I appeared

Torah Portion Exodus 6:2-9:35

Many great leaders have appeared throughout human history. We remember the most remarkable by name. Moses was chosen and commissioned in last weeks’ Torah Portion to go and set his people free. It ended with a promise that the Lord would show Moses what He was to do.

The leaders of the households of the tribes of Israel appear in the opening chapters where they too learn that the Lord will show them what He has in store for His people. It was time to leave Egypt! After 430 years of living in Goshen, the time had finally come to bring Joseph’s bones to his homeland!

Pharoah, ruler of Egypt also appears in this Parashat. The very Pharoah who sought to destroy the first-born of Israel. This Pharoah, believed to be Thutmose III/IV like other Pharoah considered himself divine. He was one of the gods who appear in this story. His appearance is as one contrary to Moses’ mission.

The God of Israel, the LORD, the Name Moses just recently learned. The Name by which Israel would be set free from the gods of Egypt appears in power with intent. Their God will teach Pharoah, Egypt, and the Hebrews that He is One.

There are seven signs delivered against Pharoah who dealt unfairly and dishonestly with Moses. The first sign was a sign teaching the Hebrews that the god of the Nile river was not a god who held true power thus the Lord turned its waters to blood. The Lord appeared!

The second sign was a bothersome infestation of frogs. This sign was one in which the Lord appeared showing His people that the god of Egypt, one characterized by the image of a being with a frog head; held no power because the Lord’s appearance causes and takes away the frog infestation.

The third sign was an infestation of lice. The agony of having lice on a nationwide scale must have been unbearable but the Lord appeared in opposition of their earth god and He, the Lord, was in control of the biting dust.

The next sign was that of a beetle infestation. The Egyptians are known today for their sacred scarab beetles. The Lord is God over this god as well. He appeared and set Goshen apart and they did not experience this infestation. He was teaching His people more directly now.

The Lord of the Hebrews struck their bull god by destroying the livestock of the field, as the fifth sign. God appeared and destroyed their prayers and hopes to the false bull god. His appearance showered favor on the Hebrews and none of their livestock was affected.

Following was a skin disease in which the Lord proved to His people that when He appears he controls even the appearance of the underworld in the world of men. As only the people of Egypt saw their flesh burst open with disease, they saw decay as if death was appearing! Their god of the underworld was supposed to be in control underworld. How then did it enter the world of men? Their prayers proved ineffective as the sign did not let up until the Lord willed it.

The seventh sign is that which attacks the Egyptian idea that the waters above were controlled by yet another god. The Lord appeared in power! He caused hail to fall so severe that is destroyed everything with fire in the sky accompanying the ice. God appeared and this time, like the previous, His people the Hebrews did not lose a thing nor did they experience God’s wrath on the god of Egypt; Pharoah.

The Lord appeared! He appeared to teach His people that they were called to be His and that He was sovereign over the gods they had been exposed to for these 430 years!