Passage: Exodus 9:1-7

The Big Idea

The fifth plague struck Egypt’s livestock, the working animals that powered their economy and built their wealth. Israel’s herds were untouched. Egypt trusted its riches, and God took them away in a day. The ability to earn is God’s gift, not our achievement. So we don’t trust in wealth or jobs; we trust our Father, pray instead of worrying, work in faith, give cheerfully, and wait for the one thing worth waiting for: Jesus.

Imagine Life Without Your Job

Imagine waking up tomorrow and your job, your business, your income is simply gone. What would that do to your heart?

The Plague on Livestock (Exodus 9:1-7)

The Lord told Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and tell him, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let My people go, so they can serve Me. If you refuse and keep holding them, the hand of the LORD will bring a terrible plague on your livestock in the field: horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, sheep and goats. But the LORD will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and that of Egypt, so that nothing belonging to the Israelites will die.'” The Lord set a time: “Tomorrow.” And the next day all the livestock of Egypt died, but not one animal belonging to Israel died. Pharaoh sent to check, and it was true. Yet his heart was hard, and he wouldn’t let the people go.

A Kingdom of Submission

Like most of the plagues, this one starts with God’s demand: “Let My people go, so they can serve Me.”

Things are only right in the universe when everything is submitted to the rule of its Creator. (What do we call it when the cells in a body stop doing what they were designed to do? Cancer.)
God presses this issue again and again. His kingdom is a kingdom of joyful submission. Satan’s is a kingdom of rebellion.
Our hearts naturally bristle at the word “submission.” But submission to God’s will is where real joy is found. Scripture calls all of us to it: wives and husbands, children and parents, church members and leaders, and above all every one of us to God.
Jesus showed us God’s heart. He submitted to His Father, out of love (John 6:38).
When we have a problem with submission, it’s one of the clearest signs the flesh is in charge.
Finally surrendering the self-life feels like dying. That’s why Jesus called it denying yourself and taking up your cross (Luke 9:23).

Are you a rebel?

Wealth Is God’s Gift

The livestock were Egypt’s beasts of burden, the money-making engines of the ancient world. Today it might be factories, trucks and computers: anything we use to earn a living.

Egypt had treated the Hebrews harshly and kept them poor. Now God was making Egypt poor.

Moses later warned Israel not to say in their hearts, “My own power and the strength of my hands produced this wealth.” Remember the LORD your God, for He is the One who gives you the ability to produce wealth (Deuteronomy 8:17-18).

It’s a serious mistake to think our ability to earn comes from hard work, talent or effort alone.
Our culture teaches the opposite. Our identity gets wrapped up in what we do and how much we make.
When we think it all depends on us, we forget grace. Our ability to provide is God’s gift.

When the worldly person loses a job, he goes into a tailspin of self-doubt, or a frantic whirlwind of self-powered effort. A child of God can call on the Lord, thank Him for His promises and provision, and trust Him to provide a job at the right time.

What should I do if I need a job?

Pray. Jesus says not to babble on like those who think they’ll be heard because of their many words, for your Father knows what you need before you ask (Matthew 6:7-8).
Don’t worry. Look at the birds: they don’t sow or reap, yet your Father feeds them. Consider the lilies: Solomon in all his splendor wasn’t dressed like one of them. If God clothes the grass, won’t He much more clothe you? Seek first His kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you (Matthew 6:25-33).
Pray instead of worrying. Don’t be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God, and His peace, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7).
Go apply in faith. Not in pride, doubt or desperation. God will work through every “no” as a closed door and every “yes” as an open one.

What Is Wealth For?

The world wants wealth for power, influence, fame or pleasure. It was true in Egypt and it’s true today. Everyone’s hustling.

So what should we work for? Paul says the thief should stop stealing and work honestly with his hands, so he’ll have something to share with anyone in need (Ephesians 4:28).

Is that what you work for? To give? Or only for yourself?
“Those in need” can mean your children, spouse, family, church or the poor.

Where’s your heart with money? Pharaoh was furious when his cash cows were taken away.

Want to test your heart? Give to the Lord. If you can give with joy and excitement, you pass the test. If not, you may still be in love with riches.

Whoever sows sparingly will reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will reap generously. Each should give what he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under pressure, for God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:6-7).

Grace-giving isn’t grudging or guilt-driven. It’s joyful: excited to pass along the blessing God put in your hands for that very purpose.

The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some, longing for it, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows (1 Timothy 6:10).

There’s a real “plague” on those who love money. God won’t let it satisfy when you look to it for satisfaction.

Egypt trusted its wealth and felt secure in it. Nothing could touch them. But God took it all away in a day.

The Rich Fool (Luke 12:13-34)

Someone in the crowd said, “Teacher, tell my brother to split the inheritance with me.” Jesus said, “Who appointed Me judge between you?” Then He said, “Watch out! Guard against every kind of greed, for life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.”

Then He told a parable. A rich man’s land produced a huge crop, and he thought, “I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones, store everything, and say to myself, ‘You have plenty for many years. Relax, eat, drink and be merry.'” But God said, “You fool! Tonight your life will be demanded of you. Then who will get what you’ve prepared?” That’s how it is with anyone who stores up treasure for himself but isn’t rich toward God.

He was successful, but he thought it was all for himself.
God blessed his ground, but he ignored God.
God took it all away in a night.

Then Jesus told His disciples, don’t worry about your life, what you’ll eat or wear. Life is more than food. Consider the ravens: no storehouse or barn, yet God feeds them, and you’re worth far more than birds. Who can add an hour to his life by worrying? Consider the lilies. If God clothes the grass, how much more will He clothe you, you of little faith? The nations chase all these things, but your Father knows you need them. Seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you. “Don’t be afraid, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.” Give generously, and store up treasure in heaven that won’t fail. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Being redeemed means we don’t have to worry about this anymore. We trust our Father with it all. What peace comes to the heart of a child!
It’s the only safe way to live with our selfish little hearts: valuing our Father and His Word more than any wealth or security.

Have you been anxious about your retirement account? Did you panic in the last economic downturn? Does your job consume your thoughts at home when your family needs your attention? You can be free of that.

Are you waiting for the big promotion? The lottery win? The inheritance? The perfect job?

The One Thing Worth Waiting For (Luke 12:35-48)

Jesus said, “Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning, like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding, ready to open the door the moment he knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds watching. Truly, he will dress himself to serve, have them recline at the table, and come and serve them! … The Son of Man is coming at an hour you don’t expect.“

Jesus is all we need, and He’s all we need to wait for.
Let our hearts be consumed with Him: His kingdom, His people, His mission, His glory, His coming.

Peter asked if this parable was for them or for everyone. Jesus answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom the master puts in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master finds doing so when he returns. He’ll put him in charge of everything he owns. But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delaying,’ and begins to beat the servants and to eat and drink and get drunk, the master will come on a day he doesn’t expect” and deal with him as an unbeliever.

When we stop looking for Jesus and His kingdom, our hearts grow cold and dull.
We start acting like Egypt, which beat its Hebrew slaves.
But those who watch for the Lord’s deliverance care for the people around them, providing for them and working for their good.
They are blessed. Their wealth can’t be taken away, because it’s stored in heaven.

Grace Takeaway

God took Egypt’s wealth away in a day, and He can take ours too. Not because He’s stingy, but because wealth was never meant to be our security. Our ability to earn is His gift, our provision is His promise, and our Father knows exactly what we need. So pray instead of worrying, work in faith, give with joy, and keep your lamp burning for the One who is coming back. He is the treasure that can’t be lost.

← Plagues 104: Flies | All Exodus notes | Plagues 106: Boils →

Plagues 105: Dead Livestock