Page 107 - The MacArthur Daily Bible

TN_01_MacArthur_Bible_Jan.qxd 8/8/03 14:23 Page 88

JANUARY 27
Hebrews has met with us; and now, please, let the hand of whomever else You may send.”
us go three days’ journey into the wilderness, 14 So the anger of the LORD was kindled
that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.’ against Moses, and He said: “Is not Aaron the
19 But I am sure that the king of Egypt will not Levite your brother? I know that he can speak
20
let you go, no, not even by a mighty hand. So well. And look, he is also coming out to meet
I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his
15
with all My wonders which I will do in its heart. Now you shall speak to him and put
21
midst; and after that he will let you go. And I the words in his mouth. And I will be with
will give this people favor in the sight of the your mouth and with his mouth, and I will
16
Egyptians; and it shall be, when you go, that teach you what you shall do. So he shall be
you shall not go empty-handed. But every your spokesman to the people. And he himself
22
woman shall ask of her neighbor, namely, of shall be as a mouth for you, and you shall be
17
her who dwells near her house, articles of sil- to him as God. And you shall take this rod in
ver, articles of gold, and clothing; and you shall your hand, with which you shall do the signs.”
put them on your sons and on your daughters. 18 So Moses went and returned to Jethro his
So you shall plunder the Egyptians.” father-in-law, and said to him, “Please let me
Then Moses answered and said, “But sup- go and return to my brethren who are in
4 pose they will not believe me or listen to Egypt, and see whether they are still alive.”
my voice; suppose they say, ‘The LORD has not And Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.”
appeared to you.’ ” 19 Now the LORD said to Moses in Midian,
2 So the LORD said to him, “What is that in “Go, return to Egypt; for all the men who
20
your hand?” sought your life are dead.” Then Moses took
He said, “A rod.” his wife and his sons and set them on a don-
3 And He said, “Cast it on the ground.” So he key, and he returned to the land of Egypt. And
cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; Moses took the rod of God in his hand.
4
and Moses fled from it. Then the LORD said to 21 And the LORD said to Moses, “When you
Moses, “Reach out your hand and take it by the go back to Egypt, see that you do all those
tail” (and he reached out his hand and caught
5
it, and it became a rod in his hand), “that they
may believe that the LORD God of their fathers,
the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the 4:21 I will harden his heart. The Lord’s per-
God of Jacob, has appeared to you.” sonal and direct involvement in the affairs of
6 Furthermore the LORD said to him, “Now men so that His purposes might be done is
put your hand in your bosom.” And he put his revealed as God informed Moses what would
hand in his bosom, and when he took it out, take place. Pharaoh was also warned that his
7
behold, his hand was leprous, like snow. And own refusal would bring judgment on him (v.
He said, “Put your hand in your bosom again.” 23). Previously Moses had been told that God
So he put his hand in his bosom again, and was certain of Pharaoh’s refusal (3:19). This
drew it out of his bosom, and behold, it was interplay between God’s hardening and
restored like his other flesh. “Then it will be, Pharaoh’s hardening his heart must be kept in
8
if they do not believe you, nor heed the mes- balance. Ten times (4:21; 7:3; 9:12; 10:1,20,27;
sage of the first sign, that they may believe the 11:10; 14:4,8,17) the historical record notes
9
message of the latter sign. And it shall be, if specifically that God hardened the king’s
they do not believe even these two signs, or heart, and ten times (7:13,14,22; 8:15,19,32;
9:7,34,35; 13:15) the record indicates the king
listen to your voice, that you shall take water hardened his own heart.The apostle Paul used
from the river and pour it on the dry land. The this hardening as an example of God’s
water which you take from the river will inscrutable will and absolute power to inter-
become blood on the dry land.” vene as He chooses, yet obviously never with-
10 Then Moses said to the LORD, “O my Lord, out loss of personal responsibility for actions
I am not eloquent, neither before nor since taken. The theological conundrum posed by
You have spoken to Your servant; but I am such interplay of God’s acting and Pharaoh’s
slow of speech and slow of tongue.” acting can only be resolved by accepting the
11 So the LORD said to him, “Who has made record as it stands and by taking refuge in the
man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the omniscience and omnipotence of the God
deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the who planned and brought about His deliver-
12
LORD? Now therefore, go, and I will be with ance of Israel from Egypt and,in so doing,also
your mouth and teach you what you shall say.” judged Pharaoh’s sinfulness.
13 But he said, “O my Lord, please send by

88