WEBVTT - #970 - Exodus 9 – More Plagues

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<v Speaker 1>Life Audio The Bible Study Podcast, Episode nine hundred and seventy. Today,

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<v Speaker 1>The Bible Study Podcast continues the study of the Book

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<v Speaker 1>of Exodus, starting with chapter nine. Welcome to the Bible

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<v Speaker 1>Study Podcast. I'm your host, Chris Kristensen. We're going to

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<v Speaker 1>continue on with chapter nine and likely chapter ten. We're

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<v Speaker 1>going to be taking these plagues that are mentioned here

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<v Speaker 1>in this section of Exodus with some speed. But first

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<v Speaker 1>a word from this sponsor, the plague on livestock. Then

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<v Speaker 1>the Lord said to Moses, go to Pharaoh and say

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<v Speaker 1>to him, this is what the Lord, the God of

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<v Speaker 1>the Hebrews, says. Let my people go so that they

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<v Speaker 1>may worship me. If you refuse to let them go

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<v Speaker 1>and continue to hold them back, the hand of the

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<v Speaker 1>Lord will bring a terrible plague on your livestock in

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<v Speaker 1>the field, on your horses, donkeys, and camels, and on

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<v Speaker 1>your cattle, sheep and goats. But the Lord will make

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<v Speaker 1>a distinction between the livestock of Israel and that of Egypt,

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<v Speaker 1>so that no animal belonging to the Israelites will die.

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<v Speaker 1>The Lord set a time and said tomorrow the Lord

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<v Speaker 1>will do this in the land. And the next day

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<v Speaker 1>the Lord did it all the livestock of the Egyptians died,

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<v Speaker 1>but not one animal belonging to the Israelites died. Pharaoh

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<v Speaker 1>investigated and found that not even one of the animals

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<v Speaker 1>of the Israelites had died. Yet his heart was unyielding

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<v Speaker 1>and he would not let the people go. So at

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<v Speaker 1>this point Pharaoh is just getting stubborn. His magicians have

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<v Speaker 1>given up. They're not doing anything anymore. They're not going

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<v Speaker 1>to be mentioned in terms of can they do these

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<v Speaker 1>sort of things that that's behind us, and it's really

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<v Speaker 1>just this contest of wills, and right now Pharaoh isn't

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<v Speaker 1>giving In the plague of boils, then the Lord said

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<v Speaker 1>to Moses and Aaron, take a handful of soot from

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<v Speaker 1>a furnace, and have Moses toss it into the air

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<v Speaker 1>in the presence of Pharaoh. It will become fine dust

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<v Speaker 1>over the whole land of Egypt, and festering boils will

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<v Speaker 1>break out on people and animals throughout the land. So

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<v Speaker 1>they took soot from a furnace and stood before Pharaoh.

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<v Speaker 1>Moses tossed it into the air, and festering boils broke

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<v Speaker 1>out on people and animals. The magicians could not stand

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<v Speaker 1>before Moses, because the boils that were on them and

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<v Speaker 1>on all the Egyptians. But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart,

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<v Speaker 1>and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just

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<v Speaker 1>as the Lord had said to Moses. So a lot

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<v Speaker 1>of commentators make something of this that some sections say

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<v Speaker 1>that Pharaoh hardened his heart, in some sections say that

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<v Speaker 1>the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart. And I don't know that

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<v Speaker 1>there's really as much significance to that difference as we

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<v Speaker 1>want there to be. My understanding is that Pharaoh had

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<v Speaker 1>free will, that Pharaoh could decide what he wanted to do,

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<v Speaker 1>that he is not some meat puppet of God here,

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<v Speaker 1>and that that's not what it meant that the Lord

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<v Speaker 1>hardened Pharaoh's heart. But Pharaoh is not giving in. And

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<v Speaker 1>despite the fact that they now have boils, and that's

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<v Speaker 1>probably where I would have given up. I think the

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<v Speaker 1>flies and the gnats and the frogs and things like

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<v Speaker 1>that all sound terrible. All the livestock dying is a

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<v Speaker 1>real blow, But boils, that's probably where I would have

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<v Speaker 1>given In the plague of hail, then the Lord said

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<v Speaker 1>to Moses, get up early in the morning, confront Pharaoh

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<v Speaker 1>and say to him This is what the Lord, the

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<v Speaker 1>God of the Hebrews says. Let my people go so

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<v Speaker 1>that they may worship me, or this time I will

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<v Speaker 1>send the full force of my plagues against you and

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<v Speaker 1>your officials and your people, so that you may know

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<v Speaker 1>there is no one like me in all the earth.

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<v Speaker 1>For by now I could have stretched out my hand

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<v Speaker 1>and struck you and your people with a plague that

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<v Speaker 1>would have wiped you off the earth. But I have

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<v Speaker 1>raised you up for this very purpose, that I might

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<v Speaker 1>show you my power and that my name might be

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<v Speaker 1>proclaimed in all the earth. You still set yourself against

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<v Speaker 1>my people and will not let them go. Therefore, at

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<v Speaker 1>this time tomorrow I will send the worst hailstorm that

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<v Speaker 1>has ever fallen on Egypt from the day it was

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<v Speaker 1>founded until now. Give an order now to bring your

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<v Speaker 1>livestock in, everything you have in the field to a

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<v Speaker 1>place of shelter, because the hail will fall on every

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<v Speaker 1>person an animal that has not been brought in and

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<v Speaker 1>is still out in the field, and they will die. Okay, Now,

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<v Speaker 1>one issue here I have with the plague of hail

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<v Speaker 1>is not that God's going to send hail, but He's

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<v Speaker 1>telling them bring their livestock in and we just heard

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<v Speaker 1>that all the livestock died. So I don't know if

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<v Speaker 1>they bought the Israelites livestock, if all the livestock was

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<v Speaker 1>an exaggeration, or if they bought livestock from someplace else,

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<v Speaker 1>But just a moment ago, they didn't have any livestock,

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<v Speaker 1>and now they have to bring it in. So there's

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<v Speaker 1>something going on here that we're not going to be

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<v Speaker 1>able to get clarity until we stand before the Throne

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<v Speaker 1>of Grace. But in any case, this is going to

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<v Speaker 1>be bad, and they get this extra special warning. I

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<v Speaker 1>could have wiped you out, but I don't want to.

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<v Speaker 1>I've raised you up for this purpose. I want to

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<v Speaker 1>show that these are my people and that I am

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<v Speaker 1>their God, and I'm going to use you to show that,

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<v Speaker 1>which is why God has been God is saying he

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<v Speaker 1>has been merciful, but is getting less merciful as we

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<v Speaker 1>go forward. Here, those officials of Pharaoh who feared the

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<v Speaker 1>word of the Lord hurried to bring their slaves and

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<v Speaker 1>their livestock inside, but those who ignored the word of

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<v Speaker 1>the Lord left their slaves and livestock in the field.

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<v Speaker 1>That is a real interesting verse. So the people have

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<v Speaker 1>had frogs and flies and gnats and dark and blood.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm sorry, I haven't at the dark yet. I got

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<v Speaker 1>ahead of myself and livestock dying, and now have this hail.

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<v Speaker 1>But some people still haven't got the message that the

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<v Speaker 1>God of the Hebrews is someone you should listen to,

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<v Speaker 1>and so they're not taking heed. But some people have.

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<v Speaker 1>Some people say, if the God of the Hebrews says

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<v Speaker 1>he's going to send hail, I'm going to take precautions

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<v Speaker 1>because I believe him. Then the Lord said to Moses,

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<v Speaker 1>stretch out your hand toward the sky, so that hale

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<v Speaker 1>will fall all over Egypt, on people and animals, on

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<v Speaker 1>everything growing in the fields of Egypt. When Moses stretched

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<v Speaker 1>out his staff toward the sky, the Lord said, thunder

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<v Speaker 1>and hail, and lightning flashing down to the ground. So

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<v Speaker 1>the Lord reigned hail on the land of Egypt. Hale

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<v Speaker 1>fell and lightning flashed back and forth. It was the

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<v Speaker 1>worst storm in all the land of Egypt since it

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<v Speaker 1>had become a nation. Throughout Egypt, Hale struck everything in

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<v Speaker 1>the fields, both people and animals. It beat down everything

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<v Speaker 1>growing in the fields and stripped every tree. The only

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<v Speaker 1>place that it did not hail was the land of Goshen,

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<v Speaker 1>where the Israelites were. Now I find a little bit

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<v Speaker 1>of irony here, because after hail destroys your crops, you're

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<v Speaker 1>going to have some problems feeding your people. Well, it's

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<v Speaker 1>interesting because what ends up bringing the Hebrews, the Sons

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<v Speaker 1>of Israel into Egypt in the first place, is a

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<v Speaker 1>shortage of food. It is that time of famine. And

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<v Speaker 1>of course the person who bailed out Egypt at that

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<v Speaker 1>time was Joseph, and so it seems kind of ironic

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<v Speaker 1>at this point that for Joseph's people to leave, we

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<v Speaker 1>have to go through that again. Then Pharaoh summoned Moses

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<v Speaker 1>and Aaron. This time I have sinned. He said to them,

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<v Speaker 1>the Lord is in the right, and I and my

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<v Speaker 1>people are in the wrong. Pray to the Lord, for

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<v Speaker 1>we have had enough thunder and ale. I will let

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<v Speaker 1>you go. You don't have to stay any longer. Moses replied.

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<v Speaker 1>When I have gone out of the city, I will

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<v Speaker 1>spread out my hands in prayer to the Lord. The

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<v Speaker 1>thunder will stop and there will be no more hail,

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<v Speaker 1>so that you may know that the earth is the Lord's.

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<v Speaker 1>But I know that you and your officials still do

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<v Speaker 1>not fear the Lord God. The flax and barley were destroyed,

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<v Speaker 1>since the barley had headed and the flax was in bloom.

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<v Speaker 1>The wheat and spelt, however, were not destroyed because they

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<v Speaker 1>ripen later. Love that little detail there, little farmer's detail there.

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<v Speaker 1>Then Moses left Pharaoh and went out of the city.

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<v Speaker 1>He spread out of his hands towards the Lord. The

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<v Speaker 1>thunder and hail stopped, and the rain no longer poured

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<v Speaker 1>down on the land. When Pharaoh saw that the rain

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<v Speaker 1>and hail and thunder had stopped, he sinned again. He

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<v Speaker 1>and his officials hardened their hearts. So Pharaoh's heart was hard,

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<v Speaker 1>and he would not let the Israelites go, just as

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<v Speaker 1>the Lord had said through Moses. Now we can pick

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<v Speaker 1>on Pharaoh, because Pharaoh is being very stubborn here, But

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<v Speaker 1>we sometimes also let the things that we have get

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<v Speaker 1>in the way of our relationship with God. We sometimes

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<v Speaker 1>think that the things are more important than people, for instance,

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<v Speaker 1>and that's what Pharah was doing. He doesn't want to

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<v Speaker 1>let these Israelites go because they are his possessions, they

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<v Speaker 1>are his slaves, They are part of his power, and

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<v Speaker 1>it is hard to give up power. It is hard

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<v Speaker 1>to give up the things that make us strong, and

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<v Speaker 1>so he doesn't. I thought I was going to go

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<v Speaker 1>on to chapter ten, but I think I'm going to

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<v Speaker 1>stop there instead. That's good enough length for a particular episode,

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<v Speaker 1>and I see that chapter ten is quite long with

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<v Speaker 1>guess what more plagues, including one that I gave a

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<v Speaker 1>little subtle foreshadowing to. So with that, we're going to

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<v Speaker 1>end this episode of the Bible Study Podcast. If you

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<v Speaker 1>have any questions, send an email to Chris two xat

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<v Speaker 1>gmail dot com, or, better yet, leave a comment on

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<v Speaker 1>this episode at the Bible Study podcast dot com. And

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<v Speaker 1>as always, thanks so much for listening. I want to

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<v Speaker 1>take just a second to thank the team at Life

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<v Speaker 1>Audio for their partnership with us on this podcast. If

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