Do you remember in the book of Exodus what happened as a result of the hard heart of the pharaoh? As a quick recap, Moses had left Egypt behind and dwelled in the land of Midian, and while watching over his father-in-law’s flock of sheep the Lord appeared to him in the burning bush. God had seen the affliction of His people at the hands of the Egyptians and He heard their cries unto Him, and the Lord God appointed Moses to be His messenger unto Pharaoh. The message was “Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.”
But Pharaoh didn’t listen to the word of the Lord. He 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.” Because of this the Lord brought many plagues upon the land of Egypt. Several times this message was relayed to Pharaoh, but he continued to resist. And eventually his resistance against God caused him to lose everything. But you see, it wasn’t Moses that brought the plagues upon the pharaoh and Egypt. Moses was just the messenger. It was God who brought the judgment and punishment.
Likewise, when Jesus came to the Earth, He came to save the world. He came to offer the world the opportunity to receive forgiveness for their sins. He was a Messenger from God, calling men everywhere to repent of their sins. Some believed upon Him, and some didn’t, just as it is today. Some people believe in Christ, and some people don’t. But Jesus didn’t bring down the punishment upon those who nailed Him to the cross right then and there, did He? Did Jesus punish the Pharisees when He was reviled and persecuted? No, because everyone will someday be judged by the Father for their deeds.
John 12:44-50 “Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me.
And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me.
I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.
And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.
He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.
And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.”
Like Pharaoh, everyone has a choice to make. Everyone has the message preached to them, calling them to repent, to live in love and to follow the teachings of Christ. You can either listen to that message, or you can resist it. The choice that you make may not be rewarded immediately, but you can be certain that it will on Judgement Day. We have the time now to make that decision whether we want to be in Heaven or not. We have the time now to listen to the message from the Lord.
2 Corinthians 6:2 “(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)”
Pharaoh’s mistake was that he refused to listen to the word of the Lord. He had the çhoice available to him, but he chose not to obey, and in the end he received his punishment from God. Don’t let yourself reach that same result. Listen to and obey the message of the Lord!
In Christ,
Andrew
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