Bible Pathway - January 20
Read Exodus 8
Highlights:
With frogs everywhere, including in his bed, the stubborn Pharaoh tells Moses to wait until “tomorrow” to remove them (8:10). Notice how the plagues grow in severity.
And Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron, and said, Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land (Ex. 8:25).
When Moses requested that the Israelites be permitted to worship the One True God, it was an insult to Pharaoh, who considered himself one of the great gods of Egypt — then the most powerful kingdom on earth. Pharaoh did not refuse Moses' request, but he disagreed with the way they should worship.
Pharaoh is symbolic of Satan, and since Satan's opposition is still the same today, we need to consider Pharaoh's demands on how to worship. If Satan can't succeed with open scorn and opposition, he will try to persuade us to compromise. While God had told Moses that Israel was to go into the wilderness to sacrifice (3:18), Pharaoh said the opposite, be one of us. Ye shall not go very far away (8:28). This is one of the means of compromise that Satan suggests to draw people away from true worship of the Lord. God had also said: Three days' journey (3:18) — a complete break from Egypt. Pharaoh meant: “Do not get too involved in serving your Lord.” Many today believe they can worship on the Lord's Day but live like the world the rest of the week. But, to God, worship should reflect total commitment to Christ as our way of life.
Pharaoh asked: Who are they that shall go? And Moses said, We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds . . . for we must hold a feast unto the LORD (10:9).
Pharaoh had also said: Go . . . only let your flocks and your herds remain (10:24). If he could not induce them to sacrifice in the land, he would send them without sacrifices. Moses made no concessions, no compromises. Full surrender to Christ and supreme loyalty to Him are considered narrow-minded and are never understood by the world. Satan would have us believe that our faith should not interfere with nor influence our business affairs, social lives, government, or schools.
Enter ye in at the strait gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it (Matt. 7:13-14).
Thought for Today:
There is only one way to worship and that is in Spirit and in Truth (John 4:24).
Christ Revealed:
As the Light to His people. There was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt . . . but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings (Ex. 10:22-23). Jesus said: I am The Light of the World: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness (John 8:12). The Lord will lighten my darkness (2 Sam. 22:29; also Is. 42:6-7).
Word Studies:
8:15 respite, relief, an interval of delay; 8:22 sever, set apart; separate; 8:23 put a division, make a distinction; 9:3 grievous murrain, severe pestilence or disease; 9:31 in the ear, ripening; bolled, in the bud; 10:7 be a snare unto us, endanger our welfare.
Prayer Suggestion: Intercede in prayer for others by name (Luke 22:31-32).
Optional Reading: Matthew 20
Memory Verse for the Week: Psalms 100:4
