There Is a Point of No Return

Exodus 10:21-29 The Niagara River in the United States joins two of the five Great Lakes in the northern part of the country. I’ve seen the water pouring over these huge falls, millions of gallons of water every minute! I’m told that on the Niagara River, there is a certain point above the waterfall that marks the point of no return. If you are in the water or on it and you get beyond that point, there is no hope of escape. You will go over the falls. But as long as you stay above that point, there is still a possibility of returning. Very few people have gone over the falls and survived. In a sense, life is like that; there is also a point of no return. After you have gone beyond that point, it is impossible to return. The choices you have made cannot be changed. Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, demonstrates that for us. His repeated refusal to let God’s people go and the continual hardening of his heart led him unwaveringly to that point of no return. Eventually, it would cost him his family, his armies, and his kingdom. STUDY QUESTIONS In the contest between Moses and Pharaoh, the battle of the gods is about over. It is the battle between the true God, Jehovah, and the idols of Egypt. Moses was speaking for the true God, and Pharaoh was speaking for the idols. We’ve been tracing these events from the book of Exodus, and it has been thrilling to see how the hand of God was upon this pagan king and his people. We must learn the lessons recorded, or we are doomed to make the same mistakes. Pharaoh learned that THERE IS A POINT OF NO RETURN. There is a point beyond which change is impossible. Pharaoh said to Moses, “Get away from me, take heed to yourself, see my face no more; for if you see my face, you shall die.” This was the outcome of a continual refusal on Pharaoh’s part found in Exodus 10:21-29. 21. And the LORD said unto Moses, stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt. 22. And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days: 23. They saw not one another neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings. 24. And Pharaoh called unto Moses, and said, go ye, serve the LORD; only let your flocks and your herds be stayed: let you little ones also go with you. 25. And Moses said, thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice unto the LORD our God. 26. Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not a hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to serve the LORD our God; and we know not with what we must serve the LORD, until we come thither. 27. But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go. 28. And Pharaoh said unto him, get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die. 29. And Moses said, Thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face again no more. In this text, we find the INDICATORS which should help us locate that point of no return. The first indicator was: The Darkness in the Land. The Lord told Moses to stretch out his hand toward heaven, and a deep darkness would cover the land of Egypt. It...