The devil's deceptive tactics, drawing parallels between Pharaoh's methods to keep the Israelites in bondage and Satan's strategies to ensnare believers. It details how Pharaoh used construction to occupy the Israelites' time and strength, contentment with earthly pleasures, counterfeiting God's power through magicians, and finally, various forms of compromise. The sermon emphasizes that Satan's compromises, such as worship without redemption or separation, are designed to keep people from true freedom and a complete relationship with God, urging listeners to discern and reject these deceptions. The message concludes by highlighting Moses' unwavering refusal of any compromise, insisting on complete liberation and service to God, and applying this principle to the believer's complete surrender to Christ.
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Then you are studying of the Egypt as a type of the world. We have been looking at the land, bringing before us the world, as it appears in the sight of God, and something about the leader. Now we're going to continue that. on Sunday morning some of the devices that Pharaoh employed to keep the Israelites in bondage there in Egypt. And those that he employed are illustrative to us of the devices of the devil that he uses in keeping men and women in his bondage.
Writing to the Corinthians in his second epistle, all the declared in second chapter in the 11th verse that Satan should get an advantage of us for we are not ignorant of his devices he was aware of the danger of being taken advantage of by Satan now if the great apostle to the Gentiles was aware of and afraid of that danger certainly we should be And we should understand his devices that he uses.
Very often, many even Christians have an entirely wrong notion as to just how Satan works. And as a result, he's able to take advantage of that. And to use some device that they do not realize is the work of Satan. things Sunday morning. First of all, he used construction, and he had them so busy that all of their time and strength and skills were going into building treasure cities for him, as for Pharaoh, so that they had nothing left for God.
Then he used contentment, ministering to their physical design. for the fish and the cucumbers and the melon and the leaves and the onions and the garlic of Egypt. Now each one of those things grows in the ground or on the ground. Cucumbers, melons, leaves, onions, garlic. We all grow either in the ground or on the surface of it.
But when we turn to the book of Deuteronomy, we have gone describing the land of Canaan to which eventually brought his people after having delivered them from Egypt. And he describes it not with six things that grow in or on the ground, but with seven things or eight that draw above the ground, that are, as it were, resurrection proofs. We'll be looking at that more fully when we come to our study of Canaan.
But we want to look at two other devices of the devil tonight that I believe are pictured in what Pharaoh did. So I'm asking you to turn to Exodus chapter 7, please. Exodus chapter 7. And verse 10. Now this is part of the encounter between Moses and Pharaoh. I'm leaving that until we come to that part of our study. thing we want to look at in connection with Egypt and the world is not only the land and the leader, but the liberator.
And when we look at Moses the liberator, we will be spending some time in considering the encounter between Moses and the Pharaoh of Egypt. So we leave to that but the encounter is in progress here in chapter 7 and Moses is presenting as it were his credentials just stop and think here's a man who was born of a slave mother he'd been out of the land for 40 years as a shepherd in Midian in the backside of the desert.
Now he goes back and he has what you might call the audacity to go into the court of the most powerful monarch in the world of that day. And to say, I am here to demand that you allow your slaves to go free. Now, that on the surface was just ridiculous. We, of course, are looking below the surface. But naturally, the first thing that Farad won, well, where are your credentials? What have you got to show that you're here, not just as a nobody from the back side of the Midian Desert, but as you claim, you're here of Jehovah.
Now, let me see something to prove this. But God had prepared him for that. And he cast down his rod. Now, that's where we begin reading at verse 10. Exodus 7, verse 10. And Moses and Aaron went another Pharaoh, and they did so as the Lord had commanded. And Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and became a serpent. Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers. Now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their encampments.
For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents. Now here you have Moses' first five, the casting down of his rod, and it becomes a serpent. And how does Pharaoh react to that? He reacts to it just as the devil does, by counterfeiting what had taken place. Calling in the magicians of Egypt, he has then counterfeit what Moses had done. And so they passed their rods down.
And those rods become serpents. But now wait a minute, that isn't the end of the story. I enjoy the end here. It says in the end of verse 12, but more Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods. Now, somehow or other, I can enjoy that. You know? Here are these other serpents all raised their heads and and Pharaoh and his magicians are looking quite happy about this whole thing you see we can do what he can do his God isn't any greater than our God and I see Aaron's rod now a serpent just gliding around and one rod disappeared one serpent disappeared another serpent disappeared another one disappeared and when he got through Aaron's serpent had gobbled up all the other serpents and then Aaron takes it up again into his hand and he's got the rods of all the magicians.
Now I don't want to spend too much time on this, but I believe here the rods symbolize authority. And we have a lovely picture of the fact that eventually all authority is going to be in the hand of our divine era, our Lord Jesus Christ. But what we are thinking of here, and what I want to keep our mind on is, that Pharaoh used counterfeit magic. He used magic to counterfeit what God had done. And that's exactly what Satan does.
Satan is the great counterfeit, imitator and everything God has, Satan has an imitation of it. He has, he's going to have a counterfeit Christ. He has a counterfeit church. Everything that God does, Satan counterfeits. And because the counterfeit naturally looks something like the real thing, or it use in counterfeiting it. Because of that, people are deceived and they take the counterfeit of the devil to be the real thing of God.
Now there's a lot of that today. A novel out of that today. If the Lord gives me health and strength for one more year at this time, I plan on the will of the Lord to give a week to lead a week's Bible discussion. on faith healing. For I believe it's the one subject I haven't covered to any extent and I feel a responsibility to the Lord's people. There's a tremendous lot of counterfeits. I don't make any apologies whatsoever. There's a tremendous lot of counterfeits in the area of so-called faith healing.
I'll tell you lot more than counterfeiting, too. There's an awful lot of commercialism. Did you know that Captain Kuhlman has a vault in the basement of her home in Pittsburgh with over a million dollars worth of jewels? I hope none of your dollars are there, but they are. You kiss them goodbye. You won't get any reward to Judge Insito Crouch. If you help to buy her 15-carat diamond ring that's there, you won't get any reward for that, and I can tell you one thing. There isn't a dime of H.D. McKay's money in that.
You can be quite sure of that. Gas counterfeit, and commercialism. How old is it? Just as old as the devil himself. He started counterfeiting in the garden of the evening than ever since. But I'm want you to read on. You see, there had been four plays. God is softening up Pharaoh. Pharaoh had said, who's the Lord, that I should obey him? And the Lord picked up the challenge. He said, Pharaoh, I'm going to show you who I am.
And he hit Pharaoh and his land with four successive blows. we have Moses giving his credentials first of all now I want you to look a little farther down we'll not read we could have read right on down through but will you look at verse 20 the same chapter verse 20 and Moses and Aaron did so as the Lord commanded and he lifted up the rod and smoke the waters that were in the rivers in the sight of Pharaoh and the sight of his servants and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood and so on verse 22 and the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments and Pharaoh's heart was hardened neither did he hearken unto them as the Lord had said another sign the first one the servants and they produced The second one, turning the water into blood, and they do exactly the same, continuing
the counterfeit, you see, but just as God came out a victor in the first instance by Aaron's wad swallowing up all the other serpents, go over into chapter 8 now and look at verse 18. Well, we better read verse 17. And they did so. For Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod and smoked the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man and in beach. All the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt. Aren't you glad you weren't there?
And the magicians did so with their marks to bring forth lights, but they could not. So there were lights upon man and upon beasts. Then the magician said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God, and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them, as the Lord had said. Yes, there could be the imitation of the rod turned to the rod. to a servant. Various explanations have been given to us. I'm not going to take time.
I happened when, before I was saved, to be employed where one of the great internationally known magicians, Thurston, gave his demonstrations for quite some time. I hadn't been employed in that theater at that time, and I saw Thurston. And we learned a whole lot behind the stage, I'll tell you, that went on even with a great person. And the people out in front were owing and owing, you know, and getting their $5 worth for all this magic, and we were back in the wings there grinning. We knew what had gone on. Yes.
So they could imitate the serpent. They could counterfeit the turning of blood, of water into blood. But here is God, something that's dead, inanimate, lifeless, and it becomes life, which is living. The lowest form of life, I think we'll all agree, the lowest form of life. But the magicians couldn't do that, because only God can give life. Now, every now and then you get, you notice a piece in the paper that some scientists have discovered the right combination, and very soon we're going to have light produce.
Don't hold your breath till they do, then, because they're just not going. That's all there is to it. With these, as the psalmist, referring to God, is the fountain of light. Only God can give light. they couldn't produce even the lowest type of light, lights. So what's that saying? This is the finger of God, the finger of God. Now the finger of God, if we were to take time, I don't think they knew what they were saying. But the finger of God in the Bible is symbolic of the Spirit of God.
Just as the arm of the Lord, he refers to Christ, the Son of God. The finger of God refers to the Spirit of God, and only the Spirit of God can give light. And see, they were frustrated here. They could counterfeit up to a certain point. But the thing for us to do as we move along is say, Let us beware of Satan's counterfeits. Look careful. I went into a store the other day, and of all things, I have a $20 day. Believe it or not, and when I gave the $20 bill in payment for what I made, the young cashier took it and looked at it and turned it over, and looked at the other side as well.
I got it to the bank just a little while ago. It should be all right. And I asked her if she'd found any of these counterfeit 20s that are supposed to be in circulation around here. well, she happened not to come across him. But let us look carefully at the devil's counterfeit. But now we move on. We've been reading here that in spite of this, Pharaoh's heart is hardened. He will not even believe what his own magicians have to say. That this is the finger of God. And so he rushes on. And we have four plagues coming in succession on this proud haughty defiant monarch on him and on his land.
And after those first four plagues that were ten, you remember altogether, after those first four plagues have fallen on him, Pharaoh's knees are beginning to buckle a little bit. He's not willing to give in, but he's willing to Now that's what we want to think of. This is the fourth thing that he used, construction, keeping them busy building, contentment, feeding on that which they enjoy, counterfeiting that which God did. Now he tries compromise, and I want you to look at the 25th verse of this 8th chapter here.
And Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron and said, Go ye! Now he's beginning to weaken a little. First he had said defiantly and arrogantly, I will not let the people go. All right, Pharaoh, says the Lord, here it comes. And one after another the blows fall upon proud monarch, and as I say, begins to buckle just a little. He says, go ye. Sacrifice to your God in the land. Now Moses had demanded, on orders from Pharaoh, of the Lord, that Pharaoh permit them to go three days' journey into the wilderness.
Keep that in mind. Now says Pharaoh, I'll make a compromise with. You can go. But go and sacrifice to your God in the land. In other words, join the ecumenical movement. We've got our gods. We've got room for another one. If you want Jehovah to be your God, okay, we've got enough room for that. We're broad-minded. Now just go and start up your own little sack. And you Israelites, you can worship Jehovah. We won't quarrel about that. We're going to worship our gods, but you can go ahead and worship your Jehovah.
Do it in the land. Now let's stop and think. Let's take a look at this. Whenever the devil offers to compromise, brothers and sisters always look under the counter. There's something. thing there to catch you. Now let's take a look at this. Suppose they had agreed. Suppose someone had said, well, that's what we want. We want to worship our God. Let's settle for half a loaf. We can't get the whole loaf. Let's be broad-minded like Pharaoh is, and worship our God here in the land. Now what would that mean? That would have meant they would never have been redeemed by the blood of the Passover lamb.
You see? So this was worship without redemption. Now the devil doesn't mind at all how many people think that they're worshiping God as long as they don't get saved. As long as they don't get under the blood. The devil doesn't mind people joining the church. The devil doesn't mind people getting that kind. The devil doesn't mind people becoming religious. Not at all. But just don't get under the blood. Don't get redeemed. Go and worship any way you want.
To pick out what you think is best and go ahead, but don't get redeemed by the blood. Now that was the first compromise. Most of them have nothing to do with that. We're not, we won't have time to look at all the details, but he'll have nothing whatsoever to do with that because God had not sent him to compromise. God had sent him to command. He was not delegated to hold a dialogue with Pharaoh, and we preachers aren't going to have a dialogue as to what's right and what's wrong. We're to preach the word of the living God.
That's our business. God has paid me for 47 years to preach his word, and I'd fully expect if I started preaching anything else, he'd stop my faith. All right, look down a little further. He says we shouldn't pass over verse 27. We will go three days' journey into the wilderness and sacrifice the Lord our God as he shall command it. Why three days? as you know is the number of resurrection and by taking a three day journey they would have been under the blood and through the Red Sea and out in the wilderness on resurrection ground now you can't worship God on failure and resurrection ground public worship is an absolute misnomer the public can't worship it's only a person who's come under the blood and has been raised with Christ in newness of life that can worship God.
But look at, we see in verse 28, Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that you may sacrifice the Lord your God in the wilderness. Has he given him? Is he actually going to a they gone. Now read on. Only he shall not go very far away. Alright, I'll let you go. You said the wilderness. But don't go very far away. Just stay right there on the board. If the first compromise was worship without redemption, the second one is worship without separation.
If the devil can't keep you from trusting Christ and coming under the blood and becoming a regenerated believer on resurrection ground, he'll try to keep you just as near to Egypt as he can. Don't go very far away. Oh, we like you so much in our business. Just stay right close to us. Just over the border. World border. oh how much there is of that today amongst God's people trying to be just as near to the world as possible trying to look just as much like it and act just as much like it and talk just as much like the world as it's possible to be and still be a believer in Christ that is the devil those compromises.
And today there's a tremendous lot of that that's being amputed. Instead of separation, which is the Bible term, we are being told by leading evangelicals in America, what we should do is infiltrate. Not separation, infiltration. Do you remember what Abram did? Remember what Lot did? Abram stayed on the plains of Moor in separation with his God.
Lot infiltrated Solomon Gabor. And if it hadn't been for the angels, he'd have been burnt up there. He was burnt out. But he'd have been burnt up. If it hadn't been for the angels, they put their hands on him and dragged them out. That's what you get. If you infiltrate, you'll get burned. And when he was carried captive, before the overthrow of Southern Gamora, it was a separated uncle that pursued after those hosts with 318 men. And he did with 318 of his servants, what five kings and their armies couldn't do.
He whipped the other four kings. 318 separated men. It says that were born in his own home. He'd known them from birth. He'd trained them. He'd brought them up. And when the moment came, they were ready to be used of God. Yes. Don't be taken in by Satan's compromise. But we must hurry on. There are now, there have been four plagues. Here are two compromises. I think you'll find there are three more plagues come, one after the other, because Pharaoh still, the last verse of chapter 8 said, Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also.
Neither would he let the people go. So we still harden, and so the Lord sends three more plagues, three more blows fall on the haughty monarch, and we'll go over to chapter 10, and verse 11. Not so, go now ye that are men, and serve the Lord, for that ye did desire, and they were driven out from Pharaoh's presence. Here's the third confines. All right, I'll let you men go. But now you leave your wives and leave your children behind.
How long would they have stayed away? Just ask yourself, Pharaoh knew. If they left their wives and their families in Egypt, they'd be back again. Oh, how the devil would like us to leave our families in the world yes he said alright if you're determined to be a separated Christian alright alright go ahead but leave your family what a tragedy today I was at a conference some time ago I wouldn't identify it in any way and a sister came to me I didn't know her She was one of the soloists and seemed to be active in other ways.
She came to me and we were talking, just chatting after a meeting one night. And she said, you know, Brother McKay, there's a family here, and they have two or three, I forget which, sons, and they've done real well. She said, one's a doctor, the other's a lawyer, and I forget what the third one. what she said they're not silent, not one of what she said they have a son and he's a little mentally retarded and the Christians have shown special kindness to him and God has saved him and she said to hear that man that young man get up and the Lord's at the Lord's and worship the Lord she said and let the tears run down your face she said I went to those parents and I said to them you have one son that you should be very very proud of the one who's a Christian and
who is able to worship the Lord yes it matter what honors our children get in this world God knows that's the last of my ambitions the last thing in the world that I've never asked God to give my family anything of this world that would turn them away from God I'd rather the three of them would dig ditches and live for God but I find when I go around the country, a lot of good Christian parents have been so concerned that their children get up to the top of the social ladder that they have neglected their spirits before.
Now they are up there but they're unsaved on the way to heaven. For that's strange. many years ago I asked God for two things I asked God to keep me from ever being influenced by money or intimidated by man and that's been the prayer of my life but neither money nor man would influence me in my life yes says Satan if you've got to go eager determined eager families with me what a tragedy Now that doesn't mean for one moment that a man can't be successful in life and be an out-and-out Christian.
I have a friend in New York who's a millionaire and he's an out-and-out Christian as I know. He's now well on his 80s and for all these years he's born a wonderful testimony for God. and has used his money for the furtherance of God around the world and has spent time studying the Bible so he's an able Bible student. No, it doesn't mean for one moment that we have to be failures. No, but it means we've got to keep our priorities in order and see to it that whatever success we may have or that we may see in our family is not at the expense of spiritual things.
You go, but leave your families here. But then we must hasten on. Look down a little further in the same chapter. Again, the blows fall. I believe there are two more fall now, through Pharaoh, presenting his last compromise in chapter 10 and verse 24. And Pharaoh called unto Moses and said, Go, serve the Lord. Only let your flocks and your herds be stayed. Let your little ones also go with you.
Be willing to let the family go. But leave your flocks and your herds. Now, what were they? They were two things. They were their business. They were shepherds. The flocks and the herds were their business, their wealth, their possessions. Now, he says, you leave that here from me to you. You see, he just lost all his cattle. You know, Satan is a clever person. But really, he's not as clever as he thinks he. If you look at his devices through the eyes of the Spirit of God, you can see through them.
One of the plagues had just swept all the cattle out of Egypt. Now, here's a chance to recoup. And you can be quite sure that Pharaoh's hoping to get all of these fine cattle that have been raised by the Israelites. and whatever success the devil may give you he's expecting to get most of it from now you can be quite sure of that oh how he'd like to hold on to your business to keep it in the work but then they were going to worship God how do you worship Jehovah with sacrifices the full they'd taken this compromise and gone out of the wilderness without any plots and herds, no sacrifices for the Lord.
No animals to lay on the altar, no blood to flow, no life to be given to the Lord. Just an empty, bloodless ceremony. No life in it. Oh, how the devil would like to get us compromised and take the very heart out of our service for the Lord. Let us see to it, friends, as you read and loves. We have a heritage that costs the blood of God's beloved Son. Oh, let's hold on to it.
Whatever it costs us, materially through it will gain a thousand false gifts of both here and here I am. Take your little ones, but leave your flock shepherds. And I'm going to close with Moses' reply. I like it. Moses said, verse 25, thou must give us all suspicions. sacrifices and burnt offerings that we may sacrifice unto the Lord our God. Our cattle also shall go with us.
There shall not an hoot be left behind. Not a hoot. Do you know, brethren and sisters, the Lord's coming? And there's not going to be a hoot left behind. Somebody said, do you believe that the babies will go when the Lord comes? I most assuredly do the Lord fed us such as the kingdom of heaven and the devil won't get one hoof from the kingdom of heaven they'll all be caught up to be with our blessed Lord forever what a pastor you know when God saves he does a complete sin whether it's in the individual or you think of it in the corporate way he has saved us when he saved you and me he saved us spiritually soul and body, and when he comes back to get his own, there won't be a booth left behind.
We'll all be home with himself. It's well worth being faithful in him. Watch his counterfeitments. Watch his compromises and settle only for what the Lord has commanded. Shall we pray? Father, bless my precious word. May it be used by thy spirit to strengthen each one of us. Grant our God as we separate, there may be with a sense of having heard thy voice speak to our hearts. Pray thy blessing upon those who will be practicing in the choir. We thank thee for their labors for thee and for us.
That they might render to us in song that which so often is a definite blessing to our hearts. Bless them we pray. In the Savior's preciousness, amen. I have found a new life so abundant and free since the Spirit of God has been working through me every day, every hour, I can know this lens in my heart. live in me is Christ on the throne of your life is the spirit of control in your life have you given love and joy with your powers and its joy is Christ I so let go of your life.
Once I wanted to know every part of my life, for I thought that I knew who would stand for my life, but inside of my bed, Still I had no peace and rest, no praise God, by His Spirit I'm free. Is Christ on the throne of your life?
Is the Spirit controlling your life? Love and joy, lift your powers and destroy, His praise and the cross of your love. Now I feel detuned, Selfish will and desire, I am near is it whatever my Lord may require?
For by dying I live, and by sharing him I give, is this life of abundance I know? Is Christ on the throne of your life? Is the You fear control in your life. Have you seen love and joy which no power can destroy? He is Christ on the ground of your life.