Introduction

I find that people tend to remember stories more easily than abstract principles. Our God is not so fond of lecturing; He prefers to tell stories. When I was young, I thought the Bible was quite mystical, so I wrote to the Hong Kong Council of Churches, and they mailed me a copy. I was excited and opened it up, only to find many stories and foreign names. I later understood that God likes to use stories. I had hoped the Bible would be like the I Ching, but I didn't understand it for many years. We also tell stories, but I secretly add my own commentary. I am imparting the concept of Mingding Destiny to you.

Moses was an extraordinary figure. Before Moses, there was no Bible; the Bible came after Moses. When Moses wrote Genesis, he went up the mountain to meet with God for forty days, fasting and talking with God. God revealed the first eleven chapters of Genesis to Moses. When Moses wrote Genesis, the characters in it were already four or five hundred years in the past. Moses was chosen by God, sent to Egypt, and led the Israelites out into the wilderness to meet with God, at what is now called Mount Sinai. This is why the story begins with Moses.

Moses is Commanded to Lead the Israelites Out of Egypt!

Last week, we talked about Moses being sent to Egypt. He told the Israelites that the God of their ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, had sent him to lead them out. How could the Israelites believe him? Moses threw his staff on the ground, and it turned into a snake. If that happened today, I would believe too; that's impressive!

Later, Moses took the staff to Pharaoh. Pharaoh's magicians also threw their staffs on the ground, and they turned into snakes. But the snake that Moses created swallowed the snakes created by the magicians. As a result, the situation for the Israelites worsened. Pharaoh of Egypt oppressed the Israelites. They had armies and whips, and they punished the Israelites if they didn't work. The Israelites complained, saying that their situation had become even worse since Moses arrived.

This is interesting because many situations are similar to this in the process of healing and deliverance. During the healing and deliverance process, when we cast out demons for you and your situation becomes worse than before, that is a good thing. We need to know that the spiritual war has begun, that the forces suppressing you and those freeing you are at war until you are completely freed, just like the Israelites coming out of Egypt.

How were they brought out? Moses kept bringing plagues, and the Egyptians hated Moses. There were snowstorms, frog plagues, lice plagues, fly plagues, boil plagues, hailstorms, locust plagues, and then the whole land became dark. Even after experiencing all this, Pharaoh of Egypt still refused to let the Israelites go. In the end, Moses struck down all the firstborn sons of the Egyptians and the firstborn of their livestock. Whether they were good or bad, all the firstborn of the Egyptians died that day.

How could God do these things? What was the point of all these disasters? We must never oppose God. Pharaoh simply refused to let the Israelites go to serve God. These dialogues kept repeating a very important message:

Then the LORD said to Moses, Go to Pharaoh and say to him, 'This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me.' (Exodus 9:1)

The constant repetition is about letting the people of Israel go to serve God. We must understand that God calls us and frees us so that we may serve Him. To this day, God's will has not changed. For example, God says to some people, Come, serve me! And they say, I don't want to. Some song lyrics are very well-written: I live to worship God. Ordinary people don't understand this: Why should I live to serve God? I have to live well for myself!

Understanding God's Will, Living to Serve God

Let's not misunderstand. God wanted to bring the Israelites out so that He could show the whole world something: God's people will be above all the nations of the earth. God wants us to live better lives. The way to live better is not for us to struggle on our own. We can carefully observe how those of us who serve God are living. Some people go to church on weekends, but they live for their families and collapse when something happens.

People just don't understand, but I do! I like to serve God, not because I'm foolish. I serve God, and God owns the heavens and the earth. I say to God, your things are mine too, and my things are yours too. Tell me, who benefits? Of course I do! So, don't misunderstand! God wanted to bring the Israelites from the house of slavery in Egypt to a land flowing with milk and honey, a promised land.

Who would hinder this? Pharaoh of Egypt. Pharaoh of Egypt opposed God, which is just courting death. As Christians today, we must never oppose God. We must understand this in our lifetime and not live in vain like losers; that is not glorifying God! Whoever hinders God's people from serving God will surely be punished.

Then Moses and Aaron took ashes from a furnace and stood before Pharaoh. Moses threw them into the air, and festering boils broke out on people and animals. (Exodus 9:10)

How terrible it is to have boils all over your body! One of our brothers had a fever, and I gave him cupping therapy, and blisters appeared on his skin, which looked like trypophobia! Everyone in Egypt looked like that, how awful! Pharaoh saw the boils on their bodies, but he still wouldn't let the Israelites go. The next day, Moses did this:

Then the LORD said to Moses, Get up early in the morning, confront Pharaoh and say to him, 'This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me, or this time I will send the full force of my plagues against you and against your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth. For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth. But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. You still set yourself against my people and will not let them go. Therefore, at this time tomorrow I will send the worst hailstorm that has ever fallen on Egypt, from the day it was founded till now. Give an order now to bring your livestock and everything else you have in the field to a place of shelter, because the hail will fall on every person and animal that has not been brought in and is still out in the field, and they will die.' Those officials of Pharaoh who feared the word of the LORD hurried to bring their slaves and their livestock inside. But those who ignored the word of the LORD left their slaves and livestock in the field. Then the LORD said to Moses, Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that hail will fall all over Egypt—on people and animals and on everything growing in the fields. When Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, the LORD sent thunder and hail, and lightning flashed down to the ground. So the LORD rained hail on the land of Egypt; hail fell and lightning flashed back and forth. It was the worst storm in all the land of Egypt since it had become a nation. Throughout Egypt hail struck everything in the fields—both people and animals; it beat down everything growing in the fields and stripped every tree. The only place it did not hail was the land of Goshen, where the Israelites were. (Exodus 9:13-26)

Being an Enemy of God Leads to No Good End

Our God is a God who blesses and brings disaster. Those left in the fields died. This time, our God was furious. The Egyptians angered God, so the king of Egypt summoned Moses and said, This time I have sinned. The LORD is righteous; I and my people are wicked. Enough of this thunder and hail. Pray to the LORD, and I will let you go; I will no longer hold you back. Moses said, When I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands in prayer to the LORD; the thunder will stop, and there will be no more hail, so you may know that the earth is the LORD's.

(The flax and barley were destroyed, since the barley had headed and the flax was in bloom. But the wheat and spelt were not destroyed, because they ripen later.) Then Moses left Pharaoh and went out of the city. He spread out his hands in prayer to the LORD; the thunder and hail stopped, and the rain no longer poured down on the land. (Exodus 9:31-33)

If a person is mentally ill, and their heart is as hard as Pharaoh of Egypt's, the disasters are stopped by God, but then people change their minds. This is like the Chinese saying, People don't shed tears until they see the coffin. As the LORD told Moses, Pharaoh of Egypt was stubborn and insisted on opposing God. We must all be careful; there are many people who want to serve God well, but many people try to stop them. I tell you, no matter who is hindering, hindering the service of God is opposing God; I am not joking. We brothers and sisters must understand how great our God is!

Then Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: 'How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, so that they may worship me. If you refuse to let them go, I will bring locusts into your country tomorrow. They will cover the face of the ground so that it cannot be seen. They will devour what little that escaped, what was left you after the hail, and they will strip every tree that is growing in your fields. They will fill your houses and those of all your officials and all the Egyptians—something neither your parents nor your ancestors have ever seen from the day they settled in this land to this day.' Then Moses turned and left Pharaoh. (Exodus 10:3-6)

This is interesting. Pharaoh's officials are wondering what Pharaoh is thinking, if he has lost his mind. They said to Pharaoh, How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the people go, so that they may worship the LORD their God. Don't you realize that Egypt is ruined? So Moses was brought back before Pharaoh. Pharaoh said to them, Go, worship the LORD your God. But just who will be going? Moses said, We will go with our young and old, with our sons and daughters, and with our flocks and herds, because we must celebrate a festival to the LORD. Pharaoh said to them, The LORD be with you if I ever let you go with your women and children! Clearly you are bent on doing evil! No! Have only the men go and worship the LORD, since that is what you have been asking for. Then Moses and Aaron were driven out of Pharaoh's presence.

What kind of mind is that? Bargaining with God. Some people often do this, opposing God. Some people also say, Some people oppose God and don't have any disasters; they are still doing well. That Pharaoh of Egypt is not doing well now, but he was living well before. As a result, Moses stretched out his staff over Egypt, and locusts covered the land, which was very frightening, like a cloud. All the vegetables and trees were stripped bare.

This is interesting. In this world, we often don't understand many things. For example, where did the SARS virus go? How powerful it was back then, how did it suddenly disappear? It's not that the virus disappeared. These things are closely related to the spiritual realm. Today, the disasters of locusts, earthquakes, tsunamis, plagues, and other natural and man-made disasters are closely related to the spiritual realm. The work that farmers do depends on the heavens, and so does oyster farming, cattle farming, and chicken farming, because you don't know when disaster will strike.

Don't say that this is the God of the Old Testament. I tell you that the God of the New Testament also brings disasters. Why? God cursed this land because people disobeyed the word of the LORD God. We talk about the Israelites. God brought them out of Egypt, but they came out of Egypt only to die in the wilderness because they did not follow God's word. If you ask me today, I want to make a smart choice. I can't twist my arm against my thigh. Why should I oppose God? I cannot be like Pharaoh of Egypt, and I don't want to be like the Israelites who died in the wilderness. I want to serve my God well so that I can enter the promised land.

Devoting Ourselves to God Yields Rich Rewards

It is indeed a wonderful thing. You must clearly know that for those who love God, He has prepared exceedingly well. The New Testament states: If anyone does not love the Lord, let him be accursed. I have come to understand that I must regard God as the ultimate treasure. This Sunday, the topic I plan to share is Recognizing Jesus Christ as the Supreme Treasure. If you serve God, you will inherit a land flowing with milk and honey; if you do not serve Jehovah, you will die in the wilderness. And if you hinder others from serving God, calamity upon calamity will befall you. Anyone with a modicum of sense can figure this out. I am resolved to do one thing: to lead everyone into serving God, in spirit and in truth, and ultimately attain prosperity – how wonderful!

Yesterday morning, a sister working in sales finally connected with the CEO of a large corporation and secured a meeting. They had already informed him about the products she was selling, but this sister and her supervisor went anyway. Upon arrival, they briefly presented their products and services, with her supervisor leading her through a PowerPoint presentation. As a result, the CEO of the corporation said they would sign a contract with her company in March. This sister's performance will be remarkable, with a high commission on top of her base salary. She sent me a message saying she was greatly blessed, but mistyped it as greatly fierce.

The training we pastors receive in various skills is not the key; the key lies in having a heart to serve God. The day before, this sister asked me, When will I serve Jehovah my God like you? It was a good question. I said, Sister, work hard, do a good job in pastoral care, starting from pastoring one or two, then four, then eight, and even more. Today, brothers and sisters, come and serve Jehovah our God with me – it is a very blessed thing.

Let us continue with the story of Moses. After all the plagues, Pharaoh still would not allow the Israelites to leave. Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days. People could not see each other, but all the Israelites had light in their dwellings. Pharaoh then summoned Moses and said, Go, serve the Lord; only your flocks and your herds must remain. Even your women and children may go with you. This Pharaoh was quite the negotiator. Moses insisted that nothing could be left behind. We must serve Jehovah our God. As a result, Pharaoh said to Moses, Get away from me! Make sure you do not appear before me again! The day you see my face you shall die! Moses said, Just as you say, I will never see your face again.

Resolved to Serve God, Undeterred by Obstacles

Having heard this story, what lessons do we learn? We must serve Jehovah our God. How great are the obstacles we face? There are various obstacles, not only in the Old Testament but also in the New. Do we have the courage and strength to serve our God? Even Pharaoh could not stand before God. We should not be afraid, but simply serve our God.

Are there various obstacles among us? Perhaps it is your family. Do not be afraid any longer, and start to be strong. It is said that one of our sisters received great healing among us, but her whole family regards being a Christian as a disgrace. Some of us have family members who oppose our faith. If we burn incense at home, it is fine, but believing in Christ is not allowed. People are strange. Their child recovered from lumbar disc issues and depression, but cannot believe in the Lord.

God arranged for an event to strike down all the firstborn in the homes of the Egyptians, both livestock and people. The Israelites were to kill all the firstborn lambs in their homes, smear the blood on the doorframes and lintels, not go out, and eat the lamb meat at home. All the firstborn in the houses where the blood was not smeared on the doorframes and lintels were to be struck down. This was sent by God; do not think it was a mistake. We need to fear the God who manages these things.

Even now, many Christians are confused, wondering if this is our God when facing such situations. Many feel that our God should be like Santa Claus, never bringing calamity. Our God is not Santa Claus. Previously, a brother was serving in his own church and later suffered a stomach hemorrhage. His friend, who believes in the Lord among us, sought us out for prayer. Once healed, he went back to loving the world, and then returned when he had problems, going back and forth many times.

God Both Blesses and Sends Calamities

We must know the words of the Bible – our God is a God who both blesses and sends calamities. If we fear Jehovah our God, nothing will happen. Jehovah our God is a consuming fire. Whether we act according to God's words, observing and following them, we will surely be blessed; if we do not observe and follow them, we will be cursed. Many churches do not preach this now. If we do not preach according to the Bible today, can we deceive God? Never oppose God. God has arranged everything regarding how to kill the lamb and how to offer the lamb. I will not go into the details.

At midnight the Lord struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the prisoner who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the livestock. (Exodus 12:29)

God told them to make this a lasting ordinance. Jehovah killed all the firstborn, both people and livestock, in Egypt.

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

All these things are created by God. The spirit of death, the great serpent, Satan, the fallen angels – everything is beautiful in its time, all under God's control.

Pharaoh and all his officials and all the Egyptians got up during the night, and there was loud wailing in Egypt, for there was not a house without someone dead. (Exodus 12:30)

How come every house had a dead person? I dare not ask God. If God wants to do this, who can stop Him? God told Moses in advance that He would strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt. Moses did not plead with God to spare them, unlike Abraham who asked God not to kill those people. If people do not know God, they live and die; if people do not know God, it does not matter how long they live.

The Meaning of Life: Obtaining Destiny

We need to know what is most important is how God sees things, not how we see them. It is important to understand what God thinks. If we want to live well, we must think as God thinks, and then we will surely live well. Whether a person lives 10, 20, 50, or 100 years and dies, it is the same. Not understanding that living is vanity of vanities means one cannot serve God.

A teacher, a classmate of one of our sisters, cut her wrists some years ago and climbed to the 13th floor to jump; she was a Christian, but had not figured anything out. Later, this teacher's interpersonal relationships were not good, and she had a quarrel with a colleague and jumped to her death. So, brothers and sisters, if your views and way of life align with God's, you will live very well.

So the people took their dough before the yeast was added, with their kneading bowls wrapped in their cloaks on their shoulders. The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and for clothing. The Lord had made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered the Egyptians. (Exodus 12:34-36)

Some say our God is too ruthless, killing the firstborn of others and plundering their wealth. In reality, this is how this generation is. God will take those riches and give them to those He loves. Our God is so real, taking the wealth of the Egyptians and giving it to the Israelites.

Now the length of time the Israelite people lived in Egypt was 430 years. At the end of the 430 years, to the very day, all the Lord’s divisions left Egypt. Because the Lord kept vigil that night to bring them out of Egypt, on this night all the Israelites are to keep vigil to honor the Lord for the generations to come. (Exodus 12:40-42)

Therefore, we must understand that we are called out today to be the mighty army of Jehovah, serving Jehovah God. The meaning and destiny of our lives is to serve Jehovah our God. Our destiny is not marriage and childbirth, but to obtain the promised land!