So it Begins

So it Begins Exodus 7:1-13 Review • In Exodus 5, Moses details the desperate circumstances surrounding the nation Israel – rancor, beatings, pressure, anger, and cursing. • In Exodus 6, Moses turns the focus to God’s encouragements through those trials – the LORD makes great promises to nobody’s encouragement. • In Exodus 7, however, we begin the great event of the entire Old Testament. 1. Exodus – Central Old Testament Event • The Hebrew calendar made the Exodus event its first and central feature (Exodus 12:2; 16:1) • Passover memorialized the Exodus (Exodus 12:14) • Central reason for theological orthodoxy (Deuteronomy 13:5) and godly character (Lev. 19:36, Num. 15:40-41) • “The Exodus is the most significant historical and theological event of the Old Testament because it marks God’s mightiest act in behalf of His people” (Merrill, 57) • “The exodus controls a great deal of the discussion of the entire rest of the Old Testament” (Carson, DG) 2. Exodus Patterns • 10 Plagues; 3x3 structure with the 10th standing alone as the superlative event • Pattern of Announcement – cycle of announcement at Nile, announcement in the palace, and no public announcement at all • Escalating Severity – the plagues grow in severity from awe, to annoyance, to the catastrophic loss of property, to catastrophic loss of life. • Increasing Protection – as the severity ratches up, the suffering of the Israelites diminishes 3. Holy War • Initiative – see 7:1; God calls, sends, predicts, and designs; God demands precise obedience (7:2) as He causes the multiplication of these events (7:3) • Signs – see 7:3; the signs that God promises are indicators of His intentions (see 1 Kings 13:1-5) • Acknowledgement – God insists on using theological categories (I will make you God … Aaron yahweh your prophet; the whole of the nation “will know that I myself am Yahweh”) 4. The Prelude (7:8-13) • Pharaoh’s challenge – “Impress me.” • Aaron’s “Snake” – not the most common word for snake, but could be any lizard, crocodile, scorpion, etc. • Snakes in Egypt – Extremely symbolic in the religion of Egypt for everything from wisdom, to healing, to brawls in the spirit realm that spill over to earth. Pharaoh’s headdress was an amulet intended to harness the power of snake-like gods • Magicians and Secret Arts • Swallowed – see Exodus 15:12 Applications 1. God’s takes great care to destroy strongholds raised against His knowledge (2 Corinthians 10:3-6). 2. God despises enslavement and takes great pains to deliver us (Colossians 1:13-14)