How can we apply the consequences of disobedience in Exodus 9:2 to our lives? The Word for Today “ But if you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them, ” (Exodus 9:2) Consequences of Pharaoh’s Disobedience • Hardening the heart invites escalating judgment (plagues 1–9 steadily worsened). • National suffering followed personal pride—livestock, economy, and morale collapsed. • God’s warnings were clear, yet Pharaoh assumed more time remained; it didn’t. Timeless Lessons for Us • Disobedience still carries real fallout—“If you do not obey… all these curses will come upon you” (Deuteronomy 28:15). • A stubborn heart breeds further sin—“He who hardens his heart falls into trouble” (Proverbs 28:14). • Spiritual laws operate like natural ones—“Whatever a man sows, he will reap” (Galatians 6:7). Practical Ways to Respond 1. Take sin seriously. Small refusals grow into settled rebellion. 2. Act promptly on conviction. Delayed obedience is functional disobedience. 3. Review God’s previous discipline. Let past wake-up calls keep you sensitive. 4. Keep short accounts with God—daily confession and repentance. 5. Surround yourself with truth-telling believers who spot hard-heart symptoms early. Living in the Freedom of Obedience • Obedience restores blessing—“Blessed rather are those who hear… and obey” (Luke 11:28). • God’s discipline is loving, not punitive—“The Lord disciplines the one He loves” (Hebrews 12:6). • Obedience is active—“Be doers of the word, and not hearers only” (James 1:22). • Choose softhearted responsiveness today; avoid tomorrow’s plague by surrendering now. |
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