***Note – We have completed the book of Job and the book of Genesis! This is our eighth week in the book of Exodus!
Focus: Exodus Chapter Eight
Tip: I highly recommend journaling your responses to the questions, prompts, and reflections. Writing them out can help you process more deeply and see how God is working in your life.
This week’s devotion includes:
Exodus Chapter Eight – “A Hardened Heart”
Bible Memory:
Did you memorize last week’s Bible verse?
Hiding God’s Word in our hearts is such a valuable practice. Since I’ve been memorizing Scripture, I’ve experienced so many moments where God brings a specific verse to mind just when I need it most. It’s amazing how He uses His Word to speak into our lives right where we are.
This Week’s Memory Verse:
And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD?Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
– 1 Samuel 15:22
Exodus Chapter 8:
“A Hardened Heart ”
(Read Exodus Chapter 8 First)
Exodus chapter 8 begins with the LORD sending Moses back to Pharaoh with the same message He had already given him:
“Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me.” (Exodus 8:1)
This immediately made me stop and think that sometimes God uses people who are walking closely with Him to speak truth into our lives. It may be a pastor, a trusted friend, a family member, or even something we read during our Bible study time. God is faithful to use His Word and the godly people He places in our lives to warn, correct, and guide us.
The LORD even told Pharaoh exactly what would happen if he refused to listen. Frogs would come out of the river in abundance. They would fill the houses, bedrooms, beds, ovens, kneadingtroughs, and every part of daily life.
If you feel like the Lord is warning you about something…Listen.
I know that I want to stay close enough to God that I recognize His voice when He is trying to tell me something. I’d much rather respond to His gentle correction than wait until I’m dealing with the consequences of ignoring Him.
Jesus reminds us of the importance of hearing His voice:
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27)
Pharaoh ignored God’s warning.
Just as the LORD had said, Aaron stretched out his rod, and frogs covered the land of Egypt.
The magicians were able to imitate the miracle by bringing more frogs onto the land…but did you catch the fact that Pharaoh never asked them to remove them.
Instead, he called for Moses and Aaron.
That says a lot.
The world may imitate some things that God does, but only God has the power to truly deliver us.
James reminds us:
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” (James 1:17)
Next, we read about …“Tomorrow”
After Pharaoh begged Moses to ask God to remove the frogs, Moses answered,
“Glory over me: when shall I intreat for thee…?” (Exodus 8:9) In other words, Moses asked Pharaoh when he wanted him to ask God to take away these frogs?
Pharaoh’s answer surprises me every time.
He said,
“Tomorrow.”
Tomorrow?!
If frogs were covering my house, my bed, my kitchen, and everything around me, I would want them gone immediately!
The Bible does not tell us why Pharaoh chose tomorrow, but it does make me think about how often we delay things God is placing before us. How many times do we recognize something needs to change, but we tell ourselves, “I’ll deal with it tomorrow”?
All of this reminded me of these two verses:
“Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” (James 4:17)
“Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2)
Sometimes putting things off until “tomorrow” seems harmless, but when it comes to fixing sin, delays can keep us from experiencing the freedom and obedience God desires for us today.
Moses prayed.
The LORD answered.
The frogs died exactly as Moses said they would, and they were gathered into great heaps until the land stank.
“But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart…” (Exodus 8:15)
As soon as life became comfortable again, Pharaoh went right back to his old ways.
Have you ever promised God you’d change if He would help you through a difficult circumstance or season?
Then, once life settles down, you slowly drift back into the same habits, attitudes, or ways that you asked Him to help you overcome.
I’m sure we’ve all been there before, but next time you find yourself there, remember that God not only can change our circumstances, but he can and wants to change our hearts.
Because Pharaoh refused to obey, another plague followed.
This time it was lice.
Even the magicians couldn’t duplicate this miracle.
Instead, they admitted,
“This is the finger of God.” (Exodus 8:19)
But Pharaoh still refused to listen.
This is a reminder that seeing God’s power doesn’t automatically soften someone’s heart. We still have to choose whether we will surrender to Him.
The next plague would be swarms of flies.
But this time God made a distinction between Egypt and Goshen, where His people lived.
“…I will sever in that day the land of Goshen…to the end thou mayest know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth.” (Exodus 8:22)
God was displaying His judgment and His protection.
He wanted Pharaoh, and everyone else, to know exactly who He was.
The same God who judges sin also faithfully watches over His children.
Psalm 91:4 reminds us,
“He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust…” (Psalm 91:4)
As soon as Pharaoh wanted relief, he made Moses an offer….
“You can worship your God…just stay here.”
But Moses refused.
He explained that they had to worship exactly as God commanded.
The sacrifices God required involved animals the Egyptians considered sacred. Offering those sacrifices in Egypt could have led to the Israelites being stoned.
More importantly, God had already given His instructions.
Obeying God was not something Moses was willing to negotiate.
Maybe you’ve heard thoughts like these:
* You don’t have to obey completely.
* Just compromise a little.
* Stay where you’re comfortable.
* Don’t go too far with your faith.
But just be careful because partial obedience is still disobedience.
God was asking Israel to trust Him enough to obey Him completely.
Samuel later wrote these powerful words:
“Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice…” (1 Samuel 15:22)
One theme kept repeating through my heart as I studied this chapter.
God is incredibly patient.
Again and again He warned Pharaoh.
Again and again He gave him opportunities to respond.
Again and again Pharaoh hardened his heart.
I don’t want to have a heart like Pharaoh.
I want to be sensitive when God convicts me.
I want to listen the first time.
I want to obey completely instead of compromising.
And I want my relationship with Him to be genuine. I don’t want my faith to grow during difficult seasons only to fade when life becomes comfortable again. I want it to remain, regardless of my circumstances.
Journaing Questions:
* Has God been trying to get my attention about something lately?
* Am I listening when God speaks through His Word or through godly people He places in my life?
* Have I ever promised God I would change during a difficult season, only to drift back afterward?
* Is there an area where I have settled for partial obedience instead of complete obedience?
* What is one step of obedience I can take this week?
The Georgia Nest 