Do you know what it's like to break free only to run straight into another obstacle? You stand there trapped not wanting to go back to the old life but seeing no way forward. Have you ever cried out to God in fear & desperation only to return your focus to your overwhelming circumstances the second you say amen? That is how Israel felt when they left Egypt. With an angry army on one side and the Red Sea on the other, they were trapped and afraid. But God removed their obstacle and defeated their enemy without them having to fight at all. He can do the same for us today. Focus on Him and not your situation.

God leads His people out of Egypt with payment for their labor & at the urging of their oppressors. Only a Mighty God can arrange such a blessed deliverance! But He does not just set them free & leave them to fend for themselves. He continues to lead them with His visible Presence. Although we do not have a cloud or Jesus here physically here to lead us, we have more. His Holy Spirit leads us all individually and His complete Word guides us.

Today, Jesus is our Passover sacrifice. When God killed Egypt's firstborn, He passed over the Israelite's houses because He saw the blood of a lamb on their door posts. Death had already come to that house, the sacrifice had already been made. When we acknowledge our sin and accept Jesus as our sacrifice, then we are covered in His blood. When God looks at us, He sees that Someone has died for our sin and it enables Him to spare our lives eternally.

Why is it so hard to admit we are wrong even if we know we are? Why is it so hard to submit our lives to God even though we know He is more capable with them than we are? Why do we hold things back from Him or have to control certain situations? Pharaoh never would fully submit to God. He had to be forced every time and once the punishment passed, he would go right back to his own ways. Even in submission, he was always trying to keep some semblance of control or hold something back. How do we break free from those tendencies and give over all of ourselves to the Lord?

Exalting oneself, God is not exclusive, and true repentance. Do you acknowledge God as the Lord of your life? Do you recognize His Lordship over the earth? As Christians, do we reveal God to others? When the seventh plague came, God gave all the Egyptians the opportunity to believe in His power and place their faith in Him. Those that believed, were safe from the plague as were the Israelites. Those that didn't, suffered greatly. Pharaoh acted repentant, but when relief came, he again hardened his heart. He knew God's power but was not willing to make Him Lord. God sent His Son as our sacrifice, making Him fully worthy of our submission and following.

We make a mistake when we try to fit God's will into ours instead of trying to fit our will into His. We cannot do what He wants us to do in our own way or we will get the results of our own actions. During the 4th plague, Pharaoh tried to appease God by giving Him what He wanted but by doing it his own way. His stubborn will led him and his people into devastation. At one point he may have been ready to relent just to avoid punishment, but it was too late. By the 6th plague, God hardened Pharaoh's heart Himself. He never had intention of worshipping or submitting himself to the Lord. So God used him to reveal Himself in a mighty way and rescue His people.

When you go through difficult times, do you run to God? What about when relief comes? Do you stay close to Him or forget the commitment you made when everything was bad? What about when God imposes consequences? Do you change your ways or find away around them? God began sending plagues on Egypt, continuously commanding Pharaoh to let the people go. Pharaoh's heart was indifferent and he just found away around the first plague. When they were overrun with frogs, Pharaoh promised if God would get rid of them, he would let the people go. But as soon as the crisis was over, he went back on his word. What does God have to do to get our attention?

Have you ever felt like God was telling you to do something but then began to question it when you hit a road block? How do you respond when your first attempt fails or everything seems to just get worse? Have you ever known God was in it, but still wonder if you have the strength to make it to the other side? Do you want to quit when everything is hard even though you know there is a reward waiting for you if you make it through? Is it worth the bad to get to the good? God sent Moses to Pharaoh with a promise that he would deliver the people from Egypt. But when everything got worse instead of better, Moses questioned God. Why did you send me if it was only going to bring trouble on the people? Everything is worse than before and You have not delivered Your people as you said. God fulfills His promises. His time & ways are different but they are right. He can strengthen and equip us to make it through. There is great reward on the other side of our struggles. Be encouraged to persevere!

Moses & Aaron go to Pharaoh & tell him to let God's people go. He places himself in direct opposition to God as the Lord of their lives. Who would you want to serve? Do we serve God above other masters.

God is for His children & against anyone that opposes Him & His children. If we reject His son then we put ourselves in opposition to Him. In this passage, God tells Moses that He will show Himself Mighty for His Children & against Pharaoh. We will talk about God hardening Pharaoh's heart & how we reconcile that with His Word. Also how important it is to be one of His children & witness to others. We are called to preach the gospel, tell others all God has done for us, growing our faith & theirs.