The Rotten Compromises of Pharaoh

What does scripture teach us about compromise? What can we learn from the story of pharaoh's compromises to Moses and Aaron? Listen to this podcast to be challenged and encouraged today.
Gospel in the Air is a podcast ministry of Cornerstone Christian Church. We are located in Maui, Hawaii, USA. Our number is (808) 463-8859. You can also visit our website at www.cornerstonemaui.org or you can send your email to danibanggo@gmail.com.

Transcript

Episode 22
The Rotten Compromises offered by Pharaoh to Moses
Texts: Exodus 8: 25,28; 10:8-11,24-27
© Dani Banggo 11/21/2024

From the beautiful island of Maui, I want to greet you with a warm aloha! I hope you are doing great today.

For today’s lesson we will dive into the rotten compromises offered by Pharaoh to Moses. And this is based on the book of Exodus 8:25, 28; 10: 8-11, 24-27. I will read the following verses to you:

Exo. 8: 25, 28

25 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God here in the land.”

28 Pharaoh said, “I will let you go to offer sacrifices to the Lord your God in the wilderness, but you must not go very far. Now pray for me.”

Exo. 10:8-11

8 Then Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. “Go, worship the Lord your God,” he said. “But tell me who will be going.”

9 Moses answered, “We will go with our young and our old, with our sons and our daughters, and with our flocks and herds, because we are to celebrate a festival to the Lord.”

10 Pharaoh said, “The Lord be with you—if I let you go, along with your women and children! Clearly you are bent on evil.[a] 11 No! Have only the men go and worship the Lord, since that’s what you have been asking for.” Then Moses and Aaron were driven out of Pharaoh’s presence.

Exo. 10:24-27

24 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, “Go, worship the Lord. Even your women and children may go with you; only leave your flocks and herds behind.”

25 But Moses said, “You must allow us to have sacrifices and burnt offerings to present to the Lord our God. 26 Our livestock too must go with us; not a hoof is to be left behind. We have to use some of them in worshiping the Lord our God, and until we get there we will not know what we are to use to worship the Lord.”

27 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he was not willing to let them go.

Our lesson for today is entitled: “The rotten compromises offered by the Pharaoh to Moses.”

In the ancient times, the land of Egypt was the haven of the Hebrew people. They were free to live and mingled with the Egyptians and they became very prosperous and fruitful in terms of number and their animals. In fact, because of Joseph who served as governor they were highly regarded and esteemed by the Pharaoh. But as time passed by, when Joseph and his generation died, there arose another Pharaoh who succeeded the throne and he forgot all the good things that Joseph did. He was afraid that if he will not do something to protect his people sooner or later, they will become the minority in their own land while the Hebrews will outnumber them and, eventually, they will rule over them. So, what he did was to curtail their freedom and instead ruthlessly force them into physical labor.

Throughout their lives they were forced to make bricks and mortar to build store cities for the Pharaoh (Ex.1: 11-14).  In addition to their misery, he also ordered the killing of all male babies to be born to prevent them from increasing even more. Then after some time when another Pharaoh succeeded into the throne he was as ruthless as his predecessor and continued with his oppression on the Hebrews. He was deaf to the cry of their misery and chose to lavish on his evil desire to continuously enslave them even more. He thought he was so powerful that he can defy the Almighty God. 

Indeed, it is only by the grace and mercy of God that we are highly favored. Without him we are helpless individuals, and we cannot do anything on our own. And because of the Pharoh’s persistent stubbornness God hardened his heart to humble him. The story in the Bible accounts the most harrowing experience any human being could ever imagine, that is, for many years the Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out to the Lord for help. With their fervent and incessant prayer “God heard their groaning, and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. So, God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them” (Ex.2: 23-25). The plague that resulted to the death of Pharaoh’s firstborn son including the firstborn sons of all Egypt and their slaves and cattle was the determining factor that freed the Israelites from Egypt (Exo. 12:31-33).

Let’s go back and see the unfolding of events that caused the Pharaoh to compromise with Moses and Aaron. In Chapter 8:25 Pharaoh told Moses, “All right! Go ahead and offer sacrifices to your God but do it here in this land.”

God instructed Moses and Aaron to speak to Pharaoh to allow the Israelites to go to the desert, which is a three-day journey outside of the country, so that they may offer their sacrifices to Him (Exo. 5:1-3). But the Pharaoh refused to listen to them and instead he made them suffer even more (v.9). So, Moses was devastated and frustrated and complained to God saying, “Why, Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Is this why you sent me? 23 Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on these people, and you have not rescued your people at all” (5:22-23). In response God told Moses to tell Pharaoh everything He had commanded him (7:1-5). But the Pharaoh refused to listen to the plea of Moses. He hardened his heart even more. As a result, God sent four different plagues in succession resulting irreparable damage and devastation to the entire land of Egypt except Goshen where the Israelites were living. 

In the first plague, God turned the Nile River into a river of blood (Ex.7: 14-25). The Nile River was their life blood. It was a source of their livelihood. It was everything to them. But now it stinks. Everything is dead. All their supplies to sustain their basic needs are all gone! Their means of transportation is halted. Their source of irrigation is cut off. And all their basic household chores have been seriously affected. By this time the Pharaoh would have realized how vulnerable our earthly life is that we cannot rely on those things we thought as our security such as career, position, and possession. In just a spur of a moment, they are all gone like smoke that vanishes in the air.

Second, there was the plague of frogs (Ex.8: 1-15). During this time in history, the Egyptians worshiped the frog as god of fertility. Perhaps, the Pharaoh would have realized that his god is not true after all because it turned out to be impotent. They plagued the entire land and caused great annoyance for their foul smell when they were rotten. The Pharaoh would have realized that God is more powerful than his god. And sometimes, this god comes in the form of what we cherish most and hold so dearly in this life more than the true God of the universe. 

Third, the plague of lice (Ex.8: 16-19). God turned the dust of the earth into lice. You could just imagine the epidemic that caused great casualty among the people. For having been beaten by just one louse alone is already annoying. It is so itchy. It feeds on skin or hair and often causes injury. Then how much more with tons and tons of lice that invaded the land of Egypt! It was indeed gruesome for the Pharaoh and his people to experience this epidemic. Perhaps he would have realized by now that he cannot take for granted the word of God and make a mockery of it. 

Fourth, the plague of flies (Ex.8: 20-32). One of Egypt’s known god is Khepri, who is ascribed to be the god of the sacred beetle.[1] This is a challenge to Pharaoh’s god that turned out to be powerless after all. He is impotent that he cannot even stop the flies or beetles swarming the land of Egypt. Perhaps the Pharaoh would have realized by now that he cannot rely on his own strength and power but unto God alone. And how much more to those whose gods are made of metals, woods, and stones?  (Isa. 44:13-17)

13 Then the wood-carver measures a block of wood
     and draws a pattern on it.
 He works with chisel and plane
     and carves it into a human figure.
 He gives it human beauty
     and puts it in a little shrine.
 14 He cuts down cedars;
     he selects the cypress and the oak;
 he plants the pine in the forest
     to be nourished by the rain.
 15 Then he uses part of the wood to make a fire.
     With it he warms himself and bakes his bread.
 Then—yes, it’s true—he takes the rest of it
     and makes himself a god to worship!
 He makes an idol
     and bows down in front of it!
 16 He burns part of the tree to roast his meat
     and to keep himself warm.
     He says, “Ah, that fire feels good.”
 17 Then he takes what’s left
     and makes his god: a carved idol!
 He falls down in front of it,
     worshiping and praying to it.
 “Rescue me!” he says.
     “You are my god!”

As a result of the plagues, Pharoah called Moses and Aaron and gave in to their demand but asked them to offer their sacrifices in Egypt (8:25). This is not God’s will. His will is for the Israelites to be separated from Egypt for a three-day journey so that they may fully serve Him in the wilderness (v.27). If they sacrifice in Egypt, this is detestable to the Egyptians. This implies that sheep and goats are considered sacred animals to them. People would’ve stoned them (v.26); hence God commanded them to go to the wilderness. It would have been a tumultuous situation resulting in riots and deaths of many Israelites.  

Moses did not accept the offer of the Pharaoh but insisted to follow the command of God. Their worship demands complete obedience to the will of God set apart from corrupt, unbelieving, and godless nation. In short, there should not be any compromise when it comes to obeying the will of God, otherwise their worship would have not been acceptable to the Lord (Mat. 15: 7-9).

7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote,

8 ‘These people honor me with their lips,
     but their hearts are far from me.
 9 Their worship is a farce,
     for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’[a]” (Mat. 15:7-9; cf. Isa. 29:13)

There are those who say that it doesn’t matter what religion you believe. They are all the same and good. What is important is you are sincere, and you live a good life. People want a compromised, watered-down religion. This is not what Scripture teaches. It is clear what the Lord instructed to his apostles before he left them saying, “20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.” (Mat. 28:20).

A story was told about a preacher who often spoke about sin. He did not hold back, but defined sin as “detestable that God hates.” On one occasion after his message someone confronted him to stop from using the word sin and instead use other terms to describe it such as inhibition, or error, or a mistake. This person said it is offensive to the ear especially among the youth and you will not be surprised to see empty pews sooner or later. 

“I understand you,” the preacher said, and going to his office brought out a little box. “This box,” he said, “contains cyanide. And it is labeled “poison” in bold red letters. Would you tell me that I change the label and instead mark it “green tea?” If I do that, I will be liable of endangering the life of others instead of warning them from dreadful consequences. The more harmless the name the more dangerous the dose will be.”[2]

Paul echoes resoundingly our Christian duty saying:

 “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” (Rom. 12:2)

Today, we are engaged with false doctrine and philosophies. We should be on the guard to safeguard the purity of the gospel because such false teachings have infiltrated the church. Some of the known heretical teachings are the following:  Atheism denies the existence of God; Purgatory proposes there is a place of temporary punishment before going to heaven; Hedonism promotes pleasure as the ultimate goal of human life; and Reincarnation involves countless deaths and rebirths.

We cannot compromise the truth but expose them. Paul reminded Timothy about the significance of knowing the doctrine of Jesus Christ. This is what he told him, “For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths” (2 Tim. 4:3-4). 

Standing on sound doctrine is not an option considering the influence brought about by social media. We need to be careful but to filter what we hear and see on our TV screens and phones. Paul warned Timothy about knowing the sound doctrine.  “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers” (1 Tim. 4:16, NIV).

As I watched the devastation caused by the lava flow of Kilauea’s volcano in 2021, I cannot help but shake my head in disbelief due to the loss the victims incurred. All their hopes and dreams were totally wiped out in just a second. They lost their houses, their means of livelihood, including their cultural heritage. They were advised to be relocated to a new place and never to return anymore because it is now declared as a “No man’s land.” How devastating! According to the reports, there were 716 homes destroyed, and some 3,000 residents were displaced. The estimated cost of the damage to infrastructure was $236.5 million, $27.9 million in farm losses, and $415 million in tourism revenue.[3]

In other words, confidence in the flesh such as worldly ambitions, positions and status, accumulation of wealth, careers, and achievements is not a guarantee after all. They are only temporary. They will not last long. In a moment they are gone! But the soul of man will live forever. This is the most important thing that anyone should be wary about because of the prospect of eternal damnation if one is not cautious enough. In Mat. 16:26 (NLT) it says, “And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?[a] Is anything worth more than your soul?” Indeed, knowing the right doctrine will save us from eternal damnation (1 Tim. 4:16). We cannot compromise our salvation but to take God at His words (Isa. 55:11; Mat. 24:35). On the contrary, already Christ has done everything necessary for our sake. Everything is finished! (Jn. 19:30). We could not add anymore or supplement our salvation that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

True worship requires separation from sin. We must leave Egypt and go to the wilderness to offer our sacrifices to God. In other words, we will accept no compromise. God demands 100% obedience. There must be evidence of a different life we live as Christians that identify us from nonbelievers. But sometimes they don’t see any difference between us; our lifestyles are the same; our goals and purpose are identical. Our Christian life is compromised.

Jesus Christ withstood all the shame and humiliation of the cross because he wanted to let the whole world know of God’s faithfulness towards humankind. Had it not for Him, dying on the cross there is no one left standing alive today because of sin. Yet he paid a very costly price on that ugly hill called Golgotha. God’s faithfulness is not a cheap grace that can be bargained. His faithfulness is a costly grace that cost dearly the life of His only Son. What is your response? Do you want to continue living in sin? 

I want you to know that your time here on earth is running out. You need to pause for a moment and hear the voice of God before it is too late. Have you honestly pondered in your heart where to invest your future?

There are only two choices you can choose from, either heaven or hell. God is extending his hand to you right now. Why don’t you accept his offer of grace – the grace of forgiveness for your salvation. Jesus said “27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me” (Jn. 10:27-28).  

It is my prayer that you have been blessed today. Listen to this podcast, Gospel in the Air, and be encouraged in your daily walk with Jesus. Gospel in the Air is a podcast ministry of Cornerstone Christian Church. We are located in Maui, Hawaii, USA. Our number is (808) 463-8859. You can also visit our website at www.cornerstonemaui.org or you can send your email to danibanggo@gmail.com. This is your host, Brother Dani Marantan Banggo saying, keep punching the good fight of faith. Mahalo.
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[1] Google.com (Wikipedia>wiki>Khepri).
[2] Paul Lee Tan, Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations (Assurance Publishers: Rockville, MD, 1979), 1283-1284 (5704). Quoting from The Bible Friend (5407).
[3] Google.com. Eruption – Hawaii Sea Grant (https://seagrant.soest.hawaii.edu).