The Tenth Plague

Tuesday, September 12, 2023

And that night at midnight, the Lord struck down all the firstborn sons in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sat on his throne, to the firstborn son of the prisoner in the dungeon.  Even the firstborn of their livestock were killed.  Pharaoh and all his officials and all the people of Egypt woke up during the night, and loud wailing was heard throughout the land of Egypt.  There was not a single house where someone had not died.  Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron during the night.  “Get out!” he ordered.  “Leave my people—and take the rest of the Israelites with you!  Go and worship the Lord as you have requested.  Take your flocks and herds, as you said, and be gone. Go, but bless me as you leave.”  All the Egyptians urged the people of Israel to get out of the land as quickly as possible, for they thought, “We will all die!”  Exodus 12:29-33

Over the course of time from Moses’ first meeting with Pharaoh to deliver God’s message to let my people go, the Egyptian monarch moved from dismissive stubbornness to defeated sadness.  He was Pharaoh over the most powerful dynasty in the world, and he conceded defeat to the slaves he owned.  Considering the events of the 10 plagues, who could remain fixed in his own glory?  Pharaoh was pushed into the most uncomfortable tenuous corner.  There was no command he could issue with his own firstborn on the mortician’s table.

Most of the plagues are not uncommon, even in our day.  Pestilences and plagues are something every human faces in every era; we’ve just come through Covid-19, and what other age hasn’t dealt with similar challenges.  Famine caused by pests and weather are common also.  But the first and last of the plagues are the most pointed; the first should have been enough, and the last, too much.

Of the ten plagues (Blood, Frogs, Lice, Flies, Pestilence, Boils, Hail, Locusts, Darkness, Killing of the firstborn), the first plague of blood in the Nile, struck at Egypt’s religious beliefs.  The Nile river was Egypt’s source of food.  Turning it into blood was a horrifying demonstration of how vulnerable they were to having life crumble before them.  Pharaoh thought he was a god, but God was demonstrating how little divinity flowed through Pharaoh’s human veins. 

The next eight plagues were nuisances to Pharaoh, because they only affected Egypt’s people and resources.  But with each step closer to the tenth plague, Pharaoh’s stubbornness brought his people closer to the kind of unspeakable judgment which no Egyptian citizen could even imagine.  And then it happened!

The tenth plague, the death of firstborns in each Egyptian household, was connected to the first plague in the sense that there was blood.  Life is in the blood[1] according to Scripture, and blood in the Nile was a threat to the lives of Egyptian food sources, and the emptiness of their religious superstitions.  But it was a foretaste of the tenth plague, the lifeblood of their heritage.  As attested by the pyramids, the afterlife, and continued heritage of Pharaohic divine rule was as important to those people as their next breath.  In the instant Pharaoh refused God’s 10^th invitation to let His people go, the Egyptian king became the murderer of Egypt’s firstborn population – including his own household!

For You Today 

God’s recorded Word is there to help us understand how to live in His Kingdom, and how to understand His ways:

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.  2 Timothy 3:16

So, do what Pharaoh refused; when God speaks…listen…and obey!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

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There are about 2,600 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road library. 

Title Images:  Wikimedia.org   Images without citation are in public domain. Unless noted, Scripture quoted from NLT^©  

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[1] The life of every creature is in its blood.  Leviticus 17:14

Blood White

 

Tuesday, April 27, 2021

Then one of the twenty-four elders asked me, “Who are these who are clothed in white? Where did they come from?”  And I said to him, “Sir, you are the one who knows.”  Then he said to me, “These are the ones who died in the great tribulation.  They have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb and made them white.  “That is why they stand in front of God’s throne and serve him day and night in his Temple.  And he who sits on the throne will give them shelter.  They will never again be hungry or thirsty; they will never be scorched by the heat of the sun.  For the Lamb on the throne will be their Shepherd.  He will lead them to springs of life-giving water.  And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”  Revelation 7:13-17

It has always fascinated me, this strange image welling-up in my mind of white robes, having been cleansed by blood.  Blood creates a stain that is hard to remove.  And that is as it should be.  Scripture tells us that the life of every creature is in the blood.[1]  It is fitting that life should not be easily washed away.

As a side note on a callous attitude towards life in this nation (and in much of the world’s countries) today, life is too easily discarded.  There is a mood of violence in our land, and it makes my blood go sour to ponder just how far we have travelled from Pilgrims escaping the persecution of religious intolerance four hundred years ago, to the daily doses of murder and manslaughter in our day. 

Jesus told his disciples that in this life they would have tribulation.[2]  That is so for everyone who follows Christ.  There are always difficult decisions to make.  We are called to a life of obedience, and that requires accepting some things beyond our comfort zone, and rejecting those things which our natural appetites crave.  But, the toughest of all is standing against the tide and swell of public opinion when they come crossways with clear Scriptural mandates.

One of the most difficult pills to swallow is how lightly we tread around the choice to abort life.  In the name of personal freedom, the laws of this land permit infanticide.  This stands in direct opposition to the teachings and commands of the great Life-giver, Jesus Christ, who said:

The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.  John 10:10

The callous attitude which disposes of life is not going away.  Scripture points to a time of awful tribulation, where lust for power will supercede virtue and kindness.  Death will be the penalty for lack of conformity to the rule of human idolatry.  Those who openly worship Christ will be terminated.  What we see today in barbaric displays of abortion, genocide, terrorism, and travesties of justice will be minor playground skirmishes compared to the Great Tribulation.  But that is on earth.  In heaven a different story is being worked out.  Evangelist Leighton Ford wrote the following about his son Sandy:

During the months following Sandy's death, to cope with my grief and sense of loss, I kept a journal.  Through a series of "conversations" with Sandy, I continued to express my grief and bring our relationship to a close.   In one of those chats, I said, 

"Sandy, you've been dead two months earthtime."  

"I feel as if I have been alive forever, Dad.  It's a lot like one big long today."  

"It's not a matter of time, Sandy, except that time heals. It's more a matter of nearness.  I guess I'm concerned that as our time goes on, we will lose any sense of nearness."  

"But why, Dad?  You're moving closer to eternity every day. You're no longer moving from, but to me!  And besides, the 'Wall' between is so thin -- you would laugh if you could see it."  

"I think more of you than when you were at Chapel Hill."  

"Sure!  I know you do.  I hear those thoughts."  

"Night, son!  Enjoy the stars!"  
"It's morning here, Dad.  Enjoy the light!"

My friends, only the nearness of Jesus can provide the kind of peace that can be called eternal.  The world is looking for peace, talking of peace, and imagining peace can be had on a worldwide scale; they are wrong.  But there is a peacemaker who is coming.

For You Today

Peace is an eternal thing that is offered by the Prince of Peace, one person, one human heart at a time.  It is offered to you.  It is for those who have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb.  And it means the eternal presence of Jesus.  Are you washed in the blood?

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!  

[1] Title Image: Pixabay.com   Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©

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[1] Leviticus 17:14

[2] John 16:33

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Suddenly

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Monday, December 24, 2018

And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home.  He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee.  He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child.  And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born.  She gave birth to her firstborn son.  She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.  That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep.  

Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them.  They were terrified, but the angel reassured them.  “Don’t be afraid!” he said.  “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.  The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!  And you will recognize him by this sign:  You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”  Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”  Luke 2:4-14(NLT)

Surprises come suddenly.  (Now there’s a news flash!)

I’ve never actually liked the idea of surprises.  But surprises don’t ask if they can happen; they just happen.  That is why they’re called surprises – they surprise you!  They’re autonomous – they decide when, where, how much, and with what purpose they happen.  All you have is your reaction to the surprise.

This is why surprises aren’t my favorite thing; I’d like to be able to pick and choose which things life has permission to throw at me.  That surprise 16^th birthday party was ok, but nearly severing my big toe back in 1987 was something I would have crossed-off the dance card if I’d known about how weak that aquarium glass was if you put your foot against it to scoot it across the carport.  Surprises sometimes include blood!

The shepherds understood surprises; you don’t care for flocks of sheep, notoriously dumb animals that wander around, falling into all kinds of troubling predicaments, without being familiar with surprises.  It’s just that the shepherds weren’t prepared for an angel and a choir the size of the New Year’s Eve Times Square crowd floating in the night air above.  Surprises can sometimes be terrifying.

But now, later that night, look at the faces of those shepherds, and tell me what happens when a surprise from heaven settles-in to do its work in your life:

Notice that all six faces in the picture (7 if you count the cow) are illuminated.  The artist wanted us to know something about these faces and the worth of this surprise.

We know Mary’s face, a young teen with her firstborn; how do you put into words the joy and overwhelming sense of fearful wonder that you won’t be good enough for all this? 

At Mary’s side, with his hands folded on the cow’s head, we see contented joy.  This shepherd is just taking-in the human moment…and why not?  It’s not often a common shepherd gets to participate in a world-class event…and in a front-row seat!

The Man in the lower left with hands clasped in a prayerful pose shows wonder, his face is an I-don’t-know-what-to-make-of-this prayerful plea of anxiety over what this will mean; will it all be alright?

The boy next to Mary is pure, excited joy.  “Do you believe this; man, this is great” is the expression of youthful naiveté, who cannot possibly see anything but the upside.  This is the Hallmark moment under the Christmas tree; all gift, no grief.

And lastly (besides the cow who may be looking more at the hay that was supposed to be her supper), at the far (upper) left is a man’s face that speaks the shadow of the cross to me.  His right hand is near his heart, and the left raised in something of a benedictory pose.  At first glance I saw just a bland, unfeeling look on that face.  But on deeper examination I see the pathos of future surprises for this child that transcends such a serene moment of a new baby’s untouched life.  This prayerful shepherd understands life will not be all picnics and walks in the park. 

There are indeed hard times ahead for the Christ child.  His willingness to accept all of it, so I can experience His joy, is present enough for me.

For You Today

My deepest prayer for you today is that whatever you’re preparing for, and whomever you will celebrate this Christmas eve, and the season with, that all these emotions and assurances will be yours, like the suddenly surprises the angels brought so long ago to the shepherds.  Contented joy, mixed with a little anxious anticipation, regained naiveté, and the wisdom of preparing for the cross.  Blessed Christmas…. good tidings!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day.

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[1] Title Image:  Pixabay.com