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Realizing the presence, promise, and power of the Kingdom of God.
The DEEP

Sin

is crazy.

Exodus 12:29-32 (NKJV)

And it came to pass at midnight that the LORD struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of livestock. So Pharaoh rose in the night, he, all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead.

Then he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, “Rise, go out from among my people, both you and the children of Israel. And go, serve the LORD as you have said. Also take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone; and bless me also.”

Yes, he really did end with, “and bless me also.” After all they’ve been through – especially after kicking them out saying, “on the day you see my face you shall die” – what could have possessed him to say something that stupid?

“Sure, I enslaved you and mistreated you and wouldn’t even give you a three day weekend to sacrifice to the LORD. Then you destroyed most of the country, so now I’m finally going to let you go. But no hard feelings, right?”

Wow. When God said He would harden Pharaoh’s heart, that just sounded like Pharaoh would be mean.

But there’s something more to this. Might he actually be schizophrenic or something?

No. The Bible never indicates that his behavior is anything more than just a hardened, sinful heart. There’s no demon possession and no clinical psychosis. He’s not hearing voices (other than his advisers pleading with him to get a clue).

He’s normal.


That’s scary. Pharaoh’s crazy behavior is just an extreme example of plain old sin. He’s not really any different from you and me. This highlights one of the key, recurring lessons of scripture.

Sin is crazy.

O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! – Romans 7:24-25a (NKJV)

If that’s Paul writing about his saved self, what chance have we of getting through to the unsaved? Won’t their sin block all of our arguments?

Bingo. Conversion is clearly supernatural. It was supernatural with you, right?


The weekly study guides, which include discussion questions, are available for download here:

https://www.ailbe.org/resources/itemlist/category/91-deep-studies

Mike Slay

As a mathematician, inventor, and ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church in America, Mike Slay brings an analytical, conversational, and even whimsical approach to the daily study of God's Word.

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