A yielding heart

DEVOTION

EXODUS

A YIELDING HEART

Ex 9:1-7

9:1 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and say to him, 'This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: "Let my people go, so that they may worship me." 2 If you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them back, 3 the hand of the LORD will bring a terrible plague on your livestock in the field — on your horses and donkeys and camels and on your cattle and sheep and goats. 4 But the LORD will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and that of Egypt, so that no animal belonging to the Israelites will die.'" 5 The LORD set a time and said, "Tomorrow the LORD will do this in the land." 6 And the next day the LORD did it: All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one animal belonging to the Israelites died. 7 Pharaoh sent men to investigate and found that not even one of the animals of the Israelites had died. Yet his heart was unyielding and he would not let the people go.

NIV

Here again we see a distinction made between the livestock of the Egyptians and that of the Israelites. Although they both breathe the same air, drink the same water, God shows his mighty hand only against the Egyptian livestock. However, he is not simply a God of wrath, for once again he gives Pharaoh the opportunity to let his people go. If Pharaoh were to relent, and let them go, no wrath would be poured out upon their livestock. God is really a God of mercy as he gives Pharaoh this warning and he gives him an entire day to ponder upon the consequence of hardening his heart even more. Pharaoh was told this would happen if he refused to let the people go. God gave him a chance and he did not take it. What is wrong with a man who thinks himself in the position to refuse God and not have to pay the price? Why would he allow all the livestock of Egypt to have this death sent upon them? Considering livestock included cattle, oxen, donkeys, sheep and camels this would represent a great deal of the wealth of this country. Although some of them may have been used as beasts of burden, it would appear many of them were either used for food and clothing or as stock to trade for other goods from those who traveled from Persia or other countries. Abundance of livestock was certainly a means of showing wealth in those days. Here God strikes directly at their economy, at their source of wealth. They had made the Israelites poor enslaving them and now God was going to make them poor. But he gave Pharaoh the chance to keep this from happening, yet Pharaohs heart was unyielding. Certainly God does not strike us with anything without first warning us. Of course we live in the age of grace and should not be subject to his wrath. Yet he does rebuke us, he corrects us, he does teach us and trains us in righteousness. Is our heart unyielding toward his working in our lives? God has spoken volumes regarding our earthly estate, our ideas of wealth. Just one example of this is:

1 Tim 6:17-19

17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

NIV

Other examples teach us not to store up this wealth as it appears the Egyptians did. He struck at the heart of their possessions, their wealth. He could do the same to us if we have an unyielding heart and refuse to learn his teachings, or rebuking or correction, even if we confess we live in the age of grace. Yes he forgives us, but does not that forgiveness come with repentance? Do we not have to yield to his authority? Once we truly submit every aspect of our lives to him, we then can say we have a yielding heart. But if we hold back any portion of our lives, to control for ourselves, then what might happen? Yes, we must maintain a yielding heart.