Exodus 8:25-28 - Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron,
and said, "Go, sacrifice to your God within the land." But
Moses said, "It would not be right to do so; for we shall sacrifice to the
LORD our God offerings abominable to the Egyptians. If we sacrifice offerings
abominable to the Egyptians before their eyes, will they not stone us? We
must go three days' journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our
God as he will command us." So Pharaoh said, "I will let
you go, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only you shall not
go very far away. Make entreaty for me."
Three more plagues…one the magicians could match….and two they
could not. The Israelite camps in Goshen were not affected…and so God begins to
set his people apart from the Egyptians.
Pharaoh is such a stubborn man….lying to Moses just to get the misery of
the frogs….flies…and lice removed from his land. He even decides that sacrificing to their God
might not be a bad idea…offering to let them sacrifice right there in Egypt. Moses quickly told him the dangers in that
plan…and insisted that they follow the complete will of God...so Pharaoh said
okay…go just a short distance away….for just a short time…but even this permission
was taken right back as he felt relief from the lice.
Pharaoh was beginning to believe in the power of God…but he
clung to his old Gods too! Pharaoh called for a compromise…but God called for a
complete and total break from this pagan culture. God would settle for nothing less than total commitment
to him and him alone…and so he begins to make a distinction between the
Egyptian land and the Israelite camps in Goshen. None of the flies or lice could be found in
the Israelite camps…which makes me believe that the people of Israel were
starting to claim God’s promise in their own hearts too. The conversations
around the dinner table must have been packed with stories about how God was
surely showing his power to the Pharaoh.
The distinction between them…and the favor god showed to
them…it must have given them a great strength. And as God showed his signs and
great power to Pharaoh…God’s own people began to gain courage as they pondered
and processed the effect the plagues had on the land of Egypt. I am sure they
must have thanked him for his favor…and began to believe that their deliverance
was indeed close at hand. God was
teaching two lessons at one time in this story…to pharaoh he said…I am the only
God. To the Israelites he said…let Moses
teach you how to be obedient and be committed to only me.
Our commitment and obedience to God cannot be compromised. A
half-way relationship with him will never satisfy your soul like total commitment
to his will. We can walk around in this
world compromising everything we do…one foot in the world…and the other
occasionally in a church pew. We can whisper a short nightly prayer…then go out
when day dawns and do whatever we want. We can give a gift to the church…but
support a larger worldly fund because we see its power to make us more
important. We can cling to the world and Satan’s lies of success and worth….or
we can commit our lives whole hog to God…and endure the next 6 plagues while he
teaches all those around us that he is in total control. A life lived one foot
in heaven…and one foot in hell is no life at all.
Father…help me to see that I need to be more committed to
you…to throw away everything in my life that is not of you. Help me to sell out to you completely…and stop
living with one foot ready to set off the next trap in Satan’s forest of sin. Give me eyes to see Satan’s traps clearly…and
wait on you to teach me what you need to do your work. Walk with me today and
give me the courage and clear vision of Moses….as he stood before Pharaoh and
quickly told him that God requires what God requires…no compromise will do. Amen.
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