Youth Worship 2nd September 2023 : "The LORD will make a difference"

Text: Exodus 9:1-12
2 September 2023

YOUTH WORSHIP SERVICE 2 September 2023

Message: “The LORD will make a difference” Exodus 9:4

Text: Exodus 9:1-12

INTRODUCTION

1. Four plagues had taken place

a) Blood Exodus 7
b) Frogs Exodus 8
c) Lice Exodus 8
d) Flies Exodus 8

2. Response from Pharaoh

a) Negative
b) Hardening of the heart
c) Deception

A COMMAND REITERATED

1 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and tell him, ‘Thus says the LORD God of the Hebrews: “Let My people go, that they may serve Me.

2 For if you refuse to let them go, and still hold them,

Exodus 9:1-2

1. Thus says the LORD God of the Hebrews

2. Let My people go

3. That they may serve Me

These words have been repeated many times already
But they had gone unheeded!

A WORD OF WARNING: A SEVERE PESTILENCE ON EGYPTIAN LIVESTOCK

Behold, the hand of the LORD will be on your cattle in the field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the oxen, and on the sheep—a very severe pestilence.

Exodus 9:3

1. The hand of the LORD

2. A very severe pestilence forewarned

a) Cattle
b) Horses
c) Donkeys
d) Camels
e) Oxen
f) Sheep

A DIFFERENCE WILL BE MADE

And the LORD will make a difference between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt. So nothing shall die of all that belongs to the children of Israel.

Exodus 9:4

1. Livestock of Israel

2. Livestock of Egypt

3. No livestock of the children of Israel will die!

APPOINTMENT OF THE PLAGUE

5 Then the LORD appointed a set time, saying, “Tomorrow the LORD will do this thing in the land.”

6 So the LORD did this thing on the next day, and all the livestock of Egypt died; but of the livestock of the children of Israel, not one died.

Exodus 9:5-6

1. The livestock of the Egyptians died

2. The livestock of the children of Israel survived

CHECKING OF FACTS

Then Pharaoh sent, and indeed, not even one of the livestock of the Israelites was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh became hard, and he did not let the people go

Exodus 9:7

1. Pharaoh sent his servants to check

2. The livestock of the Egyptians had died

3. No livestock of the children of Israel had died

4. But the heart of the Pharaoh remained hardened

5. He refused to obey the LORD

THE SIXTH PLAGUE: BOILS

8 So the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Take for yourselves handfuls of ashes from a furnace, and let Moses scatter it toward the heavens in the sight of Pharaoh.

9 And it will become fine dust in all the land of Egypt, and it will cause boils that break out in sores on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt.”

10 Then they took ashes from the furnace and stood before Pharaoh, and Moses scattered them toward heaven. And they caused boils that break out in sores on man and beast.

11 And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were on the magicians and on all the Egyptians.

12 But the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh; and he did not heed them, just as the LORD had spoken to Moses.

Exodus 9:8-12

1. Moses will scatter ashes from a furnace

2. The ashes would become boils on both man and beast

3. The magicians were astounded and defeated by this plague

THE LORD IN HARDENING THE HEART OF THE PHARAOH

But the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh; and he did not heed them, just as the LORD had spoken to Moses.

Exodus 9:12

1. This was purposive

2. The Pharaoh’s heart was already hardened

3. The Lord’s action was not evil in any way

4. Pharaoh’s heart remained as it was – “Hardened!”

CONCLUSION

1. The heart

a) It must be carefully guarded
b) Never let it harden

2. God’s Plan

a) He had a plan
b) These plagues were a part of an overall plan

3. Pharaoh and Egypt

a) They must know that the LORD is God
b) He is to be revered
c) He is to be obeyed