The Great Non-Compromiser

Exodus

The Great Non-Compromiser

April 11th, 1979 @ 12:00 PM

Exodus 3-10

Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God. And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt. And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain. And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations. Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt: And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey. And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath met with us: and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God. And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand. And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go. And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty: But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians. And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee. And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod. And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it. And the LORD said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand: That they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee. And the LORD said furthermore unto him, Put now thine hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow. And he said, Put thine hand into thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom again; and plucked it out of his bosom, and, behold, it was turned again as his other flesh. And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign. And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land. And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say. And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart. And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do. And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God. And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs. And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father in law, and said unto him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren which are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace. And the LORD said unto Moses in Midian, Go, return into Egypt: for all the men are dead which sought thy life. And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand. And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go. And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn: And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn. And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him. Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me. So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision. And the LORD said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. And he went, and met him in the mount of God, and kissed him. And Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD who had sent him, and all the signs which he had commanded him. And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel: And Aaron spake all the words which the LORD had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people. And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped. And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness. And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go. And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword. And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens. And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens. And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying, Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves. And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God. Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words. And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw. Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished. So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw. And the taskmasters hasted them, saying, Fulfil your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw. And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and to day, as heretofore? Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants? There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault is in thine own people. But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the LORD. Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks. And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, after it was said, Ye shall not minish ought from your bricks of your daily task. And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh: And they said unto them, The LORD look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us. And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all. Then the LORD said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land. And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD: And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them. And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers. And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant. Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments: And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the LORD. And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Go in, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land. And Moses spake before the LORD, saying, Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips? And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, and gave them a charge unto the children of Israel, and unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt. These be the heads of their fathers' houses: The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel; Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi: these be the families of Reuben. And the sons of Simeon; Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanitish woman: these are the families of Simeon. And these are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari: and the years of the life of Levi were an hundred thirty and seven years. The sons of Gershon; Libni, and Shimi, according to their families. And the sons of Kohath; Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel: and the years of the life of Kohath were an hundred thirty and three years. And the sons of Merari; Mahali and Mushi: these are the families of Levi according to their generations. And Amram took him Jochebed his father's sister to wife; and she bare him Aaron and Moses: and the years of the life of Amram were an hundred and thirty and seven years. And the sons of Izhar; Korah, and Nepheg, and Zichri. And the sons of Uzziel; Mishael, and Elzaphan, and Zithri. And Aaron took him Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab, sister of Naashon, to wife; and she bare him Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. And the sons of Korah; Assir, and Elkanah, and Abiasaph: these are the families of the Korhites. And Eleazar Aaron's son took him one of the daughters of Putiel to wife; and she bare him Phinehas: these are the heads of the fathers of the Levites according to their families. These are that Aaron and Moses, to whom the LORD said, Bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their armies. These are they which spake to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt: these are that Moses and Aaron. And it came to pass on the day when the LORD spake unto Moses in the land of Egypt, That the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, I am the LORD: speak thou unto Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say unto thee. And Moses said before the LORD, Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me? And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet. Thou shalt speak all that I command thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land. And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them. And Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them, so did they. And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh. And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent. And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent. Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods. And he hardened Pharaoh's heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said. And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh's heart is hardened, he refuseth to let the people go. Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water; and thou shalt stand by the river's brink against he come; and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in thine hand. And thou shalt say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee, saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness: and, behold, hitherto thou wouldest not hear. Thus saith the LORD, In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood. And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall lothe to drink of the water of the river. And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water, that they may become blood; and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone. And Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; as the LORD had said. And Pharaoh turned and went into his house, neither did he set his heart to this also. And all the Egyptians digged round about the river for water to drink; for they could not drink of the water of the river. And seven days were fulfilled, after that the LORD had smitten the river. And the LORD spake unto Moses, Go unto Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me. And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs: And the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into thine house, and into thy bedchamber, and upon thy bed, and into the house of thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thine ovens, and into thy kneadingtroughs: And the frogs shall come up both on thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants. And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch forth thine hand with thy rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt. And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt. And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt. Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, Intreat the LORD, that he may take away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may do sacrifice unto the LORD. And Moses said unto Pharaoh, Glory over me: when shall I intreat for thee, and for thy servants, and for thy people, to destroy the frogs from thee and thy houses, that they may remain in the river only? And he said, To morrow. And he said, Be it according to thy word: that thou mayest know that there is none like unto the LORD our God. And the frogs shall depart from thee, and from thy houses, and from thy servants, and from thy people; they shall remain in the river only. And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh: and Moses cried unto the LORD because of the frogs which he had brought against Pharaoh. And the LORD did according to the word of Moses; and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the villages, and out of the fields. And they gathered them together upon heaps: and the land stank. But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said. And the LORD said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt. And they did so; for Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man, and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt. And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: so there were lice upon man, and upon beast. Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said. And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh; lo, he cometh forth to the water; and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me. Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are. And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there; to the end thou mayest know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth. And I will put a division between my people and thy people: to morrow shall this sign be. And the LORD did so; and there came a grievous swarm of flies into the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants' houses, and into all the land of Egypt: the land was corrupted by reason of the swarm of flies. And Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron, and said, Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land. And Moses said, It is not meet so to do; for we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to the LORD our God: lo, shall we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, and will they not stone us? We will go three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the LORD our God, as he shall command us. And Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only ye shall not go very far away: intreat for me. And Moses said, Behold, I go out from thee, and I will intreat the LORD that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, to morrow: but let not Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the LORD. And Moses went out from Pharaoh, and intreated the LORD. And the LORD did according to the word of Moses; and he removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; there remained not one. And Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also, neither would he let the people go. Then the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh, and tell him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me. For if thou refuse to let them go, and wilt hold them still, Behold, the hand of the LORD is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep: there shall be a very grievous murrain. And the LORD shall sever between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt: and there shall nothing die of all that is the children's of Israel. And the LORD appointed a set time, saying, To morrow the LORD shall do this thing in the land. And the LORD did that thing on the morrow, and all the cattle of Egypt died: but of the cattle of the children of Israel died not one. And Pharaoh sent, and, behold, there was not one of the cattle of the Israelites dead. And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go. And the LORD said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh. And it shall become small dust in all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast, throughout all the land of Egypt. And they took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward heaven; and it became a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast. And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boil was upon the magicians, and upon all the Egyptians. And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had spoken unto Moses. And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me. For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth. For now I will stretch out my hand, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence; and thou shalt be cut off from the earth. And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth. As yet exaltest thou thyself against my people, that thou wilt not let them go? Behold, to morrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even until now. Send therefore now, and gather thy cattle, and all that thou hast in the field; for upon every man and beast which shall be found in the field, and shall not be brought home, the hail shall come down upon them, and they shall die. He that feared the word of the LORD among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses: And he that regarded not the word of the LORD left his servants and his cattle in the field. And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch forth thine hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt. And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the LORD rained hail upon the land of Egypt. So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field. Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, was there no hail. And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: the LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked. Intreat the LORD (for it is enough) that there be no more mighty thunderings and hail; and I will let you go, and ye shall stay no longer. And Moses said unto him, As soon as I am gone out of the city, I will spread abroad my hands unto the LORD; and the thunder shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail; that thou mayest know how that the earth is the LORD'S. But as for thee and thy servants, I know that ye will not yet fear the LORD God. And the flax and the barley was smitten: for the barley was in the ear, and the flax was bolled. But the wheat and the rie were not smitten: for they were not grown up. And Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and spread abroad his hands unto the LORD: and the thunders and hail ceased, and the rain was not poured upon the earth. And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants. And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, neither would he let the children of Israel go; as the LORD had spoken by Moses. And the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these my signs before him: And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son's son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that ye may know how that I am the LORD. And Moses and Aaron came in unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? let my people go, that they may serve me. Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast: And they shall cover the face of the earth, that one cannot be able to see the earth: and they shall eat the residue of that which is escaped, which remaineth unto you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which groweth for you out of the field: And they shall fill thy houses, and the houses of all thy servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; which neither thy fathers, nor thy fathers' fathers have seen, since the day that they were upon the earth unto this day. And he turned himself, and went out from Pharaoh. And Pharaoh's servants said unto him, How long shall this man be a snare unto us? let the men go, that they may serve the LORD their God: knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed? And Moses and Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh: and he said unto them, Go, serve the LORD your God: but who are they that shall go? And Moses said, We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go; for we must hold a feast unto the LORD. And he said unto them, Let the LORD be so with you, as I will let you go, and your little ones: look to it; for evil is before you. Not so: go now ye that are men, and serve the LORD; for that ye did desire. And they were driven out from Pharaoh's presence. And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail hath left. And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts. And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the coasts of Egypt: very grievous were they; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such. For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt. Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste; and he said, I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against you. Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and intreat the LORD your God, that he may take away from me this death only. And he went out from Pharaoh, and intreated the LORD. And the LORD turned a mighty strong west wind, which took away the locusts, and cast them into the Red sea; there remained not one locust in all the coasts of Egypt. But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go. And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt. And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days: They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings. And Pharaoh called unto Moses, and said, Go ye, serve the LORD; only let your flocks and your herds be stayed: let your little ones also go with you. And Moses said, Thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice unto the LORD our God. Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not an hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to serve the LORD our God; and we know not with what we must serve the LORD, until we come thither. But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let them go. And Pharaoh said unto him, Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die. And Moses said, Thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face again no more.
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THE GREAT NON-COMPROMISER

Dr. W. A. Criswell

Exodus 3-10

4-11-79    12:00 p.m.

 

Isn’t it a benediction to know that we have at least two prophets here in our church?  Joel, that’s one.  I’m Amos, that’s two.  Bless us both.  And maybe on account of you, the teamsters in the freight division of our national economy are going to come to a contract.  Keep at it, son.  And once again, a thousand times welcome, to all of you who have opportunity out of a busy lunch hour to come here and to spend this moment with us.  Remember, you can come any time, come late, come stay for a moment, any time that you must leave, you feel free; you will not bother me at all, and everybody will understand it.  You get right up in the middle of a sentence and walk out, why, this is a service for all of us who’d like to take time this pre-Easter week and just spend a few minutes here in God’s house.

Because of the background of the treaty being hammered out between Israel and Egypt, I thought we would take as a theme this year, “The Deliverance of Israel Out of Egyptian Bondage.”  So, in following through with the theme, the subject concerns Moses, the Mighty Man of God.  On Monday: The Renunciation.  Yesterday: In a Flame of Fire.  Tomorrow: The Birthday of the People of God; at sundown this evening the passover season begins for the children of Israel, so tomorrow The Birthday of the People of God.  And on Friday, for us the day our Lord was crucified and also the day of the sacrifice of the Paschal lamb: The Blood of the Passover.  Now the title today: The Great Non-Compromiser.

For the first time in the Word of the Lord, in the third chapter of the Book of Exodus and the seventh verse, the Lord calls Israel “My people.”  The Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of My people” [Exodus 3:7].  And He spells that out in the fourth chapter.  “You shall say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord, Israel is My son, even My firstborn:  And I say unto thee, Let My son go, that he may serve Me” [Exodus 4:22, 23].  The Lord speaks as though He had counted them all by name, and lest even one of them be omitted or left behind, He says, “These are My people, all of them.  And Israel is My firstborn.  Now let him go that they may serve Me in the wilderness” [Exodus 4:22-23].  So the fifth chapter begins, Moses and Aaron went into Pharaoh and said, “Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Let My people go, that they may hold a feast unto Me in the wilderness” [Exodus 5:1].

And when that was demanded of the king of Egypt, he was infuriated and saying that it is because of the slack in work, and the leisure time that these slaves possessed, that they were making this demand of him.  So he commanded his taskmasters, “You lay double the burden of work and slavery upon them.  And no longer will we furnish straw for bricks, but you let them find their own straw.   And the tale of bricks, the number that they make each day, is not to be diminished” [Exodus 5:7-8].  So the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and demanded, “Wherefore have you not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and today, as heretofore?” [Exodus 5:14].  The grievous burden that the people already endured, was doubled now.  And their tears and their sighing was but a reflection and a token of their servitude, and their struggle was but an affirmation of their bondage [Exodus 5:15].  They were hopeless and they could not deliver themselves.  If they are saved, if they are delivered, it has to be from the outside.

Now you look at this.  Twelve times, in this little word that I read, is the personal pronoun used; eleven times it is “I” and one time it is “Me.”  Who is going to deliver these people out of their slavery and bondage?  God says:

I will do it.  Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the Lord.  I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments: I will take you to Methat one MeI will take you to Me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God, who bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.  I will bring you into a land, concerning the which I did swear it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob and I will give it to you for  an heritage: I am the Lord.

[Exodus 6:6-8]

If there is any deliverance, it’s not in themselves.  It has to come from outside themselves.  And God says that deliverance is in Me”I will do it.  I am the Lord” [Exodus 6:6-8].

 So there follows this contest between Jehovah God and the gods of the Egyptians; it is the same, it is exactly the same setup as you have between the prophets of Baal on top of Mount Carmel, and Elijah the prophet of the one true God Jehovah [1 Kings 18:20-40].  You see every one of those ten plagues was thrust at the heart of one of the gods of the Egyptians [Exodus 7:14-12:30].  The Egyptians worshipped the Nile as a god, and the first plague was turning the waters of the Nile into blood [Exodus 7:14-25].  The ninth plague, just before the Passoverthe ninth plague, was against the sun god, Ra.  His name is incorporated all through Egyptian literaturePharaoh, Ra, the great sun god.  In the ninth plague, the Almighty blotted him out.  There were three days and nights of impenetrable darkness, darkness that could be felt; you could cut it like a knife, and no one moved [Exodus 10:21-29].

Sometimes those plagues were thrust at the heart of a god that was supposed to protect the people.  They had a goddess named Heqet she had a frog’s head.  And the plague of the frogs covered the land with frogs, in a meal barrel, in the dough trough, in the bed.  You lived with them.  You slept with themfrogs [Exodus 8:1-15].  Sometimes those plagues were thrust against the priesthood and the sanctuaries and the temples, like lice [Exodus 8:16-19], and bugs, and locusts [Exodus 10:1-20], and flies [Exodus 8:20-32].  They were everywhere.  They covered the god Apis, a sacred bull.  Then they covered the god Isis.  They covered the sanctuary and they were everywhere; lice and flies and insects.  All of it was thrust against the gods of Egypt, in contempt, as though a bull would be a god; as though a sacred ibis would be a god; as though a sacred crocodile or a monkey would be a god; or as though the Nile River would be a god; or even the sun would be a god.  There is no god, but God”I am the Lord God” [Exodus 6:8].  And Moses and Aaron are there in Egypt in contest with all of the might and power of the gods of the Egyptians.

So when the Nile turns to blood [Exodus 7:20-25], and when the frogs cover the face of the land, and when lice [Exodus 8:16-19], and flies [Exodus 8:20-32], are everywhere over every sacred vessel and in every sacred place, why, this is the first compromise.  Pharaoh calls for Moses and Aaron and says, “You go.  You go sacrifice to your God, only do it in the land” [Exodus 8:25]; first compromise.  God said, “You get out of Egypt, serve Me out of Egypt” [Exodus 3:10; 8:27] and the first compromise, “You serve God.  Only serve your God, sacrifice to your God in the land” [Exodus 8:25].

Now I’m not saying that a man cannot be born again and be a Christian and yet live in slavery and in bondage in the land of Egypt.  But I tell you two things that will happen to you.  Number one is this: you will never be happy in your heart.  You will be miserable all the days of your life.  There is no such thing as a child of God being happy in the land of bondage and of slavery and of the world.  When God says come out of it [2 Corinthians 6:17] and we stay in it, there is a concomitant and a corollary, an addendum that always follows after.  You are miserable, all the days of your life.

A second thing: when you stay in the land of Egypt, in the world, in bondage, and in slavery, your words fall to the ground.  The heavens are [iron] and the earth is [brass] [Leviticus 26:19].  Your prayers are like a sounding brass and your witness is like a clanging cymbal [1 Corinthians 13:1].

Well, what does God demand of us who have found refuge in Him?  This is what God demands of us.  He asks us to leave the land of [Egypt], the land of bondage and of slavery.  And as His children Israel; get out, get out, get out to sacrifice to the Lord your God, and to serve the Lord your Maker [Exodus 3:10, 8:27].  And that is God’s demand of us.  Well, isn’t that an unusual thing?  What is the matter with refining sin?  What is the matter with trying to clean up the pigpen?  Keep the prodigal in it, but clean it up.  What is the matter with that?

Somehow, God is not pleased with it.  What God wants with His prodigal son is to get out of the pigpen and back home [Luke 15:15-21].  What God asks of His people is to get out of Egypt, out of the world, where we may sacrifice and please the Lord in all of the ways of our lives [Exodus 3:10, 8:27].  I want to ask you; shouldn’t an addition to us be a subtraction from them?  If a man gives his life to God, doesn’t that mean he didn’t belong anymore to the world?  His ways are different.  His thoughts are different.  His visions are different.  His dreams are different.  His ambitions are different.  He is a new creation [2 Corinthians 5:17].  He is another kind of a man.  He has left the slavery and bondage of Egypt, and he now is worshipping God, out of the darkened land and from under the taskmasters of Pharaoh.  That is the first compromise: now you go ahead and be a Christian and you just, you just, you just do all that you want to about giving your heart to Jesus, but just do it where you are in the landjust as you are [Exodus 8:25].  We will refine all of these social sins and we will refine all of these compromises, but you just stay where you are.  But God says, “Get out!  Get out!  Leave!”  And that is what Aaron and Moses said to Pharaoh [Exodus 3:10; 8:27].

Now the second compromise: “And Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness, just as He said, only ye shall not go very far” [Exodus 8:28].  Thats the second compromise.  Fine, if you are determined to give your life to the Lord God, and you are going to be a Christian, and you are listening to His voice, and you are following Him, fine; you go, only don’t you go very far; don’t be a fool about it; don’t be a fanatic about it.  You know, a little religion, mighty fine thing; every town ought to have a church in it.  It is good.  And a fellow surely ought to go to church, yeah, he ought to go to church, that’s right.  Yeah, he ought to go to church.

I remember that fellow standing in front of the judge, and the judge said, “Do you go to church?”  He said, “Yes, sir.  I haven’t missed an Easter Sunday for thirty years.  Yes, sir, I go to church.”  And then if he had a real case of religion, he might go in Mother’s Day.  “Yes, sir, I go to church.  Every Easter I go to church and on behalf of my old mother, I go on Mother’s Day.  Yes, sir.  Yes, sir.”  That is the second compromise.  If you are going to be religious, you have made up your mind you are going to go into that fanatical stuff; well, don’t go too far.  Don’t let it touch you.  Don’t let it change you.  Don’t let it be a motivating influence in your life; just do somewhat; just do somewhat.  Man, be it unthinkable that you go to prayer meeting on Wednesday night.  That is unthinkable.  And then go to church on Sunday night, why, I couldn’t imagine it.  It would be a real effort for me if I went on Sunday morning, much less to pray and to be a soulwinner, and a witness for God, and a great help and pillar in the church of the Lord.  That’s this compromise, and always it’s with us.  It’s all right to go, but don’t go very far [Exodus 8:28].  Well, Moses and Aaron answered, “Listen, we’re going all the way; all the way” [Exodus 10:27].

And then came the murrain [Exodus 9:1-7]; and then came the boils [Exodus 9:8-12]; and then came the hail [Exodus 9:13-35]; and then came the locusts [Exodus 10:1-20]; and then came the darkness [Exodus 10:21-29]; and then, Moses and Aaron were hastened before the presence of Pharaoh and his third compromise.  “Now you go.  You serve the Lord your God, but who are they that are going?  Who is going?” [Exodus 10:8]. And Moses said, “We are all going; we are all going.  Our young, our old, our sons, our daughters, our flocks our herds, we are all going to serve the Lord, all of us” [Exodus 10:9].  And Pharaoh said, “Not so.  Just some of you go,” and then he spelled it out, “just some of you men go” [Exodus 10:11].  And that is the third compromise.

Let me tell you a little sentence that is God’s truth.  “The devil hates family religion.”  I repeat it with all the emphasis that I can say in the syllables in the sentence, “The devil hates family religion.”  If you are going to be religious, just some of you be.  And so we will choose up, and usually it will come out with the children.  And world without end, for the years and the years have I seen families come to this door.  This is our children’s building right back of this auditorium; come to that door on St. Paul street and to let out their children.  And then after Sunday school is over, drive by and pick them up.  Now some of you go, thats fine.  Just some of you go, but not all of you go, not all of you go.  It is all right for the children.

Why, my brother, I don’t even need to expatiate on that.  When you have a boy, and you let him out at church, and then you pick him up, you know what that boy, he already knows that you say to him, “This is child’s stuff, but it is not for a real man.”  And when the boy gets older and he can make his own decisions, he will do exactly as his father, he won’t go either, that’s child stuff.  Who is going? [Exodus 10:8].  And Moses said, “Pharaoh, we are all going.  Our men are going, and our women are going, and our youngsters are going, and we are all going, the entire family.  We are all going to be there at the sacrifice and the worship of the Lord, all of us” [Exodus 10:9].  Going to rear these children in the love and nurture of Christ Jesus [Ephesians 6:4].  And until I die and go to heaven, I will be there with them.  We are all going.

Then came other plagues and the last compromise [Exodus 10:12-23].  And Pharaoh called unto Moses and said, “You go serve the Lord, the whole bunch of you; fathers and mothers and children, the whole family.  All of you go.  You go serve the Lord, only leave what you have behind.  Let your flocks and your herds be stayed; and let your little ones also go with youeven take your children, but what you have leave it behind, your flocks and your herds” [Exodus 10:24].  Isn’t that the devil?  You just go right on.  If you are determined in that, fathers and mothers and children, the whole family, well, you just go right on, but when you go, go empty-handed [Exodus 10:24].  And Moses said, “We got to have sacrifices and burnt offerings to offer unto God, and our cattle and everything we have are going with us, and there shall not be a hoof that is left behind.  We’re all going and everything that we have.  We’re going to offer it unto the Lord.  We’re going to dedicate it to the Lord.  I’m not going to appear before God empty-handed.  I’m not coming before the Lord with my children and my family, and we’re not coming and leave everything we have behind; but when we come, we’re going to appear before the Lord with what we have, to make sacrifices and offerings unto the Lord”  [Exodus 10:25-26].

Thats what David said.  Because of his sin of numbering the people [2 Samuel 24:2-4], God sent a pestilence; and when the angel was drawing a sword over Jerusalem, to smite the people with pestilence, David cried in behalf of what he called his innocent sheep [2 Samuel 24:15-17].  And God said to him, “You go up there on top of Mt. Moriah and the threshing floor of Araunah is there.  And on that threshing floor, you build an altar.  And there you offer sacrifices unto God” [2 Samuel 24:18-19].

And he came to Araunah, and when Araunah saw the king he bowed down before him [2 Samuel 24:20].  And the king said to Araunah, “Araunah, God has sent me to offer sacrifice, to stay the plague.  And He has chosen this, the top of Mt. Moriah, where Isaac was offered by Abraham [Genesis 22:1-10].  And God has told me to build an altar and to make intercession” [2 Samuel 24:21].  And Araunah said, “My Lord and king.  Here, I give it to you.  The threshing floor is yours.  All the rocks to build the altar are yours, and the oxen are yours, and the implements for firewood, I give them to you” [2 Samuel 24:22-23].  And David said, “Not so.  But I will buy it from thee at a price” [2 Samuel 24:24].  And then that worthy and noble sentence: “Neither will I offer unto the Lord my God that which doth cost me nothing” [2 Samuel 24:24].  No, sir.  When I come and appear before the Lord, it will be with something in my hands.  I will not appear empty-handed, and it will be something that costs me.  It will be a sacrifice and an offering.  And God blesses, and the Lord looks down in acceptance.  It makes us great in our souls, in our hearts, in our homes, in our families, in our church, in our city, in our nation, and in our world.  That’s what it is to serve God.

Dear Lord, in Thy love and grace may there be a like nobility in our souls.  All we have, ever hoped to be, every gift, every strength of life, we bring it to Thee.  Consecrate it, hallow it, Lord, for Thy highest glory, in the name of our wonderful Lord, amen.

GREAT
NON-COMPROMISER
Dr. W. A. Criswell

Exodus
5:1

4-11-79

I.
Pharaoh’s compromises

1.
Stay where you are

2.
Do not go very far

3.
Some of you may go

4.
Leave your offerings behind

II.
God’s plan for Christian is to escape bondage