1.22.26 – Let Go of My Eggo, I Mean EGO

As we have learned, the book of Exodus (Shemot – "names") is much more than a historical narrative. It is a construct of our lives and how to overcome our own personal Egypts, while revealing to us the Pharaoh mindsets of rebellion and hard-headedness that we often display towards the ever-encouraging (chazak) Lord!

This journey in Messiah, through the Torah, is full of revelation. The life lessons we have learned over the past couple of weeks are enough to chew on for a lifetime.

In years past, we have had a strong (chazak) focus on how God hardened—literally, encouraged—Pharaoh's heart to make a decision on his own that there is only one God (Ex. 4:21; 7:13, 22; 8:19; 9:2, 12, 35; 10:20, 27; 11:10; 14:4).

Like ourselves, God lets Pharaoh's impenitent heart go its own direction, and through his own hardening (keved), God hardens his heart in order to show His signs and wonders so that "you will tell it to your children and your grandchildren how God played with Egypt so that we will know that I am God" (Ex. 10:1–2). Gone is the idea that Egypt shall know that the Lord is the One True God/Elohim (Ex. 8:10).

Why did the agenda shift? Why is the Almighty giving up, as it were, upon Plan A—educating Egypt? The answer seems to be that Pharaoh himself has given up on that. At the end of the seventh plague, the hail-fire (Ex. 9), Pharaoh had finally recognized the truth. For the first time, he understood that God was the righteous One, while he and his people were the wicked ones (Ex. 9:27). But once the thunder and hail were suspended, his heart refused to bow. Now it is time to educate those who will listen.

Moses and Aaron come to Pharaoh for the eighth plague. They ask, "How long will you withhold yourself?" Literally, "How long will you let your EGO (Edging God Out) dictate your rebellious leadership to your nation?"

Who talks like that to the King of Egypt—the most powerful sovereign of the world? Well, Mr. Obvious, the ever-growing faith and dependency on God of Moses and Aaron.

Do you think Pharaoh is going to give in when you talk like that? Then again, that is the whole point. Plan B is that God is going to play off of Pharaoh's ego, because it was Pharaoh's ego that was the problem. Why did Pharaoh not give in after the seventh plague? He realized he was the creature and God was the Creator, and a creature needs to follow the dictates of his Creator. Pharaoh could not handle that.

Maybe a better and more pertinent question is: "Why don't I?"

Could it be that I have the same mindset as Pharaoh at those times too? More on this during Friday night's Zoom call, 699 858 9149.

In the Egyptian view, Pharaoh himself was a deity within the pantheon of gods. For a deity within the pantheon of gods to realize that he is just a creature in service of his Creator—that is a real step down.

Pharaoh realized it, but what does not allow him to continue to hold to it is his sense of self. His sense of self is leading him to deny Me? Then his sense of self will be his downfall! He is not going to have a chance to give in anymore, because his sense of self will not let him. He could use his sense of self—his ego—against him.

Moses and Aaron ask him, "How long are you going to withhold yourself from being crushed before the Lord?" Yet his pride will not allow him to give in. And now listen to the next thing Moses and Aaron say: "If you continue to withhold yourself like this, tomorrow I am going to bring locusts. Locusts will eat up every single shred—every last crop."

What is the GNP of Egypt based upon? What do they live off of? It is an agrarian society. Locusts are the economic atom bomb. But Pharaoh does not back down. That is what a self-inflicted, hard heart will do. Moses and Aaron exit stage left, and then the servants of Pharaoh get in on the act.

They echo Moses' words exactly: "Until how long are you going to withhold yourself from being subjugated?" A little more politely, they say, "How long is this guy Moses going to be a thorn in our side? Can't we just let these people go? Do you not know that we have lost? We can never compete against this power that is up against us."

Political control over Pharaoh's servants is beginning to slip out of Pharaoh's grasp. His own servants are up against him. And they beg for him to let them go worship God (Ex. 10:7).

The next event is really interesting. And they brought (vayushav) Moses and Aaron back to Pharaoh (Ex. 10:8). Who brought them back in? The servants who are trying to broker a deal. Pharaoh responds, "OK, boys, you can go serve God on that mountain. But who is going to go with you?" What is Pharaoh doing now?

In Pharaoh's eyes, ego looked like a point of strength for him. It was the last point of strength he could hold on to. What in the end will keep Pharaoh from recognizing God? He takes refuge in his own ego. It is his last fortified castle when everything else has fallen in his theological framework. But refuge in your own ego is never a strength. When your ego keeps you from recognizing a truth that you would otherwise see, that is not a strength at all. It is a weakness, and it will be turned against you. It will become your Achilles heel, and that is what it becomes for Pharaoh. Ultimately, he is destroyed—but he is destroyed through something as simple as his own inability to give in. Something that too many can identify with!

Ahhhh, the life lessons keep coming through the revelation of our race in Messiah Yeshua (1 Cor. 9:24–10:11)!

Shalom!
Alan

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