There are many lessons we can learn from the story of Moses, Pharaoh, and the 10 plagues in Exodus 7-11. One of the key lessons is that it is wiser to live on the side of God’s mercy than it is to live on the side of His judgment. Just ask Pharaoh. It is clear from this story that it is far wiser to follow the example of Moses, who demonstrated faith and obedience, than to follow the example of Pharaoh, who showed extreme pride and arrogance.
There are 3 commitments I must make if I want to live my life experiencing the mercy of God.
Step #1: I Don’t Ignore God’s Word (Exodus 7:1-13)
- By chapter 7 of Exodus, Moses had learned one lesson very well: When God speaks… listen and obey. To do so is to experience mercy. Moses could see the results of ignoring and disobeying the Word of God in the life of Pharaoh. He was warned ten times by God, but he ignored all of them because of his pride.
- Are you living on the side of mercy? Am I? It is a question we need to ask ourselves.
- Are you playing God (like Pharaoh) or praying to God (like Moses)?
- Are you humbly following and obeying God’s Word or ignoring it?
- Do you believe God’s Word and Ways are best and mercy to you?
- Take a look at: Phil 2:10, 1 Peter 5:5b-6.
Step #2: I Don’t Trivialize God’s Judgment (Exodus 7:14-11:8)
- Don’t lose sight of the fact that God’s judgment is as real as His mercy. To play games with disobedience is foolish. Pharaoh trivialized God’s judgment by presuming he was god. He chose to sit on the throne of his own heart.
- While none of us are perfect, obviously, the point here is not perfection but a life trajectory of ongoing obedience.
- Disobedience caused Pharaoh trouble; it will ruin us, too.
- A Fearless Faith says that we live humbly before the Lord (Matt 5:3, Prov. 1:7), respecting His judgment, living daily in thanksgiving for His mercy.
Step #3: I Don’t Frustrate God’s Purposes (Exodus 11:9-10)
- Pharaoh lived to frustrate God’s purposes. He stood in rebellion to God’s will. In the end, he was the one who suffered, not God’s purposes.
- We often frustrate God’s purposes when we don’t love as we should, don’t live as we should, and don’t serve as we should. Frustrating the purposes of God is often motivated by selfishness and self-promotion.
- Are you frustrating God’s purpose for your life like Pharaoh or are you fulfilling it like Moses?
In order to live on the side of God’s mercy we need to obey God’s Word, respect His judgment, and fulfill His purpose for our life. We need to humble ourselves and live like Moses, not serve self like Pharaoh.