WEBVTT

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 Morning, church.

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 So I ran across a blog entry the other day titled 22 Little Known Ways to Make a Name

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 for Yourself. On the list were such things as grow the trust, ask the unaskable, avoid

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 the always, court the irrational, and on and on and on. I had to laugh when I read number

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 eight on this list, which was embody the values. Right after number seven, which was eliminate

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 the losers. I wasn't sure at that point what values we were embodying. But anyway, why

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 are we so obsessed with making a name for ourselves? In his book, The City of God, Augustine said

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 that one of the undeniable elements of the human condition is that we have an insatiable love

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 of praise. We want to make a name for ourselves thinking that if we have human praise, if we

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 make our mark, if we make a name for ourselves, we will then be happy. Right?

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 But so often it's the opposite that happens in our pursuit to make a name for ourselves. We end up

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 in our pursuit of our pursuit of our pursuit of our pursuit of our pursuit of our pursuit. We

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 always want more. Why is that? The late David Foster Wallace put it this way in a commencement

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 address he gave at Kenyon College in 2005. It's a bit of a long quote, but I think you'll be able

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 to follow it. He says, in the day-to-day trenches of adult life, there's actually no such thing as

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 atheism. There's no such thing as not worshiping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what

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 to worship. And the compelling reason for maybe choosing some sort of God or spiritual type thing

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 to worship is that pretty much anything else you worship will eat you alive. If you worship money

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 and things, if they are where you tap real meaning in life, then you will never have enough, never feel

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 you have enough. Worship your body and beauty and sexual allure, and you will always feel ugly.

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 And when time and age start showing, you will die a million deaths before they finally grieve you.

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 Worship power. You will end up feeling weak and afraid. You will need ever more power over others

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 to numb you to your own fear. Worship your intellect. Being seen as smart, you'll end up feeling stupid,

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 a fraud, always on the verge of being found out. But the insidious thing, he goes on to say,

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 about these forms of worship is not that they're evil or sinful. It's that they're unconscious.

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 They are default settings.

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 Now Wallace wasn't a Christian,

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 but he's right. Isn't he here?

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 We all worship something,

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 and that thing

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 often crushes us.

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 And isn't the same thing true of our love of praise,

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 worship approval and success,

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 making a name for yourself, and you'll

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 always end up feeling like a failure,

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 that nothing you do matters,

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 that you never measure up, and there's always one more

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 hurdle to get over.

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 Remember,

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 this is our default setting,

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 as fallen human beings.

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 And the question is, is there anything to get us off

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 that default setting?

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 To get us to not worship things,

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 which in the end will destroy us?

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 Again, from that same address,

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 David Foster Wallace goes on to say,

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 the so-called real world

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 will not discourage you

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 from operating on your default settings.

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 Because the so-called real world

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 of men

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 and money

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 and power

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 hums merrily along

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 in a pool of fear

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 and anger

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 and frustration

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 and craving

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 and worship of self.

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 Cynical?

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 Maybe.

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 Maybe not.

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 Maybe not.

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 It seems we have to look somewhere else then,

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 than the so-called real world.

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 And where do we look?

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 Well, this morning,

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 we're going to look at Exodus,

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 chapters 7 through 10.

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 To a biblical text

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 that I think is aimed

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 at nothing less

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 than the utter destruction

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 of our so-called default settings.

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 It's aimed at the realignment

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 of our hearts

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 to that which is truly

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 and alone

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 worthy of worship.

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 So why don't we turn there together?

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 That's page 49

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 in the Pew Bibles.

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 Exodus

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 chapter 7 through 10.

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 Page 49.

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 We're going to look at a big chunk

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 of scripture this morning,

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 so let me encourage you

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 to turn there.

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 Even if you're not

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 super familiar with the Bible,

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 just go to page 49

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 and you'll be able

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 to follow right along.

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 Now, as you turn there,

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 you'll notice,

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 maybe from some of the subject headings,

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 that Exodus chapter 7

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 begins the famous story

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 of the ten plagues.

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 In fact,

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 this section of Exodus

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 begins back in chapter 6

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 with the genealogy of Moses

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 in verse 14.

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 In the ancient world,

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 in ancient texts,

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 genealogies were sort of ways

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 of marking out

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 a new section in the work.

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 It was sort of a signal

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 of a new chapter

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 in the story.

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 You see that in the book of Genesis

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 over and over and over again.

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 Whenever the story

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 takes a new turn,

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 it's introduced by a genealogy.

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 The same thing's happening here

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 in Exodus.

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 This new chapter

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 is starting

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 and this,

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 at last,

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 will be the chapter

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 in this story

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 of how God rescues

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 his people

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 from slavery at last.

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 Here we go.

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 And we're going to take

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 the next three weeks

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 to look at this narrative

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 of the plagues.

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 Next week,

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 we're going to get into

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 the hardening

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 of Pharaoh's heart.

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 Sorry if you were really hoping

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 we'd get into that

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 this morning.

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 You've got to come back

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 next week.

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 Two weeks from now,

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 we're going to look

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 at the Passover,

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 which is the sort of

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 climactic

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 and last

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 tenth plague.

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 But today,

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 what we're going to do

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 is we're going to look

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 at the first nine plagues

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 in chapters 7 through 10

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 as a whole.

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 And we're going to ask

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 the big,

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 overarching question

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 of,

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 what are the plagues

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 all about?

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 Why

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 the plagues?

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 Now,

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 you might be saying

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 to yourself,

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 well,

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 gee,

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 I thought the plagues

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 were all about

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 the Israelites

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 being rescued

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 from their oppressors

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 in Egypt.

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 And that is true.

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 But as we look

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 a little more closely

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 at how this story

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 unfolds,

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 we find that there's

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 an even bigger purpose

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 at work.

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 And it's a purpose

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 that strikes

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 to the very core

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 of our hearts today.

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 A purpose that seeks

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 to conquer

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 those default settings

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 in our hearts

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 of misplaced worship

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 and our love of praise

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 and our obsession

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 of making a name

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 for ourselves.

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 Because you see,

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 the plagues,

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 what the plagues

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 are all about really

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 is God

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 magnifying

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 his name.

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 It's about God

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 making his name

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 great.

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 Turn with me

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 to Exodus 9,

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 verse 13.

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 That's page 51.

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 As I mentioned,

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 the first nine plagues

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 in the story

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 span chapters 7

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 through 10.

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 And we're going to cover

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 as much of that terrain

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 as we can

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 this morning.

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 But I want to begin

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 by giving us

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 a foothold

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 right here

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 in the middle

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 of the story.

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 We're going to jump

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 right into the middle

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 and begin here

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 in Exodus 9,

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 verses 13 through 16.

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 So Exodus 9, 13.

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 This is the beginning

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 of the seventh plague.

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 Then the Lord said

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 to Moses,

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 Rise up early

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 in the morning

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 and present yourself

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 to Pharaoh

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 before Pharaoh

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 and say to him,

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 Thus says the Lord,

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 the God of the Hebrews,

00:08:48.939 --> 00:08:50.279
 Let my people go

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 that they may serve me.

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 For this time

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 I will send

00:08:53.579 --> 00:08:54.279
 all my plagues

00:08:54.279 --> 00:08:55.039
 on you yourself

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 and on your servants

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 and your people

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 so that you may know

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 that there is none

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 like me

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 in all the earth.

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 For by now

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 I could have put out

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 my hand

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 and struck you

00:09:06.360 --> 00:09:06.919
 and your people

00:09:06.919 --> 00:09:07.820
 with pestilence

00:09:07.820 --> 00:09:08.720
 and you would have been

00:09:08.720 --> 00:09:09.740
 cut off from the earth.

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 But for this purpose

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 I have raised you up

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 to show you my power

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 so that my name

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 may be proclaimed

00:09:17.379 --> 00:09:19.000
 in all the earth.

00:09:21.259 --> 00:09:22.300
 It's hard to miss there,

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 isn't it?

00:09:23.519 --> 00:09:24.800
 God does what he does

00:09:24.800 --> 00:09:25.519
 in these chapters

00:09:25.519 --> 00:09:26.539
 so that his name

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 may be proclaimed

00:09:27.480 --> 00:09:28.159
 in all the earth.

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 In other words,

00:09:28.659 --> 00:09:29.139
 for the purpose

00:09:29.139 --> 00:09:30.580
 of making his name great

00:09:30.580 --> 00:09:32.000
 before the whole world.

00:09:32.360 --> 00:09:33.539
 That's the big idea.

00:09:34.980 --> 00:09:35.879
 And that runs

00:09:35.879 --> 00:09:36.720
 like a refrain

00:09:36.720 --> 00:09:37.840
 throughout chapter 7

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 through 10.

00:09:38.340 --> 00:09:38.939
 Let me show you.

00:09:39.039 --> 00:09:40.240
 Let's skip around.

00:09:40.580 --> 00:09:41.879
 Let's take a cross section

00:09:41.879 --> 00:09:43.720
 of this section

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 of scripture.

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 Turn to chapter 7

00:09:46.279 --> 00:09:47.080
 verse 5.

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 If you're new

00:09:49.519 --> 00:09:49.899
 to the Bible,

00:09:50.000 --> 00:09:50.340
 by the way,

00:09:50.439 --> 00:09:51.639
 the big numbers

00:09:51.639 --> 00:09:52.299
 are the chapters

00:09:52.299 --> 00:09:53.580
 and the small numbers

00:09:53.580 --> 00:09:54.279
 are the verses.

00:09:55.279 --> 00:09:57.059
 Exodus 7 verse 5.

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 Let me read.

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 We're going to jump

00:09:58.580 --> 00:09:59.379
 through these pretty quickly.

00:09:59.379 --> 00:09:59.980
 The Egyptians

00:09:59.980 --> 00:10:00.759
 shall know

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 that I am the Lord.

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 There it is.

00:10:03.700 --> 00:10:04.720
 When I stretch out

00:10:04.720 --> 00:10:05.820
 my hand against Egypt

00:10:05.820 --> 00:10:06.520
 and bring out

00:10:06.520 --> 00:10:07.280
 the people of Israel

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 from among them.

00:10:09.040 --> 00:10:10.620
 Exodus 7 verse 17.

00:10:12.820 --> 00:10:13.660
 Thus says the Lord,

00:10:13.740 --> 00:10:15.100
 by this you shall know

00:10:15.100 --> 00:10:17.040
 that I am the Lord.

00:10:17.740 --> 00:10:18.040
 Behold,

00:10:18.120 --> 00:10:18.680
 with the staff

00:10:18.680 --> 00:10:19.420
 that is in my hand

00:10:19.420 --> 00:10:20.520
 I will strike the water

00:10:20.520 --> 00:10:21.220
 that is in the Nile

00:10:21.220 --> 00:10:22.280
 and it shall turn into blood.

00:10:23.920 --> 00:10:25.120
 Exodus 8 verse 10.

00:10:26.560 --> 00:10:27.180
 Pharaoh says,

00:10:27.259 --> 00:10:27.560
 tomorrow.

00:10:28.220 --> 00:10:28.940
 And Moses says,

00:10:29.520 --> 00:10:30.520
 be it as you say.

00:10:30.640 --> 00:10:30.860
 Why?

00:10:31.060 --> 00:10:32.020
 So that you may know

00:10:32.019 --> 00:10:33.120
 that there is no one

00:10:33.120 --> 00:10:34.240
 like the Lord our God.

00:10:35.379 --> 00:10:36.379
 Exodus 8 verse 22.

00:10:36.579 --> 00:10:37.120
 Look at the end

00:10:37.120 --> 00:10:37.799
 of that verse.

00:10:39.100 --> 00:10:40.079
 That you may know

00:10:40.079 --> 00:10:40.899
 that I am the Lord

00:10:40.899 --> 00:10:41.779
 in the midst of the earth.

00:10:41.860 --> 00:10:42.679
 We saw it twice

00:10:42.679 --> 00:10:45.439
 in chapter 9 verses 13 through 16.

00:10:45.699 --> 00:10:47.379
 But turn to Exodus 10 too.

00:10:52.240 --> 00:10:53.139
 Here God's speaking

00:10:53.139 --> 00:10:53.819
 to the Israelites.

00:10:55.259 --> 00:10:56.720
 So that you may tell

00:10:56.720 --> 00:10:58.059
 in the hearing of your son

00:10:58.059 --> 00:10:59.019
 and of your grandson

00:10:59.019 --> 00:11:00.759
 how I've dealt harshly

00:11:00.759 --> 00:11:01.360
 with the Egyptians

00:11:01.360 --> 00:11:02.220
 and what signs

00:11:02.220 --> 00:11:03.360
 I have done among them

00:11:03.360 --> 00:11:04.860
 that you may know

00:11:04.860 --> 00:11:06.340
 that I am the Lord.

00:11:08.340 --> 00:11:09.659
 The plagues are about God

00:11:09.659 --> 00:11:10.679
 making himself known

00:11:10.679 --> 00:11:12.080
 and magnifying his name.

00:11:13.480 --> 00:11:14.360
 But how does God

00:11:14.360 --> 00:11:15.200
 go about doing that?

00:11:15.860 --> 00:11:17.319
 How does he magnify his name

00:11:17.319 --> 00:11:18.139
 that we might know

00:11:18.139 --> 00:11:19.439
 that he alone is the Lord?

00:11:20.480 --> 00:11:21.659
 Well, as the plagues progress

00:11:21.659 --> 00:11:23.840
 we see how God does that.

00:11:24.559 --> 00:11:25.399
 And that's what we're going

00:11:25.399 --> 00:11:26.939
 to try to unpack this morning.

00:11:27.659 --> 00:11:28.480
 And the first thing

00:11:28.480 --> 00:11:29.440
 that we see is that God

00:11:29.440 --> 00:11:30.720
 magnifies his name

00:11:30.720 --> 00:11:31.320
 in judgment.

00:11:31.920 --> 00:11:32.940
 This is our first point.

00:11:34.180 --> 00:11:34.820
 Turn back again

00:11:34.820 --> 00:11:35.519
 to chapter 7.

00:11:36.080 --> 00:11:37.019
 Kind of start at the beginning.

00:11:38.539 --> 00:11:39.220
 In the beginning

00:11:39.220 --> 00:11:39.860
 of this chapter

00:11:39.860 --> 00:11:41.220
 God recommissions Moses

00:11:41.220 --> 00:11:42.360
 after the disappointment

00:11:42.360 --> 00:11:43.259
 and discouragement

00:11:43.259 --> 00:11:44.580
 of chapters 5 and 6.

00:11:45.159 --> 00:11:46.460
 Then in verses 8 through 13

00:11:46.460 --> 00:11:47.200
 Moses and Aaron

00:11:47.200 --> 00:11:49.340
 perform a preliminary sign

00:11:49.340 --> 00:11:50.100
 before Pharaoh.

00:11:50.320 --> 00:11:51.080
 Aaron's staff

00:11:51.080 --> 00:11:52.440
 turns into a fearsome snake,

00:11:52.519 --> 00:11:53.300
 a fearsome serpent

00:11:53.300 --> 00:11:54.620
 and ends up swallowing

00:11:54.620 --> 00:11:54.940
 the staffs

00:11:55.539 --> 00:11:56.740
 of Pharaoh's magicians

00:11:56.740 --> 00:11:57.820
 which is a bit of a preview

00:11:57.820 --> 00:11:58.779
 of what's to come.

00:12:00.840 --> 00:12:02.000
 And then in verse 14

00:12:02.000 --> 00:12:02.740
 the plagues begin.

00:12:03.639 --> 00:12:04.879
 And in order to understand

00:12:04.879 --> 00:12:05.700
 sort of the meaning

00:12:05.700 --> 00:12:06.299
 of the plagues

00:12:06.299 --> 00:12:07.700
 and how they sort of unfold

00:12:07.700 --> 00:12:08.620
 this theme of God

00:12:08.620 --> 00:12:09.580
 magnifying his name

00:12:09.580 --> 00:12:10.259
 I think it's helpful

00:12:10.259 --> 00:12:11.940
 to see that the way

00:12:11.940 --> 00:12:13.360
 in which the biblical author

00:12:13.360 --> 00:12:14.659
 has structured this account

00:12:14.659 --> 00:12:16.060
 is that the first nine plagues

00:12:16.060 --> 00:12:17.419
 kind of come at us

00:12:17.419 --> 00:12:19.360
 in three sets of three.

00:12:20.480 --> 00:12:21.779
 The blood and frogs

00:12:21.779 --> 00:12:22.340
 and gnats

00:12:22.340 --> 00:12:23.539
 are sort of one cycle

00:12:23.539 --> 00:12:24.960
 and then the flies

00:12:24.960 --> 00:12:26.200
 and the livestock plague

00:12:26.200 --> 00:12:26.700
 and the boils

00:12:26.700 --> 00:12:27.980
 are sort of a second cycle

00:12:27.980 --> 00:12:29.160
 and then lastly

00:12:29.160 --> 00:12:29.740
 the hail

00:12:29.740 --> 00:12:30.600
 and the locust

00:12:30.600 --> 00:12:31.259
 and the darkness

00:12:31.259 --> 00:12:33.340
 are kind of the last cycle.

00:12:34.140 --> 00:12:35.620
 And where do we get that?

00:12:36.040 --> 00:12:36.720
 Where do we see that?

00:12:36.780 --> 00:12:37.160
 Well actually

00:12:37.160 --> 00:12:37.900
 the literary structure

00:12:37.900 --> 00:12:38.759
 is pretty clear

00:12:38.759 --> 00:12:40.040
 once you see it.

00:12:40.379 --> 00:12:41.379
 Again let's fly over

00:12:41.379 --> 00:12:42.259
 the passage together

00:12:42.259 --> 00:12:43.240
 and notice a pattern

00:12:43.240 --> 00:12:44.300
 that starts to emerge.

00:12:44.980 --> 00:12:45.640
 We're going to look at

00:12:45.640 --> 00:12:46.640
 plagues 1, 2, and 3

00:12:46.640 --> 00:12:47.040
 real quick

00:12:47.040 --> 00:12:47.820
 just at the beginning

00:12:47.820 --> 00:12:48.700
 of each of the plagues.

00:12:48.820 --> 00:12:49.259
 You can probably

00:12:49.259 --> 00:12:49.900
 just follow along

00:12:49.900 --> 00:12:51.340
 by looking at the subject headings

00:12:51.340 --> 00:12:52.460
 in your ESV.

00:12:53.100 --> 00:12:53.960
 Look at 7.15

00:12:53.960 --> 00:12:54.340
 the beginning

00:12:54.340 --> 00:12:55.160
 of the first plague.

00:12:55.159 --> 00:12:56.600
 How does God describe it?

00:12:56.799 --> 00:12:57.559
 He says 7.15

00:12:57.559 --> 00:12:58.519
 Go out to Pharaoh

00:12:58.519 --> 00:12:59.159
 in the morning

00:12:59.159 --> 00:13:00.079
 as he goes out

00:13:00.079 --> 00:13:00.600
 to the water.

00:13:01.159 --> 00:13:01.779
 Now jump down

00:13:01.779 --> 00:13:02.360
 to 8.1

00:13:02.360 --> 00:13:03.179
 the next plague.

00:13:04.039 --> 00:13:04.879
 The Lord said to Moses

00:13:04.879 --> 00:13:05.939
 go into Pharaoh.

00:13:06.980 --> 00:13:08.240
 Now go to the third plague

00:13:08.240 --> 00:13:08.759
 8.16

00:13:08.759 --> 00:13:10.659
 and there's no warning at all.

00:13:12.059 --> 00:13:12.639
 Go out

00:13:12.639 --> 00:13:13.240
 to Pharaoh

00:13:13.240 --> 00:13:13.740
 in the morning

00:13:13.740 --> 00:13:15.319
 go into Pharaoh

00:13:15.319 --> 00:13:16.519
 no warning.

00:13:17.639 --> 00:13:18.839
 Now watch that same pattern

00:13:18.839 --> 00:13:19.539
 happen again

00:13:19.539 --> 00:13:21.019
 in plagues 4, 5, and 6.

00:13:21.220 --> 00:13:21.699
 8.20

00:13:21.699 --> 00:13:22.659
 Rise up early

00:13:22.659 --> 00:13:23.059
 in the morning

00:13:23.059 --> 00:13:23.759
 present yourself

00:13:23.759 --> 00:13:24.119
 to Pharaoh

00:13:24.119 --> 00:13:24.659
 as he goes out

00:13:24.659 --> 00:13:25.139
 to the water.

00:13:25.239 --> 00:13:26.059
 Oh that sounds familiar.

00:13:27.259 --> 00:13:27.839
 Plague 5

00:13:27.839 --> 00:13:28.679
 then the Lord said

00:13:28.679 --> 00:13:28.939
 to Moses

00:13:28.939 --> 00:13:29.819
 go into Pharaoh.

00:13:30.379 --> 00:13:30.979
 Plague 6

00:13:30.979 --> 00:13:31.799
 9.8

00:13:31.799 --> 00:13:32.859
 no warning.

00:13:33.899 --> 00:13:34.219
 And again

00:13:34.219 --> 00:13:35.179
 the same thing happens

00:13:35.179 --> 00:13:36.659
 for plagues 7, 8, and 9.

00:13:37.419 --> 00:13:38.219
 Go out to Pharaoh

00:13:38.219 --> 00:13:38.739
 in the morning

00:13:38.739 --> 00:13:41.039
 go into Pharaoh

00:13:41.039 --> 00:13:42.559
 and then the last one

00:13:42.559 --> 00:13:43.459
 comes without a warning.

00:13:44.619 --> 00:13:45.579
 You see those are signals

00:13:45.579 --> 00:13:46.879
 that the biblical author

00:13:46.879 --> 00:13:47.599
 is giving us

00:13:47.599 --> 00:13:48.979
 so that we can understand

00:13:48.979 --> 00:13:49.719
 how this thing

00:13:49.719 --> 00:13:50.359
 is unfolding.

00:13:50.360 --> 00:13:52.860
 And once you see

00:13:52.860 --> 00:13:53.980
 that threefold structure

00:13:53.980 --> 00:13:55.639
 you begin to realize

00:13:55.639 --> 00:13:56.480
 that each cycle

00:13:56.480 --> 00:13:57.139
 of three

00:13:57.139 --> 00:13:58.220
 brings out

00:13:58.220 --> 00:13:59.060
 a different element

00:13:59.060 --> 00:14:00.539
 of God magnifying

00:14:00.539 --> 00:14:01.080
 his name.

00:14:01.300 --> 00:14:02.039
 Each one

00:14:02.039 --> 00:14:02.860
 building

00:14:02.860 --> 00:14:04.180
 on the last.

00:14:06.080 --> 00:14:07.180
 And as this first cycle

00:14:07.180 --> 00:14:08.480
 kind of breaks upon us

00:14:08.480 --> 00:14:09.180
 as we've said

00:14:09.180 --> 00:14:11.060
 God shows us

00:14:11.060 --> 00:14:11.879
 that he's magnifying

00:14:11.879 --> 00:14:12.279
 his name

00:14:12.279 --> 00:14:12.779
 in judgment.

00:14:15.120 --> 00:14:15.740
 You see

00:14:15.740 --> 00:14:16.519
 when God

00:14:16.519 --> 00:14:17.180
 through Moses

00:14:17.180 --> 00:14:18.379
 turns the Nile

00:14:18.379 --> 00:14:19.340
 into blood

00:14:19.340 --> 00:14:21.059
 in verse 7, 14

00:14:21.059 --> 00:14:21.659
 and following

00:14:21.659 --> 00:14:23.539
 he's not just

00:14:23.539 --> 00:14:24.000
 sort of doing

00:14:24.000 --> 00:14:24.559
 a random

00:14:24.559 --> 00:14:26.480
 act of power

00:14:26.480 --> 00:14:27.059
 it's not sort of

00:14:27.059 --> 00:14:27.919
 a large scale

00:14:27.919 --> 00:14:28.899
 party trick.

00:14:29.779 --> 00:14:30.059
 Ha ha!

00:14:32.059 --> 00:14:32.580
 You see

00:14:32.580 --> 00:14:33.159
 for the Egyptians

00:14:33.159 --> 00:14:33.919
 the Nile

00:14:33.919 --> 00:14:35.799
 as Greg mentioned

00:14:35.799 --> 00:14:36.360
 a few weeks ago

00:14:36.360 --> 00:14:36.879
 was worshipped

00:14:36.879 --> 00:14:37.419
 as a God.

00:14:38.519 --> 00:14:39.860
 It was their life source.

00:14:41.360 --> 00:14:42.379
 So right from the start

00:14:42.379 --> 00:14:44.679
 God is enacting

00:14:44.679 --> 00:14:45.120
 a judgment

00:14:45.120 --> 00:14:46.539
 on the so called

00:14:46.539 --> 00:14:47.419
 gods of Egypt.

00:14:48.379 --> 00:14:49.460
 Proving

00:14:49.460 --> 00:14:49.919
 that they are

00:14:49.919 --> 00:14:50.919
 no gods at all

00:14:50.919 --> 00:14:51.899
 but that they are

00:14:51.899 --> 00:14:52.559
 mere idols.

00:14:53.779 --> 00:14:54.419
 And that the one

00:14:54.419 --> 00:14:55.759
 who really controls

00:14:55.759 --> 00:14:57.240
 the life source

00:14:57.240 --> 00:14:58.340
 of this people

00:14:58.340 --> 00:14:59.379
 and all peoples

00:14:59.379 --> 00:15:00.740
 is the God

00:15:00.740 --> 00:15:01.299
 of the Hebrews

00:15:01.299 --> 00:15:01.840
 the Lord.

00:15:04.340 --> 00:15:05.480
 But just when things

00:15:05.480 --> 00:15:06.299
 start to get off

00:15:06.299 --> 00:15:06.899
 the ground

00:15:06.899 --> 00:15:08.799
 Pharaoh's magicians

00:15:08.799 --> 00:15:09.639
 enter the scene

00:15:09.639 --> 00:15:10.340
 again.

00:15:11.240 --> 00:15:12.080
 And they too

00:15:12.080 --> 00:15:12.679
 it seems

00:15:12.679 --> 00:15:14.519
 can turn water

00:15:14.519 --> 00:15:14.919
 to blood

00:15:14.919 --> 00:15:16.080
 by their secret arts.

00:15:16.080 --> 00:15:18.580
 and so the battle

00:15:18.580 --> 00:15:19.060
 is on.

00:15:20.480 --> 00:15:21.120
 Round one

00:15:21.120 --> 00:15:22.900
 seems to be a tie.

00:15:24.440 --> 00:15:25.639
 What about round two?

00:15:26.440 --> 00:15:27.259
 God unleashes

00:15:27.259 --> 00:15:28.480
 hordes of frogs

00:15:28.480 --> 00:15:29.139
 from the Nile

00:15:29.139 --> 00:15:30.680
 so many

00:15:30.680 --> 00:15:31.240
 that they begin

00:15:31.240 --> 00:15:31.960
 to infest

00:15:31.960 --> 00:15:32.720
 the cookware

00:15:32.720 --> 00:15:33.900
 the ovens

00:15:33.900 --> 00:15:34.800
 the beds.

00:15:35.800 --> 00:15:36.360
 Imagine that

00:15:36.360 --> 00:15:37.340
 crawling into bed

00:15:37.340 --> 00:15:37.700
 at night

00:15:37.700 --> 00:15:38.480
 finding nothing

00:15:38.480 --> 00:15:39.100
 but frogs.

00:15:39.100 --> 00:15:41.980
 In Australia

00:15:41.980 --> 00:15:42.500
 actually

00:15:42.500 --> 00:15:43.100
 there are things

00:15:43.100 --> 00:15:44.420
 called cane toads

00:15:44.420 --> 00:15:45.659
 which are giant

00:15:45.659 --> 00:15:46.460
 they're like this big

00:15:46.460 --> 00:15:47.159
 they're disgusting.

00:15:48.240 --> 00:15:48.420
 Rhys

00:15:48.420 --> 00:15:48.800
 you know what I'm

00:15:48.800 --> 00:15:49.300
 talking about.

00:15:50.800 --> 00:15:51.980
 And they're everywhere.

00:15:53.920 --> 00:15:54.779
 Imagine that

00:15:54.779 --> 00:15:55.700
 opening up

00:15:55.700 --> 00:15:56.120
 your pot

00:15:56.120 --> 00:15:56.580
 to cook

00:15:56.580 --> 00:15:57.100
 and out

00:15:57.100 --> 00:15:57.779
 jumps a frog.

00:16:00.019 --> 00:16:01.080
 But the magicians

00:16:01.080 --> 00:16:01.600
 step up

00:16:01.600 --> 00:16:03.300
 and they too

00:16:03.300 --> 00:16:03.860
 it seems

00:16:03.860 --> 00:16:05.379
 can make frogs

00:16:05.379 --> 00:16:05.800
 appear.

00:16:05.799 --> 00:16:08.099
 But it's a bit

00:16:08.099 --> 00:16:08.539
 of an irony

00:16:08.539 --> 00:16:09.000
 isn't it?

00:16:09.059 --> 00:16:09.599
 This is only

00:16:09.599 --> 00:16:10.399
 a sort of

00:16:10.399 --> 00:16:11.299
 partial victory

00:16:11.299 --> 00:16:12.019
 for the magicians

00:16:12.019 --> 00:16:12.319
 because

00:16:12.319 --> 00:16:12.599
 haha

00:16:12.599 --> 00:16:13.579
 they can make

00:16:13.579 --> 00:16:14.379
 the frogs appear

00:16:14.379 --> 00:16:15.620
 and yet

00:16:15.620 --> 00:16:16.500
 that's not really

00:16:16.500 --> 00:16:16.939
 the problem

00:16:16.939 --> 00:16:17.279
 is it?

00:16:17.359 --> 00:16:18.039
 We want the frogs

00:16:18.039 --> 00:16:18.639
 to go away.

00:16:21.139 --> 00:16:21.659
 So

00:16:21.659 --> 00:16:22.659
 Pharaoh

00:16:22.659 --> 00:16:23.459
 wisely

00:16:23.459 --> 00:16:24.639
 appeals to Moses

00:16:24.639 --> 00:16:26.740
 and he seems

00:16:26.740 --> 00:16:27.479
 to concede

00:16:27.479 --> 00:16:28.659
 okay Moses

00:16:28.659 --> 00:16:29.199
 fine

00:16:29.199 --> 00:16:30.659
 you win.

00:16:30.659 --> 00:16:32.779
 but as soon

00:16:32.779 --> 00:16:33.219
 as the Lord

00:16:33.219 --> 00:16:34.319
 removes the frogs

00:16:34.319 --> 00:16:35.500
 Pharaoh

00:16:35.500 --> 00:16:36.419
 hardens his heart

00:16:36.419 --> 00:16:38.259
 and refuses

00:16:38.259 --> 00:16:38.899
 to let the people

00:16:38.899 --> 00:16:39.279
 go.

00:16:41.439 --> 00:16:42.259
 Then comes

00:16:42.259 --> 00:16:42.839
 round three

00:16:42.839 --> 00:16:44.679
 and this time

00:16:44.679 --> 00:16:46.240
 there's no warning

00:16:46.240 --> 00:16:47.480
 and there's

00:16:47.480 --> 00:16:48.339
 no contest.

00:16:49.579 --> 00:16:49.799
 Aaron

00:16:49.799 --> 00:16:50.980
 strikes the dust

00:16:50.980 --> 00:16:51.539
 of the earth

00:16:51.539 --> 00:16:52.719
 and as the dust

00:16:52.719 --> 00:16:53.679
 rises from the

00:16:53.679 --> 00:16:54.319
 strike of his

00:16:54.319 --> 00:16:54.819
 staff

00:16:54.819 --> 00:16:56.100
 suddenly gnats

00:16:56.100 --> 00:16:56.679
 mosquitoes

00:16:56.679 --> 00:16:57.759
 begin to rise

00:16:57.759 --> 00:16:58.860
 and sweep

00:16:58.860 --> 00:16:59.600
 over the land.

00:16:59.600 --> 00:17:01.480
 and the magicians

00:17:01.480 --> 00:17:02.860
 try to do the same

00:17:02.860 --> 00:17:04.980
 and yet

00:17:04.980 --> 00:17:05.839
 they are bested

00:17:05.839 --> 00:17:08.120
 and in 819

00:17:08.120 --> 00:17:08.980
 the magicians

00:17:08.980 --> 00:17:10.380
 admit defeat.

00:17:11.440 --> 00:17:12.220
 This is the

00:17:12.220 --> 00:17:12.940
 finger of God

00:17:12.940 --> 00:17:13.440
 they say.

00:17:17.660 --> 00:17:18.380
 But you see

00:17:18.380 --> 00:17:18.920
 this contest

00:17:18.920 --> 00:17:19.880
 is about more

00:17:19.880 --> 00:17:21.579
 than God

00:17:21.579 --> 00:17:22.660
 foiling

00:17:22.660 --> 00:17:24.160
 some ancient

00:17:24.160 --> 00:17:24.799
 magicians.

00:17:26.680 --> 00:17:27.460
 This is a

00:17:27.460 --> 00:17:28.140
 contest

00:17:28.140 --> 00:17:30.000
 about who

00:17:30.000 --> 00:17:31.280
 controls

00:17:31.280 --> 00:17:32.340
 creation.

00:17:33.400 --> 00:17:33.960
 Who

00:17:33.960 --> 00:17:34.900
 is the

00:17:34.900 --> 00:17:35.360
 rightful

00:17:35.360 --> 00:17:36.060
 authority?

00:17:36.940 --> 00:17:37.480
 The gods

00:17:37.480 --> 00:17:37.980
 of Egypt

00:17:37.980 --> 00:17:39.360
 or the

00:17:39.360 --> 00:17:39.759
 one true

00:17:39.759 --> 00:17:40.520
 God of Israel?

00:17:41.480 --> 00:17:41.880
 Pharaoh

00:17:41.880 --> 00:17:42.340
 and his

00:17:42.340 --> 00:17:43.080
 magicians

00:17:43.080 --> 00:17:44.740
 or the

00:17:44.740 --> 00:17:45.060
 Lord?

00:17:47.259 --> 00:17:48.040
 And as the

00:17:48.040 --> 00:17:48.320
 Nile

00:17:48.320 --> 00:17:48.820
 runs with

00:17:48.820 --> 00:17:49.300
 blood

00:17:49.300 --> 00:17:50.640
 and as the

00:17:50.640 --> 00:17:51.200
 piles of

00:17:51.200 --> 00:17:51.900
 dead frogs

00:17:51.900 --> 00:17:52.640
 fill the land

00:17:52.640 --> 00:17:52.940
 with their

00:17:52.940 --> 00:17:53.920
 horrible smell

00:17:53.920 --> 00:17:54.860
 and as the

00:17:54.860 --> 00:17:55.580
 gnats fill

00:17:55.580 --> 00:17:56.120
 the air

00:17:56.120 --> 00:17:57.600
 God is

00:17:57.600 --> 00:17:57.980
 giving them

00:17:57.980 --> 00:17:58.700
 a clear

00:17:58.700 --> 00:17:59.920
 uncomfortable

00:17:59.920 --> 00:18:00.740
 sign

00:18:00.740 --> 00:18:02.160
 that he

00:18:02.160 --> 00:18:03.039
 is the

00:18:03.039 --> 00:18:03.400
 Lord

00:18:03.400 --> 00:18:04.380
 of creation

00:18:04.380 --> 00:18:05.519
 and not

00:18:05.519 --> 00:18:05.860
 them.

00:18:10.180 --> 00:18:11.080
 And as the

00:18:11.080 --> 00:18:12.000
 cycles continue

00:18:12.000 --> 00:18:13.840
 the plagues

00:18:13.840 --> 00:18:14.960
 intensify

00:18:14.960 --> 00:18:16.080
 in severity.

00:18:17.200 --> 00:18:17.940
 You know

00:18:17.940 --> 00:18:18.820
 this first cycle

00:18:18.820 --> 00:18:19.740
 is kind of gross

00:18:19.740 --> 00:18:20.500
 as it might be

00:18:20.500 --> 00:18:21.340
 blood

00:18:21.339 --> 00:18:22.139
 and frogs

00:18:22.139 --> 00:18:23.039
 and irritating

00:18:23.039 --> 00:18:23.699
 as it might

00:18:23.699 --> 00:18:24.519
 be with gnats

00:18:24.519 --> 00:18:25.259
 not necessarily

00:18:25.259 --> 00:18:25.579
 the most

00:18:25.579 --> 00:18:26.119
 hygienic

00:18:26.119 --> 00:18:26.679
 situation.

00:18:28.039 --> 00:18:28.679
 It's a bit

00:18:28.679 --> 00:18:29.119
 unfortunate

00:18:29.119 --> 00:18:29.500
 it's a bit

00:18:29.500 --> 00:18:29.959
 uncomfortable.

00:18:31.359 --> 00:18:32.199
 But then comes

00:18:32.199 --> 00:18:32.559
 the second

00:18:32.559 --> 00:18:33.019
 cycle

00:18:33.019 --> 00:18:34.559
 and flies

00:18:34.559 --> 00:18:35.099
 will swarm

00:18:35.099 --> 00:18:35.699
 their houses

00:18:35.699 --> 00:18:36.199
 and ruin

00:18:36.199 --> 00:18:36.799
 their land

00:18:36.799 --> 00:18:37.419
 and a severe

00:18:37.419 --> 00:18:38.159
 plague will

00:18:38.159 --> 00:18:38.679
 kill the

00:18:38.679 --> 00:18:39.099
 livestock

00:18:39.099 --> 00:18:41.139
 which is a bit

00:18:41.139 --> 00:18:41.720
 like your

00:18:41.720 --> 00:18:43.279
 401k losing

00:18:43.279 --> 00:18:44.199
 50, 60,

00:18:44.399 --> 00:18:45.220
 70 percent.

00:18:45.220 --> 00:18:47.980
 And then

00:18:47.980 --> 00:18:48.400
 finally

00:18:48.400 --> 00:18:48.980
 soot from

00:18:48.980 --> 00:18:49.539
 a kiln

00:18:49.539 --> 00:18:51.420
 will again

00:18:51.420 --> 00:18:52.079
 sweep

00:18:52.079 --> 00:18:52.600
 through the

00:18:52.600 --> 00:18:52.920
 land

00:18:52.920 --> 00:18:53.259
 and this

00:18:53.259 --> 00:18:53.539
 time

00:18:53.539 --> 00:18:54.059
 not just

00:18:54.059 --> 00:18:54.600
 irritating

00:18:54.600 --> 00:18:55.100
 gnats

00:18:55.100 --> 00:18:55.380
 that you

00:18:55.380 --> 00:18:56.019
 need to

00:18:56.019 --> 00:18:56.799
 flick away

00:18:56.799 --> 00:18:57.920
 but boils

00:18:57.920 --> 00:18:58.299
 on the

00:18:58.299 --> 00:18:58.620
 skin.

00:19:00.200 --> 00:19:00.460
 And the

00:19:00.460 --> 00:19:00.839
 magicians

00:19:00.839 --> 00:19:01.079
 at the

00:19:01.079 --> 00:19:01.319
 end of

00:19:01.319 --> 00:19:01.559
 plague

00:19:01.559 --> 00:19:02.039
 six

00:19:02.039 --> 00:19:02.640
 at the

00:19:02.640 --> 00:19:02.860
 end of

00:19:02.860 --> 00:19:03.220
 the second

00:19:03.220 --> 00:19:03.680
 cycle

00:19:03.680 --> 00:19:05.039
 now can't

00:19:05.039 --> 00:19:05.740
 even stand

00:19:05.740 --> 00:19:06.559
 before Moses

00:19:06.559 --> 00:19:07.240
 because they're

00:19:07.240 --> 00:19:07.920
 so sorely

00:19:07.920 --> 00:19:08.539
 afflicted.

00:19:11.680 --> 00:19:12.440
 But then

00:19:12.440 --> 00:19:12.920
 the severity

00:19:12.920 --> 00:19:13.660
 increases even

00:19:13.660 --> 00:19:14.319
 more with the

00:19:14.319 --> 00:19:14.920
 final cycle

00:19:14.920 --> 00:19:15.360
 of three.

00:19:15.940 --> 00:19:16.340
 Hail

00:19:16.340 --> 00:19:17.519
 and locusts

00:19:17.519 --> 00:19:18.100
 and darkness

00:19:18.100 --> 00:19:18.500
 what was

00:19:18.500 --> 00:19:19.320
 painful and

00:19:19.320 --> 00:19:19.960
 costly in

00:19:19.960 --> 00:19:20.279
 the second

00:19:20.279 --> 00:19:20.700
 cycle

00:19:20.700 --> 00:19:21.660
 has now

00:19:21.660 --> 00:19:22.120
 become

00:19:22.120 --> 00:19:22.980
 utterly

00:19:22.980 --> 00:19:24.120
 devastating.

00:19:25.460 --> 00:19:26.340
 By the

00:19:26.340 --> 00:19:26.620
 end of

00:19:26.620 --> 00:19:26.940
 the ninth

00:19:26.940 --> 00:19:27.460
 plague

00:19:27.460 --> 00:19:28.600
 there'll

00:19:28.600 --> 00:19:29.019
 be nothing

00:19:29.019 --> 00:19:29.519
 left

00:19:29.519 --> 00:19:30.800
 in Egypt

00:19:30.800 --> 00:19:31.660
 of value.

00:19:32.580 --> 00:19:33.519
 It's all

00:19:33.519 --> 00:19:33.840
 gone.

00:19:36.560 --> 00:19:37.420
 And you

00:19:37.420 --> 00:19:37.920
 see what's

00:19:37.920 --> 00:19:38.380
 happening

00:19:38.380 --> 00:19:39.320
 across these

00:19:39.320 --> 00:19:39.800
 plagues.

00:19:40.860 --> 00:19:41.640
 Again

00:19:41.640 --> 00:19:42.060
 they're not

00:19:42.060 --> 00:19:42.779
 mere random

00:19:42.779 --> 00:19:43.660
 displays of

00:19:43.660 --> 00:19:44.140
 power.

00:19:44.140 --> 00:19:45.420
 this is the

00:19:45.420 --> 00:19:46.580
 creator God

00:19:46.580 --> 00:19:48.480
 exercising his

00:19:48.480 --> 00:19:49.100
 judgment

00:19:49.100 --> 00:19:50.080
 on a

00:19:50.080 --> 00:19:50.780
 rebellious

00:19:50.780 --> 00:19:51.300
 people

00:19:51.300 --> 00:19:52.440
 in an

00:19:52.440 --> 00:19:53.320
 unfolding

00:19:53.320 --> 00:19:54.100
 act

00:19:54.100 --> 00:19:54.660
 of

00:19:54.660 --> 00:19:56.060
 un-creation.

00:19:57.100 --> 00:19:57.700
 That the

00:19:57.700 --> 00:19:58.580
 one who

00:19:58.580 --> 00:19:59.060
 brought

00:19:59.060 --> 00:19:59.700
 creation

00:19:59.700 --> 00:20:00.880
 into being

00:20:00.880 --> 00:20:02.300
 is now

00:20:02.300 --> 00:20:03.320
 letting it

00:20:03.320 --> 00:20:04.140
 fall apart.

00:20:05.880 --> 00:20:07.040
 Piece by

00:20:07.040 --> 00:20:07.500
 piece

00:20:07.500 --> 00:20:08.900
 layer by

00:20:08.900 --> 00:20:09.300
 layer

00:20:09.300 --> 00:20:10.420
 the land

00:20:10.420 --> 00:20:10.779
 of Egypt

00:20:10.779 --> 00:20:11.660
 is reverting

00:20:11.660 --> 00:20:13.140
 to chaos.

00:20:13.720 --> 00:20:13.840
 The

00:20:13.840 --> 00:20:14.320
 created

00:20:14.320 --> 00:20:14.960
 order is

00:20:14.960 --> 00:20:15.320
 coming

00:20:15.320 --> 00:20:16.640
 unraveled.

00:20:18.160 --> 00:20:18.840
 Frogs

00:20:18.840 --> 00:20:19.600
 don't stay

00:20:19.600 --> 00:20:19.920
 where they're

00:20:19.920 --> 00:20:20.400
 supposed to

00:20:20.400 --> 00:20:20.779
 stay.

00:20:21.660 --> 00:20:21.960
 Hail

00:20:21.960 --> 00:20:22.500
 isn't the

00:20:22.500 --> 00:20:23.120
 size it's

00:20:23.120 --> 00:20:23.720
 supposed to

00:20:23.720 --> 00:20:23.960
 be.

00:20:26.900 --> 00:20:27.700
 And with

00:20:27.700 --> 00:20:28.080
 each new

00:20:28.080 --> 00:20:28.640
 cycle the

00:20:28.640 --> 00:20:28.920
 breakdown

00:20:28.920 --> 00:20:29.560
 deepens.

00:20:29.759 --> 00:20:30.160
 Order in

00:20:30.160 --> 00:20:30.640
 life is

00:20:30.640 --> 00:20:31.300
 stripped away

00:20:31.300 --> 00:20:32.220
 until the

00:20:32.220 --> 00:20:32.940
 ninth plague

00:20:32.940 --> 00:20:34.460
 ends in

00:20:34.460 --> 00:20:34.860
 total

00:20:34.860 --> 00:20:35.300
 darkness.

00:20:35.299 --> 00:20:35.419
 darkness.

00:20:37.240 --> 00:20:38.019
 Do you

00:20:38.019 --> 00:20:38.319
 remember the

00:20:38.319 --> 00:20:39.119
 creation week

00:20:39.119 --> 00:20:39.899
 of Genesis

00:20:39.899 --> 00:20:40.399
 1?

00:20:41.119 --> 00:20:42.000
 Begins with

00:20:42.000 --> 00:20:42.220
 what?

00:20:42.299 --> 00:20:42.799
 The creation

00:20:42.799 --> 00:20:43.339
 of light.

00:20:44.720 --> 00:20:45.799
 And now

00:20:45.799 --> 00:20:46.319
 it's as if

00:20:46.319 --> 00:20:46.980
 creation has

00:20:46.980 --> 00:20:47.519
 completely

00:20:47.519 --> 00:20:48.259
 rewound

00:20:48.259 --> 00:20:49.779
 into darkness.

00:20:50.500 --> 00:20:51.240
 The light

00:20:51.240 --> 00:20:51.519
 is made

00:20:51.519 --> 00:20:53.139
 black and

00:20:53.139 --> 00:20:53.980
 the un-creation

00:20:53.980 --> 00:20:55.319
 is complete.

00:20:59.339 --> 00:21:00.299
 And all

00:21:00.299 --> 00:21:00.919
 this Exodus

00:21:00.919 --> 00:21:01.500
 tells us

00:21:01.500 --> 00:21:02.039
 throughout this

00:21:02.039 --> 00:21:04.000
 narrative is

00:21:04.000 --> 00:21:04.579
 a sign.

00:21:05.299 --> 00:21:06.680
 the plagues

00:21:06.680 --> 00:21:08.119
 are a sign.

00:21:08.859 --> 00:21:10.099
 They point

00:21:10.099 --> 00:21:10.720
 to something.

00:21:12.119 --> 00:21:13.299
 They point

00:21:13.299 --> 00:21:14.159
 to the fact

00:21:14.159 --> 00:21:15.700
 that to

00:21:15.700 --> 00:21:16.599
 reject our

00:21:16.599 --> 00:21:17.119
 creator,

00:21:18.039 --> 00:21:19.240
 to reject

00:21:19.240 --> 00:21:19.940
 the Lord,

00:21:21.319 --> 00:21:21.899
 ends

00:21:21.899 --> 00:21:23.220
 in

00:21:23.220 --> 00:21:24.139
 disintegration,

00:21:25.200 --> 00:21:25.720
 chaos,

00:21:26.500 --> 00:21:26.819
 darkness,

00:21:27.659 --> 00:21:28.319
 and death.

00:21:32.000 --> 00:21:32.960
 Of course

00:21:32.960 --> 00:21:33.319
 the judgment

00:21:33.319 --> 00:21:33.839
 of God is

00:21:33.839 --> 00:21:34.460
 not a popular

00:21:34.460 --> 00:21:34.980
 topic.

00:21:35.299 --> 00:21:37.359
 But friends,

00:21:37.419 --> 00:21:37.740
 it is a

00:21:37.740 --> 00:21:38.200
 reality.

00:21:41.259 --> 00:21:41.859
 And on

00:21:41.859 --> 00:21:42.139
 the one

00:21:42.139 --> 00:21:42.440
 hand,

00:21:42.500 --> 00:21:42.839
 if it is

00:21:42.839 --> 00:21:43.379
 a reality,

00:21:43.539 --> 00:21:44.059
 if God

00:21:44.059 --> 00:21:45.319
 will judge,

00:21:46.480 --> 00:21:46.799
 then that

00:21:46.799 --> 00:21:47.279
 does mean

00:21:47.279 --> 00:21:47.599
 that our

00:21:47.599 --> 00:21:48.259
 lives aren't

00:21:48.259 --> 00:21:48.680
 just a

00:21:48.680 --> 00:21:49.180
 string of

00:21:49.180 --> 00:21:49.539
 meaningless

00:21:49.539 --> 00:21:50.139
 events,

00:21:50.480 --> 00:21:51.519
 that what

00:21:51.519 --> 00:21:51.960
 we do

00:21:51.960 --> 00:21:52.599
 does actually

00:21:52.599 --> 00:21:53.659
 count in

00:21:53.659 --> 00:21:54.200
 the grand

00:21:54.200 --> 00:21:55.079
 scheme of

00:21:55.079 --> 00:21:55.480
 things,

00:21:55.519 --> 00:21:55.960
 and they

00:21:55.960 --> 00:21:56.599
 will be

00:21:56.599 --> 00:21:57.659
 counted in

00:21:57.659 --> 00:21:58.059
 the grand

00:21:58.059 --> 00:21:58.500
 scheme of

00:21:58.500 --> 00:21:58.879
 things.

00:21:58.880 --> 00:22:03.200
 God's

00:22:03.200 --> 00:22:03.440
 judgment

00:22:03.440 --> 00:22:03.700
 isn't

00:22:03.700 --> 00:22:03.900
 just

00:22:03.900 --> 00:22:04.260
 real,

00:22:04.340 --> 00:22:04.480
 it's

00:22:04.480 --> 00:22:04.720
 also

00:22:04.720 --> 00:22:05.260
 perfectly

00:22:05.260 --> 00:22:05.800
 just.

00:22:10.840 --> 00:22:11.480
 Like the

00:22:11.480 --> 00:22:11.760
 Egyptians,

00:22:11.940 --> 00:22:12.280
 we often

00:22:12.280 --> 00:22:12.660
 live our

00:22:12.660 --> 00:22:13.300
 lives without

00:22:13.300 --> 00:22:14.240
 any reference

00:22:14.240 --> 00:22:15.800
 to the true

00:22:15.800 --> 00:22:16.120
 God.

00:22:16.600 --> 00:22:17.320
 We ignore

00:22:17.320 --> 00:22:17.860
 him in the

00:22:17.860 --> 00:22:18.380
 world that

00:22:18.380 --> 00:22:18.920
 he has

00:22:18.920 --> 00:22:19.280
 made.

00:22:20.440 --> 00:22:21.440
 We reject

00:22:21.440 --> 00:22:21.960
 his law

00:22:21.960 --> 00:22:22.320
 and want

00:22:22.320 --> 00:22:22.960
 nothing to

00:22:22.960 --> 00:22:23.280
 do with

00:22:23.280 --> 00:22:23.460
 him.

00:22:23.460 --> 00:22:26.740
 we choose

00:22:26.740 --> 00:22:27.620
 other gods

00:22:27.620 --> 00:22:30.279
 and so

00:22:30.279 --> 00:22:30.819
 God gives

00:22:30.819 --> 00:22:31.579
 us exactly

00:22:31.579 --> 00:22:32.279
 what we

00:22:32.279 --> 00:22:32.880
 ask for.

00:22:35.220 --> 00:22:36.140
 The wages

00:22:36.140 --> 00:22:36.700
 of sin

00:22:36.700 --> 00:22:38.200
 is death,

00:22:38.559 --> 00:22:38.900
 Paul will

00:22:38.900 --> 00:22:39.160
 say in

00:22:39.160 --> 00:22:39.740
 Romans 6.

00:22:44.000 --> 00:22:44.840
 And friends,

00:22:44.900 --> 00:22:45.220
 what that

00:22:45.220 --> 00:22:46.600
 means is

00:22:46.600 --> 00:22:47.079
 that this

00:22:47.079 --> 00:22:47.559
 God,

00:22:48.380 --> 00:22:51.079
 this God

00:22:51.079 --> 00:22:51.500
 is the

00:22:51.500 --> 00:22:52.600
 one with

00:22:52.600 --> 00:22:53.440
 whom we

00:22:53.440 --> 00:22:54.900
 really have

00:22:54.900 --> 00:22:55.320
 to do.

00:22:57.000 --> 00:22:57.759
 The most

00:22:57.759 --> 00:22:58.559
 important thing

00:22:58.559 --> 00:22:58.880
 in your

00:22:58.880 --> 00:22:59.860
 life is not

00:22:59.860 --> 00:23:00.480
 what job

00:23:00.480 --> 00:23:01.019
 you have

00:23:01.019 --> 00:23:01.779
 or what

00:23:01.779 --> 00:23:02.279
 college you

00:23:02.279 --> 00:23:02.759
 graduated

00:23:02.759 --> 00:23:03.180
 from.

00:23:03.420 --> 00:23:03.860
 The most

00:23:03.860 --> 00:23:04.600
 pressing

00:23:04.600 --> 00:23:05.460
 issue of

00:23:05.460 --> 00:23:06.519
 your life

00:23:06.519 --> 00:23:06.980
 is not

00:23:06.980 --> 00:23:07.640
 how beautiful

00:23:07.640 --> 00:23:08.600
 or successful

00:23:08.600 --> 00:23:09.559
 or wealthy

00:23:09.559 --> 00:23:09.980
 you can

00:23:09.980 --> 00:23:10.400
 become,

00:23:10.940 --> 00:23:11.400
 how much

00:23:11.400 --> 00:23:12.200
 comfort you

00:23:12.200 --> 00:23:12.700
 can stock

00:23:12.700 --> 00:23:12.980
 up,

00:23:13.299 --> 00:23:13.660
 how much

00:23:13.660 --> 00:23:14.400
 status you

00:23:14.400 --> 00:23:14.900
 can win.

00:23:16.140 --> 00:23:16.660
 It's not

00:23:16.660 --> 00:23:17.380
 about getting

00:23:17.380 --> 00:23:18.000
 a spouse

00:23:18.000 --> 00:23:18.779
 or starting

00:23:18.779 --> 00:23:19.340
 a family.

00:23:19.420 --> 00:23:19.720
 The most

00:23:19.720 --> 00:23:20.539
 pressing

00:23:20.539 --> 00:23:21.620
 issue before

00:23:21.620 --> 00:23:22.259
 each and

00:23:22.259 --> 00:23:22.960
 every one

00:23:22.960 --> 00:23:23.460
 of us

00:23:23.460 --> 00:23:24.579
 is to

00:23:24.579 --> 00:23:24.740
 be

00:23:24.740 --> 00:23:25.759
 reconciled

00:23:25.759 --> 00:23:26.420
 to God,

00:23:26.579 --> 00:23:26.819
 our

00:23:26.819 --> 00:23:27.259
 creator.

00:23:29.400 --> 00:23:30.299
 What does

00:23:30.299 --> 00:23:30.960
 it profit,

00:23:31.460 --> 00:23:32.100
 Jesus said,

00:23:32.519 --> 00:23:32.940
 to gain

00:23:32.940 --> 00:23:33.519
 the whole

00:23:33.519 --> 00:23:34.120
 world

00:23:34.120 --> 00:23:35.519
 and lose

00:23:35.519 --> 00:23:36.100
 your soul?

00:23:38.420 --> 00:23:39.180
 And the

00:23:39.180 --> 00:23:39.880
 plagues are

00:23:39.880 --> 00:23:40.400
 here before

00:23:40.400 --> 00:23:41.140
 us like a

00:23:41.140 --> 00:23:41.860
 megaphone.

00:23:42.400 --> 00:23:42.860
 They're like

00:23:42.860 --> 00:23:44.180
 smelling salts

00:23:44.180 --> 00:23:45.000
 getting us

00:23:45.000 --> 00:23:45.960
 to wake up

00:23:45.960 --> 00:23:46.400
 from our

00:23:46.400 --> 00:23:47.120
 stupor

00:23:47.120 --> 00:23:48.519
 to realize

00:23:48.519 --> 00:23:49.420
 that God

00:23:49.420 --> 00:23:50.320
 is God

00:23:50.320 --> 00:23:51.519
 and he

00:23:51.519 --> 00:23:51.940
 must be

00:23:51.940 --> 00:23:52.340
 the center

00:23:52.340 --> 00:23:52.720
 of our

00:23:52.720 --> 00:23:53.220
 lives.

00:23:54.820 --> 00:23:55.440
 And all

00:23:55.440 --> 00:23:56.140
 the pursuits

00:23:56.140 --> 00:23:56.460
 that we

00:23:56.460 --> 00:23:57.180
 wrap our

00:23:57.180 --> 00:23:58.039
 lives around,

00:23:58.580 --> 00:23:59.000
 no matter

00:23:59.000 --> 00:24:00.200
 how great

00:24:00.200 --> 00:24:00.580
 they may

00:24:00.580 --> 00:24:01.000
 seem in

00:24:01.000 --> 00:24:01.519
 the world's

00:24:01.519 --> 00:24:01.880
 eyes,

00:24:02.259 --> 00:24:03.360
 work and

00:24:03.360 --> 00:24:04.300
 sex and

00:24:04.300 --> 00:24:05.220
 wealth and

00:24:05.220 --> 00:24:05.920
 success,

00:24:06.039 --> 00:24:06.720
 all right,

00:24:06.800 --> 00:24:07.420
 all good,

00:24:07.480 --> 00:24:07.680
 in their

00:24:07.680 --> 00:24:08.380
 proper place

00:24:08.380 --> 00:24:09.480
 are nothing

00:24:09.480 --> 00:24:10.519
 compared to

00:24:10.519 --> 00:24:10.860
 God.

00:24:13.460 --> 00:24:14.080
 And to

00:24:14.080 --> 00:24:15.360
 reject God

00:24:15.359 --> 00:24:16.479
 for those

00:24:16.479 --> 00:24:19.039
 things can

00:24:19.039 --> 00:24:19.899
 mean nothing

00:24:19.899 --> 00:24:21.219
 but eternal

00:24:21.219 --> 00:24:22.099
 death.

00:24:24.859 --> 00:24:25.839
 It's like

00:24:25.839 --> 00:24:26.959
 we're sawing

00:24:26.959 --> 00:24:27.979
 the branch

00:24:27.979 --> 00:24:28.419
 that we

00:24:28.419 --> 00:24:29.240
 stand on

00:24:29.240 --> 00:24:32.019
 at any

00:24:32.019 --> 00:24:32.419
 moment.

00:24:33.099 --> 00:24:33.899
 Down we

00:24:33.899 --> 00:24:34.179
 go.

00:24:39.339 --> 00:24:40.299
 My friends,

00:24:40.379 --> 00:24:40.699
 the message

00:24:40.699 --> 00:24:40.939
 of the

00:24:40.939 --> 00:24:41.319
 plagues

00:24:41.319 --> 00:24:42.459
 is not

00:24:42.459 --> 00:24:43.919
 just that

00:24:43.919 --> 00:24:44.799
 God magnifies

00:24:44.799 --> 00:24:45.419
 his name

00:24:45.419 --> 00:24:46.259
 in judgment.

00:24:48.180 --> 00:24:48.879
 In the

00:24:48.879 --> 00:24:49.480
 second cycle

00:24:49.480 --> 00:24:49.960
 of plagues

00:24:49.960 --> 00:24:50.339
 we see

00:24:50.339 --> 00:24:50.720
 that God

00:24:50.720 --> 00:24:51.399
 magnifies

00:24:51.399 --> 00:24:52.000
 his name

00:24:52.000 --> 00:24:53.299
 in salvation.

00:24:55.099 --> 00:24:55.859
 As the

00:24:55.859 --> 00:24:56.279
 judgments

00:24:56.279 --> 00:24:57.059
 increase,

00:24:57.519 --> 00:24:57.879
 as the

00:24:57.879 --> 00:24:58.500
 destruction

00:24:58.500 --> 00:24:59.200
 mounts,

00:24:59.519 --> 00:24:59.859
 what do

00:24:59.859 --> 00:25:00.379
 we find?

00:25:01.279 --> 00:25:02.099
 We find

00:25:02.099 --> 00:25:02.500
 the Lord

00:25:02.500 --> 00:25:03.440
 sheltering

00:25:03.440 --> 00:25:04.039
 his people

00:25:04.039 --> 00:25:05.119
 from the

00:25:05.119 --> 00:25:05.779
 coming wrath.

00:25:07.079 --> 00:25:07.519
 Look at

00:25:07.519 --> 00:25:07.859
 the beginning

00:25:07.859 --> 00:25:08.119
 of the

00:25:08.119 --> 00:25:08.740
 second cycle

00:25:08.740 --> 00:25:09.220
 in chapter

00:25:09.220 --> 00:25:09.619
 8,

00:25:09.759 --> 00:25:10.519
 verse 20.

00:25:12.399 --> 00:25:12.919
 Chapter

00:25:12.919 --> 00:25:13.240
 8,

00:25:13.480 --> 00:25:14.039
 verse 20.

00:25:14.200 --> 00:25:14.460
 I'm going

00:25:14.460 --> 00:25:14.660
 to read

00:25:14.660 --> 00:25:15.100
 these first

00:25:15.100 --> 00:25:15.680
 few verses.

00:25:16.220 --> 00:25:16.539
 Then the

00:25:16.539 --> 00:25:16.980
 Lord said

00:25:16.980 --> 00:25:17.559
 to Moses,

00:25:18.059 --> 00:25:19.160
 rise up

00:25:19.160 --> 00:25:19.539
 early in

00:25:19.539 --> 00:25:19.860
 the morning

00:25:19.860 --> 00:25:20.319
 and present

00:25:20.319 --> 00:25:20.920
 yourself to

00:25:20.920 --> 00:25:21.400
 Pharaoh as

00:25:21.400 --> 00:25:21.819
 he goes out

00:25:21.819 --> 00:25:22.079
 to the

00:25:22.079 --> 00:25:22.960
 water and

00:25:22.960 --> 00:25:23.480
 say to him,

00:25:23.539 --> 00:25:23.960
 thus says

00:25:23.960 --> 00:25:24.420
 the Lord,

00:25:24.980 --> 00:25:25.500
 let my

00:25:25.500 --> 00:25:26.000
 people go

00:25:26.000 --> 00:25:26.299
 that they

00:25:26.299 --> 00:25:26.819
 may serve

00:25:26.819 --> 00:25:27.120
 me.

00:25:27.920 --> 00:25:28.600
 Or else,

00:25:28.680 --> 00:25:28.860
 if you

00:25:28.860 --> 00:25:29.180
 will not

00:25:29.180 --> 00:25:29.500
 let my

00:25:29.500 --> 00:25:29.960
 people go,

00:25:30.059 --> 00:25:30.519
 behold,

00:25:30.660 --> 00:25:31.120
 I will send

00:25:31.120 --> 00:25:31.819
 swarms of

00:25:31.819 --> 00:25:32.740
 flies on you

00:25:32.740 --> 00:25:33.059
 and your

00:25:33.059 --> 00:25:33.660
 servants and

00:25:33.660 --> 00:25:34.200
 your people

00:25:34.200 --> 00:25:34.799
 and into

00:25:34.799 --> 00:25:35.440
 your houses.

00:25:36.079 --> 00:25:36.480
 And the

00:25:36.480 --> 00:25:36.960
 houses of

00:25:36.960 --> 00:25:37.420
 the Egyptians

00:25:37.420 --> 00:25:37.799
 shall be

00:25:37.799 --> 00:25:38.460
 filled with

00:25:38.460 --> 00:25:39.100
 swarms of

00:25:39.100 --> 00:25:39.759
 flies and

00:25:39.759 --> 00:25:40.160
 also the

00:25:40.160 --> 00:25:40.680
 ground on

00:25:40.680 --> 00:25:41.000
 which they

00:25:41.000 --> 00:25:41.559
 stand.

00:25:41.559 --> 00:25:42.659
 But on

00:25:42.659 --> 00:25:43.339
 that day

00:25:43.339 --> 00:25:45.059
 I will set

00:25:45.059 --> 00:25:45.659
 apart the

00:25:45.659 --> 00:25:46.179
 land of

00:25:46.179 --> 00:25:47.379
 Goshen where

00:25:47.379 --> 00:25:48.019
 my people

00:25:48.019 --> 00:25:49.519
 dwell so

00:25:49.519 --> 00:25:49.960
 that no

00:25:49.960 --> 00:25:50.480
 swarms of

00:25:50.480 --> 00:25:50.980
 flies shall

00:25:50.980 --> 00:25:51.440
 be there,

00:25:52.240 --> 00:25:53.019
 that you

00:25:53.019 --> 00:25:53.539
 may know

00:25:53.539 --> 00:25:54.639
 that I am

00:25:54.639 --> 00:25:55.139
 the Lord

00:25:55.139 --> 00:25:55.879
 in the

00:25:55.879 --> 00:25:56.220
 midst of

00:25:56.220 --> 00:25:56.659
 the earth.

00:25:57.480 --> 00:25:57.819
 Thus I

00:25:57.819 --> 00:25:58.220
 will put a

00:25:58.220 --> 00:25:58.919
 division between

00:25:58.919 --> 00:25:59.599
 my people

00:25:59.599 --> 00:26:00.519
 and your

00:26:00.519 --> 00:26:00.899
 people.

00:26:01.899 --> 00:26:02.579
 Tomorrow this

00:26:02.579 --> 00:26:03.659
 sign shall

00:26:03.659 --> 00:26:04.019
 happen.

00:26:04.019 --> 00:26:08.039
 God

00:26:08.039 --> 00:26:08.259
 Why does

00:26:08.259 --> 00:26:08.839
 God stop

00:26:08.839 --> 00:26:09.519
 the plagues

00:26:09.519 --> 00:26:11.220
 from ravaging

00:26:11.220 --> 00:26:11.700
 the people

00:26:11.700 --> 00:26:12.299
 of Israel

00:26:12.299 --> 00:26:13.359
 living in

00:26:13.359 --> 00:26:13.759
 Goshen?

00:26:16.299 --> 00:26:17.139
 Are they

00:26:17.139 --> 00:26:17.700
 more deserving

00:26:17.700 --> 00:26:18.039
 than the

00:26:18.039 --> 00:26:18.400
 Egyptians?

00:26:20.079 --> 00:26:20.700
 Do they

00:26:20.700 --> 00:26:21.079
 have a more

00:26:21.079 --> 00:26:21.720
 impeccable

00:26:21.720 --> 00:26:22.599
 moral record?

00:26:24.680 --> 00:26:25.400
 No.

00:26:26.779 --> 00:26:27.740
 They are the

00:26:27.740 --> 00:26:28.420
 recipients of

00:26:28.420 --> 00:26:29.099
 God's grace,

00:26:29.839 --> 00:26:30.460
 of his

00:26:30.460 --> 00:26:31.099
 undeserved

00:26:31.099 --> 00:26:31.660
 favor.

00:26:31.660 --> 00:26:33.900
 And he

00:26:33.900 --> 00:26:34.360
 sets them

00:26:34.360 --> 00:26:34.960
 apart so

00:26:34.960 --> 00:26:35.500
 that all

00:26:35.500 --> 00:26:35.940
 the world

00:26:35.940 --> 00:26:36.620
 might know

00:26:36.620 --> 00:26:37.420
 that he

00:26:37.420 --> 00:26:37.740
 is the

00:26:37.740 --> 00:26:38.019
 Lord.

00:26:40.140 --> 00:26:40.800
 We see

00:26:40.800 --> 00:26:41.840
 this highlighted

00:26:41.840 --> 00:26:42.400
 again in the

00:26:42.400 --> 00:26:43.120
 fifth plague,

00:26:43.279 --> 00:26:43.700
 and in the

00:26:43.700 --> 00:26:44.560
 seventh plague,

00:26:44.660 --> 00:26:45.040
 and in the

00:26:45.040 --> 00:26:45.840
 ninth plague.

00:26:45.960 --> 00:26:46.400
 We're told

00:26:46.400 --> 00:26:46.779
 that God

00:26:46.779 --> 00:26:47.420
 keeps his

00:26:47.420 --> 00:26:48.180
 people safe.

00:26:51.220 --> 00:26:51.720
 You know,

00:26:51.759 --> 00:26:52.240
 I wonder for

00:26:52.240 --> 00:26:52.820
 those living

00:26:52.820 --> 00:26:53.360
 through the

00:26:53.360 --> 00:26:53.840
 plagues at

00:26:53.840 --> 00:26:54.400
 that time,

00:26:55.200 --> 00:26:55.779
 was it more

00:26:55.779 --> 00:26:56.320
 of a wonder

00:26:56.320 --> 00:26:58.100
 to see the

00:26:58.100 --> 00:26:59.040
 flies swarm

00:26:59.040 --> 00:26:59.360
 and the

00:26:59.360 --> 00:27:00.500
 livestock die

00:27:00.500 --> 00:27:00.779
 and the

00:27:00.779 --> 00:27:01.620
 hail fall

00:27:01.619 --> 00:27:01.919
 and the

00:27:01.919 --> 00:27:02.279
 darkness

00:27:02.279 --> 00:27:02.939
 descend?

00:27:04.599 --> 00:27:05.319
 Or was it

00:27:05.319 --> 00:27:05.779
 more of a

00:27:05.779 --> 00:27:06.899
 wonder to

00:27:06.899 --> 00:27:07.239
 see the

00:27:07.239 --> 00:27:07.859
 flies and

00:27:07.859 --> 00:27:08.379
 the hail

00:27:08.379 --> 00:27:09.779
 inexplicably

00:27:09.779 --> 00:27:12.259
 stop right

00:27:12.259 --> 00:27:12.539
 at the

00:27:12.539 --> 00:27:12.979
 border of

00:27:12.979 --> 00:27:13.359
 Goshen?

00:27:15.159 --> 00:27:15.739
 Was it

00:27:15.739 --> 00:27:16.259
 more of a

00:27:16.259 --> 00:27:16.839
 wonder to

00:27:16.839 --> 00:27:17.199
 see their

00:27:17.199 --> 00:27:17.699
 livestock

00:27:17.699 --> 00:27:18.259
 remaining

00:27:18.259 --> 00:27:18.699
 healthy?

00:27:19.339 --> 00:27:19.719
 Was it

00:27:19.719 --> 00:27:20.259
 more of a

00:27:20.259 --> 00:27:21.979
 wonder to

00:27:21.979 --> 00:27:22.339
 see the

00:27:22.339 --> 00:27:23.079
 sun shining

00:27:23.079 --> 00:27:24.779
 there,

00:27:24.879 --> 00:27:25.239
 though all

00:27:25.239 --> 00:27:25.659
 else had

00:27:25.659 --> 00:27:26.279
 gone black?

00:27:29.719 --> 00:27:30.359
 God was

00:27:30.359 --> 00:27:31.179
 magnifying his

00:27:31.180 --> 00:27:32.560
 name in

00:27:32.560 --> 00:27:33.019
 salvation.

00:27:34.480 --> 00:27:34.759
 I mean,

00:27:34.799 --> 00:27:35.180
 think about

00:27:35.180 --> 00:27:35.440
 it.

00:27:37.779 --> 00:27:38.360
 After all,

00:27:38.400 --> 00:27:39.080
 there's glory,

00:27:39.480 --> 00:27:39.920
 isn't there,

00:27:39.980 --> 00:27:41.279
 when a team of

00:27:41.279 --> 00:27:44.580
 firefighters show

00:27:44.580 --> 00:27:44.960
 up on the

00:27:44.960 --> 00:27:45.820
 scene and

00:27:45.820 --> 00:27:46.120
 they just

00:27:46.120 --> 00:27:46.759
 douse a

00:27:46.759 --> 00:27:47.900
 home with

00:27:47.900 --> 00:27:48.320
 water.

00:27:49.200 --> 00:27:50.019
 That's a

00:27:50.019 --> 00:27:50.400
 home that's

00:27:50.400 --> 00:27:50.779
 on fire.

00:27:50.860 --> 00:27:51.100
 They just

00:27:51.100 --> 00:27:51.900
 put it out

00:27:51.900 --> 00:27:53.480
 and blow

00:27:53.480 --> 00:27:53.920
 it away.

00:27:54.700 --> 00:27:55.220
 That's pretty

00:27:55.220 --> 00:27:55.560
 awesome.

00:27:55.559 --> 00:27:55.659
 glory.

00:27:58.659 --> 00:27:59.220
 But isn't

00:27:59.220 --> 00:27:59.579
 there more

00:27:59.579 --> 00:28:01.859
 glory when

00:28:01.859 --> 00:28:02.200
 they enter

00:28:02.200 --> 00:28:02.559
 the burning

00:28:02.559 --> 00:28:03.839
 building and

00:28:03.839 --> 00:28:04.319
 bring out the

00:28:04.319 --> 00:28:05.480
 survivors in

00:28:05.480 --> 00:28:05.899
 the midst of

00:28:05.899 --> 00:28:06.059
 it?

00:28:08.319 --> 00:28:08.740
 And,

00:28:08.779 --> 00:28:08.919
 friends,

00:28:09.019 --> 00:28:09.819
 just so,

00:28:10.940 --> 00:28:12.940
 God's glory is

00:28:12.940 --> 00:28:13.539
 seen in his

00:28:13.539 --> 00:28:14.119
 judgment, his

00:28:14.119 --> 00:28:14.740
 sovereignty, his

00:28:14.740 --> 00:28:15.299
 justice, his

00:28:15.299 --> 00:28:15.819
 holiness, but

00:28:15.819 --> 00:28:17.919
 how much more in

00:28:17.919 --> 00:28:18.679
 his salvation

00:28:18.679 --> 00:28:19.659
 through judgment?

00:28:21.519 --> 00:28:22.339
 We see this

00:28:22.339 --> 00:28:23.119
 again and again in

00:28:23.119 --> 00:28:23.719
 the Bible, don't

00:28:23.719 --> 00:28:23.879
 we?

00:28:25.099 --> 00:28:25.699
 Think of the

00:28:25.699 --> 00:28:26.059
 flood.

00:28:27.279 --> 00:28:28.059
 The flood was a

00:28:28.059 --> 00:28:28.799
 display of God's

00:28:28.799 --> 00:28:29.819
 power and holy

00:28:29.819 --> 00:28:31.099
 justice, but

00:28:31.099 --> 00:28:32.319
 rescuing a family

00:28:32.319 --> 00:28:32.979
 in the ark through

00:28:32.979 --> 00:28:33.699
 the flood made

00:28:33.699 --> 00:28:34.679
 God's name great.

00:28:36.879 --> 00:28:37.779
 Jump ahead to the

00:28:37.779 --> 00:28:38.659
 exile to Babylon,

00:28:39.159 --> 00:28:40.459
 which was a

00:28:40.459 --> 00:28:41.279
 display, again, of

00:28:41.279 --> 00:28:42.179
 God's perfect

00:28:42.179 --> 00:28:42.819
 character.

00:28:45.099 --> 00:28:46.739
 But rescuing and

00:28:46.739 --> 00:28:47.459
 preserving a

00:28:47.459 --> 00:28:48.639
 remnant through the

00:28:48.639 --> 00:28:50.619
 exile displayed God's

00:28:50.619 --> 00:28:51.500
 faithfulness and his

00:28:51.500 --> 00:28:51.899
 mercy.

00:28:53.119 --> 00:28:55.179
 And just so here,

00:28:55.779 --> 00:28:56.279
 bringing the

00:28:56.279 --> 00:28:57.439
 Egyptian nation to

00:28:57.439 --> 00:28:58.500
 its knees in

00:28:58.500 --> 00:29:00.059
 judgment made God's

00:29:00.059 --> 00:29:01.199
 name great, but how

00:29:01.199 --> 00:29:03.059
 much more carrying

00:29:03.059 --> 00:29:04.839
 out a whole people

00:29:04.839 --> 00:29:06.119
 safely through the

00:29:06.119 --> 00:29:06.719
 midst of those

00:29:06.719 --> 00:29:08.459
 plagues, protecting

00:29:08.459 --> 00:29:10.079
 them, sheltering

00:29:10.079 --> 00:29:10.379
 them.

00:29:13.579 --> 00:29:14.779
 And here's where the

00:29:14.779 --> 00:29:15.719
 rubber hits the road

00:29:15.719 --> 00:29:16.239
 for us.

00:29:16.240 --> 00:29:21.519
 Have you ever

00:29:21.519 --> 00:29:24.240
 wondered, have you

00:29:24.240 --> 00:29:26.220
 ever doubted whether

00:29:26.220 --> 00:29:27.480
 God is willing to

00:29:27.480 --> 00:29:27.960
 save?

00:29:31.559 --> 00:29:32.420
 Friends, the reality

00:29:32.420 --> 00:29:33.420
 is that right now,

00:29:33.759 --> 00:29:34.640
 during this sermon,

00:29:35.640 --> 00:29:37.099
 you, right in your

00:29:37.099 --> 00:29:39.299
 seat, can turn from

00:29:39.299 --> 00:29:41.460
 sin, trust in Christ,

00:29:41.460 --> 00:29:42.700
 Christ, and be saved

00:29:42.700 --> 00:29:43.700
 from death and

00:29:43.700 --> 00:29:44.019
 judgment.

00:29:45.900 --> 00:29:47.240
 But do you wonder

00:29:47.240 --> 00:29:48.340
 whether God would

00:29:48.340 --> 00:29:50.100
 really receive you

00:29:50.100 --> 00:29:53.559
 with your sins and

00:29:53.559 --> 00:29:55.120
 your fears and your

00:29:55.120 --> 00:29:56.400
 doubts and your

00:29:56.400 --> 00:29:56.900
 pride?

00:29:56.900 --> 00:29:56.960
 God.

00:30:01.840 --> 00:30:03.000
 But remember, friend, he

00:30:03.000 --> 00:30:05.560
 doesn't save because of

00:30:05.560 --> 00:30:06.680
 how great you are.

00:30:08.220 --> 00:30:09.900
 He saves because of how

00:30:09.900 --> 00:30:10.940
 great he is.

00:30:12.860 --> 00:30:14.500
 And look at how great he

00:30:14.500 --> 00:30:14.840
 is.

00:30:16.220 --> 00:30:18.500
 There is none like him.

00:30:19.040 --> 00:30:20.759
 He shelters his people.

00:30:21.200 --> 00:30:22.780
 He sets them apart for the

00:30:22.779 --> 00:30:24.119
 sake of his great name.

00:30:25.440 --> 00:30:28.720
 He's incomparable like

00:30:28.720 --> 00:30:29.740
 none other.

00:30:33.759 --> 00:30:34.899
 And that leads us to our

00:30:34.899 --> 00:30:35.420
 third point.

00:30:36.639 --> 00:30:37.960
 God magnifies his name in

00:30:37.960 --> 00:30:39.000
 judgment and in

00:30:39.000 --> 00:30:39.480
 salvation.

00:30:40.059 --> 00:30:41.180
 And the third cycle of

00:30:41.180 --> 00:30:42.759
 plagues, chapter 9,

00:30:42.819 --> 00:30:43.839
 verse 13, through the

00:30:43.839 --> 00:30:46.240
 end of chapter 10, God

00:30:46.240 --> 00:30:46.920
 shows us that he

00:30:46.920 --> 00:30:49.359
 magnifies his name beyond

00:30:49.359 --> 00:30:50.180
 all compare.

00:30:50.859 --> 00:30:52.420
 That he's like no other.

00:30:52.420 --> 00:30:54.620
 God judges, God saves,

00:30:54.960 --> 00:30:56.300
 and God does what no one

00:30:56.300 --> 00:30:56.920
 else can do.

00:30:59.019 --> 00:31:00.160
 Where do we see that?

00:31:00.259 --> 00:31:02.060
 As the last three plagues

00:31:02.060 --> 00:31:02.880
 rain down their

00:31:02.880 --> 00:31:04.000
 destruction, it's the

00:31:04.000 --> 00:31:06.080
 totality and it's the

00:31:06.080 --> 00:31:07.360
 magnitude of them that

00:31:07.360 --> 00:31:08.440
 set them apart from the

00:31:08.440 --> 00:31:09.259
 previous plagues.

00:31:09.800 --> 00:31:10.720
 Look at chapter 9,

00:31:10.800 --> 00:31:11.720
 verse 24.

00:31:14.600 --> 00:31:16.039
 Chapter 9, verse 24,

00:31:16.220 --> 00:31:18.340
 there was hail and fire

00:31:18.340 --> 00:31:20.340
 flashing continually in the

00:31:20.340 --> 00:31:22.019
 midst of the hail, very

00:31:22.019 --> 00:31:24.359
 heavy hail such as had

00:31:24.359 --> 00:31:26.639
 never been in all the land

00:31:26.639 --> 00:31:28.359
 of Egypt since it became a

00:31:28.359 --> 00:31:28.700
 nation.

00:31:30.039 --> 00:31:31.220
 And that same thing is said

00:31:31.220 --> 00:31:33.259
 of the locusts in chapter

00:31:33.259 --> 00:31:34.539
 10, verse 14.

00:31:35.700 --> 00:31:36.980
 Chapter 10, verse 14, the

00:31:36.980 --> 00:31:39.339
 locusts came up over all the

00:31:39.339 --> 00:31:41.019
 land of Egypt and settled on

00:31:41.019 --> 00:31:42.379
 the whole country of Egypt,

00:31:42.480 --> 00:31:44.660
 such a dense swarm of

00:31:44.660 --> 00:31:46.700
 locusts as had never been

00:31:46.700 --> 00:31:48.599
 before nor ever will be

00:31:48.599 --> 00:31:49.019
 again.

00:31:51.059 --> 00:31:52.459
 Like nothing that ever had

00:31:52.459 --> 00:31:54.500
 been or ever will be.

00:31:57.319 --> 00:31:58.599
 And the magnitude of the

00:31:58.599 --> 00:31:59.859
 hail and the locusts and the

00:31:59.859 --> 00:32:01.159
 other devastation that they

00:32:01.159 --> 00:32:02.859
 bring, verse 10, 15 says,

00:32:02.939 --> 00:32:04.519
 not a green thing remained,

00:32:04.779 --> 00:32:06.139
 neither tree nor plant of the

00:32:06.139 --> 00:32:07.419
 field through all the land of

00:32:07.419 --> 00:32:07.619
 Egypt.

00:32:07.719 --> 00:32:09.319
 That complete devastation,

00:32:09.399 --> 00:32:11.159
 all of that is matched by the

00:32:11.159 --> 00:32:13.539
 complete darkness of the ninth

00:32:13.539 --> 00:32:13.959
 plague.

00:32:13.960 --> 00:32:16.299
 A darkness so thick you could

00:32:16.299 --> 00:32:18.559
 feel it, the writer says.

00:32:20.700 --> 00:32:23.200
 And that ninth plague would have

00:32:23.200 --> 00:32:25.200
 been perhaps the most powerful

00:32:25.200 --> 00:32:27.519
 symbolic message to the

00:32:27.519 --> 00:32:27.900
 Egyptians.

00:32:30.039 --> 00:32:32.380
 Because you see the sun in

00:32:32.380 --> 00:32:34.620
 Egyptian culture was their

00:32:34.620 --> 00:32:36.980
 supreme god, the god Ra.

00:32:38.200 --> 00:32:40.200
 Its worship was pervasive,

00:32:41.360 --> 00:32:42.880
 especially in the official palace

00:32:42.880 --> 00:32:44.180
 and in the rituals there.

00:32:45.640 --> 00:32:47.920
 But this last plague is saying

00:32:47.920 --> 00:32:51.620
 to the Egyptians, and for that

00:32:51.620 --> 00:32:54.180
 matter saying to us, take the

00:32:54.180 --> 00:32:56.420
 greatest, take the highest

00:32:56.420 --> 00:32:59.000
 conception that you have of God.

00:32:59.980 --> 00:33:03.340
 Take your highest, most exalted,

00:33:03.720 --> 00:33:06.280
 most powerful thing that you can

00:33:06.280 --> 00:33:08.660
 imagine, whatever that God is.

00:33:08.660 --> 00:33:13.800
 And the reality is, the blazing

00:33:13.800 --> 00:33:16.759
 glory of the Lord, the true God,

00:33:17.100 --> 00:33:19.480
 makes such a God seem like

00:33:19.480 --> 00:33:21.160
 darkness in comparison.

00:33:22.920 --> 00:33:25.840
 There's none like him, none

00:33:25.840 --> 00:33:27.640
 greater, none higher.

00:33:28.000 --> 00:33:29.620
 He is beyond all compare.

00:33:31.660 --> 00:33:34.540
 And so great is this God, so

00:33:34.540 --> 00:33:38.460
 unexpected, so incomparable, that in

00:33:38.460 --> 00:33:40.100
 this last cycle of plagues, he

00:33:40.100 --> 00:33:42.160
 actually does the unthinkable.

00:33:44.360 --> 00:33:46.720
 And he offers mercy to his enemies.

00:33:49.720 --> 00:33:52.360
 Though Pharaoh's heart is hardened

00:33:52.360 --> 00:33:55.220
 toward ever-increasing destruction,

00:33:55.819 --> 00:33:58.000
 as this third cycle of plagues

00:33:58.000 --> 00:34:01.319
 begins, the Lord warns and invites

00:34:01.319 --> 00:34:02.360
 the Egyptian people.

00:34:03.500 --> 00:34:04.140
 He says, come.

00:34:04.140 --> 00:34:06.540
 Look at chapter 9, verse 19.

00:34:06.640 --> 00:34:09.380
 Now, therefore, get your

00:34:09.380 --> 00:34:12.140
 livestock and all that you have in

00:34:12.140 --> 00:34:15.480
 the field into safe shelter, for

00:34:15.480 --> 00:34:17.519
 every man and beast that is in the

00:34:17.519 --> 00:34:18.980
 field and is not brought home will

00:34:18.980 --> 00:34:19.360
 die.

00:34:21.340 --> 00:34:24.640
 God calls out to them in mercy and

00:34:24.640 --> 00:34:26.099
 invites the Egyptians to take

00:34:26.099 --> 00:34:27.760
 shelter from the coming wrath.

00:34:27.760 --> 00:34:34.260
 And what about us?

00:34:38.760 --> 00:34:40.340
 Friends, the reality is that God

00:34:40.340 --> 00:34:41.360
 will come.

00:34:41.940 --> 00:34:46.480
 The Creator will one day come in

00:34:46.480 --> 00:34:49.400
 fullness to his creation and put it

00:34:49.400 --> 00:34:49.900
 right again.

00:34:52.900 --> 00:34:54.740
 God, our true judge, will come and put

00:34:54.739 --> 00:34:57.000
 an end to evil and wrong.

00:34:58.639 --> 00:35:00.219
 And the question is, where will we

00:35:00.219 --> 00:35:00.839
 find shelter?

00:35:04.739 --> 00:35:05.899
 Now, as we think about that

00:35:05.899 --> 00:35:08.959
 question, I hope you see, I hope you

00:35:08.959 --> 00:35:10.279
 see that this passage that we're

00:35:10.279 --> 00:35:13.519
 looking at actually offers much hope

00:35:13.519 --> 00:35:14.799
 to a hurting world.

00:35:15.979 --> 00:35:18.219
 Because what we have on display here,

00:35:18.339 --> 00:35:21.079
 in no uncertain terms, is the great

00:35:21.079 --> 00:35:24.719
 truth that the oppressive schemes of

00:35:24.719 --> 00:35:27.900
 Pharaoh and of every Pharaoh who's

00:35:27.900 --> 00:35:31.619
 come since then, all those oppressive

00:35:31.619 --> 00:35:34.380
 schemes will not have the final word

00:35:34.380 --> 00:35:38.159
 that in justice and slavery and evil,

00:35:38.480 --> 00:35:40.659
 God will put it all to rights with

00:35:40.659 --> 00:35:42.819
 perfect justice and with perfect

00:35:42.819 --> 00:35:43.219
 judgment.

00:35:45.019 --> 00:35:46.319
 And that is good news.

00:35:46.440 --> 00:35:48.900
 When the Psalms tell us of God's

00:35:48.900 --> 00:35:51.000
 return as king to judge, do you know

00:35:51.000 --> 00:35:52.059
 how the scene is pictured?

00:35:53.059 --> 00:35:55.280
 The trees are clapping their hands

00:35:55.280 --> 00:35:58.159
 and the oceans are roaring in praise

00:35:58.159 --> 00:36:02.380
 because God's finally going to release

00:36:02.380 --> 00:36:05.780
 creation from the evil that has

00:36:05.780 --> 00:36:06.719
 infested it.

00:36:09.880 --> 00:36:11.500
 God's judgment is good news for the

00:36:11.500 --> 00:36:11.780
 world.

00:36:12.079 --> 00:36:14.159
 The days of evil are numbered.

00:36:16.539 --> 00:36:20.360
 But the pointed question is, is God's

00:36:20.360 --> 00:36:21.640
 judgment good news for me?

00:36:26.079 --> 00:36:29.180
 Because friends, I see my heart and it

00:36:29.180 --> 00:36:31.200
 is so often on the side of selfishness

00:36:31.200 --> 00:36:34.500
 and wrong and so often callous to the

00:36:34.500 --> 00:36:37.260
 suffering of others and so often greedy

00:36:37.260 --> 00:36:39.519
 for my own comforts.

00:36:39.519 --> 00:36:40.519
 God's judgmental.

00:36:40.519 --> 00:36:44.300
 And when God's justice is revealed, what hope

00:36:44.300 --> 00:36:44.719
 is there?

00:36:46.079 --> 00:36:47.880
 Not just for me, but for you.

00:36:49.539 --> 00:36:51.460
 Where will you and I find shelter?

00:36:54.500 --> 00:36:56.340
 And you have to see that that's a problem

00:36:56.340 --> 00:36:58.719
 that runs throughout the Old Testament.

00:36:59.719 --> 00:37:02.259
 God again and again and again promises

00:37:02.260 --> 00:37:05.760
 to judge, to rescue the world from darkness.

00:37:08.520 --> 00:37:12.140
 But the question remains, what fallen human

00:37:12.140 --> 00:37:15.860
 being would be left to stand when the light

00:37:15.860 --> 00:37:16.500
 shines in?

00:37:16.500 --> 00:37:23.880
 And the answer finally comes in the New Testament.

00:37:25.880 --> 00:37:27.780
 God comes in human flesh.

00:37:29.099 --> 00:37:33.599
 The true and rightful judge of all walks among us.

00:37:35.219 --> 00:37:38.380
 But in the most surprising and in the moment

00:37:38.380 --> 00:37:43.420
 confusing turn of events, the judge of all creation

00:37:43.420 --> 00:37:45.240
 salvation is judged.

00:37:52.380 --> 00:37:56.840
 We've read earlier that Jesus saves us

00:37:56.840 --> 00:37:58.659
 from the wrath to come.

00:38:01.039 --> 00:38:02.340
 How does he do it, friends?

00:38:02.579 --> 00:38:05.400
 How does Jesus save us from the wrath to come?

00:38:05.579 --> 00:38:07.059
 From darkness and death.

00:38:07.119 --> 00:38:10.700
 He does it by going into the darkness for us.

00:38:10.699 --> 00:38:14.279
 You see, those three days of darkness in Egypt,

00:38:14.399 --> 00:38:16.639
 that ninth plague, does it not point us ahead

00:38:16.639 --> 00:38:19.599
 to the cross where for three hours of darkness,

00:38:19.759 --> 00:38:22.779
 the Son of God died in the place of sinners,

00:38:23.419 --> 00:38:25.699
 going into the darkness of God's judgment

00:38:25.699 --> 00:38:26.980
 so that we don't have to.

00:38:29.719 --> 00:38:34.379
 Christ died and rose again to rescue all of those

00:38:34.379 --> 00:38:37.899
 and everyone who would turn from their sins

00:38:37.900 --> 00:38:38.860
 and believe in him.

00:38:42.000 --> 00:38:46.539
 God magnifies his name most supremely at the cross

00:38:46.539 --> 00:38:49.340
 for it's there that his judgment

00:38:49.340 --> 00:38:50.760
 and his salvation meet

00:38:50.760 --> 00:38:53.960
 so that his enemies might become

00:38:53.960 --> 00:38:55.599
 his beloved friends

00:38:55.599 --> 00:38:58.599
 so that we can all find shelter,

00:38:59.360 --> 00:39:01.900
 so that we can all know protection.

00:39:01.900 --> 00:39:06.940
 And when you see that,

00:39:07.820 --> 00:39:09.280
 when you see that,

00:39:09.840 --> 00:39:10.900
 and when you know that,

00:39:11.420 --> 00:39:14.860
 and when you come to take hold of him by faith,

00:39:16.139 --> 00:39:16.720
 suddenly,

00:39:17.280 --> 00:39:19.660
 you don't need to obsess

00:39:19.660 --> 00:39:22.840
 about your name being great anymore.

00:39:25.079 --> 00:39:27.860
 When your heart is captured by who he is

00:39:27.860 --> 00:39:29.119
 and what he's done,

00:39:29.119 --> 00:39:33.000
 suddenly you're freed from having to make a name

00:39:33.000 --> 00:39:33.719
 for yourself

00:39:33.719 --> 00:39:35.699
 because instead,

00:39:36.440 --> 00:39:38.659
 you want his name to look great.

00:39:39.739 --> 00:39:40.940
 That's what drives you.

00:39:42.859 --> 00:39:44.359
 Finally, you're worshiping

00:39:44.359 --> 00:39:48.980
 the one thing worthy of all our praise.

00:39:51.079 --> 00:39:52.319
 Now the reality is, friends,

00:39:52.359 --> 00:39:53.199
 that maybe the Lord

00:39:53.199 --> 00:39:56.099
 will give you success in the world's eyes.

00:39:56.179 --> 00:39:57.059
 Maybe he won't.

00:39:57.059 --> 00:40:00.360
 At the end of the day,

00:40:00.500 --> 00:40:01.980
 all of that is in his hands.

00:40:03.279 --> 00:40:05.779
 Our little match will flicker

00:40:05.779 --> 00:40:07.500
 one way or the other,

00:40:07.779 --> 00:40:10.940
 but his torch is going to burn bright

00:40:10.940 --> 00:40:12.000
 for all eternity.

00:40:13.320 --> 00:40:16.820
 And our desire is to be close to his heat

00:40:16.820 --> 00:40:18.820
 and to bask in his light

00:40:18.820 --> 00:40:20.820
 and to know that there,

00:40:21.299 --> 00:40:22.679
 that is freedom.

00:40:22.679 --> 00:40:27.059
 That is the worship for which we were made.

00:40:28.000 --> 00:40:29.419
 His is the name

00:40:29.419 --> 00:40:32.159
 that is worthy of making great.

00:40:33.699 --> 00:40:35.819
 We want to magnify his name,

00:40:36.199 --> 00:40:37.139
 not ours.

00:40:37.799 --> 00:40:39.659
 And we want to make him known

00:40:39.659 --> 00:40:40.819
 in all the earth.

00:40:41.559 --> 00:40:44.099
 We want his mark to be left

00:40:44.099 --> 00:40:45.500
 on our communities

00:40:45.500 --> 00:40:46.579
 and on our families

00:40:46.579 --> 00:40:47.500
 and in our neighborhoods.

00:40:47.500 --> 00:40:50.300
 And if we leave a mark,

00:40:50.420 --> 00:40:50.960
 so be it.

00:40:52.679 --> 00:40:54.239
 But we want his name to be known.

00:40:55.800 --> 00:40:57.320
 And we want it to be known as great.

00:40:58.500 --> 00:40:59.039
 Let's pray.

00:40:59.039 --> 00:41:08.099
 And now, Lord Jesus,

00:41:08.199 --> 00:41:09.380
 we pray that you would do just that.

00:41:10.759 --> 00:41:12.559
 You would help us by your Holy Spirit

00:41:12.559 --> 00:41:16.340
 to make your name great

00:41:16.340 --> 00:41:18.599
 in our actions,

00:41:19.079 --> 00:41:19.599
 in our thoughts,

00:41:19.679 --> 00:41:20.759
 in our words and deeds.

00:41:21.259 --> 00:41:22.079
 Lord, help us,

00:41:22.199 --> 00:41:23.279
 depending on your grace,

00:41:23.860 --> 00:41:25.059
 to make much of you

00:41:25.059 --> 00:41:26.739
 as a church,

00:41:26.739 --> 00:41:28.539
 to make much of you

00:41:28.539 --> 00:41:30.439
 as students,

00:41:30.559 --> 00:41:31.279
 to make much of you

00:41:31.279 --> 00:41:32.339
 in our workplaces,

00:41:33.019 --> 00:41:34.239
 to make much of you

00:41:34.239 --> 00:41:34.979
 with our neighbors

00:41:34.979 --> 00:41:36.319
 and our friends.

00:41:38.079 --> 00:41:39.479
 Lord, free us

00:41:39.479 --> 00:41:41.399
 from the obsession

00:41:41.399 --> 00:41:43.399
 of pride

00:41:43.399 --> 00:41:44.419
 and the love of praise

00:41:44.419 --> 00:41:45.579
 and help us

00:41:45.579 --> 00:41:47.159
 to be lost

00:41:47.159 --> 00:41:48.959
 in you,

00:41:49.259 --> 00:41:50.559
 lost in wonder,

00:41:51.179 --> 00:41:51.579
 love,

00:41:52.019 --> 00:41:52.699
 and praise.

00:41:53.319 --> 00:41:54.159
 We pray this

00:41:54.159 --> 00:41:56.440
 in Jesus' name,

00:41:56.519 --> 00:41:56.779
 Father.

00:41:57.000 --> 00:41:57.239
 Amen.