"Take your flocks and herds, as you have said, and go. And also bless me." Exodus 12:32
No matter how hardened a man's heart may be, his deepest desire is to receive blessing. Pharaoh fought the Lord. Through each and every plague, he grew defiant. He continued his refusal to allow God's people to leave Egypt to worship. When warned of the final plague that all the firstborn of Egypt were to die, Pharaoh had lost all sense. His people were suffering, and he refused to avert their pain. Stubbornly, he stared down the God of the universe. The result was death. Not a single household in Egypt was left untouched.
In the pain of this plague, Pharaoh broke. He asked Moses and Aaron to take the people and leave. In the middle of his command, there is a small request that could be easily overlooked. Pharaoh said, "And also bless me." Despite the anger, despite the pain, Pharaoh - like every one of us - longed for blessing.
Lord, every man stubbornly fights You at some time. For years, I have struggled with a battle for my very soul. The enemy has kept me enslaved to the trappings of my flesh. All along, like Moses, I have made a plea for freedom. Yet, like Pharaoh, I have refused to grant it. Living both sides of the story, I have been the captive and the captor. My human nature is a powerful foe.
Yet through it all, I have longed for Your blessing.
Isn't it amazing how a man steeped in sin still cries out to be blessed?
Father, Your mercy is great. Through all my stubborn failures, You hear me. You have heard my cries: "And also bless me!" Thank You for loving me still. Thank You for pouring out the blessing of Your Spirit. Thank You for the sacrifice of Your Son - the Lamb of God.