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TriuneUnity
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Exodus 8:16-24: Then the LORD said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, so that it may become gnats in all the land of Egypt.’” And they did so. Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and there were gnats on man and beast. All the dust of the earth became gnats in all the land of Egypt. The magicians tried by their secret arts to produce gnats, but they could not. So there were gnats on man and beast. Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the LORD had said.
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning and present yourself to Pharaoh, as he goes out to the water, and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Let my people go, that they may serve me. Or else, if you will not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and your servants and your people, and into your houses. And the houses of the Egyptians shall be filled with swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand. But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people dwell, so that no swarms of flies shall be there, that you may know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth. Thus I will put a division between my people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall happen.”’” And the LORD did so. There came great swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh and into his servants’ houses. Throughout all the land of Egypt the land was ruined by the swarms of flies.
Happy Lent! In the name of Jesus. Amen. Hey, there’s that finger of God stuff
again! Yesterday, Jesus said that if He cast out demons by means of the finger of
God, the kingdom of God has come.
As if the gnats weren’t bad enough, the Lord strikes the land of Egypt with flies,
too. He sends a selective plague—lest anyone think this is a natural occurrence.
Everywhere else in Egypt there are flies, but over in Goshen, where the children of
Israel lived…no flies.
If God did something like cast out a demon or turned dust into gnats, you’d think
they would listen. If some areas had flies, but theirs didn’t…just like God said it
would be, you’d think that by mere common sense, they would believe in the Lord
God.
But they don’t. Pharaoh doesn’t listen to his magicians. The crowds don’t listen
to Jesus. Don’t they see? Can’t they see? God is among them!
Don’t kid yourself, you wouldn’t see either. You have forgiveness, eternal life,
salvation all around you. It drips down your forehead in Baptism. It’s put into your
mouth at the Sacrament. It’s all right there in front of you. Yet, you still do what you
want to do and live the way you want to live. You live each day as if you aren’t
forgiven, as if you just have to do this sin or that one. You despise His Name, His
Word, His preaching, His Day. You don’t honor mom and dad. You don’t look after
your neighbor and are led into some great shame and vice. You borrow and don’t
return, you use foul language. And coveting? What do you NOT want that your
neighbor has?
Don’t you know that you are free from the slavery of these sins? Don’t you see
that the chains have been broken? Simple answer: No, you don’t.
Jesus sees for you. He knew that the finger of God Himself was at work in His
life. Every miracle, every meal, every run-of-the-mill thing was a gift for Him from His
loving Father. Nothing missed—not a one. He counts His faith as yours and dies for
your unbelief. Despite you not seeing, He lives and dies in your place.
Then He opens your eyes. See my forgiveness? See my eternal life? See the
heaven I give you? It’s all yours. I have freed you from your slavery–all of it.
See it now? Pharaoh didn’t during his gnatty and fly-filled Lent. You do now.
You have been freed by Christ. Happy Lent! In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning and present yourself to Pharaoh, as he goes out to the water, and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Let my people go, that they may serve me. Or else, if you will not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and your servants and your people, and into your houses. And the houses of the Egyptians shall be filled with swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand. But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people dwell, so that no swarms of flies shall be there, that you may know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth. Thus I will put a division between my people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall happen.”’” And the LORD did so. There came great swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh and into his servants’ houses. Throughout all the land of Egypt the land was ruined by the swarms of flies.
Happy Lent! In the name of Jesus. Amen. Hey, there’s that finger of God stuff
again! Yesterday, Jesus said that if He cast out demons by means of the finger of
God, the kingdom of God has come.
As if the gnats weren’t bad enough, the Lord strikes the land of Egypt with flies,
too. He sends a selective plague—lest anyone think this is a natural occurrence.
Everywhere else in Egypt there are flies, but over in Goshen, where the children of
Israel lived…no flies.
If God did something like cast out a demon or turned dust into gnats, you’d think
they would listen. If some areas had flies, but theirs didn’t…just like God said it
would be, you’d think that by mere common sense, they would believe in the Lord
God.
But they don’t. Pharaoh doesn’t listen to his magicians. The crowds don’t listen
to Jesus. Don’t they see? Can’t they see? God is among them!
Don’t kid yourself, you wouldn’t see either. You have forgiveness, eternal life,
salvation all around you. It drips down your forehead in Baptism. It’s put into your
mouth at the Sacrament. It’s all right there in front of you. Yet, you still do what you
want to do and live the way you want to live. You live each day as if you aren’t
forgiven, as if you just have to do this sin or that one. You despise His Name, His
Word, His preaching, His Day. You don’t honor mom and dad. You don’t look after
your neighbor and are led into some great shame and vice. You borrow and don’t
return, you use foul language. And coveting? What do you NOT want that your
neighbor has?
Don’t you know that you are free from the slavery of these sins? Don’t you see
that the chains have been broken? Simple answer: No, you don’t.
Jesus sees for you. He knew that the finger of God Himself was at work in His
life. Every miracle, every meal, every run-of-the-mill thing was a gift for Him from His
loving Father. Nothing missed—not a one. He counts His faith as yours and dies for
your unbelief. Despite you not seeing, He lives and dies in your place.
Then He opens your eyes. See my forgiveness? See my eternal life? See the
heaven I give you? It’s all yours. I have freed you from your slavery–all of it.
See it now? Pharaoh didn’t during his gnatty and fly-filled Lent. You do now.
You have been freed by Christ. Happy Lent! In the name of Jesus. Amen.