Several times, Pharaoh had offered Moses compromises rather than complete freedom from bondage. Each time Moses refused because he knew partial obedience was still disobedience to God. We see this prevalent in Christianity today. In Exodus 8, Pharaoh encouraged them to offer their sacrifices in the land of Goshen, but Moses knew this would be problematic for the Egyptians because the Israelites would be sacrificing the very cattle that the Egyptians worshiped as gods. This is the compromise that the world offers Christianity today. Be a Christian but remain carnal! Be a Christian but don’t leave the world or sacrifice your flesh! We must remember that partial obedience is offensive to God! Here are other compromises Pharaoh offered Moses which are pictures of what the world still offers Christians today.
1. The family doesn’t matter.
Some Christians believe that as long as certain members of the family get what they need from the Lord, the rest of the family will somehow be OK. We need churches that minister to the entire family and meet all the people spiritually right where they are.
Ex. 10:7-9 “And Pharaoh’s servants said unto him, How long shall this man be a snare unto us? let the men go, that they may serve the LORD their God: knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed? And Moses and Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh: and he said unto them, Go, serve the LORD your God: but who are they that shall go? And Moses said, We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go; for we must hold a feast unto the LORD.”
2. Sacrifice doesn’t matter.
Satan and the World understands that REAL faith involves sacrifice. Had Jesus not gone to the cross, our religion would be empty. Our profession of faith would have been empty if we had not offered ourselves to Jesus. There must be a sacrifice!
V24-26 “And Pharaoh called unto Moses, and said, Go ye, serve the LORD; only let your flocks and your herds be stayed: let your little ones also go with you. And Moses said, Thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice unto the LORD our God. Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not an hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to serve the LORD our God; and we know not with what we must serve the LORD, until we come thither.”
LESSON - I believe the plague of darkness was a picture of Jesus‘ body in the tomb because the sun was blotted out for three days. This revealed God’s power over Ra (their sun god) who was supposed to be the greatest of all the Egyptian gods. Jesus’ resurrection from the dead was proof of God’s power over Satan, the world, and our flesh! Claim the victory God has given you over sin and live in freedom just like the children of Israel.
~Mike