
Warnings, Hardened Hearts, and Divine Power
Exodus 7-9 begins the dramatic series of events known as the Ten Plagues, which demonstrate God’s supreme power over Egypt and its false gods. Through these plagues, God asserts His authority, reveals His divine plan to deliver Israel, and calls Pharaoh and the Egyptians to recognize Him as the one true God.
In Exodus 7, God sends Moses and Aaron to confront Pharaoh. God assures Moses and Aaron that He has made Moses “like God to Pharaoh” and Aaron his prophet (v. 1). God tells Moses that he is to say everything that God commands, and Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country (v. 2). God declares that He will harden Pharaoh’s heart and multiply His signs and wonders in Egypt so that Pharaoh and the Egyptians will know that He is the one true Lord (v. 3-5). Moses and Aaron are obedient to God’s command. Moses is 80 years old, and Aaron is 83 years old when they go before Pharaoh to carry out God’s instructions (v. 6-7). Often, in the Old Testament, the age of a prominent figure is given when a major event is about to occur.
God instructs Moses and Aaron on the miracle they are to perform before Pharaoh. When Pharaoh asks for a miracle, Aaron is to throw down his staff, and it will become a serpent (v. 8-9). Aaron and Moses go to Pharaoh, as the Lord commanded. Aaron throws down his staff in Pharaoh’s presence, and indeed, it turns into a serpent, thus demonstrating God’s mighty power (v. 9-10). Pharaoh’s magicians, trying to match God’s power, replicate the miracle by using their secret arts, and they turn their staffs into serpents as well (v. 11-12). However, Aaron’s staff swallows the magicians’ staffs, thus proving the superiority of God’s power. Despite witnessing this event, Pharaoh’s heart becomes hardened, and he refuses to listen to them, just as the Lord has said (v. 13).
Because Pharaoh’s heart is still unyielding, God instructs Moses and Aaron to confront him early in the morning at the edge of the Nile River (v. 14-15). They are to tell Pharaoh that the Lord has sent them and that he must let the people go so they may worship God in the wilderness. However, since Pharaoh has not yet listened, God will demonstrate His power once again to prove that He is the one true God. He will strike the water of the Nile, turning it into blood (v. 16-19). Again, Moses and Aaron do as God commands. As Aaron, through Moses’ direction, held his staff over the Nile, the awful judgment occurred. The Nile and all its tributaries turn to blood. The fish in the Nile die, and the water stinks and is undrinkable (v. 20-21). Pharaoh’s magicians replicate the miracle by their secret arts, and Pharaoh’s heart remains hardened, just as the Lord had said (v. 22). The Egyptians struggle to find drinking water, and seven days pass with the river turned to blood before God instructs Moses to prepare for the next plague (v. 24-25).
Chapter 7 marks only the beginning of God’s confrontation with Pharaoh through Moses and Aaron. The plagues begin as a judgment on Egypt’s idolatry, particularly the Nile River, which they worshipped as a source of life. By turning it into blood, God exposes the futility of their gods. These verses remind us to reflect on the potential idols in our own lives—things or people we place above God. We are to surrender them and rely solely on Him as the source of life and hope.
Although Pharaoh’s magicians performed some tricks, they could not match the magnitude and authority of God’s miracles. While they were able to replicate some signs, they ultimately failed to overpower God’s works, illustrating their limitations in contrast to His infinite power. Additionally, God demonstrates His authority over Pharaoh himself, the most powerful ruler of the time, by hardening his heart and directing events according to His will. Pharaoh’s repeated refusal to let the Israelites go shows the theme of human resistance to divine authority. We are reminded to examine areas of our lives where we may be resisting God’s will and pray for a softened heart and the humility to submit to His leading.
Exodus 8 and 9 describe the continuation of God’s judgment on Egypt through plagues, each displaying His power and authority while exposing Pharaoh’s hardened heart. In Exodus 8, God sends a plague of frogs that overrun Egypt (v. 1-6). Pharaoh pleads for relief, and Moses prays, but once the frogs die, Pharaoh hardens his heart again (v. 8-15). Next, God sends gnats from the dust, covering people and animals (v. 16-17). Even Pharaoh’s magicians acknowledge, “This is the finger of God” (v. 19), yet Pharaoh remains unyielding. Then, God brings a plague of flies, but this time, He spares the land of Goshen, where the Israelites live (v. 20-24). Pharaoh offers a compromise but quickly goes back on his word once the flies are removed (v. 25-32).
In Exodus 9, the plagues intensify. God sends a deadly disease upon Egypt’s livestock, killing their animals while sparing Israel’s (v. 1-7). Pharaoh remains stubborn. Then, boils break out on the Egyptians and their animals, so severe that even the magicians cannot stand before Moses (v. 8-12). Next, God sends a devastating hailstorm, destroying crops, animals, and people who remain unprotected (v. 13-26). Pharaoh acknowledges his sin (v. 27-28), but once the hail stops, he again hardens his heart (v. 34-35).
Overall, these plagues reveal God’s absolute sovereignty over His creation and particularly over mankind. God demonstrates that He can use them as He pleases; some, like Moses, to honor Him, and others, like Pharoah, to dishonor Him. Both kinds of people play a role in bringing glory to God, though it is beyond man’s finite ability to understand how this can be.
The plagues also reveal how God’s justice and mercy work together according to His will. While the plagues are acts of judgment against Pharaoh and Egypt, they also serve as warnings and opportunities for repentance. Even as Pharaoh hardens his heart, God demonstrates His mercy by sparing the Israelites and giving Pharaoh chances to acknowledge Him. Pharaoh’s stubbornness contrasts with God’s patience and purpose to make His name known throughout the earth. Together, these chapters highlight God’s power to deliver His people and hold accountable those who defy Him.
God has control over all aspects of life—nature, nations, and even the hearts of individuals. We know that when we face challenges, we can trust that nothing is outside of His authority. God often gives us warnings to turn away from sin, and we should not harden our hearts like Pharaoh; instead, we should respond with humility and obedience. We can trust in His care and provision, even when the world around us seems to be in chaos; therefore, let us not only recognize God’s work in our lives but also proclaim it to those around us, pointing them to His greatness.
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