The Promise of Plagues

God sometimes reveals concepts or lessons that I know will be a resource for later on when times get a bit tougher. This is definitely an example of that! Most of us know the story of Moses and Pharaoh. After escaping Egypt, Moses starts a family in Midian. God calls him out of safety and back into Egypt to lead His children out of slavery. God equips Moses with a staff that can do miracles (i.e. turn into a snake, part waters, turn water into blood). So Moses goes.

His first encounter with Pharaoh is in chapter 5 of Exodus. Moses says, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.'" But Pharaoh said, "Who is the LORD that I should obey his voice and let Israel go?..."  Pharaoh had no reference point for God. He knew sorcery and magic, but not the God of Israel.

After being rejected by the Israelites, Moses is discouraged and starts to think of even more reasons why he is ill-equipped to carry God's people (see Ex 6:12). This set the stage for the plagues that would follow.

Over and over, as water is made into blood, stinky frogs invade, gnats cover the land, flies swarm, livestock die, boils rise, hail falls and kills, locusts eat away livelihood, and darkness covers the land, Pharaoh's heart remains hard. He tells Moses that the people can go if he petitions God to stop the plagues, but when the smoke clears, he retracts his statement. This doesn't take God by surprise. He knows Pharaoh's heart. On the surface, the LORD could be misunderstood as weak and helpless to stop these tragedies. But, pay close attention to 10:1-2

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go in to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may show these signs of mine among them, and that you may tell in the hearing of your sons and of your grandson how I have dealt harshly with the Egyptians and what signs I have done among them, that you may know that I am the LORD. 

You see, God didn't allow the plagues in order to persuade Pharaoh. He knew that was a lost cause (as was His will). Rather, He allowed these things so that when future generations (lost in the wilderness) began to question God's power, His works of power would be told and His glory remembered. I pray that when I am like Moses forget that my weakness allows for God to show His strength OR when plagues of life hit and all I can think of is how much I have/will lose, I will be reminded of the power that He has shown in the past. In reality, the plagues that we face (death, sickness, loss of jobs, doubt...) carry promises that in the end, God will be faithful. He will show His mercy and grace, and we will have stories to tell to our sons and grandsons! 

God, help me to count it all joy when hard times come. Help me remember your faithfulness in the past and your promises to make all things work for good for those who love you. Give me perspective to look beyond the present as you will use today's hardships to prove your lordship to those who come after me. To You be the glory, amen.