“And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” So the Israelites did this.-Exodus 14:4
Exodus Chapter 14 just explodes with fundamental God principles.
Principles that would be completely missed if one doesn’t invest the time to study the Torah.
The first spiritual fundamental brought to the fore here is God’s reminder in verse 4 that the main reason He is striking Egypt is so that He would be glorified and that the Egyptians would come to a knowledge of the true God.
As part of this plan, we again see God going out of His way to harden Pharaoh’s heart.
It was utterly senseless for Pharaoh to keep pursuing Israel.
His own magicians and cabinet had already begged him to leave Israel alone because their God had already demonstrated over and over again that Egypt’s gods were no match for Him.
Unfortunately for Egypt, all of these pleas fell on deaf ears.
Pharaoh was so blinded with rage, pride, and hatred that he went against all common sense and wisdom to hurt Israel.
An unfortunate pattern we will see repeat itself throughout history.
Once Pharaoh found out he had been lied to about the Israelite’s journey being only temporary, he just completely lost it.
We’re told that in addition to sending out a special division of 600 chariots after the Hebrews, he also gathered divisions of “every type” of chariot.
I want to draw your attention to an important pattern being established here.
God inciting Pharaoh and drawing him to destruction is a pattern that will occur again at the final battle of Armageddon.
Let’s take a look at some Scripture.
“Son of man, prophesy against Gog and say:
‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
I am against you, Gog,
chief prince of Meshek and Tubal.
I will turn you around and drag you along.
I will bring you from the far north and
send you against the mountains of Israel.
Then I will strike your bow from your left hand
and make your arrows drop from your right hand.
On the mountains of Israel you will fall,
you and all your troops and the nations with you.”
-Ezekiel 39:1-4
Notice that the way the Lord will draw the nations to war against Israel is similar.
Just as Pharaoh threw all reason out the window in his obsession to get Israel, we are told that in the future, in like manner, the nations are also going to come out against Israel.
God is going to incite the nations and draw their militaries out from wherever they are to war against Israel like a moth to a flame.
And then He is going to destroy them.
I have a feeling this might be happening sooner than expected, as all the political pieces seem to be in place just waiting for that opportune moment to begin playing out their assigned roles.
The spiritual takeaway for today is a bit bittersweet.
Again, here we see that the Lord will mark some for life and some for death.
In other words, some will be ransomed so that others may live.
The Lord will separate out those who are NOT His and SACRIFICE them for those who are His.
Don’t misunderstand me here.
It is God’s will that ALL be saved, that all would turn to Him.
But unfortunately some people will stubbornly refuse to their very last breathe to repent and turn to YHVH for their salvation.
In fact, we are told that the hearts of those who rebel against the God of Israel, their hearts will be so hardened that they will willing give their lives (in a sense commit mass suicide) to destroy Israel.
Do you have any idea who this might be?
Which group of people in the world enthusiastically urges their own children to strap bombs onto their tiny bodies and send them into innocent crowds?
Which group of people willing sacrifices their own lives and flies planes into skyscrapers in the name of their false god?
Which group through various media and public broadcasts urges its citizens to take knives and stab unsuspecting Israeli citizens?
Which group is willing to use its practically limitless supply of oil money and any and all other resources to completely wipe Israel off the map?
The answer is obvious and their ultimate fate is even more obvious.
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