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So now let’s look at the Miracles only God can produce. Moses lived in times that were worse to live in than we
have now. Let’s look at Gods power in these events and the impact it had on generations to come. Maybe we in
turn can see our own situations in a different light. If,we follow God’s instructions, then what? Clearly God uses the
things of this world to wake and shake people to look to him. The problem is, we have a stubborn world, with ears
that do not hear and eyes that do not see what
God has for them .
We will list these awesome events one by one.
1. The Rod into a Snake
Exodus 7:8-13
8 And Jehovah spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, 9When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying,
Show a wonder for you; then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it down before Pharaoh,
that it become a serpent. 10And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so, as had
commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it Jehovah
serpent. 11Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers: and they also, the became a
Egypt, did in like manner with their enchantments. 12For they cast down every man his rod, magicians of
became serpents: but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods. 13And Pharaoh’s heart was hardened and he
hearkened not unto them; as Jehovah had spoken.
2. The Rod waved, turning Water into Blood
Exodus 7:15-19
et thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water; and thou shalt stand by the
15Griver’s brink to meet him; and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in thy hand.
16And thou shalt say unto him, Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews, hath sent me unto thee, saying, Let my
people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness: and, behold, hitherto thou hast not hearkened.
17Thus saith Jehovah, In this thou shalt know that I am Jehovah: behold, I will smite with the rod that is
in my hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood. 18And the fish that
in the river shall die, and the river shall become foul; and the Egyptians shall loathe to drink water are
the river. 19And Jehovah said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thy hand from
the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, over their streams, and over their pools, and over all their over
water, that they may become blood; and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in
vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.
Exodus 7:20-25 20And Moses and Aaron did so, as Jehovah commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and
smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and
te the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. 21And the fish that were in the river died; and
all the river became foul, and the Egyptians could not drink water from the river; and the blood was
throughout all the land of Egypt. 22And the magicians of Egypt did in like manner with their
enchantments: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as Jehovah had
spoken. 23And Pharaoh turned and went into his house, neither did he lay even this to heart. 24And all
the Egyptians digged round about the river for water to drink; for they could not drink of the water of the
river. 25And seven days were fulfilled, after that Jehovah had smitten the river.
Jesus is our staff, our guide and the one who has power to correct all and bring us to the place we should be. The
staff is the extinction of God’s will. We are to be like Jesus ( Christlike/ Christian) and also be his tool. We inherit
his authority through Christ’s blood when he died for us and we gave up our old life to become new in Christ.
This power does not come from us but through us as a tool
maṭṭeh maṭṭâh
mat-teh', mat-taw'
From H5186; a branch (as extending); figuratively a tribe; also a rod, whether for chastising (figuratively correction), ruling (a
sceptre), throwing (a lance), or walking (a staff; figuratively a support of life, for
example bread):—rod, staff, tribe.
Nature and God are in sync. The wind and the seas obey his voice. Let’s look at the awesome wonder of that
obedience and that of Moses and Aaron even though Moses struggled all along with obeying, God showed his
strength and miracles in the mist of the bondage Pharaoh would have them stay in.
3. Frogs
Exodus 8:1-7
And the LORD spoke to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and say to him, 'Thus says the LORD: "Let My people go,
that they may serve Me. 2 But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all your territory with
frogs.3 So the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into your house, into
your bedroom, on your bed, into the houses of your servants, on your people, into your ovens, and into
your kneading bowls. 4 And the frogs shall come up on you, on your people, and on all your servants." 5
Then the LORD spoke to Moses, "Say to Aaron,'Stretch out your hand with your rod over the streams,
over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up on the land of Egypt.'"6 So Aaron
stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. 7 And
the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs on the land of Egypt.
Apparently the magicians could not get rid of them though because Pharaoh called out to Moses. Can
you imagine if our homes and streets and fields were full of frogs. Our lakes, and ponds, and rivers also. Can you
imagine how slimy it would be walking and how loud it would be? One bullfrog can be heard from a far distance,
think of thousands. It would be deafening. The sound alone would drive you crazy. So Pharaoh got the magicians
to mimic God, but they could only do what God allowed and that was to make matters worse.
Exodus 8:8-15
8 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said,"Entreat the LORD that He may take away the frogs
from me and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice to the LORD." 9 And
Moses said to Pharaoh, "Accept the honor of saying when I shall intercede for you, for your servants, and
for your people, to destroy the frogs from you and your houses, that they may remain in the river only." 10
So he said, "Tomorrow." And he said, "Let it be according to your word, that you may know that there
is no one like the LORD our God.11 And the frogs shall depart from you, from your houses, from your
servants, and from your people. They shall remain in the river only."
12 Then Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh. And Moses cried out to the LORD concerning the frogs
which He had brought against Pharaoh. 13 So the LORD did according to the word of Moses. And the frogs
died out of the houses, out of the courtyards, and out of the fields.14 They gathered them together in heaps,
and the land stank. 15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not
heed them, as the LORD had said.
I find it interesting that God used frogs. One of the lowest creatures to do his will. To be a tool for annoying, and
bring hardship onto the Egyptians. This was something they could not ignore. It assaulted all their senses. They
saw frogs overwhelm them. They could not get away from them, they were even in their ovens so they must of
tasted frog, They felt the slim and squish of them just walking. After they died, there was the overwhelming stench
of them that would make anyone sick to smell.
But as the relief cam Pharaoh hardened his heart because the pressure was let off him to head to God. So God
came back with another eye opener.
Exodus 8:16-19
So the LORD said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 'Stretch out your rod, and strike the dust of the land, so that it
may become Lice throughout all the land of Egypt.'"17 And they did so. For Aaron stretched out his hand
with his rod and struck the dust of the earth, and it became Lice on man and beast. All the dust of the land
became Lice throughout all the land of Egypt.
Think of this all the dust. Think of a dust storm only the dust become lice. This is what they were faced with.
In their face and hair and clothing biting and itching. God was saying “Wake up and Listen to me”
“ Obey me” Pharaoh tries his magicians, to mimic God.
18 Now the magicians so worked with their enchantments to bring forth Lice, but they could not. So there
were Lice on man and beast. 19 Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God." But
Pharaoh's heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, just as the LORD had said.
4. Flies
Exodus 8:20-24
And the LORD said to Moses,"Rise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh as he comes out to the
water. Then say to him, 'Thus says the LORD:"Let My people go, that they may serve Me.21 Or else, if you
will not let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and your servants, on your people and
into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground on
which they stand. 22 And in that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, in which My people dwell, that no
swarms of flies shall be there, in order that you may know that I am the LORD in the midst of the land.23 I
will make a difference between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall be."'"24 And the
LORD did so. Thick swarms of flies came into the house of Pharaoh, into his servants' houses, and into all
the land of Egypt. The land was corrupted because of the swarms of flies.
So Pharaoh relents for a moment
Exodus 8:25-9:1
25 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, "Go, sacrifice to your God in the land." 26 And
Moses said, "It is not right to do so, for we would be sacrificing the abomination of the Egyptians to the LORD
our God. If we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, then will they not stone us?27 We
will go three days' journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God as He will command us." 28
So Pharaoh said, "I will let you go, that you may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness;
only you shall not go very far away. Intercede for me." 29 Then Moses said, "Indeed I am going out from
you, and I will entreat the LORD, that the swarms of flies may depart tomorrow from Pharaoh, from his
servants, and from his people. But let Pharaoh not deal deceitfully anymore in not letting the people go to
sacrifice to the LORD." 30 So Moses went out from Pharaoh and entreated the LORD. 31 And the LORD did
according to the word of Moses; He removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants,
and from his people. Not one remained. 32 But Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also; neither
would he let the people go.
Similar paths
As an American Christian, we can only review the struggle with the King of England in not letting the people go to
serve God as they saw fit. In that, there became a war to free Gods people from Tyranny. Our Founding Fathers
did not have it as bad as the Israelites, but were searching for the same thing. Freedom from oppression; free to
worship, without dictation of how we could, or could not. God used the land to rise up against the evil in the Land.
But wither by the use the Land or men to wake people up and release his children, He will use His might to free us.
“Give Me Liberty or Give me Death” Patrick Henry - 03/23/1775
No man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism, as well as abilities, of the very worthy gentlemen who
have just addressed the House. But different men often see the same subject in different lights; and,
therefore, I hope it will not be thought disrespectful to those gentlemen if, entertaining as I do opinions of a
character very opposite to theirs, I shall speak forth my sentiments freely and without reserve. This is no
time for ceremony. The questing before the House is one of awful moment to this country. For my own part, I
consider it as nothing less than a question of freedom or slavery; and in proportion to the magnitude of the
subject ought to be the freedom of the debate. It is only in this way that we can hope to arrive at truth, and
fulfill the great responsibility which we hold to God and our country. Should I keep back my opinions at such a
time, through fear of giving offense, I should consider myself as guilty of treason towards my country, and of
an act of disloyalty toward the Majesty of Heaven, which I revere above all earthly kings.
Mr. President, it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a
painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise
men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the number of those who,
having eyes, see not, and, having ears, hear not [Jeremiah 5:21], the things which so nearly concern their
temporal salvation? For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth;
to know the worst, and to provide for it. I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp
of experience. I know of no way of judging of the future but by the past. And judging by the past, I wish to
know what there has been in the conduct of the British ministry for the last ten years to justify those hopes
with which gentlemen have been pleased to solace themselves and the House. Is it that insidious smile with
which our petition has been lately received? Trust it not, sir; it will prove a snare to your feet. Suffer not
yourselves to be betrayed with a kiss [Matthew 26:48]. Ask yourselves how this gracious reception of our
petition comports with those warlike preparations which cover our waters and darken our land. Are fleets and
armies necessary to a work of love and reconciliation? Have we shown ourselves so unwilling to be reconciled
that force must be called in to win back our love? Let us not deceive ourselves, sir. These are the implements
of war and subjugation; the last arguments to which kings resort. I ask gentlemen, sir, what means
this martial array, if its purpose be not to force us to submission? Can gentlemen assign any other possible
motive for it? Has Great Britain any enemy, in this quarter of the world, to call for all this accumulation of
navies and armies? No, sir, she has none. They are meant for us: they can be meant for no other. They are sent
over to bind and rivet upon us those chains which the British ministry have been so long forging. And what have
we to oppose to them? Shall we try argument? Sir, we have been trying that for the last ten years. Have we
anything new to offer upon the subject? Nothing. We have held the subject up in every light of which it is
capable; but it has been all in vain. Shall we resort to entreaty and humble supplication? What terms shall we
find which have not been already exhausted? Let us not, I beseech you, sir, deceive ourselves. Sir, we have
done everything that could be done to avert the storm which is now coming on. We have petitioned; we have
remonstrated; we have supplicated; we have prostrated ourselves before the throne, and have implored its
interposition to arrest the tyrannical hands of the ministry and Parliament. Our petitions have been slighted;
our remonstrances have produced additional violence and insult; our supplications have been disregarded; and
we have been spurned, with contempt, from the foot of the throne! In vain, after these things, may we indulge
the fond hope of peace and reconciliation. There is no longer any room for hope. If we wish to be free-- if we
mean to preserve inviolate those inestimable privileges for which we have been so long contending--if we mean
not basely to abandon the noble struggle in which we have been so long engaged, and which we have pledged
ourselves never to abandon until the glorious object of our contest shall be obtained--we must fight! I repeat
it, sir, we must fight! An appeal to arms and to the God of hosts is all that is left us!
They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be
stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a
British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction?
Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs and hugging the delusive
phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot? Sir, we are not weak if we make a
proper use of those means which the God of nature hath placed in our power. The millions of people, armed in
the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our
enemy can send against us. Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides
over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us [2 Chronicles. 32:8]. The
battle, sir, is not to the strong alone [Ecclesiastes 9:11]; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. Besides, sir,
we have no election. If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There
is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of
Boston! The war is inevitable--and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come.
It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace-- but there is no peace
[Jeremiah. 6:14]. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the
clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle [Matthew 20:6]? What
is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the
price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me,
give me liberty or give me death!
Scripture references added. This speech can be found in Sketches of the Life and Character of Patrick Henry by William Wirt (James
Webster: 1818) pages 119-123. WallBuilders offers a beautiful parchment copy of Patrick Henry's speech and a CD ROM of his Life,
Correspondence, and Speeches, available through our online store.
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The American Christian
Miracles in the Mist of Mayhem
Lesson 4
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