BIBLE READING PLAN WEEK 5
EXITING OUR HEARTS
DAY 1
In our readings this week, we’re focusing on the key idea from Exodus 7: “A hard heart will always lead to a hard life away from a gentle God.” Today, we will read from Exodus 7.
So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts: Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. Yet Pharaoh’s heart became hard and he would not listen to them, just as the Lord had said.
Reflection: The amazing thing about Pharaoh’s heart is that even after being presented with the truth of who God is and the incredible signs to back it up, he is still resistant to God and hardens his heart even more. Some say if they could see more signs of God, then they will believe. The story of Pharaoh stands in direct contrast with that. The problem isn’t having more evidence. The problem is a stubborn heart.- What struck you from the sermon yesterday?
- Is there even a hint of stubbornness in your heart? Talk to God about that.
Then the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet. 2 You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country. 3 But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in Egypt, 4 he will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out my divisions, my people the Israelites. 5 And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it.” 6 Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord commanded them. 7 Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh. 8 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 9 “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Perform a miracle,’ then say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,’ and it will become a snake.” 10 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. 11 Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts: 12 Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. 13 Yet Pharaoh’s heart became hard and he would not listen to them, just as the Lord had said.
Reflection: The amazing thing about Pharaoh’s heart is that even after being presented with the truth of who God is and the incredible signs to back it up, he is still resistant to God and hardens his heart even more. Some say if they could see more signs of God, then they will believe. The story of Pharaoh stands in direct contrast with that. The problem isn’t having more evidence. That wasn’t the problem for Pharaoh, and it’s not a problem for us (betweens scripture, the death and resurrection of Jesus, the finely tuned universe, etc.*). The problem is a heart condition: “stubborn heart-itis”. This week we will read more about the condition of a hardened heart: diagnosis, removal and prevention of it. Today, consider your own heart.- What struck you from the sermon yesterday?
- Was there a time in your life when you were highly resistant to God? What was that like? What changed?
- Is there even a hint of “stubborn heart-itis” in you? Talk to God about that.
So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts: Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. Yet Pharaoh’s heart became hard and he would not listen to them, just as the Lord had said.
Reflection: If I told you that I was the world’s first and only owner of a real life unicorn, would you believe me? Obviously not, right? How ridiculous! But… What if I brought it to your house and showed you? Would you believe me then? For some of you, you might say ‘yeah, I saw it so now I have to believe you!’ But some of you might still be unsure, maybe you’d think that I just attached a horn to the top of a regular horse’s head and was trying to trick you! Sometimes, people say things like ‘Oh I’ll believe that when I see it!’, and they say that the reason they don’t believe is because they can’t see it. This is sort of what happened with Pharaoh in our story in Exodus. Pharaoh didn’t care that Moses said that God wanted the Israelites freed. And even when Moses showed Pharaoh great signs from God about how God was real, and wanted the Israelites freed, Pharaoh didn’t care. He didn’t need more proof, he needed a new heart. Well, not an actual new heart. One that wasn’t stuck in his ways, and hardened to God. We need to make sure that in our life, our hearts are not hardened to God, but loving to God and everyone else. God knows when our hearts are open and loving, and we should be doing everything we can to make sure that it stays that way!- Have you ever felt like you had a ‘hard heart’ before? Maybe you were mean to someone for no reason, or stubborn about something you shouldn’t have been. What happened?
- What does it mean to have a loving heart?
- What are some ways you can try to have a loving heart all of the time?
Focus Verse: “and though I multiply my signs and wonders in Egypt, he will not listen to you.” Exodus 7:3b-4a
Devotional:
The amazing thing about Pharaoh’s heart is that even after being presented with the truth of who God is and the incredible signs to back it up, he is still resistant to God and hardens his heart even more. Some say if they could see more signs of God, then they will believe. The story of Pharaoh stands in direct contrast with that. The problem isn’t having more evidence. The problem is a heart condition: “stubborn heart-itis”. This week we will read more about the condition of a hardened heart: diagnosis, removal and prevention of it.
- What struck you from the sermon yesterday?
- What does it look like to “wait eagerly” for heaven? Are you doing that?
- Is there even a hint of “stubborn heart-itis” in you? Talk to God about that.
Focus Verse: "and though I multiply my signs and wonders in Egypt, he will not listen to you." Exodus 7:3b-4a
Devotional:
The amazing thing about Pharaoh's heart is that even after being presented with the truth of who God is and the incredible signs to back it up, he is still resistant to God and hardens his heart even more. Some say if they could see more signs of God, then they will believe. The story of Pharaoh stands in direct contrast with that. The problem isn’t having more evidence. The problem is a heart condition: “stubborn heart-itis”. This week we will read more about the condition of a hardened heart: diagnosis, removal and prevention of it.
- What struck you from the sermon yesterday?
- What does it look like to “wait eagerly” for heaven? Are you doing that?
- Is there even a hint of “stubborn heart-itis” in you? Talk to God about that.
