God’s Judgment on Egypt and Pharaoh’s Hard Heart (7:1-6)

God told Moses and Aaron to return to Pharaoh and demand he let the Israelites go out of his land, even though God knew Pharaoh wouldn’t listen. God planned to show many miracles in Egypt to prove He was the true God and worthy of worship. After God was finished with His “great acts of judgement,” Pharaoh would relent and release the Israelites. It is clear there was a “mixed” multitude and that some Egyptians did leave with Israel to follow God. Aaron is to be the spokesman for God not a “prophet” that tells the future.

Fractal Hierarchy (7:1-7)

It is crazy to think that Aaron was 83 years old, and Moses was 80 years old when God calls them both. God is setting up this hierarchy. God will God to Moses, but Moses will be like God to Pharaoh and Aaron will be your prophet. It is a little micro version of what is happening

The Hardening of Pharaoh’s Heart (7:13)

The hardening of the heart is where you harden your centre. It makes you more tyrannical. God strengthened Pharaoh’s heart and hardened Pharaoh’s heart. God gave Pharaoh freedom of choice. Even the tyrant gets freedom of choice. He is given the choice to do what he really wants to do. He doesn’t want to let the Hebrews go. God id not overriding Pharaoh’s will but guaranteeing it. Pharaoh will be at the top of his game throughout the contest until the end.

The first 5 plagues it says that Pharaoh hardened his heart but in the last 5 plaques it is God who hardened the heart of Pharaoh. God reveals just how hard the heart of Pharaoh really is. He is a great tyrant. He will not let the people go just because of a plague of frogs! It must be a process and it can’t be easy. It is the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart that will allow for the glory of God to be shown in its full force.

The plagues are directed toward the Egyptian gods and another reason for them continuing is to bring them down one by one. This is a movement toward the revelation of monotheism.

The plagues will be an undoing of creation. In the Tower of Babel, the people will do their will and God will undo it. Tyranny will with time become brittle.

The Sign of the Serpent Staff (7:7-13)

The age of Moses is mentioned, and he is now eighty years old. The same was true of Abraham. Is it better late than never?

Moses and Aaron appeared before Pharaoh and told him the command of the Lord. As a sign of their communication with God, Aaron threw his staff on the ground, and it transformed into a serpent.

Pharaoh summoned his magicians, and they were able to turn their staffs into serpents using their “secret arts.” Pharaoh has some tricks up his sleeves. However, Aaron’s serpent swallowed the magician’s serpents. The power of God is greater than the power of the magicians. The magicians can replicate the first miracles but after that they run out of steam. They are beaten by a flea.

Long-standing Jewish tradition says that Jannes and Jambres were the two chief magicians who withstood Moses and Aaron and are mentioned by Paul in 2 Timothy 3:8 as “men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith”. They produced some miracles by tapping into demonic, cultist power which was part of Egyptian culture.

Pharaoh’s heart remained hard and stubborn, and he did not obey God. The plagues are clearly miracles but not in a positive sense that most see miracles. These “negative” miracles can be more effective in waking people up to the reality of God. Words are not enough against the tyranny, and this is where miracles come in. “Positive” miracles in the New Testament are not always successful in producing faith that lasts. The experience and fear of suffering and death can focus people to listen to God’s words.

With the advent of Christianity, you will see that it consumes Egypt and many convert in the early days of the Church. It took some time, but the rod of Pharoah was consumed by the rod of Moses. There are still Coptic Christians today from the early days of the Church.

Categories: Exodus

Tags: bible, Exodus, god, moses, pharaoh