Brethren, in a little more than a week, we are once again observing the most solemn Passover, which is on the fourteenth day of the first month. However, have you ever wondered what happens between the first day to the fourteenth day? If we go back to the Exodus story, the days leading up to the Passover were the time when God was actually sending out the last few plagues in Egypt.

I believe one of the most important verses that summarizes what Moses would face during his return to Egypt is found in Exodus 4:21, which is the same verse that we are going to focus on.

We read:

Exodus 4:21 = And the LORD said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do all those wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in your hand. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.

Now, there are three things I want us to take note of from this verse: Egypt, Pharaoh, and the heart.

What is the Land of Egypt?

For us to better see the magnitude and seriousness of the story of Exodus, we need to understand what Egypt was at that time. The ancient Egyptian civilization is one of the most powerful empires that have ever existed on this earth. In fact, the Egyptian empire lasted for about 3,000 years. The power and might of that empire can still be seen today with its magnificent pyramids, statues, and temples.

So, when Yahweh commanded Moses to go back to Moses and challenge the most powerful civilization at that time, it wasn’t a joke. We should then understand why Moses was hesitant to face the leader of this empire, which is referred to as Pharaoh.

Who is Pharaoh?

Now, Pharaoh was the ruler of Egypt. He is no ordinary leader. He was not simply a king, but rather a god in the eyes of the Egyptians. The Egyptians believed that the Pharaoh was the Son of Ra, the sun god and the reincarnation of Horus, the falcon god. Now, for us to better understand what this all means, we need to understand the religious landscape that existed in ancient Egypt.

Ra was the sun god. He is the ultimate god in Egyptian mythology. He is the father of all creation. Egyptians even believed that the first pharaoh of Egypt was Ra himself! Now, think about it for a second, if Ra was the father of all creation, then the current Pharaoh, is equivalent to the Son of God, who is Yahshua the Messiah Himself!

The Counterfeit Religion of Egypt

Now, I want you to start seeing how God will use these circumstances to accomplish His purpose. I mentioned that the Pharaoh is not just the son of Ra, but he is also the reincarnation of Horus. Horus has the head of a falcon, which is a symbol of divine kingship. Now, here’s what’s more interesting. The right eye of Horus is the sun, which symbolizes power while his left eye is the moon, which represents healing.

Now, who is the person that comes to our mind when we hear of the being the son of God, the King of kings, and the one who brought healing? It’s Jesus Christ (Yahshua).

While I was preparing this message, I was really amazed and shocked at how Satan created a counterfeit religion copying the elements of the true form of worship. Here, we see how Satan turned God the Father into Ra and Yahshua as the Pharaoh.

Why God Hardened Pharaoh’s Heart

Now, the third element in Exodus 4:21 is the phrase, “But I will harden his heart,” referring to the heart of the Pharaoh.

Again, remember, Pharaoh, isn’t just a mere leader, he is seen as a god himself and the divine mediator that connects the Egyptians to the gods! His word was law. You can’t defy the Pharaoh because his word is final. The Egyptians even believed that their eternal fate depended on the decision of the Pharaoh.

Now, here’s another interesting piece of the puzzle. The Bible didn’t specifically mention who this Pharaoh is. Instead, he was only referred to as Pharaoh with a capital letter P. Why is this? Because Pharaoh here represents a line of kings that is bent on rebellion, wickedness, and selfishness. According to some scholars, it is more likely that the Pharaoh who ordered the killing of the male babies at the beginning of the exodus was a different Pharaoh from the one that Moses would later meet.

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Remember as well how evil this powerful empire was. It has built a superpower nation built upon the backs of the overworked and abused slaves. The Egyptians were as guilty as the Pharaoh who tolerated this kind of evil to exist for centuries (Exodus 14:17).

Now, here’s what’s really interesting, God hardening Pharaoh’s heart raised a lot of theological questions. Some argue that Pharaoh wasn’t a fault because it was God who was overriding his free will. So, why did God harden Pharaoh’s heart?

First off, God wasn’t the only one who was doing the hardening here. In fact, in other places, we read that Pharaoh was the one who was hardening his own heart. Just to give you a quick reference, you can read Exodus 8:15: ¹⁵ But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not heed them, as the LORD had said.

Yahweh already knew the nature of Pharaoh’s heart. That was his tendency. Remember, this was the same Pharaoh who subjected an entire nation to slavery. Pharaoh wasn’t a helpless pawn in this story who didn’t have a choice, rather, it was his deliberate choice to be a wicked ruler.

This is actually a bigger topic that I can’t possibly cover in this short message, but let me give you an answer that comes out right from the Bible:

¹⁷ For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.” ¹⁸ Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.

Romans 9:17-18

I don’t know about your brethren, but I am just amazed at how God works. God knows the tendency of people. So, instead of getting discouraged by Pharaoh’s attitude, God used his evil heart to fulfill His purpose.

The True God Versus the False Gods

What we see in Egypt was actually a showdown between the gods of the Egyptians and the one True God, Yahweh the Most High. Every plague was a strike against the Egyptian gods. For example, the plague of blood was against Hapi and Osiris, the Egyptian gods of the Nile. The plague of frogs was against Heqet, the Egyptian god of fertility. The plague of dead livestock was against Apis, the god of livestock. The plague of darkness was against Ra, the god of the sun.

Now, here’s what we need to understand in this story. The strike against the Egyptian gods, Egypt, and Pharaoh was a strike against Satan himself. By defeating these things, God has defeated Satan.

Remember God’s Victory in Egypt

Isn’t it interesting that this happened right before Passover?

Before the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread, we know how trials and challenges intensify. I can tell you, that the past few days and weeks have been a difficult time for me and my family. I know some of you are experiencing the same thing, too.

However, just like the story of the Israelites, we can have full assurance and confidence that we will win this battle. Why? Because God is with us and we are on His side. If God defeated Satan in the past, then God would surely have defeated him today. Brethren, I want us to look back on the story of Pharaoh, Moses, and the Israelites as an enduring testament to God’s power, mercy, and faithfulness.

Isn’t it interesting brethren that right before the Passover, God is introducing Himself as the sovereign and ultimate Ruler by subduing the most powerful human being in the most powerful nation? He is telling us “Hey, whatever you’re going through right now, you can overcome it because I am with you. I will strengthen you. I will uphold you. I will guide.”

Thus, brethren, let us stay faithful to our calling. Yes, there are things that would discourage us, but those things are nothing compared to God’s power. We have the most powerful Being who backs us up, who goes before us, who walks with us side by side. There’s nothing to fear. There’s nothing to be scared of. There’s nothing to worry about. Just persevere because I know, the time will come when we will also see our spiritual promised land.

Stand Still

I hope this message has been a reminder to you, a source of strength and encouragement in times of trials. Yes, we are up against powerful enemies, but none of them is more powerful than our eternal, living, and Almighty God.

So, when you are facing your spiritual Egypt, Pharaoh, and the Red Sea, remember the words of Yahweh, Exodus 14:13 = “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD.”

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