Title: True Repentance is the Way to Live
Exodus (20) True repentance is the way to live (Exodus 8:1-15)
< The Power of the Word and Prayer >
The text depicts the second plague of frogs on Egypt. At that time, in mid-December, when the Nile was drained after regular flooding around June-October, numerous frogs scrambled onto the river's fertile soil. So the Egyptians worshiped the frog as a symbol of fertility and fertility. The frog became an instrument of judgment.
In the end, when the land became a land of frogs in all directions, and the suffering became severe throughout Egypt, Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and asked the Lord God to take the frogs away from him and his people, and he would send the Israelites to offer sacrifices to the Lord (verse 8). ). This promise was the first specifically mentioned by Pharaoh of the Exodus.
At that time, Moses prayed earnestly, and in response to God's answer, the frog came out of the house, yard, and field and died on its own (verses 12-13). Through this scene, we are reminded of frogs who fearlessly jump into death in order not to violate the will and providence of God.
As I watch the fish that are faithful to death so as not to betray the words of Jesus, I become silent and at the same time realize once again how amazing the power of the word is. The word of God is the word of the power that created the heavens and the earth. When we strive to obey the Word and strive to obey God's will, there will never be any failures or misfortunes in our life.
When weaving fabric with warp and weft, the warp line must be straight so that the fabric is straight and beautifully woven. The fabric of life is woven right away when the warps are in order. The warp thread is called 緯 and the weft thread is called 緯.緯 ( 緯) refers to the origin of work. In order for life to be right, the ‘gyeong (wing line)’ must stand upright. Books that record the right standards of life are called sutras. As such, the Bible is the mirror of the soul that reflects faith and life. When you meet Jesus through the Bible, the words of the Bible will change your soul, change your environment, and become the source of miraculous work.
< True repentance is the way to live >
After the frogs died like a mountain, people gathered them and piled them up in heaps, and there was a stench (verse 14). Those dead, foul-smelling frogs show how foolish the Egyptians' attitude toward frog idols was. After all, the second plague must have been an opportunity for the Egyptians themselves to realize how futile it was to worship frogs as a symbol of fertility and fertility.
When the plague of frogs was over and he sighed, Pharaoh's heart became hardened again, and he did not keep his promise to let the Israelites go as God had promised (verse 15). If you look at this scene, it shows how hard it is to truly repent and turn toward God. If you turn to God, your misfortune turns into happiness, but the problem is that you can't turn it that way. In the end, it is the main cause of unhappiness.
The way to live well is to put God first and live according to God's will. If you turn away from God even if you have learned a little and do not obey God's Word, the storms of your life will come. On the other hand, if we exalt God and obey His Word, blessed works will surely unfold. If you trust God well, you have nothing to fear. Even if you encounter difficulties in the course of your life, the end will surely unfold in a good way. On the other hand, if you distance yourself from God, even if it seems that things are going well on the outside, sooner or later you will be on the road to ruin.
At the time of Moses, sin was rampant in Egypt, and God sent Moses to Pharaoh to show the existence and greatness of God, but Pharaoh continued to reject God, so God's wrath and judgment did not end in the second plague. What is important is repentance. True repentance is the way to live. When a prayer topic arises and disaster strikes, the first thing to do is repent. Lead the recovery through repentance and look only to God and prepare for tomorrow's blessings.