Pharaoh's Bargains

 

 

For so long we had believed and accepted all what Satan claimed to be in the dark, and we had doubted and denied all what God is in the Light. There is no greater tragedy than this for mankind. Our first parent also doubted God’s love and believed the Serpent’s lie.

 

In the dungeon of their darkness, men will buy and drink a poison if it is well advertised. You see, if you don’t know where you are going, people will take you to where they are going. Until you know who you are, you won’t know what you want from life itself. Even in the face of a good sermon, the issue of doubt must be dealt with first. This is critical.

 

Never doubt in the dark what God says to you in the light. When the heat is really on, the children of Light often doubt their identity. This is the exact place where the enemy wants us to be – doubt, confused and frightened. In the face of a slight opposition, men easily cherish their doubt and quickly settled for the next-to-truth called Alternative.

 

Whenever doubt sets in, men’s minds are bubbled and juggled up and down and in this state, the devil quickly offers him bargains which he then called alternatives. Unfortunately many buy into this and settled for the so called best alternative. Let it be known to all that Jehovah the Most High God has no alternative to His plans and purpose. It is these bargains that Satan is using to hoax many Children of Covenant in their walk and worship of God. Satan called it bargains the innocent children called it alternatives!

 

 

 

 

The very key to bring scriptures alive and real to us in today’s generation is the types and antitypes, which talks about the shadow and the real substance. Hence, for this subject, Egypt with Pharaoh as it ruler was the very shadow of this evil world system with Satan as its ruler. The bible calls him the Prince of this world. As God desired His Children to come out from Egypt then, so He desires His Children to come out from this evil world system. As His purpose was then, so it is now – Worship.

 

With hundreds years of servitude, doubts set into the minds of Israelites; they questioned their identity and asked God why with heavy groaning. On his part, Pharaoh would not let go his slaves, so he came up with four bargains when the issue of Israel leaving Egypt to worship God came up. The Acts and the Scenes have not changed much today as Satan bargain for men’s total freedom to worship God. Just like Pharaoh, he would not let his prisoner go from the pit without water.

 

 Unless one understands his/her identity and doubt not God’s word, one would easily settles for Satan’s bargain and dine with the world. But for Moses, a type of Jesus, Pharaoh hard bargains nearly caused Israel their freedom!

 

1.     Worship God within the evil system: The first bargain that Pharaoh had for Moses and Aaron was for them to worship God in the land of Egypt. The bible has it thus:

‘And Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron, and said, Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land.’ – Exodus 8:25

 

 Although, the Egyptians detest the sacrifices of Israel, but on the order of Pharaoh they could tolerate it in their land. This is the picture of a believer that worships God among his or her wicked and perverse peers. What do we call a believer that carries bible to a prostitute house and pray with the bible before and after his act? Jonathan knew God has rejected his father Saul, but he continued with the evil system until he perished. The strength of this bargain is the believer’s undeniable love for the evil system.

‘Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.’

                                                                                                - I John 2:15

 

2.           Worship God from a close distance from the evil system: The present day Laodecian generation is comfortable with this bargain. They see no evil in befriending the world’s evil system. They tagged those who rebuke their romance with Babylon, as fanatics. If one is not really schooled in the spirit, one would take this bargain for a yes from the devil. Hear Pharaoh:

‘And Pharaoh said I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only ye shall not go very far away: intreat for me.’ – Exodus 8:28

 

The catch here is ‘not go very far away: intreat for me.’ Those that don’t know how to burn the bridge behind them and follow after Jesus’ righteousness will not go far from the clasp of the devil. Hypocrites are no threats to the devils. Jesus said, these ones worship me with their lips but their hearts are far from me. Why do we neatly keep our sinful natures on the shelves when we say we are sold out to God?

 

Like Pharaoh, Satan also is saying to his captives to go and worship God in their churches, but don’t go far so when I beacon you might answer. Is this not true of a believer that keeps the Sabbath but lose the other days of the week to perverse sins? The power behind this bargain is self – deception.

  ‘Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’ John 8:31 – 32

 

 

3.     Worship God anywhere, but leave your children behind: It is a pity that many in the church today prefer prosperity to posterity. God is always mindful of the next generations. Children are the hope of tomorrow in any nation or family. The strength of any nation is measured in terms of the number of youths in such nation. Pharaoh offered Israel freedom that excludes their children to worship God.

 ‘  And he said unto them, Let the LORD be so with you, as I will let you go, and your little ones: look to it; for evil is before you.’

                                                                                            - Exodus 10:10

 

Pharaoh knew that Israel would die a natural death wherever they go without their children. They would have been a nation without tomorrow!

We have heard many great men and women of God, who did great exploits for God, but died without their children being involved in the things of God. Many pastors’ children are rebellious and oppose the things of God, because their parents agreed to leave them behind, while they themselves are generals in the Kingdom of God. This is pathetic.

 

It is a blunder to keep our children in a corner of the church giving them candy and drinks; keeping them away from the real teachings that could benefit them – all in the name of Sunday school. If Jesus Christ should be your local pastor, do you think He would subscribe to this? Hear Him:

Then were there brought unto him little children that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.’ – Matthew 19:13 – 14

 

Jesus knew that without the children, the Kingdom of God that He brought unto us would die a natural death. So the children were integrated in His ministry. Remember the young lad that has 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish?

 

Like Pharaoh of old, Satan is fighting hard to bargain out the children of believers from partaking in worshipping the God of their fathers. Let it be known to you that however powerful your ministry is, if it does not affect your wife and children positively towards God, you might be a failure. The two sons of Eli were a disgrace to the priesthood of their father. Unfortunately Samuel the great did not pass the test too; Israel rejected his two sons based on corruption.

 

It is sheer hypocrisy if you are busy evangelizing other people’s children while yours are far from God. Let us start looking inward towards our family especially over our children as we keep watch shepherding others. Isaiah had it right; he had a good testimony as per his children:

‘Behold, I and the children whom the LORD hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth in mountZion.’ – Isaiah 8:18

 

This bargain is powered by the belief that children are insignificance.

 

 

4.     Worship God, but trade your livestock for your children:  An ignorant man always adores what he can not understand. When we embraced the theory that poverty is synonymous to righteousness many people suffered for this in those days. Take the world, but give us Christ was the songs on our lips; forgetting Psalm 24:1 we fell into Pharaoh’s trap. Now we know better. Thanks to Jesus.

‘And Pharaoh called unto Moses, and said, Go ye, serve the LORD; only let your flocks and your herds be stayed: let your little ones also go with you.’ – Exodus 10:24.

 

Pharaoh bargained the Israel’s children for their livestock. These livestock were brought by Jacob and his children into Egypt. Jacob got these stocks from Laban, his father-in-law in exchange for his labors. Therefore we do not see any claim from Pharaoh on this livestock and the bargain has no basis. However, if Moses had been ignorant about this truth, they would have serve God in penury, in poverty, and in pain.

 

That usurper, Satan is also playing upon our intelligence as the Children of God if peradventure we would love to exchange our God – given finances for our children.

‘Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;’ – I Timothy 6:17

 

From this verse, we are looking at God, Who gives us RICHLY ALL THINGS to ENJOY. So we are not called to leave Egypt with our children and leave our finances behind. This would amounts to suffering especially on those wonderful God – given Children. It is true we are not to love money, but it is also true we are not to do away with money.

 

Moses answered Pharaoh that out of these livestock, they would serve God, so they can not leave them behind at Egypt:

‘ Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not an hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to serve the LORD our God; and we know not with what we must serve the LORD, until we come thither.’

-         Exodus 10:26

 

We also are to answer Satan that we can not leave all what God has blessed us with in the evil world. We will be born again, taking (charge) of our finances out of which we shall serve God in plenty, in prosperity and in pleasure. The engine that drives this bargain is the belief that Poverty is synonymous to Righteousness.

 

Pharaoh’s old bargains are now with Satan, don’t fall for his tricks, and don’t negotiate with this spiritual terrorist. Say NO to his bargains. Pharaoh and his hosts perished in the Red Sea, so shall any devil that pursues you and yours into the Blood of Jesus.

 We will worship the LORD God – forever!

 

Preparing the Bride,

Segun Tewogbola