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Summary by Darrin Koehler

Continued from Epic 6…

Through chapters 6 and 11, the Scriptures teach very clearly that God is all-knowing. He knew that Pharaoh would not let the people go until after his heart was hardened. He knows past, present, and future. It is easy to get caught up, however, on the fact that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart. Doesn’t this mean that Pharaoh had no choice in the matter? Doesn’t this mean that Pharaoh had no chance to repent? On the contrary, God did not harden Pharaoh’s heart until after Pharaoh hardened his own heart many, many times.

Through Moses, God miraculously loosed 9 plagues in the land of Egypt, each of which was a direct message against the false gods of the Egyptians. Through each of these plagues, Pharaoh hardened his own heart. He refused God and sought out his own glory to such a great extent that he could no longer hear or receive the word of God. By this point, Pharaoh was so far from God and from repenting from his own sin that he would never hear what God would have to say. And so, as we read, God hardened Pharaoh’s heart. The treasure of the word of God is far too precious to be cast upon the ears of someone bent on rejecting it.

In chapter 12 we see the beginnings of one of the most historically celebrated holidays. This, the Passover, was the last and final plague in the land of Egypt. God warned that every first born son would be put to death unless the doorpost of that household was found with the blood of a lamb spread upon it. The Pharaoh continued in arrogance, but the Israelites believed what God said and so followed His instruction. When the spirit of the Lord came to take the lives of each firstborn son, he passed over every home that had heeded the instruction. At this, finally, Pharaoh commanded the Israelites to leave. They hurried, taking all that they could carry, but Pharaoh was relentless. Though he told them to leave he still pursued them because his heart was hardened and he refused to relent. However, when the Israelites reached the other side, God commanded Moses to raise his staff and make the waters return, drowning the Egyptians who pursued them.

To be continued in Epic 8…

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CrossWay Church is a modern expression of the biblical community of faith, hope and love serving the cities of Debary, Orange City, Deltona, Deland, Sanford and the surrounding central Florida area. Our passion is for the glory and fame of Jesus Christ. Our vision is to effectively engage our contemporary culture with his timeless gospel. Our mission is to help people find and follow hard after him. Visit us on the web at crosswayflorida.com

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