How Do The Plagues On Egypt Apply To My Life?

In the book of Exodus we read the account of God pouring out plagues on the nation of Egypt as he rescued his covenant people, Israel, from slavery. Often people wonder how the ancient history of a nation can have any relevant application to our modern life. While there are several ways to answer this question, I would like to look at the plagues and draw one application that is VERY relevant to us today: The plagues on Egypt reveal to us that God is a God who judges sinners.

God himself calls the plagues "great acts of judgment" (Ex 7:4). And he had even predicted this long before to Abraham:

Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted four hundred years. But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out... Genesis 15:13-14, ESV

God tells Abraham what he is going to do in the future concerning two nations! "I will bring judgment on the nation they serve." So the plague account reveals to us that God is a righteous judge of the wicked. In the midst of the drama and chaos of the plagues - the animal kingdom unleashed on the world's greatest superpower of its day - weather destruction, disease and three days of darkness - in the midst of this is a two-fold purpose of God guiding history for his glory: God is rescuing his people and he is judging the wicked. What a relevant revelation for us today!

The very fact that we can read Exodus and be warned that God judges sinners is a display of mercy and grace to us! Warnings of God's judgment are acts of kindness and grace. There is opportunity for us to repent.

What about Jesus? What would he have thought about the plagues? I ask this because some seem to think that the God of the Old Testament was mean, and Jesus came as the 'nice God.' But the Bible teaches us that it was the God of the Old Testament himself who became flesh in the Person of Christ (His name is God with us...). And it is Jesus - the Lamb of God - who unleashes the plagues in the book of Revelation! Men are depicted as crying out for rocks to fall on them and hide them from the "wrath of the Lamb" (Rev 6:16-17).

Jesus is the Judge! He said, "The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son" (John 5:22). Paul wrote that God "commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead" (Acts 17:30-31; See also 2 Cor 5:10 and 2 Tim 4:1). On the last page of the Bible Jesus says, "Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done" (Rev 22:12). Just as Egypt faced judgment in the plagues, judgment is coming for all. (Hebrews 9:27)

The truth that God righteously judges sinners is not good news for us...for we are sinners. Jesus referred to us as 'evil' (Luke 11:13). And just like Pharaoh, who hardened his heart against God (and was hardened by God), "because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed" (Romans 2:5). Wow!

But the amazing news for us is this: Not only is it true that Jesus is the Judge, but it is also true that Jesus was judged by God at the cross for the sins of his people (Isaiah 53:5-6). At the cross, the fury of the plagues poured down from God upon his sinless Son - because he had taken our sins upon himself. Jesus became a curse (Gal 3:13) and became sin for us (2 Cor 5:21) and drank the cup of the Father's wrath, as our substitute! He payed the price for our sins with his blood so that we could be forgiven, and eternally enjoy God!!!

Jesus said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. HE DOES NOT COME INTO JUDGMENT, but has passed from death to life" (John 5:24). The believer does not come into judgment...ever!

How do the plagues upon Egypt apply to us? They show us that God is a holy God who judges sinners with 'great acts of judgment.' We are taught by this the fear of the Lord. And the Old Testament points us to Christ, who stood in our place and received our judgment as he died for sinners on the cross. Christ rose from the grave, ascended to the Father, and is coming again to judge. God commands us to repent of our sins and believe on Christ. Those who are not in Christ must face the judgment of God. Run to him!

If you are in Christ through faith, take a moment to praise the Lord for his gracious warnings of judgment. And praise him for Christ, the sin-bearer, who took our judgment at the cross! There is no more judgment for us, because in Christ, "It is finished!" Hallelujah!

Judgment and Joy; Wrath and Rescue

Is God full of wrath and hatred for sin, ready to pour out condemnation on sinners for eternity?  Or is he full of mercy and grace, eager to rescue sinners and amaze them with his love forever?

Biblically speaking, the answer is YES. 

Old Testament and New alike reveal God's attributes of both wrath and mercy.  Obviously we tend to elevate one attribute over the other, preferring his love to his judgment.  But the Bible is God's revelation of himself to us, and declares that in all of his attributes God is good and worthy of praise.  It is easy for us to see how he is praiseworthy in his mercy and grace, yet sometimes we struggle to glorify God for his just anger against sinners. 

However, justice is a good thing.  If God did not hate evil he would BE evil!  It is a glorious thing for God to right the wrongs and stretch out his sword in hot anger against evil.  He is praised in Scripture for his judgments:

And I heard the angel in charge of the waters say, “Just are you, O Holy One, who is and who was, for you brought these judgments.  For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink.  It is what they deserve!”  And I heard the altar saying, “Yes, Lord God the Almighty, true and just are your judgments!”  Revelation 16:5-7, ESV

God is glorified when he gives sinners what they deserve.  It displays to the universe his own holiness and his passion to show off that holiness to all.  Those who observe are left standing in awe.  And how can we complain?  After all, he gave what was deserved.  He did the right thing.  Justice was served.  Glory to God.

Rather than refusing to glorify God for his justice or, worse - feeling or speaking ill of God for judging, we should let God's justice increase our gratefulness that he is also a God of mercy and grace! 

God is praised when he gives sinners what they deserve.  And we are sinners who deserve his furious wrath!  One sin against an eternally holy God is a sin deserving eternal condemnation.  And we sin every moment!  Even when we do the right thing - have we ever, even once, loved God with all our heart, soul and might (Deuteronomy 6:5)?  This is the greatest commandment!  And no one has ever kept it.  Not even once. 

We deserve God's wrath!  We deserve for the angels in heaven to sing praises to God for unleashing his glorious sin-hating wrath upon us forever.  But...  (praise God!) the message God has sent us to the ends of the earth to proclaim is that he has unleashed that fury on his sinless Son, Jesus Christ, in our place at the cross!!  Oh, Hallelujah!  He became sin for us (2 Cor 5:21); took the curse for us (Gal 3:13); bore our shame and guilt and sin and sinfulness on his own body at the cross, so that we could be forgiven and rescued and redeemed and declared right with God for the sake of Jesus.  What a gospel!  He took our punishment so that we could receive his righteousness.  He took all our sins and all the wrath they deserved.  And God has, on that basis, by faith, given us the righteousness of Christ. 

God will be praised in heaven forever and ever both for his wrath and his love.  But the good news is that we can flee from his wrath because of Christ Jesus and be embraced by his love forever. 

Judgment and Mercy.  Isaiah 34 declares God's coming judgment: "For the LORD is enraged against all the nations, and furious against all their host; he has devoted them to destruction, has given them over for slaughter" (v2).  But the next chapter details his mercy for his covenant people!  "And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away" (v10). 

Praise the Lord in all his attributes!  Judgment and Joy, Wrath and Rescue.  He is forever to be praised.

Is Jesus Really The ONLY Way To God? (and is it a good time to debate this theological point when you are standing before the Sanhedrin?)

Peter and John have healed a lame beggar in Acts 3, and an amazed crowd has gathered. Peter boldly preached the gospel to them until he was interrupted by the authorities (who were "greatly annoyed" 4:2).  Now the two apostles are arrested, spend the night in the slammer, and the next morning are hauled in front of the giant, intimidating semi-circle of the 71 elders and Ruling body of Israel: the Sanhedrin. I'm scared already. But to make matters worse, this is the same council that has sentenced their Master, Jesus, to DEATH recently. Now they are staring down their noble robes at Peter and John and asking them, "By what power or by what name did you do this?” (Acts 4:7)

What would you do?  How would you answer?  Would you chicken out, or give an earth-shattering bold answer? 

Before Peter could think of an answer he was filled (again) with the Holy Spirit!  Just as Jesus promised: (1) there would be persecution (Matthew 10:22-23); (2) they would stand before leaders to bear witness of Christ (Luke 21:12-13); (3) the Holy Spirit would give them an answer in that moment! (Luke 12:11-12).  The Holy Spirit, who breathed out the words of the Bible through men (2 Timothy 3:16), made sure to include in this passage that Peter was FILLED with the Holy Spirit (God) when he gave his answer (Acts 4:8 - "Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them...").  This is important!

So what is Peter's God-inspired, earth-shaking, bold-to-the-utmost answer? Well, first he gives the glory to God for the healing. He says that this "good deed" (v9) was done in the name of Jesus.  But did Peter stop there?  Was he content to just answer their question and be safe?  NO.  He then said, "whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead..." (v10).  Ok.  He's bringing it home. He is accusing the Sanhedrin of despising the one God loved. They killed him, but God raised him from the dead.  Should he stop there?  He's only getting started.

Now Peter quotes the Scripture and puts it in their face.  "This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone" (v11). Quoting both the Psalms and the Prophets, Peter is building his case against his judges!  They are now the ones on trial.  THEY are the builders who rejected the most important stone in the building!  They rejected their Messiah, had him killed, and God validated him by raising him from the dead and exalting him as the cornerstone of the whole thing!  Surely Peter has said enough now!  Nope.

Here's the earth-melting part. Peter just won't quit talking (remember, we know he is filled with the Spirit of God, who is giving him this answer, as Jesus promised).  Peter drives home his point: "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (v12).  Yipe!  Did Peter just tell the leaders of the Jewish nation that they cannot get to God except through Jesus?  Why, yes he did!  (Feel the earth quivering yet?)  It's an unpopular message today, and it was certainly not popular in this Jewish courtroom!  But the Spirit of God, through the man of God, gave us a clear and bold revelation of the exclusivity of Jesus Christ. 

He didn't even leave us any wiggle room!  Think about it: if the Jews can't get to God except through conscious faith in the name (person) of Jesus - no one can!  I mean, Israel was God's chosen nation in the old covenant.  Out of all nations on earth, God chose them to be his people, brought them into covenant with himself; gave them special revelation of his Law; sent to them the Prophets.  These things were special favors of divine love to Israel. And none of them can save them apart from their promised Messiah, Jesus Christ, whom they have rejected and killed!  If Israel is not good enough without Jesus, no one is!  If the Jews can't come to God except through Christ - you and I can't either.

Think of the gravity of what Peter is telling the Sanhedrin.  You rejected your only hope for salvation! 

Peter, filled with the Spirit of God, has taught us that there is NO OTHER NAME for salvation besides Jesus. None under heaven (anywhere on earth) given among men (any culture).  All other names do not save.  The name of Buddha?  Does not save (don't blame me..this is what the Holy Spirit said!).  The name of Mohammed?  God says his name does not save.  Only ONE saves.  Jesus.

This is not just an isolated verse in the Bible.  Jesus himself taught this, as did the apostles John and Paul.  This is truth.  Examine the word of God:
• Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6


• For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 2:5

• All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Matthew 11:27

• Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. John 3:18

• Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. 1 John 5:12


See how plain the Bible makes this? Refusing the clear truth that Jesus is the only way is not an intellectual or rational problem; it is a heart problem.  It is not that we do not understand what the Bible says; it is that we cannot accept what the Bible says, due to our depraved hearts.  Man simply WILL NOT bow to Jesus (John 5:40).  We see nothing attractive in the one who is altogether lovely.  Just like the leaders of Israel, we have rejected and killed Jesus...but God raised him up.  Jesus is "a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious" (1 Peter 2:4). 
 
Peter's message is clear:
1. Everyone needs a Savior (Jew or Gentile - Romans 3:9).
2. Jesus is the only Savior who saves.
 
What supremely wonderful news it is that God is drawing men to this glorious Savior - the one we have refused and rejected!  He is opening spiritual eyes to show us the Savior who died for us and rose again! He commands all men to repent of sin and believe on Jesus Christ.  And he gives amazing promises to those who can, by grace, repent and believe; he promised us forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and escape from the judgment!  Jesus is the only Savior who saves.  All other names do not save. 
Reject the names you are trusting in, and come to Jesus!

Lives Restructured By the Gospel

"All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you,and in a day of salvation I have helped you.”
Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. We put no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way..." 2 Cor 5:18 – 6:4, ESV

Have you lost the AWE of the gospel? Are you enraptured with its beauty, blinded by its glory, soaking in its wonder? The gospel is not just to “get in” the family of God; the gospel is how we live each day. It’s our hope and our theme, a delight and treasure, to the praise of God’s grace. The gospel captivates us and kills us; thrills our soul and restructures our life.
In the above text we see key points of the gospel.
Today is your day for the gospel: revisited.

1. From God. (5:18a). The very first thing we see is that the gospel is from God, not
man! It is God's gospel. Isn't it wonderful that God initiates this gospel? It doesn't
depend on us trying to get to God! When Adam and Eve sinned in Genesis 3, they
didn't go looking for a way to get back to God; they HID themselves from God. No one
seeks God (Rom 3:11), but praise God he seeks us!
"...redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood." Rom 3:24b-25a

2. Through Christ. (5:18b) The next thing we see in our text about the gospel is that it is in Christ! There is no other way! (Jn 14:6)
"And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12

3. Reconciliation. (5:18-21). Over and over again we see the word ‘reconciled’ or a form of it. The gospel is about being reconciled to God! (Not getting wealthy, time management, 41 easy steps to a successful life)
"And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith" Col 1:21-23a

4. Forgiveness of Sins. (5:19b) Good news: in Christ the believer's sins are forgiven! When we consider the holiness and greatness and eternal worth of God, and how that just one sin is treacherous rebellion, an attempt to dethrone a holy and infinite God (and therefore worthy of infinite punishment in hell), how glorious is the truth of forgiveness of sins!!
"for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." Mat 26:28

5. Substitutionary Atonement. (5:21) He took our place! God treated Christ as if he had committed our sins. Think of the weight of this; the eternally existing, holy and sinless Christ at the cross felt the weight of our abominations, and the condemnation and wrath of God!
"Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree'" Gal 3:13

6. Justification. (5:21b). The other side of substitutionary atonement. We not only had our sins placed on Christ, but God placed Christ’s righteousness on us!!! Martin Luther called this the Wonderful Exchange.
"...the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." Rom 3:22-24

Caught up in the glory of the gospel yet? What an awesome thing to chew on the depths of God's grace in the gospel! But the gospel not only captivates us; it commands us! The gospel brings change to us.

Our Mission in the Gospel (18b, 19b, 20a, 6:1a).
Those who SEE this glorious gospel are recruited by it! We are even called Ambassadors for Christ. What an honor: working with Christ, joining him in his mission. Have you received as your life purpose and one great goal the joining with Christ in his mission in the earth?

The Urgency of the Gospel (20b, 6:1b-2). Our text says that now is the day of salvation. The Gospel demands immediate obedience.

Restructuring Our Lives For the Gospel (6:3-10).
Christ comes in to be in charge. He comes in to make changes! Paul suffered all things for the elect; many professing Christians today won’t suffer the smallest hindrance, but will give up on Christ and his beloved church for any reason ("someone at church offended me").

In Chapter 6 of our text (verses 3-10) Paul gives a long list of how he shows his restructured life for the gospel’s sake. Afflictions. Beatings. Imprisonments.
Have you restructured EVERYTHING around the gospel of Christ? Are you so smitten by the beauty and majesty of the gospel that you will live in obedience to Christ, no matter what the cost?
When I talk about restructuring our lives around the gospel, I'm not giving a "higher" calling for those who want to be a super-saint. I'm really just talking about repentance - which God commands all men everywhere to do (Acts 17:30). Restructuring our lives around the gospel is the call of Jesus; it is what he demands of the world!
"For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it." Mark 8:35
" But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God." Acts 20:24
"Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory" 2 Tim 2:10

The Test of the Gospel (1b). “We appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.”
If we claim to believe the gospel and to have been saved by the gospel, but we won’t restructure our lives around the gospel or suffer for the gospel, we have received “the grace of God in vain” (prove ourselves false converts, not real). In chapter 13, verse 5 Paul tells us to “examine” ourselves.

Behold the glory of the gospel! Let Christ crucified be your supreme delight and treasure! Worship him for his death, burial and resurrection, and surrender all to JOIN HIM in believing the gospel, living the gospel, proclaiming the gospel. The gospel has come to us from God. Now everything must change. Restructure everything around it, for his glory!!

The Gospel is the Power to be a Homemaker!

Titus 2 has some awesome practical instructions for Christian living. These instructions are broken down to older men and women, younger men and women, and slaves. It's easy for us to see practical commands for daily living and then run along and try to obey them. When will we learn that we are not able to obey any of God's commands? That is, unless he supplies power.

Sure, we understand this when dealing with what we call "big" things. Walking on water, for example. We get it that we simply cannot do that unless Christ says "Come," as he did to Peter (Mt 14:29). I guess we apply this to miracles and such. But this is also true for EVERY command God gives us! The 10 commandments? He gave those commands, but if anyone could keep them, Jesus would not have had to die. Repent and believe the gospel? Only by a miraculous work of God in regeneration can anyone do that. Daily living for Jesus? It applies here, too.

So in Titus 2 when we read the practical things, like taking care of our children, being self-controlled, not slanderers or slaves to much wine, we think we can do it. But we cannot! Every part of us is tainted with sin.
Then how are Sctiptures' teachings to be carried out? The same gospel that saves a sinner sanctifies a saint. The gospel is the POWER for us to daily obey God's instructions.

We see this in the current text. Notice what Paul says just after the practical instructions:
"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works." Titus 2:11-14, ESV

What glorious truth is taught in these verses! The grace of God has come, and God's grace TEACHES! It trains us to renounce sin and live in holiness. Anyone who claims to be saved by grace, must also be taught by grace to walk in holiness. Whoever claims to be under God's grace, but does not walk in holiness, does not have God's grace. God's grace trains us how to live.

But the text continues. God's grace trains us, while we wait for Jesus' appearing. If our minds and hearts are thinking about Jesus' return for us, it will affect the way we live. We want to be found serving Christ when he returns.

Then Paul reminds us that Christ "gave himself for us." That's the gospel! He gave himself for us to redeem us from sin (lawlessness) and to "purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works." Through the gospel we have a double blessing. Our sins are removed (both the penalty of our sins, and the day-by-day power of our sins through sanctification). But God goes father. He gives us the righteousness of Christ! This is a declared righteousness in our standing before God in heaven; but it is also a practical righteousness that flows through us day by day. In other words, Because of Jesus we can obey God!

So with our minds set on Jesus' return and his giving of himself for us, we can be holy old men, victorious homemakers & self-controlled young men. We can obey these practical instructions, and all the teachings of Scripture, through the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Don't try to obey God on your own. If you seem to succeed, you will be filled with self-righteousness. If you fail, you may give up in despair. What is the answer? Believe the gospel. We are crucified with Christ, and we no longer live! Christ lives through us! Count it to be so (Romans 6). Yield to God, believing the gospel. And Christ will live through us in victory.
Praise the Lord!