Review – The Old Testament is foreshadowing things to come. A type or typology in Scripture is a person or thing in the O.T. that foreshadows a person or thing in the New Testament. The ‘incomplete’ points to the ‘complete’.

1 Corinthians 10:6-7 (ESV) Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.”

 Paul warns the Corinthians to not repeat the history of their forefathers and get caught up in Idolatry.

Today, we will talk about God’s plan and power through the plagues to get the Israelites ready for deliverance.

Exodus 7:1 (ESV) And the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. 2 You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall tell Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go out of his land.

 Pharaoh wouldn’t listen to God, so God would make him listen to Moses and Aaron.

Exodus 7:2-6 (ESV) You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall tell Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go out of his land. 3 But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, 4 Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and bring my hosts, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment. 5 The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them.”6 Moses and Aaron did so; they did just as the Lord commanded them.

 God commanded, they responded in obedience.

Exodus 7:8-12 (ESV) Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 9 “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Prove yourselves by working a miracle,’ then you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent.’” 10 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron cast down his staff before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent. 11 Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers, and they, the magicians of Egypt, also did the same by their secret arts. 12 For each man cast down his staff, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs.

 Notice God provided all they needed. All they had to do was walk in faith and obedience.

Exodus 7:14-18 (ESV) Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is hardened; he refuses to let the people go. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning, as he is going out to the water. Stand on the bank of the Nile to meet him, and take in your hand the staff that turned into a serpent. 16 And you shall say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying, “Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness.” But so far, you have not obeyed. 17 Thus says the Lord, “By this you shall know that I am the Lord: behold, with the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water that is in the Nile, and it shall turn into blood. 18 The fish in the Nile shall die, and the Nile will stink, and the Egyptians will grow weary of drinking water from the Nile.”’”

What do we learn from the plagues?

They were part of a supernatural battle, sending a message to the whole world:

 Israel’s God wants to save. Foreshadow of Christ

 God systematically exposed and defeated Egypt’s major idols with great power.

 God was demonstrating to the Egyptians that their ‘fabricated gods’ were impotent and nothing compared to Him!

 God was reminding the Israelites that the God of their forefathers was alive and worthy of their worship.

Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The plagues were part of God’s plan to deliver His people:

 God wanted to deliver His people from both physical and spiritual slavery.

 God was building a relationship of trust and faith with His leaders and people. He wanted their hearts.

The plagues demonstrated that everyone needs a savoir. The Passover:

 God even gave the Egyptians time to turn – increasing magnitude of the plagues.

 The Israelites were greatly impacted by the Egyptian culture, embracing many of the Egyptian idols.

Romans 3:23 (ESV) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Exodus 12:1-11

 The Lord invited the Israelites to participate in the Passover and go on a journey of obedience and growth.

Exodus 12:12-14 (ESV) For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord.13 The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.14 “This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast.

 Because God is just, He will accomplish His plan of judgment whether we participate or not.

 The plague of the death of the first born is foreshadowing God sending His only son to die in our place.

 God will not judge those covered by the blood of the lamb.

 Faith was required to believe that the blood was sufficient – foreshadow of the cross and Jesus as our substitutionary atonement. Payment for our sins

 The blood is a sign of mercy and grace – foreshadow of Jesus who died for your sins.

 Where are you in the process of this story? Stuck on idols?

 Is your heart like Pharaoh’s? How will you become obedient like Moses?

 How will you let the Holy Spirit remove the idols in your life?

 Will you let Jesus deliver you from sin? Will you let His blood cover you and forgive your sins?

For discussion with your small group, family and friends.

Passages: Exodus 7-12

Sermon Reflection – Share an insight you gained from the sermon you heard.

Questions to discuss:

1. Look over Exodus 7-11. What stands out to you about the progression of what is happening in Egypt? A) What do you see about who God is?

2. Moses and Aaron have a role to play in what God is doing. What would be challenging to be in their position? A) What do you learn from their example?

3. How does what you see in Exodus encourage you in the hard things in your walk of following Jesus?

4. The plagues demonstrate God’s presence and power and deal with different false gods and beliefs. What have been things that have shown you God’s presence, power and authority? A) What false belief or idol is God working out of your life?

Next week: Delivered! God Leads Passages: Exodus 13-15

Check out: Exodus with Joe Boyd on RightNow Media https://www.rightnowmedia.org/Content/Series/177971