Exodus 7: God's Confrontation with Pharaoh
The chapter sets the stage for the subsequent plagues by establishing the pattern of confrontation, miracle, and Pharaoh's resistance.
Key Themes and Ideas:
- Divine Authority and Commission:
- God establishes Moses and Aaron as His representatives, with Moses acting as "God" to Pharaoh, and Aaron as Moses' prophet. "See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet." This establishes a hierarchical structure where God's will flows through Moses and then to Aaron, who communicates with Pharaoh.
- The repeated phrase, "the Lord commanded," emphasizes that Moses and Aaron act solely on divine instructions, highlighting their obedience and the divine nature of their mission. This reinforces the idea that they are not acting on their own initiative. "Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord commanded them."
- The Hardening of Pharaoh's Heart:
- God explicitly states that He will harden Pharaoh's heart, a recurring theme throughout the Exodus narrative. "But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in Egypt, he will not listen to you." This foreknowledge introduces the concept of Pharaoh's resistance as part of God's plan to demonstrate His power and ultimately achieve the liberation of the Israelites.
- The text emphasizes that Pharaoh's resistance is not due to ignorance, but an active choice. The phrase "he would not listen to them, just as the Lord had said" reiterates the predetermined nature of his stubbornness in the face of divine signs.
- Signs and Wonders as Demonstrations of Power:
- The transformation of Aaron's staff into a snake and its subsequent consumption of the Egyptian magicians' snakes serves as an initial demonstration of God's power. "Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs." It highlights God's superiority over the supposed power of Egyptian sorcery.
- The plague of blood, where the Nile River is transformed into blood, is a powerful sign intended to show God's sovereignty over Egyptian deities and their vital resources, particularly the Nile. "With the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood." The text emphasizes the severity of the plague and its impact on the Egyptians, "The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. Blood was everywhere in Egypt."
- The miracles are not simply magic tricks, but are designed to convince Pharaoh of the true God’s power so he will let the Israelites go. This sets the stage for future signs and plagues that get progressively worse and demonstrate God's control over all elements.
- Pharaoh's Continued Resistance:
- Despite witnessing the transformation of the staffs and the plague of blood, Pharaoh remains obstinate. "Yet Pharaoh’s heart became hard and he would not listen to them, just as the Lord had said." His persistence in ignoring the signs reinforces the idea that his hardened heart will be a critical obstacle in the Israelites' path to freedom.
- The text also mentions that the Egyptian magicians are able to replicate certain miracles such as the snakes and the water turning to blood by their “secret arts,” but this only further fuels Pharaoh’s resistance since it allows him to believe that Moses and Aaron are not unique. "But the Egyptian magicians did the same things by their secret arts, and Pharaoh’s heart became hard."
Important Facts:
- Moses is 80 years old and Aaron is 83 when they first confront Pharaoh. This emphasizes that they are not young, impulsive revolutionaries, but rather experienced individuals tasked with God's serious mission.
- The plague of blood not only affected the Nile, but also impacted all bodies of water throughout Egypt, including those in “vessels of wood and stone." This emphasizes the widespread and devastating nature of the plague.
- The Egyptians had to dig along the Nile for drinking water as they could not drink the water in the river.
