Subject Twenty-four

DETAINED BY SATAN

Scripture: Exo. 8—11

1. The type
   Explain how God called the people of Israel out of Egypt, and how Pharaoh tried to detain them.
2. Serve God in Egypt
   1. In the last message, Subject 23, we saw how Pharaoh did not want the people of Israel to serve God. In this message we will see how Pharaoh allowed them to worship God, but would not let them leave Egypt.
   2. After hearing the gospel, many people today keep struggling until they finally begin to realize that it is hard not to believe. Then Satan would suggest, “Do not go overboard. Do not leave your attainments. Stay where you are.”
   3. Go on to say that nearly everyone who has received the gospel has afterward had a big change in his life and his position. Here you need to give some examples. Some had held an improper job, such as operating a casino. Once that one believed in Jesus, he knew that he had to give up that job. Another may have had a proper job. But once he believed in Jesus, his whole concept was changed. Formerly he cared only for his job and not for God; now his life is changed, and the basic principle of his behavior must also change. Formerly he was for making a living; now he is for serving God.
   4. Many have realized that they had to believe in Jesus, but they hesitate to change their position. Then Satan would suggest, “Serve in Egypt! You can have both heaven in the future and your attainments in this life.”
3. Don’t go too far
   1. In that day Pharaoh promised that the Israelites could serve God, but he would not let them go too far away from him.
   2. Today many want to believe in the Lord, but Satan also suggests to them, “Don’t go too far.”
   3. “Don’t go too far” was a matter of distance in that day, but today it is a matter of situation. With many people, there is no difference between their situation before they received the Lord and afterward. For example, some gave up watching the evil movies, but they continue to watch the good ones. Others quit gambling for money, but still play poker for fun. Use some examples such as these to show that these are all Satan’s suggestions.
   4. The reason Satan does not want man to go too far is that he wants to be able to pull man back into the world easily at any time. Pharaoh would not let the Israelites go too far, because he wanted to grab them back at any time. If you allow yourself to continue to see the good movies, it will not be too long before you will go back to the evil ones again. In the beginning you might be playing poker just for fun, but before long you would be gambling again. Many friends would advise you, saying, “There is nothing wrong with believing in the Lord, but don’t go overboard.” Others might advise you, “You have worked too hard for the whole week. It would be too much for you to have nothing for your entertainment.”
      All these are Satan’s suggestions.
4. The men may go, but not the little ones nor the old ones
   1. The type.
      After negotiating many times, Pharaoh finally agreed to let the men go, but he would not let the young ones or the old ones go.
   2. Today it is the same with many people. They would not believe until their parents are buried. In Nanking there was a college student who was very much touched by the gospel, but his mother was against his accepting the Lord. So he told the preacher that he would not believe before she dies. That preacher said to him, “What a good son you are! After you send your parents to hell, then you will go to heaven in peace.” That student was awakened by the rebuke, and he was saved.
   3. It is also the scheme of Satan that won’t let the young ones or the old ones go. If your parents and children all stay in Egypt, no doubt you will soon return to Egypt yourself. Use Acts 16:31, “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved, thou and thy house,” to explain that with the gospel, the household is a basic unit. Each house had to have a passover lamb. God wants the whole household saved together.
5. Go serve the Lord; only let your flocks and your herds remain
   1. The type.
      Then Pharaoh would let the whole household go, but he wanted their possessions to stay.
   2. Today many who believe in Jesus are doing the same thing. They do not bring everything with them to the Lord. Some are not able to preach such a gospel, because they themselves still have a lot of possessions left in Egypt.
   3. The reason Satan wants men’s possessions to stay in Egypt is that he knows that where their possessions are, there also is their heart. As long as men have their possessions remaining in Egypt, sooner or later they will return there themselves.
6. All go
   1. The type.
   2. Some really bring their whole being, their whole household, and all their possessions to come and believe in Jesus.
   3. As a result, they are completely delivered out of the power of Satan.
7. Smiting Pharaoh
   1. Pharaoh would not allow the Israelites to go, so God smote Pharaoh and killed all the firstborn of the Egyptians.
   2. Your wife, friends, or teachers hindered you from believing in Jesus, so God came in to smite them.
   3. Sooner or later you still have to believe in Him.
   4. Since sooner or later you will have to believe, why not believe sooner, even today?
   5. Those who suffer repeated smiting and still refuse to believe, not only will be bothered and have no peace, but they will also get their neighbors involved. Use the slaying of the Egyptians’ firstborn in one night as an example.
   6. It is better to believe in Him now.