“Who Is the Lord That I Should Obey His Voice?”

Text: Exodus 5:2

Introduction:
  I. This question was Pharaoh’s answer to Moses’ request 
     for him to let Israel to go into the wilderness to 
     hold a feast (Exodus 5:1-2).  In substance, he said: 
     “What claim has Jehovah on me?  I am not indebted to 
     Him.  He means nothing to me.  Why should I obey Him?”
 II. Pharaoh soon learned of the LORD the hard way.
     A. He came face to face with the works of the true God
        who could not be mocked with broken promises 
        (Exodus 8:8-15).
     B. Pharaoh was not dealing with a powerless, heathen
        God, but with the only true and mighty God.
     C. He saw the Egyptian idolatry confounded and 
        rendered helpless by the power of the LORD who 
        brought on the ten plagues (Exodus 7-11).
     D. No man can mock God, and he who tries it only
        deceives himself (Galatians 6:7).
III. Men in every age have asked and will ask this 
     question.  So it is good for us to study the 
     Scriptures to get the true answer.  We learn that 
     Jehovah is:

BODY:
  I. Eternal.
     A. Genesis 1:1
     B. Deuteronomy 33:27
     C. Psalms 90:2

 II. Creator.
     A. Genesis 1:1; John 1:3
     B. He also created man, animal life and vegetation.
     C. This is the only reasonable way to account for the
        existence of things.
        1. Which came first: bees or flowers.
        2. The first and second law of Thermodynamics.
        

III. Spirit.
     A. John 4:24
     B. Finite minds cannot fully comprehend the infinite.
     C. It is so easy for us to think of God in terms and
        limitations of man.
        1. This erroneous thing is nothing new.
        2. Psalms 50:21
        3. But God cannot be understood by presuming to
           judge Him by human standards.
        4. He is Spirit. Luke 24:39; John 4:24
     D. Being Spirit, there is nothing unreasonable about
        God being:
        1. Omniscient
           a. Having total knowledge, knowing everything.
           b. Psalms 139:1-6
        2. Omnipresent
           a. The fact of being present everywhere.
           b. Psalms 139:7-10, 18
        3. Omnipotent
           a. Having unlimited or universal power,
              authority or force, all power.
           b. Psalms 139:14

 IV. One (God is one)
     A. Isaiah 43:10
     B. “We do not affirm that one God is three Gods; we
        affirm that there is but one infinite Spirit Being, 
        but within that one Spirit essence there are three 
        personal distinctions, each of which may be, and is 
        called God;… Roy Lanier, Sr.
     C. “…we must be careful to note that the essence
        cannot be one person and at the same time be three 
        persons.  There is one personal Being, who by self-
        determination and self-consciousness exists in 
        three distinct personalities in the Godhead.” J. J. 
        Turner and Edward P. Meyers

  V. Fair and impartial
     A. Nature testifies to His impartiality. Matthew 5:45
     B. Jesus died for all men.
        1. Hebrews 2:9
        2. 1 John 2:2
     C. Acts 10:34-35; 1 Peter 1:17

 VI. Good and severe
     A. Romans 11:22
     B. His goodness
        1. Sunshine and rain.
        2. The Son dieing for us.
     C. His severity
        1. Nadab and Abihu. Leviticus 10:1-2
        2. Uzzah.  1 Chronicles 13:9-10
        3. Hell

VII. Supreme Ruler.
     A. God does not have to answer to anyone. Daniel 4:35
     B. It is right that God govern man whom He created. 
        Man is not able to direct his own steps (Jeremiah 
        10:23).  Man must look to his Creator for guidance.