Well friends, it's my privilege to be with you here today once again and I trust the Lord will bless us as we gather around his word. It's my privilege also to meet with you as we remember the Lord this morning once again and as we sought to remember the Lord in his own appointed way. Our reading today then is Exodus chapter 11. actually start the last two verses in chapter 10 but uh exodus 11 is not quite as long as some of the other chapters but there's actually a wee bit in it but it's uh exodus chapter chapter 10 verse 28 that's where we'll start today and pharaoh said unto him get thee from me Take heed to thyself, see my face no more, for in that day thou seest my face, thou shalt die. And Moses said, thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face no more. And the Lord said unto Moses, yet will I bring one plague more upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt. Afterwards, he will let you go from here. When he shall let you go, he shall surely search you out from here altogether. Speak now in the ears of the people and let every man ask of his neighbor and every woman of her neighbor jewels of silver and jewels of gold. And the Lord gave And the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover, the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's servants, and in the sight of the people. And Moses said, Thus saith the Lord, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt, and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die. from the firstborn of Pharaoh who set it upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant who is behind the mill, and all the firstborn of beasts. And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more. But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast, that thou mayest know how that the Lord does put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel. And all these thy servants shall come down unto me, and bow down themselves unto me, saying, Get thee out, and all the people that follow thee, and after that I will go out. And he went out from Pharaoh in great anger. And the Lord said unto Moses, Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt. And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, and the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go out of his land. Now trust the Lord to bless. the reading of his words. Maybe we could pray for a wee second. Our Father and our God, we pause in thy presence. We do give thee thanks indeed for our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, for the one who shed his love upon us, the one who loved us and gave himself for us. We can only but thank thee for thy goodness to us, Lord, and for thy great salvation you have bestowed upon us, Lord. We pay God thy blessing upon us, Lord, as we are met around thy word, Lord. We just look to thee, Lord, that thy blessing may be upon us here, Lord, as we We have already read the scriptures. We look to thee, Lord, that thou bless what the remarks that you have given me, Lord, and we just pray, God, your blessing to each and every heart, Lord. While it's a word of encouragement, a word of rebuke, Lord, we look to thee, Lord, that it be used and blessed of thee, even to this people and to those who listen beyond even, Lord. We just look to thee, Lord, that thou bless and undertake. We leave all in thy care, and we ask it all in our Lord Jesus' precious name. Amen. Amen. This is the last plague, effectively the plague of the death of the firstborn, but this is really just announced. The plague doesn't really begin until the 12th chapter, but this is really just announced here in chapter 11, the 10th plague, the death of the firstborn. In verse 1 it says, And the Lord said unto Moses, Yet I will bring one more plague upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt, afterwards he will let you go from here and when he shall let you go he shall surely thrust you out from here altogether the purposes of God fulfilled the purposes of God fulfilled was the first thing I thought of there one more plague one more plague in other words God knew it was only going to take one more it was only going to take one more here we have we would notice that our God knew Egypt's limits he knew all along that it would take 10 plagues and in God's time Israel would be free from a bondage in Egypt. Egypt's gods had been defeated one by one. We have noticed as we have come through this chapter, every god that Egypt had, every last one of them were defeated one by one. Reminding us of the futility of entering into battle with the true God, with our true God. And also reminding us that our God will ultimately get the victory. And we are ultimately on the victory side. Of course, it may not look like it at times, but ultimately we will be on the victory side. It will all end well, as far as we're concerned. And actually just chapter three in verse 10, it said, come now therefore and I will send thee, Moses was called, come now, therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh that thou mayest bring forth my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt. This is about to happen. This is about to happen, that the children of Israel are going to come out. That promise is going to be ultimately fulfilled very shortly in the book of Exodus here. The time is now very near. One more, one plague more, the promises of God will be fulfilled. Moses had been promised that He would lead Israel out and nothing was going to stand in the way of that. Nothing was going to stand in the way of that. The only thing Moses had to do, he had to wait. He had to wait God's time. He had to wait God's time. We find that very difficult, to wait God's time, but this is what Moses had to do as well. He had to wait God's time and that's something that we can find difficult. The children of Israel had to learn patience. Indeed, it's a patient life. The Christian life is even a patient life. Dealing with all our Christians, you need patience sometimes. Dealing with circumstances of life, you need patience. Dealing with seeking the Lord's will, we need patience. And the list could go on now. The Christian life is effectively a life. of patience where we set them wait for God's time. It's a dangerous thing to be in a hurry as far as God is concerned, especially seeking the will of God. There's too many can be in a hurry and then they rush into the wrong circumstances or come to the wrong conclusion. But there are many precious promises in the scripture for us and it's only God's timing that we're waiting for fulfillment. John 14 verse 3, I go and prepare a place for you and I will come again to receive you unto myself that there you may be also friends. We're just waiting God's time for that one. We're just waiting God's time for the Lord's return for his own, to take his church away. Psalm 37, verse 25, I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. God's promises are sure and they're true, and we know that so well. The promises could go on, you could go through the scripture, you could spend months and years on the promises of God, but many of them We just await God's timing on them. But we thank God they will come. The purposes of God fulfilled one more plague. One plague more, it says. Drove out in the purpose of God. Drove out in the purposes of God. In verse one it says there again, when he shall let you go, he shall surely thrust you out from here altogether. God knows something that we sometimes forget, that the children of Israel were not just going to be let go, but they were going to be drove out by the Egyptians. It's well seen that God knows the heart of man and how difficult it can be to get everybody going in the one direction. How difficult it can be to get everybody going in the one direction. If you look across our land at all the different denominations there is in this land of ours alone, never name anywhere else, you'll see it's very difficult to get everybody going in the same direction. In the right direction, of course, but it's well seen that God knows the heart of man and for Except the children of Israel who drove out, I'm sure it would have been hard to get them all to go. I'm sure it would have been hard to get them all to go out of Egypt. Even though they were well treated, they were well treated in Egypt of course, they were anything but treated well. beaten and whatever but still there would have been rules here to drag their feet and wouldn't have wanted to go so God was going to make sure they're all going to go. He was going to make sure he couldn't make the Egyptians drive them out. The Lord's work is about the God of course. It's hard to get everyone pulling in the same direction as I've already said and sometimes only an intervention of God can change that. Only an intervention of God can change that with our rebellious attitudes at times. Remember Paul Remember Paul, there was a time that he couldn't get anybody to go with him to support him. We read in 2 Timothy 4 in verse 16, it says, at my first offence no man stood with me, Paul said. No man stood with him. But all men pursued me, I pray that I'd be not led to their charge. Paul couldn't get anybody to go with him, which was a sad reflection on things. Paul being such a great preacher and a great man alone. But we would be people that were always conscious of the Lord's leading. and not be those that have to be dragged along kicking and screaming so to speak of people that stand with their Lord's servants and always ready to encourage and not to forsake. In that same passage it says in 2 Timothy 4 and 10 it says, For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world. Verse 11 it says then, And only Luke is with me. take Mark and bring him with thee, for he is profitable to me, for the ministry. The question is, are we a Demas? Are we a Luke? Or can we return like Mark? Can we return to the ministry like Mark, for we're profitable for the ministry? The question is, which one are we? I trust and pray we're a Luke, or even we could be a Mark, we could return to the ministry and be profitable once again. Verse two then goes on, Israel rewarded for their labors in Egypt. Israel rewarded for their labors in Egypt. Speak now in the ears of the people. Let every man borrow or ask of his neighbor and every woman of her neighbor jewels of silver and jewels of gold. Now the word borrow there is actually a prayer translation of what the scripture really means. Ask is better. For these are faculty paybacks. They're faculty back pay. Back pay. You know the way you love to get back pay when you're working there and your boss hasn't been paying you enough for a long time and then you get back pay and that's a pleasant thing to get. But this is what the Jews are going to get here is back pay. They're owed, what they're owed for their laborers in Egypt. So in other words, all the trials, And all the troubles and all the labors and all the pain and suffering, even the beatings at the hands of Egyptians were going to be rewarded. They were all going to be rewarded. Romans 8 and verse 18 it says, for I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. And friends that's very true as far as we're concerned. The glory that will be revealed in us in the coming day will be something wonderful. Friends, our reward will come. And when it comes it will make all the troubles, all the pains of this present life seem so insignificant for the rewards with of glory. In 1 Corinthians 3 verses 12 to 14 it says, Build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay stubble. Every man's work shall be made manifest, for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire, and the fire shall taste every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide, which he hath built on it, he shall, he shall receive reward. There's no doubt there, he shall receive reward. Friends, the question comes, are you spending your life on the temporal things, on the wood, hay stubble? which will all be burnt up. We all have to do a certain amount of it, of course, but are we spending all of our life on the wood-haste double, which will all be burned up? When the test comes, when the fire of God comes, will it all be burnt and will your life have no real eternal purpose? Or are we spending our lives on the gold, silver, precious stones, or are we seeking to build a reward in heaven through service to the Lord? We're spending our life on eternal things, things that will last, things that will stand the test of time. What a waste if all we do on this earth is all burnt up at the end. What a waste if it's all burnt up in the end. Too many will only do the Lord's work if it fits into their lifestyle. If it fits into their lifestyle, if that's what you really know, well I doubt there will be little reward for that. Anyway, but that's not the right attitude as far as the Lord's work is concerned. Be sure there will be reward for those who have been faithful to the Lord and there will be those who will suffer loss at the judgment seat of Christ. And friends, that's a sad fact as well, that there will be those who will suffer loss at the judgment seat of Christ, because the scripture makes it very clear in 1 Corinthians 3, verse 15, if any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved, yet as by fire. He's not gonna loss his salvation, but he will lose, they will lose reward. What that loss entails, I do not know. But it needs to be considered for those believers who are just living life for self and for the next kick, so to speak, and the next pleasure, are not really concerned about the worship of God and the gospel of God. Friends, they will suffer loss. But we, of course, will seek to gain the rewards that the Lord has for us the best way we can. So, Israel was rewarded for their labours in Egypt. All that time, over 400 years, 480 years as far as I remember, they had spent in Egypt and they were going to get rewarded, they were getting their back pay for all the work that they had done. We will be rewarded in the coming day. The Lord's people respected them, in verse 3. The Lord's people respected and the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover, the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's servants, and in the sight of the people. There's a difference between respect and popularity. A difference between respect and popularity. Popularity is just following the crowd. It's just seeking to keep everybody happy, whatever it takes, with little or no convictions on any issue. That's really a definition of a politician, just trying to keep everybody happy, with no convictions about anything. But friends, that's only popularity, that'll get you votes, but it'll not get you votes, it'll not get you too many votes in heaven. We are not promised popularity. Indeed, the opposite is the case. The scripture would make it clear that marvel not if the world hit you. The Bible would remind us. Friends, we are interested in respect. We are interested in this world's respect. It's being sensitive to the people around us, yet holding our beliefs firm. Sensitive to the people around us, yet holding our beliefs firm. With convictions and being consistent in them. being consistent in them, without being aggressive to those that are against us. Friends, that's really where we're at. We're not after popularity. Politicians can have popularity they like, but it'll not last too long right now. But we should remember that there will always be those on the enemy's side who will want to stir up trouble and not respect, because they want to stir up trouble between us and the world and between us and whoever else. that that respect may be lost. And that's something we have to be sensitive to, that there are those dropping, trying to land us in it, drop us in it, so to speak. So we should seek to walk away from that sort of trouble if possible at all. that we may continue to gain the respect of the world. In Matthew 10, verse 16, it says, Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves. Be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves. There's no doubt to try to keep that respect in the world, we do need to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. And that's not easy at times, that's not easy done. because they do leave booby traps for us, something for us to fall into, and to say something that will annoy them more unduly than we really needed to. But remember, it's been said of the Lord Jesus Christ that the people marveled at his gracious words. That the people marveled at his gracious words in Luke 4 and 21, and all bore him witness and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, is not this Joseph's son? Friends, if we could be like that, we could gain the respect of the world, and they may listen to us better, actually. And they will listen to us better, I do believe. The message we have to tell is controversial. The message we have to tell is controversial. The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is controversial as far as this world's concerned. We believe in one savior, and no other savior outside of him. The world doesn't like that theory, that truth. But we need not We have a message which is controversial, but we need not be controversial. We need not be controversial with it. That's a difficult balance to strike. But it's important that we try. Consistency, of course, is very important as well in our dealings with others. Even if the things that we believe and say the world doesn't like, the facts are, if we are consistent in them, we are consistent in them, and they know that we believe it and we have convictions about it, it will be easier for them to accept it. So friends, that's what it is. Israel was respected in Egypt. And friends, that's what we're really after. We're interested in the world respecting us, that we may be able to get our message across to them. Pharaoh threatened by Moses then. There will always be those who are inspired of the enemy, who will seek to do harm, and Pharaoh fits into that category very well. If Moses and the children of Israel had come into favour with the Egyptians as they had, The Egyptians, as I've already said earlier on, respected Moses and respected the children of Israel, and Pharaoh's servants even respected Moses and the children of Israel, but that didn't work as far as Pharaoh was concerned. He still couldn't stand them. He still couldn't stand them. He had a hatred in his heart for them, for he was certainly out of touch with the Lord, of course, but he was even out of touch with his own people. He was even out of touch with his own people. He wasn't relying on the vote of course, Pharaoh was a family dynasty, so he wasn't really worried about what the people thought. But in chapter 10, verse 28 and 29, we read about Pharaoh and it says, and Pharaoh said unto him, get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more, for in that day that thou seest my face, thou shalt die. And Moses said, thou hast spoken well, I shall see thy face no more. Those are very sad words because that really was the last time Moses ever spoke to Moses, but Pharaoh was a man that said it. Pharaoh was a man that said it. He sealed his own doom. Pharaoh sealed his own doom with this statement. 1 Peter 2 verse 23, who when he was availed, he availed not again. When he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judges righteously. This, of course, is speaking of our Lord Jesus Christ. This should be our response to ridicule and even to threats, to commit them to the Lord and the one who judges righteously. The one who judges righteously. We should not annoy ourselves with angry thoughts, even, but trust in the Lord. We live in a day when ridicule is largely the weapon of choice against the Lord's people. Reticule is largely the weapon of choice against the Lord's people. But the sad thing, a lot of the time it can come from the Lord's people itself. But friends, our response should be the same, to trust in the Lord and the one who will judge righteously, the one who will judge righteously. God's dealings with Pharaoh on this occasion With this plague of death, he did not see Moses' face anymore. As far as I remember, Moses... Pharaoh was drowned at the Red Sea with the rest of his army. As far as I can remember. But Moses... Pharaoh sealed his own doom here. He sealed his own doom. Which is a sad fact. Which is what happened. The time of judgment. Verse 4. In verse 4 we read, and Moses said, thus saith the Lord, about midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt. A great day of death, a great day of pain and judgment was about to descend on Egypt, and the facts are, the judgment will come. Facts are, the judgment will come to this veiled world in which we live as well. In Isaiah 21 and verse 11, we read an interesting passage of scripture, the burdens of Duma, He calleth to me out of the sire, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night? Isaiah is a watchman, he receives this earnest inquiry. For judgment was about to fall on Edom at this time. And that would open the way for the release of the Jews. We live in a world that is truly ripe for judgment, truly ripe for judgment. Wickedness abounds in every hand, a great tribulation which soon in which this vile world will come, it will come before that descends, we believers will be caught up to be with the Lord in the air. And that great promise I read there a few moments ago. But the question we must ask ourselves, is there anything more than we can do to reach the lost? Is there anything more we can do to reach the lost before this great judgment descends? It's surely coming, it will come. It's only a matter of time, awaiting God's time and the judgment of God to descend upon this world. As Isaiah said, watchman, what of the night? What of the night? Time is short. The watchman said, the morning cometh when it will be too late. The morning cometh when it will be too late. Let's consider what more can be done. What more? Is there anyone we could ask even under the sound of the gospel or try to bring in there or even speak to? Let's guard our witness that nothing we do even damages the cause of Christ. Friends, that can be a big enemy as well. Some things we do, damage is the cause of our Lord Jesus Christ. But friends, watchmen, what of the night? The night cometh. Judgment's coming. And what more can we do to reach the lost? All men are equal before God. And we've noticed in verse 5, all men are equal before God. And the firstborn, in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservants, who is behind the mill, and all the firstborn of beasts. All men are treated equally from Pharaoh and his palace to the ordinary Egyptian citizen. All men are treated equally before God. The Bible teaches that our God is no respecter of persons. Sometimes believers get above their station and we can start to think that we're more important than we really are. But friends, we'll all get to heaven the same way. We'll all get to heaven the same way through the blood of Christ. And we're all equal in that respect from the youngest Christian To my youngest Christian child, to the oldest Saint of God, we're all equal, we'll all go, we'll all get to heaven by the blood of Christ. We're washed in the blood and that is our path to get into glory. Sometimes you hear things about believers and they tend to look down on those who are not saved. It grieves me just to hear it. They tend to look down on those who are not saved, which is bad. For one reason or another, it's important to remember We only are what we are by the grace of God, friends. We only are what we are. But for the grace of God, there go I, as someone has famously said. There's no doubt that the salvation of God brings social and moral benefits. There's no doubt it does. It brings social and moral benefits to the Lord's people. And in that community and in that home where salvation has entered. dare we get smug on ourselves, dare we get smug on ourselves and for it's all the Lord's doing and it's marvellous in his eyes but without him we could have been in the gutter by now, without him any one of us could have been in the gutter by now and the whole family circle could have been in the gutter because that's what happens friends for those who reject the salvation of God unfortunately my friends but dare we get smug but all men are equal before God what we thank God for the salvation and the blessings that the Lord has brought us into but there we get smug in that. Of course Peter 5 in verse 5 and 6 it says God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time. Sometimes we believers are so proud of who we are and what we have achieved. And that's wrong to start with. We haven't achieved anything in God. What we have, God has given us. Forgetting these things that we have achieved, it's all been done with the Lord's help. What we have, the Lord has given us. But the simple lesson is here, that all believers are equal before God. and that the Lord has no use for the proud. The Lord has no use for the proud, but he can use and give grace to the humble. He can use and give grace to the humble. God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you, that he may exalt you in due time. All men are equal before God. The great cry, then we notice in verse six, And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more. The sorrow in Egypt would have been horrendous. It would have been horrendous from the palace to the poorest home. None would miss this judgment. This would have been horrendous. The cry running right through the land of Egypt would have been desperate, reminds us of the pain that sin can bring to a person, to a person's life, and even to a nation, which has happened here. The sad fact is that Pharaoh's sin, Pharaoh's stubbornness, had brought this great cry to Egypt, had brought this great cry to Egypt. In Ezekiel 18, verse 23, it says of the Lord, I have no pleasure at all in that the wicked should die, saith the Lord God. not that he should return from his ways and live. That is the Lord's pleasure. He's no pleasure in the death of the wicked. He's no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Oh, that they would repent and return and live. That is what the Lord's desire is. The Lord is not willing that any should praise, but that all should come to repentance, we read we read in the New Testament. If you're listening online, even at the moment, can I warn you, there will be another great cry. I dread a day when you'll end up in hell if you failed to seek the Lord as your saviour. If you failed to seek the Lord as your saviour. I can tell you that it's not God's will that you go there. I can tell you it's not God's will that you go there. The Lord Jesus Christ has died on the cross for your sins. The Holy Spirit is even speaking to you now as you listen to the word of God. It's not God's will that you go there, but indeed it's God's will that you will repent and believe and live everlasting, live everlasting with Him and be with our Lord Jesus Christ for all eternity. In Romans 2, verse 11, it says, for God is no respecter of persons. When we reject the gospel, Reject the gospel and you will be lost. You will be lost for all eternity. Friends, even for believers who forsake and ignore God's word, friends, you'll find it'll not all end well. And it can be a cry, it can be, you can find there'll be difficult circumstances for those who turn their face away, turn their face away from the word of the Lord. A cry of sorrow answered then. We know it's another cry. Yesterday this was a cry of sorrow answered. but this was the children of Israel's cry. In chapter 3 verse 7 it says, And the Lord said, I have surely seen the afflictions of my people who are in Egypt, and I have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. Sincere prayer is heard, be assured of that. The Lord does see and take note of the afflictions and sorrows and cries of his people. Remember Lazarus. And a lovely statement in John 11 and 3, Behold, he whom thy lovest is sick. He whom thy lovest is sick. Israel was over 400 years, 480 years in Egypt, as far as I remember. So prayer can be a very patient work. a very patient book waiting on the Lord's time and as well maybe there's one listening and you've troubles you've been praying for something for years maybe a loved one for years and something maybe no one knows as well but well I can tell you the Lord knows he knows your sorrows he knows the needs and He truly cares. Indeed, it would be good practice to cast all our cares upon the Lord because He cares for you. The Bible reminds us to continue to do so day by day. Continue to do so day by day, to continue to bring our petitions before the Lord. He may not remove the sorrow if that be the problem, but He can give grace in the midst of that sorrow. He definitely can give grace in the midst of that sorrow. In verse 7 of chapter 11 there we read, and against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move its tongue, against man or beast, that he may know how the Lord doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel. I've just called this a dog who's lost their tongue. He hasn't lost their tongue, but the tongue hasn't moved. But you'd think he'd lost his tongue because a dog's tongue's always out, so you'd think it was lost. The dog's tongue wasn't even moving in Israel, or where Israel was, Lebanon and Gothenburg. But these dog's mansions, they're not believed to be family pets. They were thought they were wild dogs, scavengers that were roaming amongst the children of Israel. They weren't really under anybody's control, but of course God was able to control them. On that night God controlled their tongue. that it wasn't to move or weren't to make any noise. Their tongue wasn't moving, they weren't making any noise either, so that would be the same response. It's a good thing of an odd dog, if you could get the tongue not to move overnight, it would be very handy at times. But for most nights, these dogs would have been barking all night. They fought among themselves over food, but our God was able to silence them and to still their tongue. That's just the power of our God, as we've seen right through these plagues, just the power of God to keep his hand upon the children of Israel. And that's what was happening here once again. But it says there as well, that thou mayest know how that the Lord doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel. That the Lord doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel. I want you to see that the Lord makes a difference. The Lord makes a difference. A difference did not lie in the fact that one race was Israeli and the other was Gentile or Egyptian. A difference lay in the blood of a lamb, and the world's gonna lie in the blood of a lamb as we move on into chapter 12 where it was on the doorpost on the head of the building. We are different people only because of what the Lord has done for us. We've been washed in the blood of the Lamb and that's why we are different. We're not our own, we've been bought with a great price. We are a new creation, the family of God. In other words, we are servants of a great and gracious master, which he desires that we serve him. That is us. We are different. We are different people, and the Lord desires that we serve him and work for him. But friends, many today don't want to be different, sadly. That is a fact. Many today don't want to be different. The Lord's desire is that we're different. He has made us different, but many don't want to be different. The danger is that too many don't want to be different. They just want to stand. They don't want to stand out from the crowd. They don't want to identify with Christ and the way of Christ. And our Lord Jesus, when he was on this earth, he stood out from the crowd. He stood out from the crowd. Remember the officers in the temple, and this has already been quoted this morning around the Lord's table. Remember the officers in the temple, and they could say in John 7 verse 46, the officers answered, never a man spake like this man. Never a man spake like this man. And this man stood out from the crowd. He was truly different. He was truly different. We'll likely never, we will never be as great as our Lord Jesus Christ, but we are to be there. We were to try to be. were to try to be, that's the aim. In Luke 4 in verse 22 it says, And he bore him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And he said, Is not this Joseph's son which I read earlier? And that's where the Lord Jesus was so different as well, and said, We are to stand out and be different, with our gracious words even, that would proceed out of our mouth. of the Lord for us is that we behave and that we sound and we don't look like the crowd, but that we behave and sound and shine with the joy of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is a missing link today. Believers that have the mind of Christ. Believers that have the mind of Christ. Philippians 2 in verse 5, let this mind be in you, which is also in Christ Jesus. And friends, that's something to work on, that's something It's a life's work to have the man of Christ and to try and hang on to it. I believe that a believer like this will be attractive, will be attractive to the unsaved even. They'll stop to find out what's different about this man, this woman. Our witness will be greater. In the Lord's name we'll be exalted more. and they would wonder at the words of Christ, and they would wonder at the words of Christ seen through us. So friends, that's us. We're to be different. Many don't want to be different today, but friends, we're to stand out and to be Christ-like and to have the mind of Christ. And that is a tall order, but it's something we could spend our lifetime working on, to have the mind, to have the mind of Christ. Moses boldness before Pharaoh read out in verse 8 Moses boldness before Pharaoh and all these thy servants shall come down unto me saying get thee out, and all the people that follow thee. And after that I will go out." And he went out from Pharaoh in great anger. Moses is still in the presence of Pharaoh. He hadn't left after we read there in the end of chapter 10. He's still in the presence of Pharaoh and they're still speaking at this occasion. But Moses tells Pharaoh how it's going to be. He tells him he's Moses is getting bold here now, he tells Pharaoh how it's going to be. And that is, his people and thy servants are wiser than him. The fact that Moses was telling them, they are wiser than you are. Hebrews 11 verse 27, By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured, seeing him who is invisible. Moses didn't fear the wrath of the king. He told them that thy people and thy servants are effectively no more than you are, and they want us to go. But Moses, who earlier, of course, in the story, had to get iron to be a spokesman, now stands tall, not fearing Pharaoh. He speaks in the palace of Pharaoh, in the enemy camp, so to speak, and trusting his great God. He could trust his great God at this time. and he stands tall and he's bold. He's bold for his God at this time. His God, he could silence the gods of Egypt one by one. Each one of them was silenced one by one, right down the list. the false gods of Egypt, and that was a God that Moses was trusting at this time. In Hebrews 13, verse six, it says, so that we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do to me. That's what Moses really had in his heart. Boldly say, the Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do to me. But friends, this is a place I believe the Lord wants us to get to. This is a place the Lord wants us to get to in our Christian life and experience. And that is that we are bold for him. That is that we are bold for him. And exalting our Lord Jesus Christ in that. With little or no concerns for what man thinks. Little or no concern for what man thinks. We need to be bold, bold to pray. bold in prayer, and bold to pray in our prayer meetings, but bold to open the Bible and exalt our Lord Jesus through the Scripture, bold to preach the Gospel, and bold to minister the Word of God. You need boldness to do all them things, and that boldness only comes from our Lord Jesus Christ. The fear of man can bring a snare, the Bible teaches. friends, let's be concerned about God's will, God's glory, God's message, knowing God's help from day to day and not letting the enemy deflect us from them goals. Remember God's charge to Joshua, we would do well to take it to heart and Joshua 1 and 7, only be thou strong and be very courageous or bold, you could put in there. that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law which Moses thy servant commanded thee. Turn not from it, to the right or to the left, that thou mayest prosper wherever thou goest. Friends, let's be bold for our Lord Jesus Christ. Let's not be afraid to take our stand for him, to speak for him, to tell of his salvation, to tell what the Lord has done for us, tell him how he saved us, And friends, take our opportunities to be bold for Him, for I believe that's what the Lord wants us to get to, and to stand for Him. That's effectively me finished. I'll have to run down what we've looked at today. The purposes of God fulfilled, one more plague. One plague more. God says one more plague, and prayer will let you go, in other words. drove out on the purposes of God, and when He shall let you go, He shall surely thrust you out from here." The children of Israel were going to be drove out, but God knew very well if He didn't drive them out. If they weren't drove out, there would be those who would drag their feet and wouldn't want to go. So He got the Egyptians to drive them out. Israel rewarded for their labours in Egypt. So in other words, All their trials, all their troubles, all their labors, pains, suffering, even the beatings at the hands of the Egyptians, they're all going to be rewarded. They're going to get their back pay, as I've called it. But the Lord's people respect it. It's being sensitive to those around us yet holding firm to our beliefs and our message that we have, the message we have in the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Pharaoh threatens Moses and there will always be those who will be inspired of the enemy who will seek to do harm. And Pharaoh fitted in very well into that category. But we live in a day where ridicule maybe is largely the weapon of choice against the Lord's people, but the other could come as well. But friends, we can trust the Lord through all that, for he is the one who will judge righteously. The time of judgment, verse four, it said, and Moses said, thus saith the Lord, about midnight I will go out in the midst of Egypt. The facts are, judgment will come to this vile world of ours as well as it did to Egypt. friends, we should seek to warn people that the judgment will arrive in this world. All men are equal before God and the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die from the firstborn of Pharaoh's palace on to the firstborn of the maidservants and so on. There's no doubt all men are equal before God as far as our God is concerned. The great cry, God is no pleasure in the death of the wicked. He's no pleasure in the death of the wicked nor inflicting pain either, but that they will repent and return and live. That is God's desire, that men may return to him, that they may find true salvation. A cry of sorrow answered, and the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people. The Lord knows. He knows that they cry, and the answer is on the way. It's just waiting. It's just waiting the Lord's time. The dogs have lost their tongue. Those wild dogs that run round, the scavengers that run round. But against the children of Israel shall not a dog move its tongue. Even these wild dogs, they cannot touch. They cannot touch the Israelis or even make any noise to annoy them. The Lord makes a difference. The Lord sees us. He's made us different. He's made us a different people. We are the people of God, effectively. And what a great privilege that is, even to say that. We are the people of God. But many don't want to be different, friends. Many don't want to be different. They're those who just want to fit in with the crowd, to fit in with the world. And friends, that is not the answer. There's no witness, there's no testimony there for us. Moses was bold before Pharaoh, and there's a place the Lord wants us to be. He wants us to be bold for him. He wants us to stand, to stand in the evil day for him, so to speak, and to exalt his great name and the great salvation that is found in our Lord Jesus Christ. I trust the Lord to bless the study of his word here today. Once again, thank you for your kind attention. I was thinking 164, the rock of ages cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee, just to