God had said “I am the Lord and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians…..I will take you as my people and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God….”
However when Moses passed this message on to the Israelites they couldn’t believe because of their anguish and this obviously effected Moses because he then couldn’t believe God either. Moses had suffered rejection from his own people when he first tried to help them and he probably had carried that rejection for 40 years in the desert. Now it was rearing its ugly head again. So Moses began to despair - if God’s people won’t listen to me - how will Pharaoh listen to me? Moses drops into a pit of despondency - and laments about his “uncircumcised lips.” How often are we discouraged by failure and rejection of the past? Moses had an attitude and expectation of failure but God did not accept this.
6:13-30 God had called Moses & Aaron for purpose. 2 Tim 4:1-5
Cp. the great commission/charge given to us from the Lord. Mark 16:15-18.
God knows all about us - see this strange insert about family history. 6:20. Twice God said “these are the same Moses and Aaron…” vs26-27. And still Moses is hiding behind his so called “uncircumcised lips” despite the promise of Exodus 4:12.
7:1-7. We are on the winning side!
God told Moses he would be “as GOD” to Pharaoh - and Aaron would be his prophet. God said “you shall speak ALL that I command you.”We are called to be Gods voice to people. Are you worried about someone or something? God will give you HIS words for that person in that situation Remember all the Pharaohs believed that they themselves were “Gods.” The Lord was saying to Moses I am putting you on a higher footing than Pharaoh!And so the contest was about to begin between:- The “serpent - represented by Pharaoh and his false prophets the magicians” Vs the “Creator God - represented by Moses and his prophet Aaron”. Phil 2:9-11.
The Cobra was the emblem of ancient Egypt and was even worn on Pharaoh’s crown! The Egyptian magicians had power but it was to be “swallowed up by God’s power.” This was to be the eventual outcome of the Egyptian people who went to war with God’s people. They were to be swallowed up! 15:12
7:8-13. There is a counterfeit power in the world. 1 John 4:1-4.
God told Moses that Pharaoh would ask them to show a miracle! Cp Herod - Luke 23:8 & Rev 13:11-18. In Egypt the Deity with the most magic was considered to be the most powerful God! Through magic they believed they could influence or control the Gods. When Moses went in obedience to God - the challenge had begun! Pharaoh as a false God called for his false prophets and Moses (in the place of the true God) called for the true prophet of the Lord. Note that the false prophets did have power - but Gods power swallowed them up.
7:14-25. God was about to confront the pagan Gods.
God then gave Moses specific instructions to go to the river Nile in the morning. Pharaoh considered himself to be a deity and he also worshipped the River Nile which was the source of irrigation and blessing for Egypt. Going to the river every day was probably to pay homage to the God of the Nile “Hapi” (who was depicted as a bearded man with female breasts and a hanging stomach suggesting fertility) The idea was that the Nile gave birth and sustained Egypt! Remember Pharaoh’s daughter found Moses as she went on her “perhaps daily” trip to the Nile! Cp Psalm 55:22.
God was telling Moses to confront Pharaoh - He was going to strike at the core of Egypt ! God changed the water to blood and so all the fish died - fish was the staple diet of the Egyptians. Water was part of worship to the false Gods of Egypt and the Egyptians believed that the “waters” were eternal and the source of life - so the plague effected idol worship in the country as well!Read about the plagues Exodus 7:14 - 12:30 & Psalm 105:26-38
7:14-12:28. The plagues foreshadow the end times. Rev 11:6 & 16:3-4.
Remember - God can see right down the corridor of time and Moses had no idea of that - He just obeyed God. Transfer that principle to your life! God sees your future so it means obeying even when you don’t understand.
8:1-24. God gives Pharaoh another chance.
God’s command to Moses was “take your stand” v.20. This is what we are told to do when things get tough. Cp Ephesians 6:13. The consequences of sin stinks and brings corruption - just like the frogs and lice.
Exodus 8:22-23 & 9:4 & 26 & 10:23 & 11:7 God makes a difference……
The first three plagues brought suffering to everyone but God wanted His people to know that HE treats His own people differently to the world.
Cp the favour given in return for obedience 19:5-6 & 1 Peter 2:7-10.
Exodus 8:19 & 9:5-7,14 & 9:34 Pharaoh continued to disobey God.
God was sending the plagues to Pharaoh’s very heart so that he might know who the Lord really was. Note that some of the Egyptians were beginning to “wise up” 9:20-21 12:38 but Pharaoh was not listening or learning. Remember Pharaoh is a type of Satan. Cp Revelation 20:1-3 and 7-10 where the devil is let loose after being bound for a 1000 years - and he still revolts!
Exodus 8:25,28 & 10:11,24& 26. Pharaoh tempts Moses to compromise.
Pharaoh kept trying to make Moses compromise but look at Moses response “not a hoof will be left behind”. We need to have this attitude to sin. Anything short of obedience - is disobedience!
Exodus 10:21 & 23 Pharaoh’s hardened heart ends up in darkness.
The end result of disobedience is spiritual darkness - which can be felt! When we obey God we walk in the light. 1 John 1:7 & 1 Peter 2:9.
Lessons for life.
God wants us to be free - to do His will.
Are we obeying the commission given to us by the Lord?
God knows who we are and what we can do in HIS strength.
Are we trusting God to give us words to speak into lives?
The world is currently in spiritual bondage and prophesy tells us there will be plagues - already we are moving towards ecological disaster.
We must stand against sin - which results in the stink of corruption.
We must not compromise with the enemy.
The world is in darkness but we live in the light. Cp Rev 22:5.