The next two plagues are frogs and gnats swarming on the
land. Pharaoh makes a deal with Moses
that he will let the people go if Moses will end the pestilence of frogs and
yet when they are gone he hardens his heart again. How many bargains have been cut with the Lord
in time of trial and difficulty that are forgotten when the emergency is
over? Is Pharaoh any different from most
people? The plague of gnats is the first
that cannot be duplicated by Pharaoh’s magicians, we reached the end of their
powers quite quickly. Their summary
judgment of the matter is that this is done by the finger of God. Jesus will use that expression as well in a
passage where he is accused of casting out demons by Beelzebub and it will
appear another time in the Old Testament, in Exodus 31, when Moses gets the
second tablets with the Ten Commandments on them, they are said to be “written
with the finger of God.” It is a
sovereign work of God.
Jesus’ message, from beginning to end of this passage and of
His entire ministry, was the same. In
order to see and inherit the kingdom of God we have to seek it first, last and
always, forsaking all else. As long as
we are double-minded we are of no true value and we won’t see the kingdom. The rich young man wants the kingdom but he
doesn’t want it enough to sacrifice his earthly kingdom for it, his riches keep
him from the kingdom of God. The
disciples are astonished at Jesus’ words that it is difficult for the rich to
enter the kingdom, if not them then who is their question. Wealth doesn’t make the most important thing
any easier. It is not necessarily a sign
of God’s blessing, it can be a great stumbling block. Not having wealth can also be a great
stumbling block if we spend our time seeking it or believing it solve our
problems. Any earthly thing can become a
stumbling block to the extent it diverts our attention from seeking the
kingdom. We can’t be like Pharaoh, only
willing to acquiesce to God’s will when life is tough.
Jesus told the rich young man something he had seemingly
already discovered for himself, that keeping the commandments isn’t the same as
the kingdom of God. The righteousness
under the law wasn’t enough and so he asked how to inherit the kingdom. Paul says that in Jesus the way to inherit
the kingdom is made clear. Yes, it is
difficult to inherit the kingdom of God but He has made a way, the path of real
righteousness, the way of the cross. In
Jesus has come freedom not bondage because He has given us His Spirit. Our wills are bound to His will if we live by
the Spirit and we can seek the kingdom of God with all we have. The finger of God has written the law on our
hearts. We have hope and we have been
given the kingdom. Inheritance always
requires death and the will was written so as to include us as beneficiaries if
we have faith in Him.
O LORD, my heart is
not lifted up;
my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
too great and too marvelous for me.
But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child is my soul within me.
my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
too great and too marvelous for me.
But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child is my soul within me.
I will hope in the
LORD
from this time forth and forevermore.
from this time forth and forevermore.
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