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The signs and miracles of the ten plagues that continue today within the eternally unchanging covenant
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Exodus 4:22-23, 7:3-5, Jeremiah 32:20-21, Psalms 35:9, 2 Samuel 7:23, Nehemiah 9:10, Romans 9:6-18
Among Abraham’s sons, God only acknowledged Isaac as a child of the covenant and did not acknowledge Ishmael, the son of the concubine (Romans 9:7-8). Even among Isaac’s sons, God hated the oldest son Esau and loved his younger brother Jacob. It appears contradictory that God had already judged them even before they committed good or evil. However, God said through Apostle Paul, “But it is not as though the Word of God has failed” (Romans 9:6). There is no contradiction. Just as it is up to a potter whether he makes a beautiful dish with clay or a urine bowl, it is surely God’s freedom to do so. It will be of great help if you remember these words and listen to today’s message.
The Israelites lived as slaves in Egypt for 430 years (Exodus 12:40-41). They were not treated as human beings. They were not even given wages for their labor. It was a good day if they were not beaten. The Egyptians even killed the sons of the Israel in fear that they would prosper. Eventually, God heard their groaning (Exodus 2:24). Moses received God’s calling. However, Israel grew accustomed to slavery did not listen to the Word of God. Rather, they rejected and hated Moses (Exodus 6:6-9). Because God thought they would never accept it if He had suddenly said, “You are the sons and daughter of God,” He treated them as children and said, “You are no longer slaves, but servants of God.” “For the sons of Israel are My servants; they are My servants whom I brought out from the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 25:55). Servants are different from slaves because they have freedom and are given wages for their labor. This was intended to let them gradually come to realization. God is that meticulous. Even still, the Israelites could not believe. If a stranger appeared before a poor man and offered to give a million dollars, the poor man would be quick to turn away and say, “Do not lie to me.” The Israelites did the same. That is why God gave signs and miracles. He performed the ten plagues on Egypt. And He submerged the Egyptian army in the Red Sea as they chased the Israelites who just had left Egypt. It was only then that the Israelites began to believe in Moses (Exodus 14:30-31). Whatever God says, we must believe as is. This is because it is the perfect truth that is without an ounce of deceit (John 17:17). If one does not truly believe, his last days are miserable. Man’s thoughts and lust all pass away. As time passes, beautiful faces, bodies, even appearances that many people admire become old and wrinkly. Eyes and ears become dim, and digestions become difficult after eating. When one is at his prime, he may feel like he can rule over the whole world. But once he grows older, he dies down. We are but futile beings that are born once and are destined to die once. However, those who believe in the Word of God have strong wills. There are no worries. Flowers may fall and grass may wither, but the Word of God endures forever (1 Peter 1:24-25, Hebrews 1:12).
If we want to build a good house, we must first purchase good land. It means we have to purchase a site that faces southward, airy, close distance, and runs in all directions. Saints are beings who build themselves up on their faith (Jude 1:20). We must build ourselves into a temple so that Jesus can dwell in it. God said He would give the Israelites good, beautiful land that people of the world have never seen or heard of. When God created the entire universe, He had already set His eyes on Canaan, the land flowing with milk and honey, and decided even before ages to find and give it to the Israelites. But Israel could not believe it. Many years later, however, Prophet Ezekiel believed. God granted Ezekiel the understanding of those words: “On that day I swore to them, to bring them out from the land of Egypt into a land that I had selected for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands” (Ezekiel 20:6). When I went up to Mount Jiri and prayed, “God, why did you give the unbelieving Israelites the land of Canaan, the land flowing with milk and honey?” I cried out and asked, “Why did you give the stubborn and disobedient Israelites such a good land?” God loved Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and established a covenant through the Word. Despite the wickedness of the people, God had no choice but to love them because of His unchanging covenant (Exodus 2:24, 6:5).
The ten plagues took place because of those who were stubborn The Israelites opposed God’s will. They were stubborn until the very end. When the people heard the news “Jesus rose again on the third day,” they treated it as if they heard same old news from their neighbor. Even though Jesus said His resurrection and life was their resurrection and life, they did not believe (John 11:25-26). Jesus said that He would return like a thief in the night, so we must keep our spirit, soul, and body spotless and blameless (1 Thessalonians 5:23, 2 Peter 3:14, James 1:27). If we don’t have faith, we have flaws and spots. We must have a clear focus in our life of faith with the attitude of ‘attention!’ This involves putting all our heart into it. We must ‘focus’ on the Word, evangelizing, reading the Bible, praying, and serving. If there are people who work simply to show off to others, then it is better for them to quit before too long. This is because God is spirit. He seeks those who worship Him in spirit and truth. Pharaoh the king of Egypt was also a stubborn man. He hardened his heart ten times on his own(Exodus 7:13, 14, 22, 8:15, 19, 32, 9:7, 34, 35, 14:5) and God hardened Pharaoh’s heart ten more times (Exodus 4:32, 7:3, 9:12, 10:1, 20, 27, 11:10, 14:4, 8, 17). God spoke, but it was as if He was talking to a brick wall. There are pastors, elders, and deacons?who are overconfident with the little they know?cannot believe in the Bible. People who are least likely to recover from illnesses are doctors, pharmacists, and nurses. The families that have gained health, wealth and fame without God must be careful. God uses believers in the way they believe, and leaves unbelievers up to Satan to do as he pleases. “The Lord has made everything for its own purpose, even the wicked for the day of evil” (Proverbs 16:4). God uses unbelievers to proclaim His name to the whole world. “For the scripture says to Pharaoh: ‘I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth’” (Romans 9:17).
The ten plagues took place in order to make all people surrender before God’s authority and believe “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may perform these signs of Mine among them, and that you may tell in the hearing of your son, and of your grandson, how I made a mockery of the Egyptians and how I performed My signs among them, that you may know that I am the Lord’” (Exodus 10:1-2). The ten plagues show the antitype of God’s plans for salvation within long-standing history fulfilled in order. It shows God’s long-suffering as He waits for the repentance of sinners. Long-standing history is the tears of God. Although it takes time, God waits so that not even one person would fall but repent. The ten plagues did not end with Egypt, but continues even today. It does not cease. “But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:8-9). ‘10’ is a full number. It means a state of complete fullness. It means long perseverance and completeness. God had compassion for our ancestors. And because He remembered that holy covenant, today we can believe and grow within that covenant. God has not forgotten the covenant for a second and has taken time to find people to completely fulfill it. Although the Word has been given, if we do not believe, He will carry the Word and find someone else.
Six thousand years has passed after the fall of Adam. God has resided in these circumstances. God is searching for those who believe in the Word that He will give the land flowing with milk and honey which He has found. He is pleased if He finds such a person. That is why God is the God of those who believe. He hopes and desires for us to believe in the covenant. He cannot stop loving us even if He did not want to (Deuteronomy 9:5-6). In other words, God remembers the Word He has commanded in the covenant, the word which God commanded to a thousand generations (Psalm 105:8).
The ten plagues took place in order to thoroughly destroy idols The ten plagues marked the time of complete judgment on Satan and idols and demons. God did not leave out a single one of them (Numbers 14:22-23, Job 19:3, Isaiah 19:1, 1 Samuel 5:1-5, Jeremiah 43:12, 50:2). “For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments?I am the Lord” (Exodus 12:12).
The ten plagues took place in order to completely set apart Israel who had been assimilated into Egypt as slaves, to make the Lord known, and to deliver them with His mighty power If it were not for the ten plagues, Israel would not have left Pharaoh and obediently followed Moses. Outwardly, the ten plagues seemed to be judgment on Egypt and Pharaoh; inwardly, it contained the will of God for Israel?to sanctify and perfect Israel by instilling fear for God in stubborn, unbelieving, promiscuous Israel who served idols and frequently forced out their wives (Exodus 6:6-9, Deuteronomy 28:15-42, Exodus 4:21-23, 13:8, Deuteronomy 4:9, 6:20-22, Psalm 78:5-7, Joel 1:3, Exodus 7:17). This message tells us that we must also repent of our stubbornness and believe in God and follow Him. “Only give heed to yourself and keep your soul diligently, so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen and they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your sons and your grandsons “ (Deuteronomy 4:9).
The ten plagues took place in order to fulfill the covenant of the torch The ten plagues are continuum of the covenant of the torch (Genesis 15:13-14). The covenant of the torch which God established with Abraham in 2082 BC prophesies of the painful and frustrating events his descendants would encounter.
However, there is an end. A thrilling victory has been foretold. A promise has been written that we will not die but live and go together with our Lord in the end. We cannot think of the covenant of the torch as past history. The contents of the covenant of the torch are as follows: 1) The Israelites will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years (Genesis 15:13). 2) That suffering will be like an iron-smelting furnace (Deuteronomy 4:20, 1 Kings 8:51, Jeremiah 11:4). 3) God will judge and punish the nation they serve (Genesis 15:14). ‘Punish’ in Hebrew means to ‘judge,’ ‘fight,’ and ‘govern.’ 4) The descendants of Abraham will come out with great possessions (Genesis 15:14). Despite having toiled for 430 years without being given a single penny, Israel left Egypt with enormous amounts of gold and silver. There was not a single weak individual among the tribes (Exodus 3:21-22, 11:2-3, 12:35-36, Psalm 105:38).
The covenant of the torch was fulfilled in four generations according to the Word. God’s redemptive history will surely be achieved as He promised (Genesis 15:12-21, Psalm 105:41-44). It was 1446 BC when the Israel came out of Egypt?430 years since they had lived in Egypt and 636 years since the covenant of the torch was made (2082 BC). Therefore, after the 40 years of wilderness and 16 years of the conquest of Canaan, the covenant of the torch was finally completed in 692 years. Israel was poor and weak and was called “the fewest of all peoples (Deuteronomy 7:7).”
Nevertheless, when God’s covenant was with Israel, the nation became greater than any other countries in the world. Let us believe that God recognizes the saints who believe in God’s covenant more than He does any other rich or powerful men. The Word in the beginning was God Himself. Because the Word is with us, no man in the world can stand before us. While the whole world is flat, we who believe in His covenants are Mount Zion and New Jerusalem. The song that is sung on the Mount Zion is the final, new song. Believe that everything will be done as we believe since our Father is greater than the universe (Psalm 105:41-44).
The people of Canaan were surprised to hear the commandments, decrees, and words of Israel. They even spoke of Israel as, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people (Deuteronomy 4:6).” All the kings of nations came to hear the wisdom God bestowed on Solomon (1King 4:34, 10:6-9). The wisdom Daniel received from God was ten times better than the magicians and conjurers in the whole land of Babylon, the greatest nation at the time (Daniel 1:20, 5:11).
Ten plagues are still in progress. The tem plagues are not folktales or fairy tales. Some theologians claim that the ten plagues are merely natural disasters, not God’s miracle. It is nonsense. How could diverse phenomenon occur consecutively in the short time span of 20 days, if they were natural disasters? God clearly said they were “My signs and My wonders (Exodus 7:3).” ”Signs” in Hebrew means “traits or characteristics that appear outwardly so that anyone can see” and “wonders” in Hebrew means “unique power that cannot be explained with science, phenomenon that cannot be easily found in ordinary life.”
Such events cannot even be emulated if not by God. The garments of skin God made for Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:21), the rainbow God showed to Noah (Genesis 9:13), circumcision (Genesis 17:11), the burning torch God showed after making a covenant with Abraham (Genesis 15:17), and the Sabbaths (Exodus 31:13) were all signs of generations. The Israel commemorated the signs and miracles of the ten plagues from generations to generation (Deuteronomy 6:22, 7:19, 13:1-2, 26:8, 28:46, 34:11, Nehemiah 9:10, Psalm 78:43, 105:27, 135:9, 136:12, Jeremiah 32:20-21, Micah 7:15).
Those who say the ten plagues were merely an old story that has nothing to do with us are foolish. God’s Word will be accomplished in our own generation in the end time. The first plague of the ten is the plague of blood. In the Bible, blood appears first when Cain killed Abel in Genesis 4. There is life in the blood. Ground opened up to receive Abel’s righteous blood (Genesis 4:10). Without shedding the actual blood by killing someone, blood is already shed on the ground when someone becomes “furious with anger” or shows his “fleshly, blood boiling temper.”
Those who were martyred while living for the Lord are crying out "How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?"(Revelation 6:10). God gives them linen robes and tells them to wait until the number will be filled. Dear saints, the amazing work of salvation like the ten plagues is not a one-time event that happened only at the time of Exodus; it will happen again.
God still performs signs and miracles for His elect even now. This world is Egypt?where Jesus was crucified and killed (Revelation 11:8). Our family and siblings can sometimes be Egypt, Gomorra, and the hill of Golgotha. Let us obey the Word of God. Then we will be blessed and enjoy longevity throughout generations to come. Those who obeyed?Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob?gained freedom and victory wherever they went. Such people will face the world of new work, new creation and the eternal hope never experienced before. Jesus is our hope and strength. He is our beginning, our thoughts, and our parents and siblings.
Today as well, if we don’t believe in the ten plagues, our hearts will be hardened like that of Pharaoh (John 12:37-41). If we don’t obey and act according to the word, curse will be upon us and our family (Deuteronomy 28:15). If we betray the love of God and disbelieve His covenant, then nothing will work out. Moses said “They shall become a sign and a wonder on you and your descendants forever (Deuteronomy 28:46).” “Wonder” here means warning or lesson that we must take the past wrongdoings as a mirror not to repeat them again.
Let us not harden our heart. Let us make sure that our faith is not burned up in fire (1 Corinthians 3:12-15). Rejoice always (1 Thessalonians 5:18). We will certainly be transfigured in this world. We will be spiritual people. At the time, Jesus the Lamb will shine upon all nations so that we wouldn’t need the sun, moon, and stars (Revelation 21:23, Isaiah 30:26). Whenever we pray, God comes near to us to hear our prayers (Deuteronomy 4:7). Because He fulfills all of our wish, our worries and concerns turn into peace, joy, delight and reassurance.
All of our thoughts will be God-oriented. God’s everlasting loving-kindness, love, and mercy (Psalm 136) are so beautiful. Let us live a life with gratefulness for His grace. May our hardened mind become tender. May our heart as stiff as bamboo become soft and beautiful. I pray in the name of the Lord that God will fill our minds with blessings, kindheartedness and goodness to its fullest.
August 7 (Wednesday), 2013 Evening service sermon from the Summer Conference |
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