Forever Home in the Eternal Family of God

2 February 2024

Reading From Exodus 10-12

“So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, so that they may worship me.’”

–Exodus 10:3

     The cure for a hardened heart is humility and contrition.  In humility I acknowledge that the Lord is God and I am not.[1]  Contrition is coming to a place in my heart where I feel genuine remorse and desire the forgiveness and guidance of God.  “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”[2]  Pharaoh was cemented in his pride with the mortar of his unbelief, disobedience and unrepentance.  This would have been broken with mercy and grace freely given had he humbled himself before Yahweh.  Admitting that the Lord is God would have been difficult for him, not only because the Israelites contributed to his own wealth and that of Egypt through their unpaid labor, but also because  Egyptians worshipped a pantheon of gods, one of whom was their king.  Pharaoh, the god-king of Egypt would have had to submit his will to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.[3]

     The worship of self is at the center of mankind’s fallen nature.[4]  Salvation happens when a person decides to surrender their will to God.[5]  We must go from following our own way to following the Way.  Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.[6]  No one comes to the Father except through Him.  The path to new life in Christ is through belief,[7] confession[8] and repentance[9] by the undeserved favor of the Father.[10]  “How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify ourconscience from dead works to serve the living God.”[11]  The soul-cleansing blood of the Lamb and the unity of the Holy Spirit make all those who follow Jesus the eternal family of God.[12]

“Lord Jesus, help me to act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with You.  Thank You for Your goodness and mercy to me, Lord.  Thank You for not treating me according to what my sins deserve, but dealing with me according to Your unfailing love.  Break my pride.  May I freely admit when I am wrong and ask for Your forgiveness.  Please wash me clean in Your blood and fill me with a desire to serve You.  Amen.”

Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.  –Proverbs 16:18

But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”  –James 4:6

But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.  –I John 1:7

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[1] Psalm 100:3, Psalm 83:18

[2] Micah 6:8, Matthew 23:12

[3] Philippians 2:10-11, Romans 14:11

[4] Philippians 2:3, Isaiah 53:6

[5] James 4:7, Luke 9:23, Galatians 2:20

[6] John 14:6, Acts 4:12

[7] Hebrews 11:6, Acts 16:31

[8] Romans 10:9, I John 1:9

[9] Acts 2:38, 17:30

[10] Ephesians 2:8, Titus 3:5

[11] Hebrews 9:14, Romans 5:9

[12] Galatians 3:26, II Corinthians 6:18, Romans 8:14, John 1:12