Exodus Chapter 10 Verse 1

• I want to remind you of a statement that I’ve made in previous studies but one that ought to be recalled for this study. In hardening Pharaoh’s heart, God is doing no primary act.  We have already read time and time again in chapters previous that Pharaoh hardened his own heart.  What we are reading now, and we will see it several times in this chapter, is simply God in His sovereignty honoring Pharaoh’s free will…allowing him to have what his flesh demanded, which was a hard heart against God and against Moses.
• There comes a point where a person resists and rejects the Holy Spirit and that is exactly what happens. God allows Himself to be resisted and rejected.  Now check this out.  This is entirely applicable to a person’s salvation as a whole…Mark 2:28-29, Jesus said, “Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation.”  What is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit?  The rejection of the truth of Jesus Christ.
• John 15:26, Jesus said, “When the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.” And so to reject Jesus is the single unpardonable sin and is the definition of the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.  The ultimate hardening of the heart.  And if that is your choice, God who is love and true love requires true choice, God will allow it.  Romans Chapter 1 verses 28 and into 29, “Even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness…”
• Now, that is the hardening of the heart unto condemnation…who does that? Man or God?  The answer is yes and both being true, the answer to man and God being yes is not controversial.  One does not deny the other.  God simply and in His sovereignty allows for free will and therefore confirms man’s free will.  BUT, even as a Christian, there is a more miniscule, an application on even a smaller level that the enemy likes to slip under the sealed door of a saved heart…
• Have you ever met a Christian with a hard heart? Oh yes…someone who just doesn’t love others…seems tired of others…or a Christian who is just somehow oblivious to the fact that a major player in their character traits is an offense to the Holy Spirit.  Even saved as saved can be…we have to constantly ask ourselves…have I chosen a hard heart?  Free will doesn’t die when you give your life to Jesus…you’re just saved by grace now in your free will…and God will still confirm your free will, Christian…the battle doesn’t necessarily end when you get saved…for salvation, yes…but you can still become like Pharaoh even in the Lord.  Is that you?  Or is that a part of you?  If you aren’t actively seeking humility and true worship…yep, that’s you.

Exodus Chapter 10 Verse 2

• You know, what God does in your life…is not only for you. Its for the generation to come.  For your little ones to see you and know that God is good.  Madison, my 12 year old, just led worship with adults for the first time this past weekend.  I am so proud of that!  I am so thankful for that…but in being thankful for that I have to recall and again my heart is so thankful to God because I have known the Lord her whole life…and God has done so many undeniable things for my family and she has seen them…what a blessing!

Exodus Chapter 10 Verse 3

• Throughout every interaction, this whole story, this entire account, this is truly the issue. Why is there so much suffering?  Why is there plague after plague?  The root cause is here revealed.    Pharaoh could have and can humble himself and obey God…could have and can…and that is the very cause of EVERYTHING…the fact that he refuses.

Exodus Chapter 10 Verses 4 – 11

• This is so the voice of the enemy! Go ahead, serve your God…but don’t involve your family…don’t bother them.  Let them believe what they want…go easy.  Leave the small things of life out…don’t go all in…but to not go all in is to not go in at all!  You’re either born again or you’re not for one…but to be a Christian in a carnal life is nothing but trouble!!
• Pharaoh again tries to compromise with the Word of God but I love what Guzik says about this, “God would make no bargain, because He didn’t need to. This time and every time, God holds all of the negotiating leverage!”  I love that statement!  God’s Word doesn’t change.  And for every person, every time, it will accomplish completely.  God will be proven true in every single life…whether truth unto destruction (not God’s will or want), or truth unto salvation and life!
• This is a perfect example. Let the people go, obey what God has asked of you, no locusts.  Refuse, harden your heart against God…locusts.

Exodus Chapter 10 Verses 12 – 17

• Ugh, what a frustrating scene! Why, because this is exactly what Pharaoh had said and had done before and yet right here he says, “Just do this, this once.”  I know I do this too but I have to hope that it’s hardly ever because I despise it so much when someone says or does something and then somehow they choose to not recall at all and they act like it was never said. 
• Like someone saying they’ll do something, not doing it, and NEVER acknowledging that it wasn’t done. OR, someone saying something and then when confronted they say, “I didn’t say that!”  Or, “I never did that!?”  Drives me up the wall because I didn’t have my chest cam on!  HA!  Oh man…here, Pharaoh says, “Do this this one time…,” um….we’ve done this several times before…but, even so…watch this…

Exodus Chapter 10 Verse 18

• Moses displays great patience I look at this, Moses simply trusting God, walking in patience and mercy, and I want to be more like this…in the Spirit.  My flesh does not want to be like this at all…but….my flesh is not the lead.  How about you?
• This is not repentance…this is not true sorrow over sin…it’s been said of this scene, “Once again comes the easy confession of sin, and the shallow repentance that springs only from a desire to avert the consequences…” and yet still, Moses intercedes for him.

Exodus Chapter 10 Verses 19 – 23

• This is the ninth plague, the final warning before all is lost…and notice, it is darkness. Darkness so thick that it can be felt…this is the final stop for the one serving themselves in this life before the house of cards falls…darkness that is felt the most by those that surround you, your family and friends.  You can’t reach them, (not able to see one another), and they are simply unable to rise.  Why?  The darkness is so very thick. 
• Here is the cure.   Three days the disciples were in darkness of spirit as Jesus remained a dead Savior.  But when He arose, it was morning. 
• Where should you turn if darkness has surrounded you? The people of God.  There is light there…but pride is such a weight and hook…if you are in darkness today, struggling with pride and your life is getting darker and you are not willing to humble yourself to God and turn in to where the light is…the next stop may just be the final destination…not God’s will for you.  It is however most certainly the will of the enemy for you…Christian and non-Christian alike.

Exodus Chapter 10 Verses 24 – 29

• If you try to negotiate, haggle…work something out with God…my side of my life, Your side of my life…then you really don’t yet know Him. When all He has for you is better than anything you could ever make for yourself… Pharaoh is now beyond reason…and Moses doesn’t fall at his feet and make things more comfortable for him or try another tactic or secede in any way…he turns, and walks out. 
• God has honored his free will…and at this point, Moses does too…but by the first verse of the next chapter, we know Moses continues to pray for Pharaoh…we know Moses’ heart was as heavy as Pharaoh’s was hard…because just like God wanted for Pharaoh, just as His will is for you…Moses also wanted Pharaoh to make it…but pride, man. Pride was Pharaoh’s god…not God.