (demonic)… Let my people go?  No way

3. Dust becomes gnats                        8:16-19            (Egyptian Priests + Leb & Set gods of the earth)

·         This third plague came without warning… strike the dust… become gnats/sand flees/lice??

·         Ever see dust in the sun’s rays?  Now imagine dust particles being alive with tiny creatures…YUK

·         Gnats/lice whatever it was came upon man & beast… ALL the dust became ALIVE…

·         The Magicians tried & failed, this is the “finger of God” v19…seems aimed at the Egyptian priests

Exodus 7:10-12 ¹⁰ So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. ¹¹ Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts: (staff to snake) ¹² Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs.

Exodus 7:22 But the Egyptian magicians did the same things by their secret arts, (water to blood) and Pharaoh's heart became hard; he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said.

Exodus 8:7 But the magicians did the same things by their secret arts; (frogs come forth) they also made frogs come up on the land of Egypt.

First Question: Is my Christianity Genuine or Counterfeit? (Mt 7:21-23)

·         First question to ask yourself this morning: Is my Christianity genuine or counterfeit?

·         Am I a real believer or am I trying to be one through performance or works… yet failing miserably

·         If you were to die are you absolutely sure that your sins are forgiven & be with the Lord in heaven?

Matthew 7:21-23 ²¹ "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²² Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' ²³ Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

4. Swarms of Flies                    8:20-32            (Uatchit god)

·         Pharaoh’s heart becoming harder and harder… Now we see the 4^th plague that of swarms of flies.

·         The Egyptians had a god that manifested himself as a fly… can you imagine that?

·         The Hebrew word for “swarm” means “mixture”… possibly a great mixture of swarming insects.

·         Beetles, spiders, ticks, mosquitoes, horse flies… insects by the gadzillions descending upon Egypt

·         Scientist tell us insects outweigh humans by a ratio of 8 to 1… they were in your ears, throats, eyes

·         In bed, under your clothes, in your food, crawling with itches all over your body…

·         But Pharaoh’s stubborn heart became harder… Yet in the land of Goshen all was good & bug-less!

·         God granted the Israelites an invisible shield of supernatural protection (vs22-23)

5. Disease on Cattle                  9:1-7                (Apis, Ptah, Mnvis, Hathor gods)

·         Egyptians had high regard for sacred bulls & cows… you see this in many Egyptian artifacts

·         God removed the fish supply… now the milk & meat… Egyptian bad times were now getting worse!

·         “Livestock in the field” - Cattle, goats, sheep, donkeys, camels, horses were all afflicted

·         Israel’s livestock was again supernaturally protected – Investigated & not one animal lost vs6-7

·         Let my people go… yet Pharaoh’s heart was unyielding & hard… NO WAY

6. Boils on men & animals      9:8-12              (Sekhmet & Serapis gods)

·         Sekhmet was the Egyptian goddess with power to heal & Serapis was the healing god.

·         Moses took soot from a furnace & tossed it into the air in the presence of Pharaoh…

·         It became fine dust festering into boils that broke out on men and animals…

·         Inflamed eruptions, breaking forth into skin pustules… deep oozing painful, all over body ulcers

·         Even the magicians could not stand before Moses because of their terrible oozing boils v11

·         On all the Egyptians… again we see God’s care for His people.

Exodus 8:23 I will make a distinction between my people and your people. This miraculous sign will occur tomorrow.’”

Second Question:  Am I under God’s Umbrella of Protection? (Job 1:9-10)

·         God tells us it rains on the just & the unjust… are you under His protective care?

·         Your life may be one big difficulty after another… always seem to be struggling with no serenity

·         Feeling like you’re going through life all alone, frightened… God seems so distant from you

·         Seems the harder you try the worse things become… home, family, job, activities, church

·         Ask yourself this probing question: Am I under God’s supernatural protection?

7. Violent Hailstorm                  9:13-35            (Seth & Nut gods)

·         The Egyptians had Seth the protector of crops god & Nut the sky goddess… now we have hail

·         “I will send the full force of my plagues against you… so you will know there is no one like me” v14

·         The worst hailstorm ever to fall upon Egypt v18… Get whatever livestock is left, out of the fields

·         Man or beast find shelter for this storm that will come or you will die v19

·         God sent thunder & hail & lightning that flashed down to the ground… but not in Goshen

·         The hail stripped the trees, devastated the crops, killed men & beast in the fields.

·         In Thomasville, Georgia on Jan 28, 1995 softball hail fell 4” across from a super cell… imagine??

·         We see God’s mercy in v 32 allowing the wheat & spelt to continue to grow for future food

·         Let my people go… NO WAY – Pharaoh’s heart grew harder & more calloused toward the Lord.

8. Locust Swarm                       10:1-20            (Isis & Seth gods)

·         The goddess of life and Seth the protector of crops were unable to protect from swarms of locust

·         Years ago, a swarm was spotted 1200 miles wide flying from West Africa that invaded England.

·         The Lord brought an East wind that blew for 24 hours bringing the locust.

·         They covered every speck of the ground, eating anything that was green & edible to them.

·         They filled their homes… they ruined Egypt… nothing green remained v15

·         “I have sinned” – Moses prayed – West wind – Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart

·         Pharaoh hardened his heart 7 times then God hardened it more 10 times. Let my people go – No

9. Felt Darkness                        10:21-29          (Re & Atum gods)

·         Re is the Egyptian sun god & Atum is the god of the setting sun.  Thick darkness, felt darkness

·         Total blackness… blind for three days v23 Yet it was perfectly fine in Goshen, plenty of light.

·         Could this have been a huge sand storm that swept in from the desert?  Felt darkness??

·         The Egyptian endured this ink-black till Moses interceded to the Lord…

·         Pharaoh’s heart grew harder… Let my people go… no way!

Exodus 9:20-21 ²⁰ Those officials of Pharaoh who feared the word of the LORD hurried to bring their slaves and their livestock inside. ²¹ But those who ignored the word of the LORD left their slaves and livestock in the field.

Third Question:  Do I…  (Heb 10:28; 11:13)

       Fear the Word of the Lord?

       Ignore the Word of the Lord?

§  Hard Heart 9:35

§  Proud Attitude 10:3

§  Spiritual Darkness 10:21

§  Eternal Consequences 11:5

10. Death of Firstborn                11-12:36          (Osiris & Pharaoh gods)

·         Egyptian Osiris was the giver of life god, and Pharaoh himself was considered deity.

·         God told Moses there is one last plague and after that Pharaoh will let my people go…

·         Moses told Pharaoh, this is it… God will strike down every first born male… from richest to poorest

·         There will be loud wailing heard throughout Egypt – Then Moses, hot with anger left Pharaoh 11:8

Passover Lamb: Read Ex 12:1-7

·         Notice the lamb was to be keep in the home from the 10^th to the 14^th = 4 days

è Without blemish – perfect, innocent

Exodus 12:5 The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats.

Jesus:

Hebrews 9:14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

2 Corinthians 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

è Must be slaughtered – costly, willing

Exodus 12:6 Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight.

·         Lamb was kept with the family for 4 days (attachment / cost / willingness)

·         Lay hand on the head of the lamb symbolically transferring his sin & guilt to the innocent

·         A lamb does not bleat when it is killed... shows a willingness to succumb to its fate... like Jesus

Jesus:

John 19:17-18 ¹⁷ Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). ¹⁸ Here they crucified him, and with him two others--one on each side and Jesus in the middle.

Isaiah 53:12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

è Blood must be applied – personal, choice

Exodus 12:7 Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs.

Jesus:

Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace

Colossians 1:20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

·         “Atonement” – to make reconciliation, to forgive, satisfy, cover, propitiate

·         All have sinned and fallen short of God... Relationship is broken... only restored through the blood

·         God requires a blood sacrifice to cleanse your soul of sin... innocent bulls, lambs, doves, etc

·         But ultimately God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ to once & for all cleanse our sins!

·         290 references to the love of God, there are more than 1,300 references to the blood atonement

Exodus 12:13 The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.

1 Corinthians 5:7b “…For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.”

·         My friend, Jesus died for you… Jesus died a substitutionary death at Calvary, He died in your place

·         God is Holy & pure who could not look upon His own Son at this time... when our sins were placed upon His Son, the spotless, blameless, sinless Lamb of God... shut your eyes for a moment and place your hand out in front of you... symbolically upon the thorn torn brow of Jesus... can you feel Him quiver? Shaking? Struggling to breath?  Do you hear His groans?  The jeers of the crowd?  Can you smell the smells of blood and death?  Feel and see the warm blood flowing down His body for your sin and mine.  May we begin to understand the sacrifice Jesus made for us....

·         Listen very carefully – if you reject Christ & the blood He shed... God will reject you forever.

·         Jesus was without blemish, perfect, sinless… Jesus was slaughtered and shed His precious blood

·         BUT the blood must be applied… what would have happened if a family found a year old male lamb without any defects or blemishes… kept it for four days… then slaughtered it… they did everything perfect EXCEPT they neglected to apply the blood to their door… what would have happened???

·         All the first born in that home would have died… what happens today when we know all about Jesus… we believe He was the perfect Son of God with no sin, we believe He willingly at great cost went to a wooden cross to be our sin bearer BUT we stop short and neglect to apply His blood to my personal life… Jesus died for the world… but not everyone will be saved… only those who exercise a personal choice in applying the precious blood of the Lamb to their lives by faith.

John 3:36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."

Romans 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

God’s will is for you to be saved... You can be sure of your salvation. 

Would you bow your heads?  You may be sitting here and saying, I’m not ready to meet the Lord... My life is a tangled mess that I’ve woven… I need salvation only Jesus Christ can provide... I’m tired of carrying my guilt and shame; I’m tired of trying to make it to heaven my own way... I’m tired of not being sure I’m saved... Would you invite Him into your life this morning?  Would you say, Jesus I want to know you, I want to trust You as my Savior, come into my life... from all across this church would you quietly slip up your hands... I want to trust Jesus Christ as my personal Savior...  would you pray this prayer from your heart?

Heavenly Father, thank you sending Your Son Jesus, to die for me.  Forgive me for my sins and I ask you to come into my life, cleanse me, and save my soul.  In faith I place my trust in Jesus alone to save me... Thank you Jesus for dying for me, Thank You for Your promise of forgiveness and for a new life now and eternal life forever...

As a Christian, there may be some things you need to get right before God this morning... forgive someone, letting go of bitterness or anger... getting rid of some pet sin that so easily overtakes you... restore a broken relationship, maybe you’ve been unfaithful to your spouse or to your church or in your tithe or maybe a lack of commitment in serving in ministry... As a Christian claim 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Father, I want everyone this day to know this truth: the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from ALL sin!  Thank you Jesus, in your name we pray... and all of God’s people said, Amen!

·         If you just trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior - Welcome to the family of God! (Be sure to get literature)

·         If you’re a believer already and got things right with the Lord – PTL!  (Sweet, this is what it’s all about)

·         Now let’s celebrate the Lord’s Supper together...

The Lord’s Supper (If the men would come at this time)

1 Corinthians 11:23-26 ²³ For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, ²⁴ and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." ²⁵ In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." ²⁶ For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

“The Bible Knowledge Commentary”, John Walvood/Roy Zuck; Victor Publishing 1985

“Moses, A Man of Selfless Dedication”, Charles Swindoll; Word Publishing 1999

“Experiencing God”, Henry Blackaby; LifeWay Press 1990

“Acts”, John MacAurthur; Moody Press 1994

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