A World of Compromise

When Pharaoh saw the plagues becoming more and more severe until they were intolerable, he began to realize that sooner or later he would have to loosen his hold upon the Israelites.

Torn between this realization and an unwillingness to lose his slaves, he made four attempts at compromise.

We can liken this to satan and how he tempts us.

When Satan sees that he is bound to lose his hold on some soul, his last efforts are to get that soul to compromise with him instead of wholly obeying God’s Word.

To understand Satan’s methods is to be fortified against him. Therefore we are going to consider Pharaoh’s proposals:

1. We find his first suggestion in Exodus chapter 8:

Exodus 8:25 KJV 1900

And Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron, and said, Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land.

He was willing for them to worship their God if they would only remain still in Egypt.

Satan would have a sinner to believe that he can “turn over a new leaf,” and that God will accept his worship even if he still remains a partaker of the things of the world.

Satan knows that such a “convert” can be an effective stumbling block to others.

We see how the enemy of our soul hates separation!

2 Corinthians 6:17–18 KJV 1900

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Revelation 18:4 KJV 1900

And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, That ye be not partakers of her sins, And that ye receive not of her plagues.

Israel’s separation from Egypt and their redemption were synonymous.

God could not redeem them from the power of the king without taking them away from the country.

2. When Moses steadfastly refused, Pharaoh offered another concession:

Satan is not necessarily in need of all of you…rather, he is satisfied with only part of you....a compromised person.

Satan know the word of God very well…and he knows that God has said that man cannot server 2 masters and cannot be divided at heart.

“Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only ye shall not go very far away”

Exodus 8:28 KJV 1900

And Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness; only ye shall not go very far away: intreat for me.

If they insisted on leaving Egypt, he would have them stay so close to the border that he would be able to conquer them again after their religious fervor had cooled.

If a person insists on taking his stand for God, Satan would have him live, act, and talk so much like the people of the world that his light would be concealed.

We also have what is called a testimony....through our actions and behaviors, we show what is in our heart.

We know that the bible talks about those having a form of Godliness and those that outwardly look good.

The only safe place for the Christian is “far away” from Egypt,

acting in such direct contrast to the world that people will see our good works and glorify the Father in heaven

Matthew 5:16 KJV 1900

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Similarly the person who drives his car as close to the edge as possible usually lands in the ditch.

Pharaoh still tried again to compromise.

He said that the men could go, but he wanted them to leave the children behind.

Exodus 10:8–11 KJV 1900

And Moses and Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh: and he said unto them, Go, serve the Lord your God: but who are they that shall go? And Moses said, We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go; for we must hold a feast unto the Lord. And he said unto them, Let the Lord be so with you, as I will let you go, and your little ones: look to it; for evil is before you. Not so: go now ye that are men, and serve the Lord; for that ye did desire. And they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.

Pharaoh wanted them to leave the children behind.

If satan cannot have you he will surely be satisfied with your children.

Satan will whisper to young people that the worship of God is not for them.

If he can get them to spend the best part of their lives in sin, and pull them away from the influence of the parents, they are much less likely to be saved when they are old—if, indeed, they live to see old age!

The word of God says to train up your children in the way they should go, and when they are old, they will not depart.

Many young people who planned to get saved some day, after they were too old to enjoy the pleasures of the world, have been unexpectedly snatched out of the world, unprepared to meet God.

We as Parents have an awesome responsibility.

must never neglect the spiritual welfare of their children, lest when the Lord comes they are left behind!

If we don’t lead our children…the world will.

When all his pleas had failed, Pharaoh made his final attempt to keep at least a partial hold on the Israelites.

“Go ye, serve the LORD; only let your flocks and your herds be stayed”

Exodus 10:24 KJV 1900

And Pharaoh called unto Moses, and said, Go ye, serve the Lord; only let your flocks and your herds be stayed: let your little ones also go with you.

Satan would have us believe that we can worship God with our heart and not with our substance.

But God has said, “Honour the LORD with thy substance

Proverbs 3:9 KJV 1900

Honour the Lord with thy substance, And with the firstfruits of all thine increase:

Some have tried to stay saved and leave God out of their business matters but have found such a course impossible.

Moses said No, the flocks and herds must go along!

If Pharaoh could have kept the flocks, he could have felt reasonably sure that they would have come back after them.

Satan does not want us to put our treasure into the gospel work or into any part of the operation of God.

Matthew 6:21 KJV 1900

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

The bible also says that no man putting his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God.

He knows that if he can get us to compromise even a little then he has his foot in the door.

Moses was a wise man and knew that it was all or nothing....just as it is with us.

We know that there is no fellowship with light and dark....if we love the world…the love of the father is not in us

meaning: if we love the world we don’t love God as we say we do.

It would be like saying…I love the things of the devil but I also love the things of God...