The Promises of God Are Non-Negotiable
- Message: Continuing on in Exodus Moses & Aaron speak the Lord’s words to Pharaoh saying “How long will you refuse to submit to me?” The same pattern continues with plagues happening and Pharaoh pretending to change his heart for a bit to make it stop. But then something new happens. We start seeing Pharaoh begin to negotiate with Moses about who would be leaving with him to go worship the Lord. Moses tells him that every man, woman and child and all of their flocks and herds would be going. Pharaoh is having none of that. He sees the writing on the wall and does not want to lose control of the people so he tries to tell Moses that only the men could go. But this was not the plan God gave Moses so he tells him no, announces the plague and leaves. This time even Pharaoh’s officials begin trying to talk some sense into him and they ask him how long he was going to let this continue. They urge him to let the people go and they say “don’t you realize that Egypt is in ruins?”
- Command: Stop repeating patterns of destructive behavior!
- Promise: God brings deliverance when we fully surrender to him.
- Warning: You can’t negotiate with God!
- Application: As I read this it reminded me so much of the behavior pattern of addiction. People who are addicted will continue on a negative pattern of behavior. Initially when they are confronted they may pretend to change, but they revert back as soon as the conflict is over. When they realize the confrontations and the consequences are going to continue, they resort to negotiating. They don’t necessarily intend to hold to the agreement but the negotiations serve as another attempt to manipulate the situation and pretend that they are going to change. This story can mirror plenty of other scenarios too but this is the one I have experienced. In Exodus Moses did not allow Pharaoh to negotiate. The instructions that God gave him were very clear and not negotiable. Moses was operating under the step-by-step instruction of God and he did not hold the power of negotiation. When I’m praying through the process of my own situations I have to remember that God does not negotiate with people. Not us, and not with people who are living a destructive life. His desire is to deliver his people and this can’t be done without complete surrender. My application to my own life is to pay attention to the things I am trying to negotiate about. What things have I refused to let go of, and where have I began to try negotiating with God?
