How do you change God's mind?
How do you change God's mind? How do you change his will? And if his heart is not inclined toward you, how do you soften his heart so that he might be gracious and compassionate and grant you his favor?
Doesn't the whole premise of "being God" mean that you never have to change? Doesn't it mean that you can do whatever you will, however you will, whenever you will? Doesn't it mean that you never have to answer to a man or condescend to him? If you're God, it's kind of your prerogative
that everyone else submit to you and obey your will, right? Everyone else is to bow to you, worship you, and serve you.
But suppose one day, as you reign on your throne, a man brazenly enters your presence and insists that you change your mind and reconsider your ways. And suppose that he commits blasphemy and insists that he and his people will no longer worship you, or
serve you, or bow down to you, or acknowledge your majesty? And he insists that there is actually a greater God who is to be worshipped and served? And he also says that if you do not acknowledge this greater God, it will cost you everything.
Now you're beginning to grasp the magnitude of what happened in Exodus 6 when Moses confronted Pharaoh. Pharaoh believed himself to be not only a great king, but a great god. Moreover, through his magicians, he believed himself to hold power over
all the gods and goddesses throughout the land, including the sun god, the sky god, and the god of the underworld. It also included the river god, the god of crops, the god of fertility and childbirth-- which protects the young, the god of bulls and livestock, the gods of disease and pestilence, the god of healing, and the god of protection. And Pharaoh esteems his firstborn son and considers him to be a son of god.
Pharoah's symbol was a king cobra.
Probably you have watched the History Channel as they raided the tombs of these Egyptian kings. Each of their gods and goddesses, including Pharaoh, were represented by various symbols. Pharaoh's symbol was a king cobra. He even wore a stylish king cobra headdress. And when a king died, they enshrined him in a pyramid that rose toward the heavens, and also in a gold coffin fashioned as the face of king cobra.
The image of a king cobra struck a sense of terror throughout the land. No one dared confront a cobra. Its sting was lethal, killing its victim in an instant. It was believed, perhaps as part of the Pharaoh cult, that Pharaoh was protected by fire-spitting king cobras. Maybe this is why Moses was reluctant to confront Pharaoh.
But isn't it curious how God gave Moses a sign? His staff, when thrown to the ground, became a snake more terrifying than any other snake. When Moses first saw it, he ran for his life. And Moses' staff became a snake more terrifying than the brood of
fire-spitting king cobras guarding Pharaoh's throne. So Moses had the courage to confront Pharaoh, and in Exodus 7 Aaron threw down Moses' staff. And when Pharaoh summoned his magicians to throw down their staffs, they were consumed by Aaron's staff. See Exodus 7:12.
This is an epic confrontation. The serpent, representing the throne of Pharaoh, has been defeated.
Pharoah responded by hardening his heart.
Can you imagine look on Pharaoh's face when he saw his brood of vipers consumed? In Exodus 7:1 (NIV) God told Moses, "...I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet." But Exodus 7:13 (NIV) tells us that, "...Pharoah's heart became hard and he would not listen to them, just as the Lord had said." In Pharaoh we have a man who not only refused to worship and serve the living God, and disallows others to do so-- but who also fails to acknowledge any god greater than himself. He had delusions of divine grandeur about himself.
It isn't just that Pharaoh believed himself to be divine, it's that he also believed that through his magicians that everything under the heavens and earth were orderly and under his control. He was superior to the gods and goddesses, because every day his magicians were
able to manipulate the gods and goddesses to provide rain, sun, abundant crops, increase the fertility of the livestock, and so on.
But what if Pharaoh wasn't actually the supreme god? And what if Pharaoh were to realize how powerless he really was over these supposed Egyptian gods he thought he could manipulate?
Earlier in Exodus 5:2 (NIV) Pharaoh asked Moses, "Who is the LORD, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and I will not let Israel go." In a roundabout way Pharaoh is saying, "I don't know any God greater than myself, that
he should be worshipped."
This is why in Exodus 5:3 (NIV) Moses warns Pharaoh, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now let us take a three-day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God, or he may strike us with plagues or with the sword." Plagues? How
could that be possible since Pharaoh ruled everything? A sword? Pharaoh's was untouchable.
Was Moses' God greater than all of Pharoah's gods?
We see in Pharaoh, and in all of Egypt, a pattern later described by the apostle Paul in Romans 1:18-23. The truth of God is exchanged for a lie. Men worship and serve created things, rather than worshipping their creator, who is forever praised. Their thinking becomes
futile and their foolish hearts become darkened. They exchange the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man, birds, animals, and reptiles. Did you know that Egypt was filled with images of king cobras, frogs, gnats, flies, bulls,
and just about everything that was part of the Pharaoh cult?
Was Moses' God greater than all these? Greater than Pharaoh himself? In Exodus 7 God declares his power over the river god by turning the Nile into blood. Suddenly the people find themselves without drinkable water. Perhaps their thirst would teach
Pharaoh to thirst for the living God. But instead of trusting God, the Egyptians dug along the Nile and found ground water. And this is what we do. We satisfy ourselves with lesser things, and we turn from the living God.
In Exodus 8 God caused the Nile to teem with frogs. There were so many frogs that they ended up everywhere-- in Pharaoh's palace, in bedrooms, in people's beds, in their ovens and kneading troughs, and in their faces. The frogs were so overwhelming, Pharaoh
conceded, and asked Moses to pray. So that Pharaoh would indeed know that God had power over the frogs, Moses gave Pharaoh the honor of picking the time that the frogs would die.
You have to read Exodus 8! When the frogs died, their piled into large heaps, and it says in Exodus 8:14 that the land reeked of them! Perhaps the stench would cause Pharaoh to acknowledge God's power and authority, but instead he hardened his heart.
Then come the gnats-- they had to be buffalo gnats. Because not only do they fly into your eyes, but they bite. Then came the flies--dense swarms of flies. With each plague, Pharaoh appears to relent, only to act deceitfully, and then harden his heart after God lifted each plague. Again, Pharaoh believed he was more powerful than Moses' God, because he could manipulate Moses to pray, and the plagues left.
In Exodus 9 God sent a plague that killed all the Egyptians' livestock, but not the Israelites' livestock. Then God sent a plague of painful, festering boils which broke out on all the men and animals. Then God sent a plague of hail. In Exodus 10 he sent a
plague of locusts that stripped the land of every living thing. And finally, he sent a plague of darkness. After each plague, Pharaoh appeared ready to make a deal, but he acted deceitfully. He believed that he could manipulate the living God as he did his other gods.
Each of the plagues demonstrated the superiority of the living God over Pharoah.
More than sheer misery, each one of these plagues demonstrated the superiority of the living God over Pharaoh, and over the Egyptians' gods and goddesses. For example, consider the plague of darkness. The sun god Re was one of the greatest gods
worshipped in all of Egypt. But for three days, darkness covered all of Egypt and Re was nowhere to be seen.
You know that the cost of these plagues continually escalated. At first, the Egyptians were inconvenienced because they had to dig for water. Then they got bugged-- literally-- by gnats and flies. Then their livestock died and there was no more steak and hamburger.
Then they were physically afflicted with painful boils. Then it's wind, hail, rain, lightning, and thunder. Then it's the locusts who came and consumed the crops. And then darkness.
What Pharaoh didn't understand was he could not afford to be god. If he continued to be god, it would cost him everything, including his firstborn son. In Exodus 11:4-8 (NIV) Moses warned Pharaoh and all his officials. "This is what the Lord says, 'About midnight I
will go throughout Egypt. Every firstborn son in Egypt will die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, to the firstborn son of the slave girl, who is at her hand mill, and all the firstborn of the cattle as well. There will be loud wailing
throughout all Egypt-- worse than there has ever been or ever will be again. But among the Israelites not a dog will bark at any man or animal.' Then you will know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel. All these officials of yours will come to me, bowing down before me and saying, 'God, you and all the people who follow you!' After that I will leave."
Are we willing to pay the escalating cost of sin and unbelief?
Like Pharoah, we have to ask ourselves if we're willing to pay the escalating cost of sin and unbelief. Romans 6:23 (NIV) warns that, "The wages of sin is death..." Proverbs 11:7-8 (NIV) says, "When a wicked man dies, his hope perishes; all he expected from his power comes to nothing. The righteous man is rescued from trouble and it comes on the wicked instead."
The good thing about God's mercy is he allows the costs of our sin to escalate. Romans 3:25 says that it's because of God's forbearance he leaves the sins we've committed unpunished. 2 Peter 3:9 says it's because he is patient with us, not wanting any of
us to perish. Anything God allows short of the death we ultimately deserve for our sins is an act of his mercy and grace. This demonstrates his great forbearance and patience.
Nine plagues required a lot of patience. But Pharaoh, and all of Egypt, had to pay the price for their sin and rebellion. No wonder Exodus 11:8 (NIV) says, "Then Moses, hot with anger, left Pharaoh." Pharaoh would rather his beloved son die than he turn to the living
God.
And some of you have the same attitude as Pharaoh. You are so stubborn that you'd rather pay the escalating costs of your sin. These are personal costs, spiritual costs, physical costs (disease), and economic costs. You'd rather be engulfed in total darkness than turn to
God. Some of you are even willing to resist God's call, at the risk of your death.
It's just as Proverbs 11:7 (NIV) says, ""When a wicked man dies, his hope perishes; all he expected from his power comes to nothing." Does Proverbs 11:7 describe what's happening in your life? You're losing hope. All you've expected from your power is
coming to nothing. You're dying, slowly but surely.
If you die in your sin, it will be because of the stubbornness of your will.
If you die in your sin it will be for one reason-- the hardness of your heart and the stubbornness of your will. It will not be because of God. God did not choose for you to die in your sins. It's as Proverbs 11:8 (NIV) says, "The righteous man is rescued from
trouble, and it comes on the wicked instead." God provides a way out so that neither you, nor your beloved son, nor anyone precious to you will die.
And friends, Exodus 12 is all about God's grace and mercy. It shows that God, that is the true God, the living God, our creator, through the death of his firstborn, provides a way of escape for us. To be spared death, the whole community of Israel, each
household, was instructed to take a small male lamb, without blemish or defect, and slaughter it. To be spared death, the blood of the lamb was to be put on the tops and sides of the doorframes of every household, no exceptions.
And in Exodus 12:12-13 (NIV) God says, "On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn-- both men and animals-- and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses
where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt."
I cannot tell you why some people, like Pharaoh, harden their hearts. It's sad. It's angering. It's senseless. We always blame God when there is death or judgment. Exodus 12 is proof that God has chosen to spare us of judgment. Exodus 12 is proof that God has chosen
life, and more abundant life for us!
God provided a way out of our sin.
It's us, with our delusions of grandeur, who choose death. It's us who think we can be saved our own power, and by manipulating God. In the end, like Pharaoh, we only deceive ourselves. The true God, the living God, our creator, willingly shed the
blood of his beloved Son. Unlike Pharoah, God's Son truly was the Son of God. God shed the blood of his beloved firstborn, so that our firstborn would not have to die.
Ephesians 1:7 (NIV) says, "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace, that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding."
Ephesians 2:13 (NIV) says, "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ."
Colossians 1:22 (NIV) says, "But now he (God) has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation..."
We abhor the sight of blood. But God, when he sees us covered by the blood of his beloved Son, allows his judgment to pass over us. He sets us free from condemnation and sin and the power of death. He does not punish us as our sins
deserve. For God, the blood of his Son is enough. There is no greater price you or anyone has to pay, or even can pay, for the escalating costs of your sin.
Hebrews 9:14 (NIV) says, "...the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered hiomself unblemished to God, cleanses our conscience(s) from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!" Hebrews 9:22 (NIV) says, "...without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness."
Friends, it's either your blood or God's, and God would rather it be his blood. That's grace. That's God's final offer. Take it or leave it. Apart from Christ, there is no other provision for sin. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. There is no other provision. Take it or leave it!
Pharaoh didn't take it, but Israel did. And so can you. What will your response of faith be? Will you trust God? Will you be washed and cleansed and covered by his blood, you and your whole household? Will you accept that God broke his body and shed his blood for you? Or will you die?