Hypocrisy

DEVOTION

EXODUS

HYPOCRISY

Ex 9:13-35

13 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Get up early in the morning, confront 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, 14 or this time I will send the full force of my plagues against you and against your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth. 15 For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth. 16 But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. 17 You still set yourself against my people and will not let them go. 18 Therefore, at this time tomorrow I will send the worst hailstorm that has ever fallen on Egypt, from the day it was founded till now. 19 Give an order now to bring your livestock and everything you have in the field to a place of shelter, because the hail will fall on every man and animal that has not been brought in and is still out in the field, and they will die.'" 20 Those officials of Pharaoh who feared the word of the LORD hurried to bring their slaves and their livestock inside. 21 But those who ignored the word of the LORD left their slaves and livestock in the field. 22 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that hail will fall all over Egypt — on men and animals and on everything growing in the fields of Egypt." 23 When Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, the LORD sent thunder and hail, and lightning flashed down to the ground. So the LORD rained hail on the land of Egypt; 24 hail fell and lightning flashed back and forth. It was the worst storm in all the land of Egypt since it had become a nation. 25 Throughout Egypt hail struck everything in the fields — both men and animals; it beat down everything growing in the fields and stripped every tree. 26 The only place it did not hail was the land of Goshen, where the Israelites were. 27 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. "This time I have sinned," he said to them. "The LORD is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong. 28 Pray to the LORD, for we have had enough thunder and hail. I will let you go; you don't have to stay any longer." 29 Moses replied, "When I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands in prayer to the LORD. The thunder will stop and there will be no more hail, so you may know that the earth is the LORD's. 30 But I know that you and your officials still do not fear the LORD God." 31(The flax and barley were destroyed, since the barley had headed and the flax was in bloom. 32 The wheat and spelt, however, were not destroyed, because they ripen later.) 33 Then Moses left Pharaoh and went out of the city. He spread out his hands toward the LORD; the thunder and hail stopped, and the rain no longer poured down on the land. 34 When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had stopped, he sinned again: He and his officials hardened their hearts. 35 So Pharaoh's heart was hard and he would not let the Israelites go, just as the LORD had said through Moses.

NIV

The hail cometh, but not hail to the LORD of lords, the KING of kings, Almighty God. This is not all hail the power of Jesus name. This is a storm of storms, the worse storm ever since Egypt had become a nation. This was the warning Moses was to give Pharaoh. Some took this to heart and protected their material possessions, their slaves and livestock. Some ignored the warning and thus lost everything. Anything or anyone that was left outside was toast. The Hail was so great it simply stoned them to death. It stripped all the trees of not only any fruit, but leaves as well. Barren trees were all that was left. All the grain in the field except the wheat were destroyed. This can only be due to the mercy of God. He did not leave them without the possibility of making bread. This plague was so devastating Pharaoh called Moses and said the LORD was right and he was wrong. What hypocrisy! He was willing to admit to being a sinner just to get Moses to call off the hail. Just as before, as soon as Moses prayed to God to bring the storm to an end, Pharaoh continued with the hard heart theme. He and his officials hardened their hearts. Notice, it was he and his that did the hardening. This man is the epitome of hypocrisy. He never once actually believed in the LORD being right and himself being wrong. God knew his heart, he knew it was hard, just as he had told Moses. Nevertheless the LORD stopped this storm. God knew what it was going to take to actually prompt Pharaoh into letting the people go. But he was still showing them his power to control every aspect of their lives. He controlled their environment in every way. This should tell us something about those humanistic environmentalist who believe they can control our environment by restrictions and regulations upon mankind. But they are as hypocritical as Pharaoh. They desire is not actually to save the planet, but to control others through their policies. Their own “Carbon footprint” is the largest of all. But we digress. The point of this lesson is on hypocrisy. We cannot afford to engage in this attitude which becomes a behavior. How can we say from one side of our mouth, “We love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength” and speak about how much we love the things of this world? How can we say we trust God, but trust in our saving accounts? How can we say we trust God and always seek a doctor first when we have some infirmity? How can we say God answers prayer when we have doubts about his answering? Are we content to live with just a small level of hypocrisy within? If we tell people we are Christians, but do the same as they do, what do they say about us? Sure, many of us are convinced as long as we do not drink or smoke or dance, or go to movies or roller rinks, or some other item on our “Don’t list” we are just fine, no hypocrisy. But do we love our neighbor as our self? Do we put others first above ourselves? Do we set aside our own goals, our own dreams for those of others? Do we work tirelessly for the benefit of others? Do we deplete our resources for the needs of others? There is so much we are not doing that the Lord has told us to do.

Ps 139:23-24

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

NIV

 Search my heart, oh LORD and see if there be any hypocrisy.