In Psalms chapter seventy-eight Asaph reminded the people of Israel when they journeyed through the wilderness how Jehovah God, “had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan: And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that they could not drink. He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them. He gave also their increase unto the caterpillar, and their labor unto the locust. He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycamore trees with frost. He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts. He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them”, and in chapter seventy-eight and verse fifty of Psalms Asaph said Jehovah God, “made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death” where we read,
He made a way to his anger;
he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;
The verse begins, “He made a way to his anger;” Asaph began with the words, “He made a way” or “He, Jehovah God, prepared, revolved and weighed a trodden pathway” “to his anger” which means “toward his, Jehovah God's, ire and wrath that causes a wrinkling of the nose and countenance”. Asaph said Jehovah God prepared a pathway to His ire and wrath.
The verse continues, “he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;” Asaph added the words, “he spared not their soul” or “he, Jehovah God, did not withhold, restrain, hold back, keep in check or reserve their, the people of Egypt's, inner man, heart, mind, life, desires and seat of emotions and passions” “from death” which means “separate and apart from ruin, destruction and lifelessness”, “but gave their life” or “however, nonetheless, notwithstanding and moreover delivered and surrendered their, the people of Egypt's, active sustenance, maintenance and living” “over to the pestilence” which means “toward the plague, murrain and cattle disease”. Asaph said Jehovah God did not hold back or restrain the hearts and minds of the Egyptians and delivered them to be affected by the murrain and cattle disease.
When we meditate upon the words in this verse, we see how Jehovah God did not restrict His anger and wrath once the Egyptians refused to follow and obey Him. Moses told Pharaoh that God said, “let my people go”, and he refused to the point that God poured out His “indignation” upon him and his people. (See Exodus 5-8) There comes a point, we know not when, that God will no longer delay His “wrath” being poured out upon a person or nation. He invites everyone to be in an intimate, personal relationship with Him through His Son Jesus who died on the cross for the sins of the world, but if they refuse to receive Him long enough, they are subject to the “wrath of God”. The “murrain” was only one of God's judgments that fell upon the people in Egypt, and God has many ways to pour out His wrath. Once a person has rejected a final plea from Him, they will not have their “soul” “spared from death”, and woe be to those who refuse Him.
Next time Asaph says Jehovah God, “smote all the firstborn in Egypt”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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