Exodus 9:13-14
13 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, “Let my people go, that they may serve me. 14 For this time I will send all my plagues on you yourself, and on your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is none like me in all the earth.
How many times do I have to spell it out for you? When you are asked that question, don’t reply with a number. It will only make it worse, because the point is that you don’t catch on very quickly. In our sermon series on Revelation, we have learned that the number 7 means completion. These verses announced the 7th plague on Egypt, which may mean that Pharaoh was a complete fool. What he was is completely proud. He simply would not yield to the one true God. It would cost him.
How many times did you hear the gospel before you surrendered your will to his will? Please don’t reply with a number. It may be too embarrassing. In fact, for some who are reading this today, the number may still be growing. Submission to God goes against our nature and our desire for control over our own life. However, it goes against the Lord to continue to resist him. May today be the day we all surrender completely to God. Don’t wait. As C. S. Lewis said, “There is no use saying you choose to lie down when it has become impossible to stand up.”
O Heavenly Father, you are the Sovereign God who sent the Lamb to die for us. May we surrender to his mercy. In Jesus’ name. Amen.