FOR JULY 7 : FATAL FRAME OF MIND

[cimi]

July 7
Monday


FATAL FRAME
OF MIND

READ:
Exodus 11
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Moses and aaron did all
these wonders before
Pharaoh; and the LORD
hardened Pharaoh's
heart, and he did not let
the children of Israel go.
__Exodus 11:10
________________________________

When Pharaoh refused to let the people of Israel leave Egypt, thousands of innocent Egyptians died because of his stubborn will. Perhaps the knowledge of what was about to happen to Egypt's firstborn on that first Passover night caused the great anger Moses felt as he left Pharaoh (Ex. 118). It was going to be a night of devastation and sorrow because the ruler was in a fatal frame of mind.

It's easy for me to condemn Pharaoh's willful disobedience to God, and very difficult to face my own. But this passage forces me to ask, "Is my attitude choking the life out of someone close to me?"

Oswald Chambers said: "The right of life is insisted on all through the Bible. As long as I do not murder anyone outright the law cannot touch me, but is there someone dependent on me to whom in the tiniest way I am not giving the right to live? Someone for whom I am cherishing an unforgiving dislike? 'Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer' (1 John 3:15).

Our hearts become hard through repeated refusals to yield to God. But they can be softened by obedience. When we say "yes" to God, the result is relief and life-giving release for our families, colleagues, and friends.

What's my frame of mind today? __ David McCasland
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`````````````````I thank You for Your patience, Lord,``````````````
```````````````````````Because I often strayed,`````````````````
````````````````````But, O the joy that came my way`````````````
`````````````````When I Thy Word obeyed. __Stairs```````````````
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The way of obedience is the way of blessing.

****************Today's Bible Reading __ Exodus 11***************

1 And the LORD said to
Moses, "I will bring one
more plague on Pharaoh and
on Egypt. Afterward he will
let you go from here. When
he lets you go, he will surely
drive you out of here
altogether. 2 speak now in
the hearing of the
people...."

4 Then Moses said, "Thus
says the LORD: 'About
midnight I will go out into
the midst of Egypt; 5 and all
the firstborn in the land of
Egypt shall die, from the
firstborn of Pharaoh who sits
on his throne, even to the
firstborin of the female
servant who is behind the
handmill, and all the firstborn
of the animals. 6 Then there
shall be a great cry
throughout all the land of
Egypt, such as was not like it
before, nor shall be like it
again. 7 But against none of
the children of Israel shall a
dog move its tongue, against
man or beast, that you may
know that the LORD does
make a difference between
the Egyptians and Israel.'

8 And all these your servants
shall come down to me and
bow down to me, saying,

Get out, and all the people
who follow you!' After that I
will go out." Then he went
out from Pharaoh in great
anger.

9 But the LORD said to
Moses, "Pharaoh will not
heed you, so that My
wonders may be multiplied
in the land of Egypt." 10 So
Moses and Aaron did all
these wonders before
Pharaoh; and the LORD
hardened Pharaoh's heart,
and he did not let the children
of Israel go out of his land.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

The death of the firstborn in Egypt was the culmination of God's
dealings with Pharaoh to secure the release of the Hebrew people.
Nine previous plagues had been ignored by Pharaoh, but the tenth
judgment was too catastrophic to dismiss. __Bill Crowder