There Is a Point of No Return

[00:00:04] Speaker A: Welcome to Hope For Today, a weekly Bible teaching program that will bring you hope for every day. We are honored to be here with you today. Each moment we have is a gift from God, and we trust he will bless you as you spend these moments with us. Now turn to Exodus, and we will continue our journey through this wonderful book. We hope you will be blessed by this teaching. Now here is Bible teacher J. Mark Hurst. [00:00:41] Speaker B: In the United States, we have a river called the Niagara River. It joins two of the five great lakes that are in the northern region of our country. I've been there, and I've seen the water pouring over those huge falls. Millions of gallons of water every minute. And I'm told that on the Niagara river, there's a certain point above the waterfall that marks the point of no return. If you're in the water or on it and you get beyond that point, there's 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 those falls and survived to tell the story. You know, in a sense, life is like that. There is also a point of no return. After you have gone beyond that point, it might be impossible to return. The choices you have made can't be changed. Pharaoh was the king of Egypt. And his experience 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. In this contest between Moses and Pharaoh, the battle of the gods is just about over. It's the battle between the true God Jehovah and the false gods of Egypt. Moses was speaking for the true God, and Pharaoh was speaking for those idols. We've been tracing these events from the book of Exodus, and it's been thrilling to see how the hand of God was upon this pagan king and his people. We must learn the lessons that are recorded here, or we are doomed to make the same mistakes Pharaoh learned. There is a point of no return. There is a point beyond which change is impossible. And so 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. And it's recorded for us in Exodus, chapter 10, verses 21 to 29. Listen carefully as I read those verses. Exodus 10, beginning with verse 21. And the Lord said unto Moses Stretch out your hand toward heaven that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt. And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven, and there was a thick darkness over all the land of Egypt. Three days they saw not one another. Neither did any rise from his place for three days. But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings. And Pharaoh called unto Moses and said, go, serve the Lord only. Let your flocks and herds stay behind. Let your little ones also go with you. And Moses said, you must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings that we have something to sacrifice unto the Lord our God. Our cattle also shall go with us. There shall not a hoof be left behind, for thereof we must take to serve the Lord our God. And we don't know with what we must serve the Lord until we get there. But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let them go. And Pharaoh said unto him, get away from me. Take heed to yourself. See my face no more. For in that day that you see my face, you will die. And Moses said, you have spoken well. I will see your face again no more. In this text, we find indicators which should help us locate or identify the 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. A darkness so dense that it could be felt. I have never been in that kind of darkness. Years ago, I visited an old unused coal mine with my family, and we went down hundreds of meters into that mine. At one point, the tour guide turned out all the lights and it was dark. It was so dark that when I put my finger on my nose, I still couldn't see my hand. We would say it was pitch black, but even that darkness was nothing like this. Here was a dense darkness which the Bible says could be felt. An oppressive darkness that spread over the whole land of Egypt. Nothing like this had ever happened before. And this thick darkness across the land of Egypt lasted for three whole days. The Bible tells us that for 72 hours nobody was able to move. Nobody got up from their place. That wasn't a natural darkness. No way. This was an act of God. This was an indicator that Pharaoh was approaching the point of no return. But notice that this darkness engulfed the Egyptians, but not the Israelites. The Israelites had light in their dwellings. So here there is a clear division between the people of Egypt and the people of God. You know, that division shouldn't surprise us. Remember, at creation, God separated the Light from the darkness. So there's no reason why he couldn't do it again. In fact, he did. God's miracle of darkness for Egypt must have been symbolic. Now, I believe it was literal, but I think it was symbolic as well. I have been impressed in my travels in various parts of the world to feel spiritual darkness, not physical darkness. It's oppressive. It makes you feel very uncomfortable. Here in Egypt, this was real physical darkness by a miracle of God, but it was also a symbolic darkness. The land of these spiritually rebellious people was covered with darkness. Rejection of the truth always leads people to spiritual darkness. And so God brought this physical darkness to cover the land of Egypt as an indicator that there is a point of no return. The next indicator was the darkness of the mind. So this intense darkness, as I said, came across the land. And after it had lifted, Pharaoh said to Moses, all of you can go now, but you must leave your flocks and your herds behind. Now, you remember, Pharaoh had offered several previous compromises which Moses refused to accept. So this is now the darkness of his mind that is appearing again. He's saying to Moses, just be partially obedient. You know, that's often the counsel of a darkened mind. And so Pharaoh said, all the people may go. Just leave your flocks and your herds behind. Don't quite go all the way in obeying your God. Just do what I tell you. But Moses response was this. He said, our cattle shall go with us. There shall not a hoof be left behind. All of us will go, and we will go all the way. We will obey God's command completely. Moses said, we're not going to leave anything behind. Furthermore, we are going because we must go. Pharaoh couldn't understand that. Why? Because there was darkness in his mind. Pharaoh's mind lacked spiritual understanding. The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 2:14, the natural man, the natural person, does not receive the things that of the spirit of God because they are foolishness to him. Neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned. So you see, the fleshly mind, the mind without Christ cannot understand the things of God. The proud mind is shrouded, it's veiled in darkness. Pharaoh's mind simply couldn't see the light because his mind was clouded with the darkness. And you know, it's the same today. Some very intelligent people in positions of leadership and responsibility are living in spiritual darkness. Many of them are highly educated. But I want to tell you something. They are not wise. They reject the reality of God. They reject the reality of his word, and they reject his authority. They think they know better than God does. Pharaoh was a person just like that. His response to Moses is an indicator that you can get to the place where. Where it is impossible for you to think clearly. And then there's a final indicator that helps us locate the point of no return. It is the darkness of the heart. That's an awful truth, an unyielding truth. Pharaoh's constant refusal left him with only darkness. Remember, he kept hardening his heart. He kept saying, no, I don't know the Lord and I will not listen to him. Until the time came then, when God hardened his heart. You read it in verse 27 with me. But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart and he would not let them go. The darkness of the human heart. There's a point of no return. And Pharaoh spoke it out when he said, get away from me. Take heed to yourself. See my face no more. For if you do, if you see my face, you will die. He said, I am through with you, and I will not let the people go. And Moses said, as you say, I will never come back to you. So mark it. Mark it well. Pharaoh sealed his fate by his own decision. God left it up to him, and he made the choice. The darkness of his heart brought him to the point of no return. He sealed his destiny. Many a person has turned away at a time which affected his future most seriously and sealed the door of return. In Romans 1, we read these. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. Because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead. So that they are without excuse. Because although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man and birds and four footed animals and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness in the lusts of their heart, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. And even as they did not like to retain God in Their knowledge. God gave them over to a debased mind to do those things which are not fitting. Like Pharaoh, they had reached a point of no return. As I have told you, there is a point of no return. How different life would have been for Pharaoh and the Egyptians if they would have listened to the Lord. But they refused to hear him. You know, we can talk about Pharaoh all we want to. That's been centuries ago. The question is, how is it with you? Have you listened to God in the past? Are you listening to him today? Or have you turned a deaf ear to his voice? I urge you to learn the lessons from Pharaoh. Listen to the Lord now, or I assure you, you will one day regret your refusal. These are the indicators we find in Pharaoh's experience, God made it plain. There was the darkness of the land, the darkness of the mind, and then the darkness of the heart, which led to the point of no return. And so, my friend, I am speaking to you right there where you are. Don't refuse the Lord any longer. It's time now for you to listen to God. Don't pass that point of no return. [00:13:16] Speaker A: Thank you, J. Mark, for this teaching from Exodus. And we thank you for joining us as Christians. It is a privilege to serve and trust our God. Our God who is above every nation. Do you have any thoughts from today's teaching? If you want to share them with us, here are a few ways you can contact us. One of the best ways is via email. Our email is hopeheraldsofhope.org if you don't have email, no problem. Our address is HopeFor Today, Box 3, Breezewood, Pa 15533 or you can connect with us on our website. Our website is heraldsofhope.org this brings us to the end of today's program. Thanks again for being there. Please join us again next week for another lesson from Exodus. Go with God this week and know that he is big enough for your circumstance. Trust him. Because the Most High rules in the kingdoms of men.