Bible Heaven/Bible Heaven.iso/online/mhcc09/v09700

Text File | 1994-03-02 | 8KB | 135 lines

09701
 * The murrain of beasts. (1-7) The plague of boils and blains.
 (8-12) The plague of hail threatened. (13-21) The plague of hail
 inflicted. (22-35)

 #1-7 God will have Israel released, Pharaoh opposes it, and the
 trial is, whose word shall stand. The hand of the Lord at once
 is upon the cattle, many of which, some of all kinds, die by a
 sort of murrain. This was greatly to the loss of the owners;
 they had made Israel poor, and now God would make them poor. The
 hand of God is to be seen, even in the sickness and death of
 cattle; for a sparrow falls not to the ground without our
 Father. None of the Israelites' cattle should die; the Lord
 shall sever. The cattle died. The Egyptians worshipped their
 cattle. What we make an idol of, it is just with God to remove
 from us. This proud tyrant and cruel oppressor deserved to be
 made an example by the just Judge of the universe. None who are
 punished according to what they deserve, can have any just cause
 to complain. Hardness of heart denotes that state of mind upon
 which neither threatenings nor promise, neither judgements nor
 mercies, make any abiding impression. The conscience being
 stupefied, and the heart filled with pride and presumption, they
 persist in unbelief and disobedience. This state of mind is also
 called the stony heart. Very different is the heart of flesh,
 the broken and contrite heart. Sinners have none to blame but
 themselves, for that pride and ungodliness which abuse the
 bounty and patience of God. For, however the Lord hardens the
 hearts of men, it is always as a punishment of former sins.

09708
 #8-12 When the Egyptians were not wrought upon by the death of
 their cattle, God sent a plague that seized their own bodies. If
 lesser judgments do not work, God will send greater. Sometimes
 God shows men their sin in their punishment. They had oppressed
 Israel in the furnaces, and now the ashes of the furnace are
 made a terror to them. The plague itself was very grievous. The
 magicians themselves were struck with these boils. Their power
 was restrained before; but they continued to withstand Moses,
 and to confirm Pharaoh in his unbelief, till they were forced to
 give way. Pharaoh continued obstinate. He had hardened his own
 heart, and now God justly gave him up to his own heart's lusts,
 permitting Satan to blind and harden him. If men shut their eyes
 against the light, it is just with God to close their eyes. This
 is the sorest judgment a man can be under out of hell.

09713
 #13-21 Moses is here ordered to deliver a dreadful message to
 Pharaoh. Providence ordered it, that Moses should have a man of
 such a fierce and stubborn spirit as this Pharaoh to deal with;
 and every thing made it a most signal instance of the power
 God has to humble and bring down the proudest of his enemies.
 When God's justice threatens ruin, his mercy at the same time
 shows a way of escape from it. God not only distinguished
 between Egyptians and Israelites, but between some Egyptians and
 others. If Pharaoh will not yield, and so prevent the judgment
 itself, yet those that will take warning, may take shelter. Some
 believed the things which were spoken, and they feared, and
 housed their servants and cattle, and it was their wisdom. Even
 among the servants of Pharaoh, some trembled at God's word; and
 shall not the sons of Israel dread it? But others believed not,
 and left their cattle in the field. Obstinate unbelief is deaf
 to the fairest warnings, and the wisest counsels, which leaves
 the blood of those that perish upon their own heads.
09722
 #22-35 Woeful havoc this hail made: it killed both men and
 cattle; the corn above ground was destroyed, and that only
 preserved which as yet was not come up. The land of Goshen was
 preserved. God causes rain or hail on one city and not on
 another, either in mercy or in judgment. Pharaoh humbled himself
 to Moses. No man could have spoken better: he owns himself
 wrong; he owns that the Lord is righteous; and God must be
 justified when he speaks, though he speaks in thunder and
 lightning. Yet his heart was hardened all this while. Moses
 pleads with God: though he had reason to think Pharaoh would
 repent of his repentance, and he told him so, yet he promises to
 be his friend. Moses went out of the city, notwithstanding the
 hail and lightning which kept Pharaoh and his servants within
 doors. Peace with God makes men thunder-proof. Pharaoh was
 frightened by the tremendous judgment; but when that was over,
 his fair promises were forgotten. Those that are not bettered by
 judgments and mercies, commonly become worse.
09736
 * The plague of locusts threatened; Pharaoh, moved by his
 servants, inclines to let the Israelites go. (1-11) The plague
 of locusts. (12-20) The plague of thick darkness. (21-29)

 #1-11 The plagues of Egypt show the sinfulness of sin. They warn
 the children of men not to strive with their Maker. Pharaoh had
 pretended to humble himself; but no account was made of it, for
 he was not sincere therein. The plague of locusts is threatened.
 This should be much worse than any of that kind which had ever
 been known. Pharaoh's attendants persuade him to come to terms
 with Moses. Hereupon Pharaoh will allow the men to go, falsely
 pretending that this was all they desired. He swears that they
 shall not remove their little ones. Satan does all he can to
 hinder those that serve God themselves, from bringing their
 children to serve him. He is a sworn enemy to early piety.
 Whatever would put us from engaging our children in God's
 service, we have reason to suspect Satan in it. Nor should the
 young forget that the Lord's counsel is, Remember thy Creator in
 the days of thy youth; but Satan's counsel is, to keep children
 in a state of slavery to sin and to the world. Mark that the
 great foe of man wishes to retain him by the ties of affection,
 as Pharaoh would have taken hostages from the Israelites for
 their return, by holding their wives and children in captivity.
 Satan is willing to share our duty and our service with the
 Saviour, because the Saviour will not accept those terms.
09747
 #12-20 God bids Moses stretch out his hand; locusts came at the
 call. An army might more easily have been resisted than this
 host of insects. Who then is able to stand before the great God?
 They covered the face of the earth, and ate up the fruit of it.
 Herbs grow for the service of man; yet when God pleases, insects
 shall plunder him, and eat the bread out of his mouth. Let our
 labour be, not for the habitation and meat thus exposed, but for
 those which endure to eternal life. Pharaoh employs Moses and
 Aaron to pray for him. There are those, who, in distress, seek
 the help of other people's prayers, but have no mind to pray for
 themselves. They show thereby that they have no true love to
 God, nor any delight in communion with him. Pharaoh desires only
 that this death might be taken away, not this sin. He wishes to
 get rid of the plague of locusts, not the plague of a hard
 heart, which was more dangerous. An east wind brought the
 locusts, a west wind carries them off. Whatever point the wind
 is in, it is fulfilling God's word, and turns by his counsel.
 The wind bloweth where it listeth, as to us; but not so as it
 respects God. It was also an argument for their repentance; for
 by this it appeared that God is ready to forgive, and swift to
 show mercy. If he does this upon the outward tokens of
 humiliation, what will he do if we are sincere! Oh that this
 goodness of God might lead us to repentance! Pharaoh returned to
 his resolution again, not to let the people go. Those who have
 often baffled their convictions, are justly given up to the
 lusts of their hearts.