THE PLAGUES

Today’s Reading: Exodus 10-11

Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion on the right-hand side).

The Great Lake at Karnak Temple is 2.5 km north of Luxor, Egypt

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where Reynold took the photo, Click HERE.

Key Verse: Exodus 11:5

And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the female servant who is behind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the animals.

Eighty years earlier, the grandfather of the Exodus Pharaoh ordered the death of all Israel’s boy babies. Moses is now threatened with death (Ex. 10:28-29). Some say that the decision for the final plague came from the mouth of Pharaoh himself. In verse eight it states that Moses was “hot with anger” when he left this last meeting with Pharaoh. According to Numbers 12:3, “Moses was very meek.” Meekness means “strength under control.” When all else fails, God brings severe judgment. We cannot trifle with God or view Him as a celestial Santa Claus. We are to love God and fear God at the same time. There is a tension here that brings balance. We embrace God, who cares for His people, but at the same time, God, who will accomplish His purposes, has the right to pronounce and execute judgment.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Almighty and eternal God, Your judgment fell upon Your firstborn and only begotten Son, Jesus, our Saviour and our Lord. I thank You with all my heart that Your love and Your judgment came together at the Cross. You suffered greater pain than any of us can begin to comprehend. I love You and I fear You. I come boldly before You because Jesus took my place. In His Name I pray. Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

The Children of Israel were slaves. In slave-based economies, slaves represented the greatest wealth of the nation. I’ve watched several times the movie on the life of that great Christian, William Wilberforce, who brought about the deliverance of the slaves in Britain and throughout the Empire. If you’ve not seen this or read the book by Eric Metaxas (Eric has served as our100 Huntley Street USA host) on which the movie was based, I urge you to avail yourself of his history of this modern Moses (find the book HERE or the movie HERE).

Bob Hogan was my age. He’s ageless now as he passed into the presence of his Lord and Saviour two years ago. When Norma-Jean and I built our home on Dog Lake following my decision to step aside from hosting the daily 100 Huntley Street telecast, Bob and his wonderful family were a great help. We’ve sold that place because I did not want to leave Norma-Jean 200 miles away from our children after my death, which was predicted by the cancer specialist to have happened by March 2014. God had a different plan for me. Before Bob passed through the fine curtain that separates us from eternity, I heard Bob was in hospital and may not live, so I rode my motorcycle to Kingston to see him. As I knelt by his bed, I said, “Bob, the last time I visited you we did business with God. Right?” He nodded a definite Yes! (Bob prayed a most sincere prayer of faith for his eternal salvation during that last visit). Then I said, “Now we are going to pray for God’s healing…by more years here or by entering into eternal life with Jesus in Heaven.” Again the oxygen mask he was wearing almost came off his face as he nodded vigorously. His eyes spoke volumes about his confidence in God. Below is a photograph Reynold took a few years back of Bob and a very special friend. I’ll see you soon my brother in faith.

Yours for freedom to do the will of God,

David

My friend Bob Hogan and his dog. Bob is now with his Lord.