Today's topic is all about God lessening and removing the pain of slaveryas well as dealing with immediate cause of slavery which was slave masters themselves? How did God lessen the pain of Hebrews and how did He deal with slave masters so that He would set Hebrew slaves free? Bible speaks of natural disasters as well as oppression of God's people at the end of time. If Jesus would not come everyone would die. While plagues of Egypt were national calamity, the plagues of End time are global calamity. Here are four main questions we are going to look at: 1. When Does God Use a Plague as an Instrument of Freedom and Judgement? 2. Why Does God Increase “Heat” With Each New Plague? 3. What Happens When God Uses a Plague? 4. What Do We Lear About God in Relation to Plagues? 1. When Does God Use Plague as An Instrument of Freedom and Judgment? 14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding; he refuses to let the people go. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning as he goes out to the river. confront him on the bank of the Nile, and take in your hand the staff that was changed into a snake. 16 Then say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you: Let my people go, so that they may worship me in the wilderness. But until now you have not listened. 17 This is what the Lord says: By this you will know that I am the Lord: With the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood. 18 The fish in the Nile will die, and the river will stink; the Egyptians will not be able to drink its water.’” (7:14-18) Every time Moses would come to Pharao, he would appeal to him with the message from God and say, 'let my people go so that theymay worship me." (7:16; 8:1.20; 9:1.13; 10:3) 1. God Used a Plague After His Grace Was Rejected No plague comes on Egypt before God appeals to Pharaoh and graciously gives him a chance to be gracious and to repent. Pharaoh rejects God over and over again and God graciously comes to Pharaoh over and over again. 2. When Oppresor Flatly Rejects God's Instruction and Will: “Let my people go” Blatant rejection of God's grace and revealed will at the end of time will bring about disasters. 2. Why Does God Increase the “Heat” With Each New Plague? “… Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says, ‘Let my people go so that they may hold a festival to me in the wilderness Pharaoh said, ‘Who is the Lord that I should obey Him… that same day Pharaoh gave this order to the slave drivers and overseers in charge of the people, ‘You are no longer To supply the people with straw for making bricks; let them make their own straw, but require them to make the same number of bricks as before, don’t reduce the quota. They are lazy; that is why they are crying out…” (5:2-8) 1. Egyptians Become More Oppresive “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding; he refuses to let the people Go… This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews says; ‘How long will you refuse to Humble yourself before me? Let my people go so that They may worship me. If you refuse to let them go, I will bring locusts into your country tomorrow.” (7:14; 10:3.4) 2. Oppresor's Heart Gets Harder The more the oppresor's heart becomes harder, the greater the heat is applied 3. God Reaches Pharaoh Where He Finds Him 3. What Happens When God Uses a Plague? With every new plague judgment and oppression is administered to Egyptians freedom and is being ushered to God's people. So, one act of God has two different outcomes. Whie pain increases in Egyptians it is reduced among God's people. Whie oppression is being felt among oppressors, freedom is being felt among the slaves. 4. What Do We Learn About God Through Plagues? 1. God Seeks Freedom for the Oppressed 2. God is Patient With Oppressors and Wants Them to Repent “And He passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, ‘The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to Anger, abounding in love & faithfulness Maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin… (Exodus 34:6.7) 3. Oppressors and Victims are Both Sinners and Sin is Placed on the Passover Lamb. In Him is Salvation For Both 4. Justice and Judgment will Fall On Unrepentant