I was recently asked if I think the Old Testament is scary, and if I believe that God’s wrath, as seen several times in the Book of Exodus which is where today’s passage comes from, is too harsh.
I believe that every Word within the Bible is Truth from cover to cover. I see it as God’s written testimony meant to serve as a love letter to us, or as written directions so we won’t get lost. Remember, the most passionate love letters and most difficult directions can be challenging, but beyond rewarding in the end. In the Bible, God chose specific people, places, and circumstances to reveal His love through so that we could, can, and will see ourselves and our world through them. It’s important to gain an understanding of God’s wrath because without it, it’s nearly impossible to understand His complete love, which is revealed in our salvation through Christ.
Imagine for a moment that your child (a son) does drugs. You’ve spent years teaching your son to not do drugs, and now you must punish him. As the punishment wears off, he begins to minimize the consequences and does drugs again, only this time the authorities get involved. As he stands in front of a judge you can’t image how you got to this moment, but you believe that the judgement and punishment will be good for your son in the long run. You go through this journey of arrests, court dates, jail, community service, fights, ankle bracelets, and lots of tears and money spent, several times within the next few years, until one day the drugs take your son’s life.
Friends, in this story we are the son. The drugs represent our sin as tempted by the evil which rules this world. The mother and authorities represent the work of the Holy Spirit as they are Jesus being revealed to us all of the time; and believe it or not, the judgement, the punishment, and even the death represent God. He wanted to turn the son away from the world, and towards Jesus, so he could be spared from evil and loved beyond measure. We can see throughout the Book of Exodus that God wanted the same for Pharaoh and the Egyptians. God’s eternal love is what eventually brings the son Home to Heaven and out from the darkness of this world. We must choose the Light of Christ over the darkness of this world. Remember, it is a choice, so always choose it. Stay the course, and instead of fearing parts of the Bible, open it up and ask the Lord to reveal His heart to you as you read it.
Exodus 10:21-23
A Plague of Darkness
21 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Lift your hand toward heaven, and the land of Egypt will be covered with a darkness so thick you can feel it.” 22 So Moses lifted his hand to the sky, and a deep darkness covered the entire land of Egypt for three days. 23 During all that time the people could not see each other, and no one moved. But there was light as usual where the people of Israel lived.
Prayer: Jesus, thank You so much for Your Living Word of Truth. I will spend the rest of my life learning from it, and just when I think You’ve shown me what I need to know about a passage, my life changes and that passage takes on a whole new meaning. Please help me to be a Light for You wherever You take me. May the Lights of Your kids shine so bright in this dark world. Please cover Pastor Mary for tomorrow’s trip. Keep her comfortable and fill her with your supernatural peace. In Jesus’s Name. Amen.
Written By: Jen Auer