God is in control of all things, and he can completely humble and destroy anything that challenges or defies his will. Such is the case in Exodus 9–11, where Jehovah demonstrates his awesome superiority over the Egyptian gods, pagan priests and more importantly, the highest authority, the pharaoh himself. By the end of the 10th plague, the citizenry of Egypt knew that the God of the Hebrews was Ruler over all! God clearly proved that when he is ready to act, there is no force in all the universe that can usurp his plan.
Pharaoh had authority over his people as well as the captive nation, Israel. Unfortunately, he used his power to subvert and abuse the chosen people, and as these chapters show, to defy the Living God. Many years earlier, Yahweh had revealed to the Patriarch of Israel this whole scenario, “Then the LORD said to [Abraham], ‘Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions’” (Genesis 15:13–14, NIV).
Though one can successfully argue that the sovereign God will not violate his creatures’ free will as seen in these chapters, God’s interactions with Pharaoh serve as a timeless example that Jehovah’s plan will be accomplished. God knew the heart of Pharaoh, and though he allowed Pharaoh to resist him time and again, God forced Pharaoh’s hand, until the entire country was devastated. It was then that Pharaoh demanded the Israelites leave his land to serve their God.
Whatever it is that God is asking of you, submit to him and follow his plan for your life. Otherwise, you will be completely humbled, and if you remain in your unbelief, destroyed.
“His wisdom is profound, his power is vast. Who has resisted him and come out unscathed” (Job 9:4)?
David W. Davis, Deer Isle, Maine
