The Pollution of Sin
Exodus 9:8-12
- We’re continuing our study through the book of Psalms.
- As we go through this study, we’re asking the question, “What can I learn about honoring God from this passage?”
- Last week, we looked at the powerful hand of God.
- We saw that God’s hand can send pestilence, God’s hand can separate groups, and God’s hand can prove His Truth.
- His hand is powerful and capable of amazing things!
- This week, we’re going to look at the sixth plague of Egypt, the plague of boils, and we’re going to compare it with the pollution of sin.
- When I was a kid, my teachers were always telling me and the other students how horrible pollution is.
- It’s a part of Science curriculum in schools all across the country.
- There’s a push to combat the growing problem of pollution in our world.
- There was even a cartoon called Captain Planet about a superhero who fought against those who were polluting our planet.
- No matter how much they told us, though, it seems like every year, the world becomes more polluted.
- I’ll admit, I’m no environmentalist, but I do know that pollution is bad, and it can cause a lot of destruction to our world.
- But there is something that’s even worse than physical pollution, and that’s the spiritual pollution of sin.
- So let’s look at three things we see about the pollution of sin from the plague of boils.
I. Sin is dirty- Vs 8
- I used to live in Colorado with my family when I was a kid.
- One day, my brother and I went over to a friend’s house to play after church.
- Unfortunately, we didn’t bring a change of clothes, so we were there with our dress clothes on.
- I still remember what I was wearing.
- It was a brand-new outfit, with dress pants, shiny dress shoes, a black vest with a button up white dress shirt, and a bolo tie.
- I didn’t mind dressing up for church, so I really liked my new clothes.
- Well our friend was kind of a punk and decided to play a prank on me.
- We were outside exploring when we came across a small pond.
- It had a weird yellow color to it, and it smelled gross, so I asked him, “What kind of pond is this?”
- He told me it was a bathroom pond, which is better known as a sewage pond or lagoon.
- Well I didn’t believe him, so I said, “No way. That’s gross, why would they put that out here behind the house?”
- So he said, “You don’t believe me? Get close to the edge and take a closer look. That’ll prove it.”
- Well, I was only about 12 years old at the time, so I foolishly did what he said.
- I got right up to the edge and bent down for a closer look.
- All of a sudden, a huge rock came flying in my direction and it splashed into the pond right in front of me.
- My brand new white dress shirt was covered with water from the sewage pond.
- I was in shock, and then I heard him say, “Now do you believe me?” and he started laughing.
- Needless to say, I never went near one of those ponds again!
- But what I remember most about that was how dirty I felt once the water was on me and I realized what it was.
- It was disgusting, and I was horrified!
- I literally had sewage on me.
- Now obviously, that was pretty gross, but at least I could take a shower and wash it all off.
- The Egyptians, however, had something worse happen to them, and they couldn’t wash it off.
- They were covered in boils, all over their bodies, and there was nothing they could do to get rid of them.
- In order to understand how serious this was, we have to remember that not only did the Egyptians worship a lot of different gods, but they also prided themselves on cleanliness.
- As a matter of fact, their priests were required to be ritually and physically pure before entering a sanctuary.
- The plague of boils made not just the priests, but all of the Egyptians physically and ritually unclean.
- Just to give you another idea of how serious this was, imagine if in the wilderness, after the Israelites received the Law from Moses, all of them for some reason suddenly became leprous.
- That would be a huge deal because leprosy made a person unclean, so according to the Law of Moses, none of the Israelites would get to worship God at the Tabernacle, not even the priests since they would all be considered unclean!
- That would cause quite a stir amongst them, so imagine how bad it must have been for the Egyptians since they worshipped several deities, and they couldn’t worship any of them while ritually unclean.
- Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch says, “…the priests, magicians and sacred animals of Egypt were always kept painstakingly clean, their bodies shaven in order to protect against disease. Now, their obsession with personal hygiene is of no avail. [They]…are utterly helpless in face of God’s plagues.”
- Notice that once again, God doesn’t warn Pharaoh about this plague.
- Other times, he was warned and given a day before the plague was sent, but this time, he didn’t see it coming.
- Also, for the first time, the plague targeted human health.
- So, God was showing Pharaoh and the Egyptians that He had power, not just in one area, but over everything, health included.
- Not only that, but this plague also was a judgment upon Egypt for their cruel treatment of the Israelites in slavery.
- We see this symbolically through the furnace Moses and Aaron took the ashes from was a brick-making furnace.
- The Egyptians oppressed the Israelites with hard labor, giving them quotas, forcing them to use these furnaces as they made brick, after brick, after brick…
- Now, God is using the ashes from one of those furnaces to spread this plague of boils among the Egyptians.
- So, what does this mean for us today?
- As I was thinking about this, it occurred to me how dirty ashes are.
- A big dark grey, filthy mess.
- When I was a member at Woodland Baptist Church, they heated the church with wood.
- So, every winter, there’d be a weekly rotation of guys who would go three times a day to fill the stove up with wood to keep the church warm.
- At the end of your week, if the furnace had burned a lot, you were supposed to clean out the ashes and dump them out back in the woods.
- It was a dirty job, cleaning those ashes out, because it was a big stove, and it was impossible to do without breathing in some of the ash.
- So, I’d go home smelling like wood and having ash all over me.
- So that made me think of how sin is dirty like that.
- At first, it’s not so bad.
- You think, “I’m “spiritually clean” and I can stay clean if I only do this once. I can do this without it becoming a stronghold in my life.”
- That’s a dangerous mindset to have because playing with sin is like playing with fire…you will get burned!
- We’re told in James 1:14-15, “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.”
- The world we live in today has made sinning easier than ever before, even leading people to believe that it’s innocent enough.
- You can watch pornography in the privacy of your own home with the internet or television, and that’s okay because everybody watches it, and nobody will know.
- You can buy alcohol at the store and drink in the privacy of your own home…one drink won’t hurt…two drinks is fine…then that leads to “I can get drunk at home, I’m not doing anybody any harm.”
- You can lust after the opposite sex, even say things about their bodies to your friends, and that’s okay because there’s no harm in looking, everybody does it.
- You can cuss every other word, even use the Lord’s name in vain, and that’s okay because everybody talks that way.
- Those are just a few examples of things that might seem innocent enough on the outside, but when you take a closer look, you see how dirty they truly are.
- That’s because sin is dirty…black and gross, filthy…it pollutes you.
- As Christians, we shouldn’t be living in habitual sin.
- We should strive to live pure, holy lives, living sacrifices to God Almighty as Romans 12 tells us.
- Not perfect, not sinless, because we’re still in the flesh…
- Yet we can be victorious over the power of sin through Christ our Sinless Lord who has already defeated sin.
II. Sin quickly spreads- Vs 9-10
- Imagine having boils all over your body.
- It would be excruciatingly painful!
- Just one is bad enough, and in many cases is so bad that it causes fever, but this wasn’t just one…
- With this plague, they were all over the body!
- Moses and Aaron stand before Pharaoh and Moses scatters the ashes into the air, just as God told him to.
- Immediately, boils broke out on all the Egyptians and their beasts, Pharaoh included!
- These boils caused an inflammatory swelling and burning.
- The Septuagint translation says, “It shall be an ulcer with burning pustules.”
- The Christian historian Orosius says “…all the people were blistered that the blisters burst with tormenting pain, and that worms issued out of them.”
- Words can’t even begin to describe how much pain those people must have been in.
- Yet as a nation, they hadn’t repented, even after 5 devastating plagues, so God continued to judge them.
- What’s interesting is that the Egyptians even had gods they worshipped that supposedly could stop epidemics like this from happening.
- They worshipped the god Imhotep who they believed was the god of medicine.
- They worshipped the goddess Sekhmet who was a lion-headed goddess with alleged power over disease.
- They also worshipped Sunu, the pestilence god.
- Then there was Isis, the goddess of healing.
- None of these gods or goddesses had any power to help the Egyptians because they were not real.
- God was showing the Egyptians that the true power over sickness and healing was Himself, the One True God.
- It was a lesson they should have learned already, but just like their leader Pharaoh, they were a stubborn people.
- This plague was so bad that I’m sure they couldn’t move around much…
- That means they couldn’t cook, or eat, or bathe, or walk around, or anything they might do on a normal day.
- And the more they scratched these boils, the worse they got, and of course they spread to be all over the body.
- As you can probably see, the plagues are getting progressively worse, and they’re leading up to the final plague, which will be the death of the firstborn.
- Yet we really see the mercy of God through these plagues, because before God sent the final plague, He gave them 9 separate times to repent and let His people go.
- Yet Pharaoh wouldn’t, and his people didn’t stand up to him…but God knew all along that Pharaoh’s heart would be hardened and he’d be stubborn.
- He knew they weren’t going to let His people go.
- Yet He still displayed His mercy to them by giving them 9 different opportunities to let His people go before striking the final blow.
- So, this picture of the boils spreading and covering the Egyptians’ entire bodies got me thinking about how sin quickly spreads.
- My boys like to watch Spider Man cartoons.
- One of the characters from the comics that always appears in the tv shows is a villain named Venom.
- Venom is an alien creature that’s looks like black sludge.
- He’ll attach himself to a person and will give them amazing strength and superpowers.
- Spiderman was one of the first characters that Venom attached himself to.
- When it attached to him, it spread and turned into a black suit.
- At first, Spiderman was excited to have this new suit and extra powers.
- Then, he figured out that the suit was not a good guy.
- It was starting to change his personality and his attitude in a negative way, as it was spreading itself to permanently become a part of him.
- Eventually, he is able to defeat Venom and separate himself from the toxic black sludge.
- Whenever I see the character Venom on the cartoons or in comic books, it makes me think of sin.
- Sin is evil like the villain Venom, but we don’t see it as evil while we’re enjoying the pleasures of it.
- It’s like a virus, and the more you give in to sin, the faster it spreads, and it changes you in a negative way.
- In the book of Hebrews, chapter 12, we’re told clearly that people can choose to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.
- There it’s referring to Moses, and his decision not to enjoy the pleasures of sin while living in the palace, but not everyone is as wise as Moses.
- Just look at what happened to King Solomon…he chose to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, and it had devastating consequences as God raised up enemies against him and Israel.
- We’re told in Romans 6:23 that the wages of sin is death.
- In 1 John 3, we’re told, “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that [Christ] was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him…He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning… Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.
- As you can see, those who willingly, habitually take part in sin are of the devil, for the devil has sinned since the beginning.
- Obviously, a backslidden Christian is not “of the devil”, however, those who are comfortable with sin and don’t care about what God thinks probably aren’t saved.
- But what about the Christian who sins?
- We’re told God’s seed remains in him and he cannot sin because he has been born of God.
- That means the Christian who sins won’t be comfortable in their sin for very long…
- Just like Spiderman realized that Venom was evil and chose to get rid of him, there will also be a turning point for the Christian.
- There will be a turning away from their sin, back to Christ.
- So, can we stop the pollution of sin from spreading?
- The answer is yes, and we could do a whole other sermon on how to stop its spread, but we don’t have the time today.
- But the one thing we must remember is that Jesus already defeated sin, so He already has power and victory over it.
- If you and I cling to Him and trust Him to protect us from the pull of sin, He’ll stop its spread in our lives, as we grow in our walk with Him through the process of sanctification.
III. Sin hides from God- Vs 11-12
- When my parents moved my family up to Maine from Colorado, all five of us crammed into a UHaul that only seated three.
- It was a long drive across country to get up here, and I was glad when it was over.
- But I’ll never forget my parents telling my brother Steven and sister Esther to stay down so other vehicles wouldn’t see we had so many people stuffed in the front.
- Once we made it to Bangor, my father stopped at a UHaul place for something, I can’t remember what it was.
- What I do remember though was my mother saying, “Okay, I need at least one of you to duck down and hide under this blanket so that the UHaul people don’t see we have so many people in here.”
- Well, my sister Zena stayed back in Colorado, so I was the oldest, and of course I got voluntold to do it.
- So down I went on the floor with the blanket thrown over me and I laid there.
- The UHaul guy got in the truck and was looking things over, so I was trying to stay still and hold my breath because I didn’t want him to know I was down there.
- Well, it was so hot, and I was sweating so bad, and I wasn’t getting enough air under that blanket, so finally, I just gave up and pulled myself up onto the seat and looked at the guy.
- He looked at me astonished, but didn’t say anything, and then left the truck, and I guess he must have overlooked it or something because he didn’t say a word to my parents about it, and off we went to Route 9 to drive to our new home in Calais.
- The reason I tell that story is because I remember thinking I’d have no problem hiding under that blanket, but I was dead wrong!
- I couldn’t hide for very long.
- It’s the same with any person whose life is polluted by sin.
- They might think they can hide, but there’s no hiding from God.
- Here in vs 11, we see the Egyptian magicians staying away from Moses and Aaron.
- It says they couldn’t stand before God’s representative, Moses, because of the boils.
- They couldn’t copy the plague, and they couldn’t protect themselves from it, and on top of that, it was hurting them so bad that they couldn’t move from where they were, probably in bed.
- So, that’s the obvious reason why they couldn’t get up.
- However, I believe there was also a deeper reason they couldn’t come before Moses.
- This is the sixth plague God has sent.
- The first two plagues, they imitated…turning the water to blood and summoning frogs.
- The third, fourth, and fifth plagues (lice, flies, and pestilence on the livestock), they couldn’t imitate.
- They even acknowledged that the plague of lice was from the finger of God, but they didn’t repent.
- Now, with the sixth plague afflicting their bodies, they’re realizing how much power God truly has.
- So, I believe that not only were they staying put because of the pain they were feeling, but also, they were staying put because they were hiding from God, or at least from His representative, Moses.
- Up until this point, they thought they could stand with Pharaoh against Moses and against his God.
- So, they had defiantly continued to hold their positions as magicians in Pharaoh’s court, and priests of their false gods, even after God showed them time and time again that their gods were useless and powerless.
- But now, it’s too much.
- They’re feeling the pain personally, all over their bodies, and I’m sure they must be thinking, “Why aren’t our gods helping us?”
- So, I believe that now they see even they are not immune, even though they’re representatives of their gods…
- So, I believe they realize they can’t stand before Him.
- By staying put, they are acknowledging defeat and hiding from God.
- Then in vs 12, for the first time, after five plagues, it says that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart.
- That’s because Pharaoh had already hardened his own heart and refused to repent.
- So, God hardening his heart now is the result of Pharaoh’s own stubbornness.
- One commentator says, “God hardens those who harden themselves.”
- Pharaoh already had hardened himself and he wasn’t going to change his mind.
- The thought of hiding from God brought my mind to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.
- We’re told that after they ate the fruit, they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden, so they hid themselves from the presence of the Lord.
- When God asks them where they are, Adam responds, “I heard Your voice in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked, and I hid myself.”
- Since he had sin in his life, he knew he couldn’t stand before God.
- That still holds true today.
- When a person has sin in their life, they attempt to hide from God.
- Some hide by convincing themselves that their sin is not actually sin…it’s just part of who they are.
- Others hide by pretending like God doesn’t exist…
- Others hide by making excuses, like Adam did…I’m too weak; everyone does it; Nobody’s perfect…and God is love, so I’m fine.
- As Christians, we’ll attempt to hide from God behind the grace card…
- “God, you’re full of grace, so even though I’m allowing this sin to have a stronghold in my life, that’s okay because of Your grace.”
- Or we’ll attempt to hide behind Scriptures we take out of context…
- “The Bible doesn’t say I can’t do such and such, so it’s okay for me to do it. God doesn’t forbid it!”
- Then there are those who are ashamed of their sin, but they can’t give it up, so they try to hide from God behind their shame, thinking there’s no way God could forgive them or give them victory.
- So, what we’re doing is hiding behind a Jesus of our own imagination, not the God of the Bible.
- But no matter where we try to hide, we will never be able to escape God.
- We’re told in Psalm 139:7-12, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.”
- There’s no hiding from God, and one day, everyone will stand before Him.
- In closing, I would ask you the question, “Is the pollution of sin spreading in your life?”
- The pollution of sin in our world is a horrible thing, and we can see the damage from it all around us as lives are destroyed, families are divided, and our culture becomes even more depraved.
- If you’ve never given your life to Jesus Christ, then sadly, you’re lost, and when you stand before Him on Judgment Day, you will want to hide from Him, but you won’t be able to.
- Yet Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to this earth, lived a sinless life, and paid the penalty for the sin of the world as He hung from the cross.
- He died for you, and now, He offers the gift of Salvation.
- Turn from your sin, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you’ll become part of His family.
- If you’re a Christian, and you’ve allowed sin to gain a stronghold in your life, and you know that it’s polluting your life, I encourage you to confess it to the Lord today and ask Him for victory.
- Christians shouldn’t be living in defeat.
- Christ has already won the war for us!
- You can live in His victory each day, but you must first give up whatever sin it is that’s spreading in your life.
- Hand that sin over to Christ today, and rest in His arms.
