God's Unmistakable Revelation of Himself - Exodus 9-11 and Matthew 15:21-39
God knows exactly how to reveal Himself in each situation and to each person, so that there is no excuse for a person not believing in Him. This truth is seen in John 1:9 and Romans 1:19,20. It is also clear from these passages and many other Biblical accounts. I pray that each of us will recount how God has revealed Himself to us in unmistakable ways.
As God sent the rest of the plagues on Egypt, Pharaoh was confronted by the reality of God. I believe his pride and his determination to be a god, himself, kept him from trusting the only true God. The one unmistakable characteristic of these plagues was that they did not affect the the Israelites or their animals. Anyone could see that this was God working, and God was showing that the God of Israel was doing these things. Several times, Pharaoh spoke about repenting of sin or letting Israel go. I do not know if he was serious or just wanting the plague to cease, but it shows that he knew what God wanted him to do. He just would not give in to the Lord. I believe this is true of all people who fail to trust God. It is not God's fault for not making Himself clear. It is their fault for not responding to the obvious revelation of God to them.
This truth is seen in Matthew 15, too. The Canaanite woman had come to realize Jesus was Lord. She had strong faith even when Jesus told her He was sent to the people of Israel. How did she realize that He was Lord and that she needed to put her trust in Him? The Bible does not tell us, but the mere fact that she did come to this realization shows the power of God to reveal Himself clearly to all people. Then, in the case of His disciples they were still having trouble believing Jesus fully. Why were they failing to see that He was the All-Powerful Lord of all? They had seen over 5,000 people fed by 5 loaves and 2 fish. They saw all of Jesus' healings and other miracles. Was it a matter of Jesus not making Himself known to them? I do not think that was the reason for their lack of trust. It is always a heart issue. The question is, "Will we receive the unmistakable revelation of God, or will we allow sin and deception to blind us to what we have seen?" What do you think? Has God revealed Himself to you? Can you blame your lack of faith on God? I don't think that would be a wise thing to do. When we stand before God, He will be able to blow us away with all of the ways He revealed Himself to us. We ought to accept His revelation and trust Him fully.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Exodus 12-13 and Matthew 16.
As God sent the rest of the plagues on Egypt, Pharaoh was confronted by the reality of God. I believe his pride and his determination to be a god, himself, kept him from trusting the only true God. The one unmistakable characteristic of these plagues was that they did not affect the the Israelites or their animals. Anyone could see that this was God working, and God was showing that the God of Israel was doing these things. Several times, Pharaoh spoke about repenting of sin or letting Israel go. I do not know if he was serious or just wanting the plague to cease, but it shows that he knew what God wanted him to do. He just would not give in to the Lord. I believe this is true of all people who fail to trust God. It is not God's fault for not making Himself clear. It is their fault for not responding to the obvious revelation of God to them.
This truth is seen in Matthew 15, too. The Canaanite woman had come to realize Jesus was Lord. She had strong faith even when Jesus told her He was sent to the people of Israel. How did she realize that He was Lord and that she needed to put her trust in Him? The Bible does not tell us, but the mere fact that she did come to this realization shows the power of God to reveal Himself clearly to all people. Then, in the case of His disciples they were still having trouble believing Jesus fully. Why were they failing to see that He was the All-Powerful Lord of all? They had seen over 5,000 people fed by 5 loaves and 2 fish. They saw all of Jesus' healings and other miracles. Was it a matter of Jesus not making Himself known to them? I do not think that was the reason for their lack of trust. It is always a heart issue. The question is, "Will we receive the unmistakable revelation of God, or will we allow sin and deception to blind us to what we have seen?" What do you think? Has God revealed Himself to you? Can you blame your lack of faith on God? I don't think that would be a wise thing to do. When we stand before God, He will be able to blow us away with all of the ways He revealed Himself to us. We ought to accept His revelation and trust Him fully.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Exodus 12-13 and Matthew 16.