Heed the Warning

"'Behold, about this time tomorrow, I will send a very heavy hail, such as has not been seen in Egypt from the day it was founded until now. Now therefore send, bring your livestock and whatever you have in the field to safety. Every man and beast that is found in the field and is not brought home, when the hail comes down on them, will die.' The one among the servants of Pharaoh who feared the word of the Lord made his servants and his livestock flee into the houses; but he who paid no regard to the word of the Lord left his servants and his livestock in the field." -Exodus 9.18-21

Pharaoh hasn't listened and let the people go yet, and so the plagues continue. We come to plague seven, and for the first time we see a warning which makes this plague avoidable. God tells them to bring their livestock in from the field, and to keep their servants inside. If they do this they will be safe from the plague. We see that there are those among the servants of Pharaoh who have come to believe that God is doing all this, and heed the warning. Those that do are saved.

It's a simple concept, God said "This is what is about to happen, and here is how to be saved from it." And yet there are still those who pay no attention to the warning. There have been six previous plagues that have brought destruction on the land, and this time they are told how to avoid it, and yet some still go on with life as if nothing is going to happen.

Men, do we heed the warnings that we receive? How many times have we been told, don't do this/go there/associate with that crowd, because this is where it will lead? How often do we know the consequences of our course of action, and yet decide to pursue it anyway because we feel invincible, the bad will never happen to me? We ignore the warnings, and then we wonder how the bad stuff happens to us.

There are warnings everywhere, are we paying attention so that we can see them and follow them? They are there for our benefit and protection. They are there to keep us from unnecessary hardships. If we heed them we will find safety, and if not, then we face destruction. Do you really want to be taken out by something that you could have avoided?

Men, let's heed the warnings we receive and avoid unnecessary risks.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor

Think of Others

"But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and he did not let the people go. Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Go to Pharaoh and speak to him, "Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, 'Let My people go, that they may serve Me. For if you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them,'"'... Pharaoh sent, and behold, there was not even one of the livestock of Israel dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go. " -Exodus 8.32-9.2, 7

Pharaoh continues to keep the people in slavery, and so the plagues continue. But now God is beginning to make distinctions. The plagues now begin to affect only the Egyptians. The flies only swarm on the people of Egypt. Only the cattle of the Egyptians die. Pharaoh's stubbornness is now causing his own people to suffer.

Men, we are notoriously stubborn, maybe stereotypically, but let's face it, all of us are stubborn to a point. The question is, what is that point? Does our stubbornness end up resulting in others being harmed? As we make decisions do we take others into account? Do we think about how our actions will impact those around us?

Sometimes it's good to be stubborn. There are times we need to stand our ground and die on the hill. But those are the times that we stand against evil and injustice and work to improve the lives around us. But when we stand our ground at the expense of others we've missed the point of leadership.

Pharaoh brought chaos and destruction upon his people because he hardened his heart. His own advisors approached him about letting the people go, but he refuses, and his people suffer.

Let us lead to better their lives, not pass our own agendas. As we lead let us think of others.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor