Serving the Lord with Gladness

The Lord instructed Moses, “You shall say to him [Pharoah], the Lord God of the Hebrews has sent me to you, saying, ‘Let My people go, that they may serve Me.’” [1]The issue here is that mighty king wants what belongs to God to belong to him, namely, God’s people service and loyalty.

Six times the Lord said to the King of Egypt through His servant Moses, “Let My people go, that they may serve Me.’” [2]

The Lord makes way for us to transfer our service of other things and people, to serving Him as we trust in Him and follow His leading.

The Pharoah did not want to release God’s people from serving him, so, the Lord gave the king warnings of consequences for non-compliance. When the king doubted and dismissed God, the Lord carried out the consequences.

“Thus says the Lord: By this you shall know that I am the Lord. Behold, I will strike the waters which are in the river with the rod that is in my hand, and they shall be turned to blood. [3]

“If you refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all your territory with frogs.” [4]

“If you will not let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and your servants, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand.” [5]

“If you refuse to let them go, and still hold them, behold, the hand of the Lord will be on your cattle in the field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the oxen, and on the sheep—a very severe pestilence.” [6]

“I will send all My plagues to your very heart, and on your servants and on your people, that you may know that there is none like Me in all the earth. As yet you exalt yourself against My people in that you will not let them go.” [7]

“If you refuse to let My people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your territory.” [8]

The distinction that God made between His people and Pharoah’s was another sign to Pharoah that it was He, the Lord, acting on behalf of the slaves.

“In that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, in which My people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there, in order that you may know that I am the Lord in the midst of the land. I will make a difference between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall be.” [9]

“’The Lord will make a difference between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt. So, nothing shall die of all that belongs to the children of Israel.’ Then the Lord appointed a set time, saying, ‘Tomorrow the Lord will do this thing in the land.’” [10]

The Lord wanted the King of Egypt to know without a doubt that the earth belonged to Him.

“So Moses said to him, ‘As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands to the Lord; the thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, that you may know that the earth is the Lord’s. But as for you and your servants, I know that you will not yet fear the Lord God.” “My signs which I have done among them, that you may know that I am the Lord.” [11]

The Lord also had a word for the slaves of Egypt. They were to place the blood of an unblemished lamb on their door posts and eat the meat of it along with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. This meal is called the Passover Feast because the angel of death passed over homes marked with blood. The death of the firstborns of Egypt in one night convinced Pharoah to release the slaves. The freed slaves were to celebrate the Passover Feast on an annual basis. [12]

God’s plagues against Pharoah yielded deliverance for the slaves. In a similar way, the plagues in Revelation diminish and destroy the power of abusive atheistic rulers and reflect God’s faithfulness to bless those who bless His servants and curse those who curse them.

“It came to pass at midnight that the Lord struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon and all the firstborn of livestock. So Pharaoh rose in the night, he, all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead. Then he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, ‘Rise, go out from among my people, both you and the children of Israel. And go, serve the Lord as you have said. Also take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone; and bless me also.” [13]

The Lord led the Egyptians to give their articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing to the slaves. “The Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. Thus, they plundered the Egyptians.” [14]

The Lord also called the Israelites to consecrate their firstborn male children and male animals to the Lord. This ritual plus the annual keeping of the Passover Feast was designed to remind them that it was HE and not them who delivered them from bondage.

“Remember this day in which you went out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the Lord brought you out of this place.” “It shall be as a sign to you on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the Lord’s law may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand the Lord has brought you out of Egypt. You shall therefore keep this ordinance in its season from year to year.” [15]

The Lord led His people like a shepherd leads his sheep. He was with them. “The Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people.” [16]

Later, when Pharoah and his army pursued the slaves, the people complained to Moses, “Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians?’” Moses said to them, “Do not be afraid. Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” [17]

“The Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved, and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them. So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus, it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that night.” [18]

The Lord divided the sea before His people. They crossed over to the other shore without loss of life, but when the Egyptian army followed after them, the Lord caused the sea to fall upon and crush them. Contrary to “The Ten Commandments” the movie, no Egyptian survived. “Not so much as one of them remained.” [19]

The proper response to God’s acts of deliverance and redemption is to gather and worship Him. To sing to the Lord!

“Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the Lord, and spoke, saying: ‘I will sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea! The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; my father’s God, and I will exalt Him.’” [20]

The proper response to the Lord’s grace is to make music and dance to HIM.

“Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took the timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. And Miriam answered them: ‘Sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea!’” [21]

Later, when the people came to water, but it was too bitter to drink, the Lord showed Moses a tree. The Lord used the tree to make the bitter waters sweet. Then, the Lord told them that if they followed Him, they would not experience the diseases Egyptians experienced. It is through the tree [the cross] of Christ that God sweetens our lives and heals us. In Christ we have the greatest liberation and redemption. One day, all of us who trust Him will be delivered from the devil forever. He will never abuse us again through his servants. Plus, we will have good health and live forever with God in paradise.

“When they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore, the name of it was called Marah. And the people complained against Moses, saying, ‘What shall we drink?’ So he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There He made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there He tested them, and said, ‘If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.’” [22]

[1] Exodus 7:16
[2] Exodus 7:16; 8:1, 20; 9:1, 13; 10:3
[3] Exodus 7:17
[4] Exodus 8:2
[5] Exodus 8:21-23
[6] Exodus 9:2-3
[7] Exodus 9:14, 17
[8] Exodus 10:4
[9] Exodus 8:22-23
[10] Exodus 9:4-5
[11] Exodus 9:29-30; 10:2
[12] Exodus 12:1-28
[13] Exodus 12:29-32
[14] Exodus 12:35-36
[15] Exodus 13:1-3, 9-10
[16] Exodus 13:21-22
[17] Exodus 14:12-14
[18] Exodus 14:19-20
[19] Exodus 14:21-31
[20] Exodus 15:1-2
[21] Exodus 15:20-21
[22] Exodus 15:22-26