this is Matthias Schlitter.
I've been practicing that all week.
It could have been embarrassing.
Matthias Schlitter.
And he is the 14 times world arm wrestling champion.
And he has a distinct disadvantage
because he has a genetic malformation
that means his right hand is 40% bigger than his left hand.
They call him Popeye
because I guess that's what Popeye looks like
if he only ate half a portion of spinach.
And you have to say,
if you were Matthias' opponent,
you'd think this is a little bit unfair.
He's almost like an X-Man with his huge right hand.
What we're going to see today in Exodus chapters 6 to 10
is a cosmic mismatch.
We're going to see God and Egypt
engaged in a battle for hearts and minds.
We're going to see incredible things.
It's like the rumble in the jungle,
the thriller in Manila,
Rocky 1 to 6,
all rolled into one.
What we have before us is an unbelievable drama.
As Yahweh,
the God of the Israelites,
does battle with Pharaoh,
one of the gods considered by the Egyptians.
It is a cosmic mismatch.
He would take the odds
on beating the German arm wrestler
any day of the week.
So if you've got a Bible,
please turn to Exodus chapter 7
and we'll read verses 2 to 5.
You should have also got a handout
as you came in,
which will be so useful to you.
Exodus chapter 7 verse 2.
You are to say everything I command you
and your brother Aaron
is to tell Pharaoh
to let the Israelites go out of his country.
But I will harden Pharaoh's heart
and though I multiply my signs
and wonders in Egypt,
he will not listen to you.
Then I will lay my hand on Egypt
and with mighty acts of judgment,
I will bring up my divisions,
my people, the Israelites.
And the Egyptians will know
that I am the Lord
when I stretch out my hand against Egypt
and bring the Israelites out of it.
Here's the big theme of this morning.
God will be God
and everyone will know it.
God will be God
and everyone will know it.
And so in chapter 7,
just a little bit further down in verse 8,
we come to like the weigh-in
that you have before all good.
Boxing matches.
It's the sparring and the trash talk.
The Lord said to Moses and Aaron,
when Pharaoh says to you,
perform a miracle,
then say to Aaron,
take your staff
and throw it before Pharaoh
and it will become a snake.
So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh
and did just as the Lord commanded.
Aaron threw his staff down
in front of Pharaoh
and his officials
and it became a snake.
Pharaoh then summoned
the wise men and sorcerers
and the Egyptian magicians
also did the same things
by their secret acts.
Each one threw down his staff
and it became a snake.
But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs.
It's a bit of a sign
of things to come.
That Aaron's done
a miraculous sign
and the wise men and sorcerers
have copied it
and Aaron's snake
has swallowed
all the other snakes.
It's a bit of a sign
of things to come.
We can't actually read
the whole account this morning.
So please just turn to Exodus chapter 9
and we'll read about the plague of hail
just to give us
a bit of a flavor
of how this is happening.
Then the Lord said to Moses
get up early in the morning
confront Pharaoh
and say to him
this is what the Lord
the God of the Hebrews says
let my people go
so that they may worship me
or this time
I will send the full force
of my plagues against you
and against your officials
and your people
so that you may know
that there is no one like me
in all the earth.
For by now
I could have stretched
out my hand
and struck you
and your people
with a plague
that would have wiped you
off the earth
but I have raised you up
for this very purpose
that I might show you
my power
and that my name
might be proclaimed
in all the earth.
You still set yourself
against my people
and will not let them go.
Therefore
at this time tomorrow
I will send
the worst hail storm
that has ever fallen
on Egypt
from the day
it was founded till now.
Give an order now
to bring your livestock
and everything you have
in the field
to a place of shelter
because the hail
will fall on
every person
and animal
that has not been
brought in
and is still out
in the field
and they will die.
Those officials of Pharaoh
who feared the word
of the Lord
hurried to bring the slaves
and their livestock
inside
but those who ignored
the word of the Lord
left their slaves
and livestock
in the field.
Then the Lord
said to Moses
stretch out your hand
towards the sky
so that hail
will fall all over Egypt
on people and animals
and on everything
growing in the fields
of Egypt.
When Moses
stretched out his staff
towards the sky
the Lord sent
thunder and hail
and lightning flashed
down to the ground.
So the Lord
rained hail down
on the land of Egypt.
Hail fell
and lightning flashed
back and forth.
It was the worst storm
in all the land of Egypt
since it had become
a nation.
Throughout Egypt
hail struck everything
in the fields
both people and animals
it beat down
everything growing
in the fields
and stripped every tree.
The only place
it did not hail
was the land of Goshen
where the Israelites were.
Then Pharaoh
summoned Moses
and Aaron
this time I have sinned
he said to them
the Lord is in the right
and I and my people
are in the wrong.
Pray to the Lord
for we have had
enough thunder and hail
I will let you go
you don't have to stay
any longer.
Moses replied
when I have gone out
of the city
I will spread out
my hands in prayer
to the Lord
the thunder will stop
and there will be
no more hail
so you may know
that the earth
is the Lord's.
But I know
that you and your officials
still do not fear the Lord.
The flax and the barley
were destroyed
since the barley
was in the ear
and the flax was in bloom.
The wheat and the spelt
however were not destroyed
because they ripened later.
When Moses left Pharaoh
and went out of the city
he spread out his hands
towards the Lord.
The thunder and hail
stopped and the rain
no longer poured down
on the land.
When Pharaoh saw
that the rain and hail
and thunder had stopped
he sinned again.
He and his officials
hardened their hearts
so Pharaoh's heart
was hard
and he would not
let the Israelites go
just as the Lord
had said
through Moses.
I guess it is
such a famous story
isn't it?
These nine plagues.
We start
quite small scale
with the staff
that turns into a snake.
We then move to blood
and the river Nile
becoming blood
and if you read it
it becomes really unpleasant
because they don't have
any water to drink
but also all the fish die.
I don't know if you ever
walked past a fishmonger
on a Friday night
but the smell of all the fish
that they've thrown away
that they haven't been able
to sell
horrendous.
Just imagine that's running
down the middle
of your city
with dead
Nemo
all over the place.
Then we get frogs
and this too
is utterly disgusting.
It says in the narrative
that frogs
will be absolutely
everywhere.
They'll be in your house
they'll be in your bedroom
they'll be on your bed
they'll be on your kneading troughs
where you make the bread
and they'll be in your ovens
while you cook the bread.
I've got a really nice baker
on Easter Road
called the Manor House.
Frog flavour is not
on the menu.
Not a great thing.
France perhaps.
Easter Road
definitely not.
And it gets to the point
where they pile
all the frogs up
into massive piles
and if rotting fish
is disgusting
rotting frogs
I dread to think.
And for these first
two plagues
the wise men
and sorcerers
in Egypt
copy
Moses.
Now they call themselves
wise men
but it doesn't seem
very wise.
The problem we have
is too much blood
in the rivers
and lots of dead fish.
Pharaoh
we've given you
some more blood
so there'll be
more dead fish.
Problem is
we've got frogs
everywhere
do you know what
we've made some new ones.
Really wise men.
Just really unpleasant.
And then we get
the gnats
or
you could translate it
horsefly
but I like to think
of it like midges
because it reminds me
of the Isle of Skye
where I once
had the most
excruciating
camping holiday
you could ever
imagine.
Two of the three nights
I slept in the car
because I could bear it
no longer
just everywhere
swarms of the things
and then flies.
You know how
when a midgey
bites you
there's a bit of blood?
That's how you know
you've been bitten
by a midgey?
And then just imagine
that the flies come
and they're all like
on all your bites
and that horrible thing
that goes
just like getting in there
just disgusting.
Really unpleasant.
And then round five
the cows get it
and the livestock
which in an agrarian society
like Egypt
this is a real problem.
If all your cows
and sheep
die.
And then it starts
to hit people
festering boils.
I'm not a big fan
of the boil
at the best of times
but a festering boil
that's like the worst kind.
And then the hail
that we read about
like killer hail.
We're not talking about
when I did the Holyrood run
round Edinburgh
at the beginning of January
and there was like
little hail
that was like being shot
with a BB gun.
This was like being hit
with a rock
just coming down
and coming down
and wiping out everything.
And then there were
the locusts
just taking out
everything that hadn't
already been destroyed
by the hail.
And then darkness.
Absolute terror
for three days.
And what does
the narrative say?
Darkness
that could be felt.
Like that eerie,
horrible,
thick,
tangible
darkness.
And then round 10
comes which Kenny
is going to tell us
about next week.
And I guess
what are we to make
about this?
Is this just
ammunition
for the militant
atheist to say
yes truly
God is vindictive?
And he does go
on these tirades
and afflict
terrible pain
on people.
Is it a slur campaign
to stop people
going on holiday
to Egypt?
Well I have to say
no.
That the big point
of this whole
passage
is that God
will be God
and everyone
will know it.
God
will be God
and everyone
will know it.
And I want to show
you six really
quick things
to show you
where I get this
from.
Here's the first.
God is proving
he is the Lord.
God is proving
he is the Lord.
So helpful
to have the text
in front of you.
Chapter 7
verse 17
this is what God
says.
By this
you will know
that I am
the Lord.
With the staff
that is in my hand
I will strike
the water of the Nile
and it will be
changed to blood.
Chapter 8
verse 10
Moses replied
it will be
as you say
so that you
may know
there is no one
like the Lord
our God.
Chapter 9
verse 14
Or this time
I will send
the full force
of my plagues
against you
and against your
officials
and your people
so you may know
that there is
no one like me
in all the earth.
God is saying
I'm the Lord.
I'm in charge
I'm sovereign
there's no one
like me
I'm utterly unique
completely distinct
no one like me
I'm in absolute
control of absolutely
everything
and what I say
happens and no one
can stand against me
I am the
grand fromage
and before me
Pharaoh is just
a poor
sniveling
ruler
God is proving
he's unequaled
unparalleled
undisputed
uniquely supreme
he's the sovereign
soul
all knowing
and all powerful
ruler of all
the earth
that's what he's
communicating to
Egypt
and his people
also these aren't
arbitrary acts
he's not just
gone to his
conjuring case
and pulled out
some interesting
tricks
every single
one of these
plagues
is an attack
on an Egyptian
God
so
Canaan
and Happy
and Osiris
are gods
associated with
the Nile
Uetik
is God
of the flies
and Yahweh
seems to
control the
flies
not
Uetik
Nut
is the
God of the sky
Isis and Seth
are God of
agriculture
and Shu
is God
of the weather
particularly
Heo
and yet it
seems that
Yahweh
has got that
completely
at his
beck and
court
and that
these gods
are nothing
but the
invention
of men
and then
there's
Re
and Ammon
Re
and Aten
and Atom
and Horus
all gods
of the sun
and yet
are completely
powerless
when God
turns the
lights out
can do
absolutely
nothing
this is
what God
is saying
about himself
I am God
and you
will need
to know
it
God
will be
God
and everyone
will know
it
it's the
second thing
we see
that God
is producing
worshippers
it's probably
the most famous
line in the
book of Exodus
where Moses
repeatedly stands
before Pharaoh
and says
hopefully he said
it with a bit
more enthusiasm
than that
because otherwise
Pharaoh would
never let them
go
he says
let my people
go and that's
where we think
it stops
but every single
time he says
it he follows
it up with
another phrase
let my people
go so that
they may
worship
me
let my people
go so that
they may
worship
me
just look
with me
at chapter
10
verses 1
and 2
then the
Lord said
to Moses
go to
Pharaoh
for I
have
hardened
his heart
and the
hearts
of his
officials
so that
I may
perform
these
signs
of mine
among
them
that
you
may
tell
your
children
and
grandchildren
how I
dealt
harshly
with the
Egyptians
and how
I performed
my signs
among
them
and that
you may
know
that I
am
the
Lord
see
God
is
revealing
himself
to
two
sets
of
people
he's
revealing
himself
to the
Egyptians
saying
that all
your gods
are completely
useless
compared
to me
but he's
also
giving his
people
reasons
to
worship
him
they've
been in
Egypt
400
years
they've
never
seen
God
act
like
this
and now
they know
that their
God
controls
hail
and frogs
can turn
off the
sun
whenever
he wants
and they
go do
you know
what
he's
real
and he's
worth
worshipping
I can't
wait to
get home
and tell
my
children
about
this
and when
they have
children
the
grandchildren
and we'll
have family
devotion times
just worshipping
God
because he's
awesome
and unparalleled
in all the
earth
do you see
what God is
saying
he's saying
God will
be God
and everyone
will know
it
everyone
will know
it
Israelites
and Egyptians
alike
there's
also
something
really
brilliant
going
on
that
we
see
God
is
providing
grace
God
is
providing
grace
a plague
four
with the
flies
something
new
happens
the
Nile
blood
frogs
everywhere
midges
annoying
and then
a plague
four
something
really
different
happens
look at
chapter 8
verse 22
but that
day
I will
deal
differently
with the
land of
Goshen
where my
people
live
no
swarms
of flies
will be
there
so that
you will
know
that I
the
Lord
am in
this
land
look at
chapter 9
verse 4
love the
sound of
rustling
pages
but the
Lord will
make a
distinction
between the
livestock of
Israel and
that of
Egypt
so that
no animal
belonging to
the Israelites
will die
chapter 9
verse 26
once you see
these things
they're everywhere
the only place
it did not
hail
was the land
of Goshen
where the
Israelites
were
chapter 10
verse 23
no one
could see
anyone else
or move
about for
three days
yet
all the
Israelites
had light
in the
places
where they
lived
do you see
how God
is gracious
to his
people
see how he
makes a
distinction
that because
they're his
people
they don't
suffer these
mighty acts
of judgment
that are
coming on
the land
they're safe
he's looking
out for
them
they don't
deserve it
we've already
seen that
they're a
moany bunch
of disbelieving
quasi-Egyptians
but yet God
is so gracious
to them
he makes a
distinction
that his
people are
safe
and everyone
else suffers
he pours out
grace on
undeserving
people
saving them
from judgment
purely because
they're his
people
credible truth
isn't it
judgment
comes and
God's people
are safe
in Exodus
they're safe
by being found
in ethnic
Israel
today you
are safe
when judgment
comes
fully and
finally
not if
you're an
ethnic
Israelite
but if
by faith
you've
trusted
the Lord
Jesus
that is
a sure
and certain
promise
you can
take to
the bank
every day
of the week
and when
judgment
comes
fully and
finally
the only
safe place
is the
Lord Jesus
I was really
disappointed at
Christmas
because Rupert
Murdoch
brought all
the rights
to the
film
Elf
which is
my absolute
favorite film
and I love
that bit
when Santa
comes to
the department
store
and what
does Buddy
the Elf
say
Santa
I know
him
that's what's
held out to
us in the
Lord Jesus
that when
judgment
comes
we're not on
the receiving
end because
we know
God
and we've
trusted
his son
that's
open to
anyone
who will
come
God
will be
God
and everyone
will
know it
point number
four
God is
proclaiming
sovereign
power
and mercy
to go
back to
chapter 9
verse 15
for by
now I
could have
stretched out
my hand
and struck
you and
your people
with a
plague that
would have
wiped you
off the
earth
do you see
how God
is merciful
that he's
judging
them
but he's
not wiping
them off
the earth
his judgment
is supposed
to be
corrective
not merely
punitive
he is trying
to address
their view
of who God
is that he
really is
the Lord
and therefore
these judgments
come and
they're terrible
but they're not
as bad as
they could have
been
because he
says at
the click
of my
fingers
I could
have sent
hail
and Egypt
would have
been confined
to the
almanac
of history
he relents
from destroying
Egypt
he gives
them space
for grace
it's like
the parable
of the wheat
and tares
where God
allows both
the wheat
that is his
and the tares
that aren't
his to grow
up together
without bringing
final judgment
so there might
be real hope
do you know
what we look
out on our
world
and things
are pretty
bleak
but they're
not as bad
as they
could have
been
they're not
as horrendous
if God
didn't have
his restraining
hand over
the world
keeping it
in check
he does this
in four ways
I think he
gives us a
conscience
Romans 2
so people
aren't as bad
as they could
otherwise be
he's given
us the Holy
Spirit who
convicts the
world of sin
and righteousness
and judgment
kind of
amplifying
that work
of the
conscience
the witness
of the
church
he says
is like
salt and
light
in the
world
and civil
authority
that we
learnt about
last Sunday
night in
Romans 13
God is
restraining
the world
from being
as bad
as it
could be
in order
to allow
space for
grace
so that
when final
judgment
comes
people will
trust his
son
and find
grace
and safety
you see
this is what
it's all
about
God will
be God
everyone
will know
it
the key
is will
we know
it now
will we
trust it
now
will we
turn to
him
now
number
five
we're nearly
done
you've
listened
well
God
is
probing
Pharaoh's
hearts
you can
almost say
that this
whole
passage
is almost
like a
battle
for one
heart
Pharaoh's
heart
there's
lots of
different
ways that
Pharaoh's
heart
is hardened
it says
that Pharaoh
hardened
his heart
it says
that Pharaoh's
heart was
hardened
and it
says God
hardened
Pharaoh's
heart
three different
ways going
on and in
fact it says
each of them
four times
Puritans
had this
great phrase
the sun
that melts
the wax
also
hardens
the clay
the more
times we
hear that
God is
God and
everyone
will know
it but
we don't
respond in
repentance
and faith
and get
with the
program
we become
resistant
and in
Pharaoh's
life that
resistance is
built up to
such a point
there's real
urgency
because your
heart does
become calcified
and impenetrable
God will
be God
and absolutely
everyone
will know
last point
and then
we're done
God is
provoked
by false
repentance
God is
provoked
by false
repentance
Pharaoh is a
classic case
of what it
means to
repent
wrongly
to be
sorrow
filled
but not
turn to
God
let me
give you
these
chapter 8
verse 15
but when
Pharaoh saw
that there
was relief
he hardened
his heart
and would
not listen
to Moses
and Aaron
just as
the Lord
had said
do you
see what
it was
relief
not repentance
he wanted
an easier
life but
not God
himself
so he
doesn't turn
to God
he just
wants to
turn away
from his
suffering
relief
not
repentance
is
false
repentance
just want
things slightly
easier than
they already
are
look at
chapter 8
verse 25
then Pharaoh
summoned
Moses
and Aaron
and said
go sacrifice
to your
God here
in the
land
verse 28
Pharaoh said
I will
not let
you go
to offer
sacrifices
to the
Lord
your God
in the
wilderness
but you
may not
go very
far
now pray
for me
or chapter
10
verse 8
then Moses
and Aaron
said
then Moses
and Aaron
will walk
back to
Pharaoh
go worship
the Lord
your God
he said
but tell
me who
will be
going
Moses
answered
we will
be going
with our
young
and our
old
with our
sons
and our
daughters
and with
our flocks
and herds
because we
are to
celebrate a
festival to
the Lord
Pharaoh said
the Lord
will be
with you
if I let
you go
along with
your women
and children
clearly you
are bent
on evil
no
let only
the men
go and
worship
the Lord
he's
bargaining
not
obeying
he's
becoming
convinced
that God
really is
God
but rather
than get
with the
program
and turn
to him
he says
let it be
on my
terms
let it be
only if
it's how I
want it to
be just a
few men
and a few
women
and repentance
is a call
for unconditional
surrender
and then
chapter 9
verse 27
then Pharaoh
summoned Moses
and Aaron
this time
I have
sinned
he said
to them
the Lord
is right
and I
and my
people
are in
the wrong
pray to
the Lord
for we
have had
enough
thunder
and hail
I will
let you
go
you don't
have to
stay
any longer
verse 34
when Pharaoh
saw that the
rain and hail
and thunder
had stopped
he sinned
again
he and his
officials
hardened
their hearts
last way
to falsely
repent
to confess
but to
continue
to confess
but to
continue
he says
surely I
have
sinned
so he's
turning away
from sin
but when it
gets better
it's not a
180 turning
to God
he simply
just does a
360 and
turns back
to sin
false
false repentance
relief
not repentance
bargaining
not obeying
confessing
but continuing
I wonder if
that's true
in your life
stuff going
on that you've
not turned
from
to God
you keep
it as a
little pet
you feed it
from time
to time
I wonder if
that's what
God's saying
to us this
morning
confess
turn
trust
classic
case is
the prodigal
son
he's in
the field
what does it
say he
got up
from the
slop of
his life
and he
turns around
and he
goes home
that's what
repentance
is
turning from
sin to
God
and anything
that's not
true repentance
provokes
God
here's what
we learnt
God
will be
God
and everyone
will know
it
God
will be
God
and everyone
will know
what does
this look
like
in life
well if
you're a
Christian
here today
this morning
perhaps it
is that
your worship
for God
has become
dry and
dusty
maybe it's
a case
like
the Egyptian
the Israelites
had to
to remember
what God
had done
for them
to remember
how he had
blessed them
and blessed
them and
shown his
mighty power
in Egypt
that he gave
them reasons
to worship
perhaps this
week to
not have
dry and
dusty and
cerebral
worship of
God
perhaps that's
it every
morning just
rehearse
and remember
everything that
God has done
for you
there's a
passage on the
back of the
outline that
will be so
helpful from a
guy called
Jerry Bridges
perhaps it
is that God
is a passenger
in your life
you like having
him around but
he's not really
driving it
perhaps today is
the day to
hand over the
keys to your
life
perhaps there's
stuff in your
life that's
habitual set
just keep
feeding it
you've tried
but you've
failed
perhaps today
you turn from
it once and
for all and
ask for help
from people
around
but perhaps
you're not a
Christian
so great
you're here
you have a
little window
into everything
that we're
about
God has and
is revealing
himself to
us he's done
it in this
passage
doing it
all the time
he's showing
you that he
really is God
and it's vital
that you know
it
he's done
this most
profoundly and
poignantly in
his son
the Lord
Jesus
the one who
is the image
of the invisible
God
want to know
what God
is like
look at the
Lord Jesus
no
there's space
for grace in
the present
space for
grace
you're living
and breathing
today and that
is an extension
of God's
grace
grace to
you
but one day
judgment will
come that
will make
these plagues
in Egypt
look like
absolute
child's play
when God
rolls up
history
brings everything
to a close
and judges
the world
in righteousness
and justice
there's only
one safe place
to be found
and that is
having trusted
Jesus with
all of your
life and your
eventual death
judgment will
fall
and the one
thing that
will matter
on that day
is do you
know him
do you
know him
says in the
Psalms
today if you
harden your
heart
today if you
hear his
voice
don't harden
your hearts
pray that would
be true
for each of
us
why don't we
just have a
minute silence
let's just
think about
what God is
calling us to
do this
morning as he
declares into
our lives
I am God
you must
know it
there's that
story isn't
there of six
blind men
touching an
elephant and
they all have
different impressions
about what the
elephant is like
one person
touches the
trunk and
says it's
like a
snake
one person
touches the
tail and
says it's
like a
rope
one person
touches the
stomach and
says it's
like a
wall
it's a
really interesting
story but
there's three
massive problems
with it
as the
narrator of
the story
you're claiming
to be the
only one that
can see fully
which is
slightly arrogant
I think
the Hindu
proverb is
that this is
like God
we've all got
slightly different
impressions of
what he's like
and yet to
say it's an
elephant is a
real problem
because you're
claiming to be
the only one to
see the whole
picture
the second
massive problem
is if the
elephant whispers
to all six
of them
by the way
I'm an
elephant
then their
own perception
of the elephant
is wholly wrong
number three
if the elephant
is a miracle
working elephant
and miraculously
gives them sight
in order that
they can see
that it is an
elephant
then to keep
going in
darkness is
just utterly
wrong
and arrogant
today God
has clearly
revealed himself
to us
what he's
like
he's shown
us
the God
that he
is
and he's
held up
for us
the Lord
Jesus
whom he
sent
and so
to carry
on in
absolute
darkness
and do
absolutely
nothing
about it
it's real
arrogance
and it
will be
a real
problem
in the
end
let me
pray
father
god
thank you
you're a
god
who speaks
who longs
to be
known
who is
not far
from any
one of
us
father
god
may
each
of us
turn to
you
in
repentance
and faith
this day
and embrace
your son
as lord
of lords
and lord
of our
lives
father we
pray this in
jesus mighty name
amen
so
you
so