Taking Grace for Granted

For centuries scholars have noted that the first nine plagues are presented in a pattern of three sets of three. This can be seen primarily in the way that each plague is initiated. The first plague of each set (plagues 1, 4, 7) is initiated after an early morning conversation between Moses and Pharaoh. The second plague of each set (2, 5, 8) is initiated after a direct warning from Moses to Pharaoh. And the third plague of each set (3, 6, 9) is initiated swiftly and decisively, without any prior conversation or warning.

One possible interpretation of this pattern is that in each set the Lord is working toward Pharaoh with lessening degrees of grace. In the first plague of each set, much grace is given in that Moses approaches Pharaoh in a private setting before the busyness of the day has started, appealing to him in the most congenial way possible. In the second plague of each set, Pharaoh is approached in the much more public area of his court, and he is threatened openly for all to see and hear. In the third plague of each set, Pharaoh is not approached at all; he is directly bypassed, and judgment is poured out.

In short, Pharaoh rejects the measures of grace offered to him initially in each set of the plagues. The more he resists grace the more his heart is hardened and the less he seems capable of responding to grace. The same is true for us. Heaping portions of grace are offered to us now through Christ. If we humble ourselves before him, submitting to his authority, recognizing that he is our only hope of reconciliation with the Lord, then we can rest assured that we are safe from God’s wrath. However, if we resist God’s offer of grace through Christ now, we are merely storing up judgment for ourselves later. May we never take the Lord’s offer of grace for granted!