September 13 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Devotional

The freedom of God's people could not be obtained at the conference table. Finally God's judgments had to take place. After ten plagues the Egyptians were forced to acknowledge the greatness of the God of Israel. Not until the last plague had rocked the nation were God's people free.

What happened to Egypt must happen to our world: there will be no peace for the oppressed until the world has seen the judgments of our God.

The hardening of hearts finally comes to the point where God gives people up. After they have disobeyed and taxed God's patience to the point of no return, final judgment is unavoidable. God is God. Everybody is bound to find that out.

In Exodus 11 Moses leaves the court of Pharaoh, where he has been pleading the cause of God's people. This time he leaves Pharaoh "hot with anger." Moses' anger is worthy of a separate study. When he was younger, Moses relied on his own muscle to bring righteousness to Israel. "He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people.... He killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand" (Ex. 2:11-12). But now, as God's ambassador, his voice is God's mouthpiece and his temper reflects God's anger.

"Then Moses, hot with anger, left Pharaoh." God's ambassador has been recalled. He breaks off the peace talks. Pharaoh has gone too far. The last door to peace is closed. Judgment must run its course.

Moses is exhausted. Then God speaks to him. God comforts Moses. He tells Moses that he is now going to answer the one prayer that is always first on the lips of those who know God: "Hallowed be your name."

The ultimate issue of history is not the salvation of people but the glory of God. When Christ has put all God's enemies under his feet, the Lord God will be all in all, everything to everybody.

God will be glorified by the deliverance of his people. But God's name will also be hallowed by the punishment of his enemies.

REFLECTIONS

What kind of situations today should provoke us to anger because God's name has not been hallowed?

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published by Paideia Press in 1977. This updated edition is copyright 2009 by Faith Alive Christian Resources. You can order a copy of this revised version of the book directly from the publisher.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this updated edition of Daylight are from the Holy Bible: Today's New International Version copyright 2001, 2005 by the International Bible Society.