Heroes of the faith

Moses in Egypt

When Trust Is Hard: Lessons from Moses and Pharaoh

Bible Passage: Ex 7:1–13, Ex 8:1–15

Summary: In Exodus 7 and 8, God commands Moses and Aaron to confront Pharaoh, showing His power through miraculous signs. Despite their fears and the hardened heart of Pharaoh, they remain obedient to God's call, emphasizing the challenge of trusting God amid overwhelming circumstances.

Application: This sermon will help teens understand the importance of trusting God, especially during tough times when self-doubt and fear may arise. By seeing how Moses and Aaron acted in faith despite their fears, teens can learn to rely on God's strength rather than their own.

Teaching: The teachings from these passages revolve around obedience to God's commands in the face of fear. It highlights that trusting in God leads to His intervention even when circumstances seem insurmountable.

How this passage could point to Christ: This theme emphasizes Jesus as the ultimate redeemer and the one who calls us to trust Him fully. Just as Moses trusted God to perform miracles before Pharaoh, Christians are called to trust in Christ, who fulfills God's promises and stands in the gap for us when circumstances challenge our faith.

Big Idea: Even when trusting ourselves feels impossible, we can find strength in God’s unwavering faithfulness.

Recommended Study: As you prepare this sermon, consider delving into how the cultural context of ancient Egypt influenced Pharaoh's decisions and his response to Moses. Utilize Logos to explore commentaries on the hardened heart of Pharaoh, which can illustrate human defiance against God. Additionally, studying the Hebrew text could reveal nuances in God's commands to Moses that highlight His authority and enduring faithfulness.

1. God's Promise to Persevere

Exodus 7:1–7 ESV

1 And the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. 2 You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall tell Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go out of his land. 3 But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, 4 Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and bring my hosts, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment. 5 The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them.” 6 Moses and Aaron did so; they did just as the Lord commanded them. 7 Now Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh.

You could focus on how God encourages Moses and Aaron despite their own fears and Pharaoh's hardened heart. Highlight how this depicts God's faithfulness in guiding and supporting His chosen ones. Emphasize that even when we doubt our own abilities, God can empower us to accomplish His will as He has done for Moses. This teaches teens that God's plan and strength are greater than their doubts.

2. God’s Power Prevails

Exodus 7:8–13 ESV

8 Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 9 “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Prove yourselves by working a miracle,’ then you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent.’ ” 10 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron cast down his staff before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent. 11 Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers, and they, the magicians of Egypt, also did the same by their secret arts. 12 For each man cast down his staff, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. 13 Still Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.

Perhaps discuss the first demonstration of God's power through Aaron's staff turning into a serpent and then devouring the Egyptians' staffs. This illustrates the supremacy of God's power over earthly challenges. Encourage teens to see that when they trust God, His power can overcome any obstacle that seems insurmountable to them.

3. Persistence Amidst Resistance

Exodus 8:1–9 ESV

1 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Let my people go, that they may serve me. 2 But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will plague all your country with frogs. 3 The Nile shall swarm with frogs that shall come up into your house and into your bedroom and on your bed and into the houses of your servants and your people, and into your ovens and your kneading bowls. 4 The frogs shall come up on you and on your people and on all your servants.” ’ ” 5 And the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the canals and over the pools, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt!’ ” 6 So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. 7 But the magicians did the same by their secret arts and made frogs come up on the land of Egypt. 8 Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, “Plead with the Lord to take away the frogs from me and from my people, and I will let the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.” 9 Moses said to Pharaoh, “Be pleased to command me when I am to plead for you and for your servants and for your people, that the frogs be cut off from you and your houses and be left only in the Nile.”

Maybe consider how Pharaoh's continued resistance despite witnessing God's power through the plague of frogs symbolizes human stubbornness against divine will. Yet, Moses and Aaron remain obedient. This shows teens the importance of persistence in faith, encouraging them to stay faithful and trust God even when their environment seems resistant or indifferent.

4. Persistent Faith through Fickleness

Exodus 8:10–15 ESV

10 And he said, “Tomorrow.” Moses said, “Be it as you say, so that you may know that there is no one like the Lord our God. 11 The frogs shall go away from you and your houses and your servants and your people. They shall be left only in the Nile.” 12 So Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and Moses cried to the Lord about the frogs, as he had agreed with Pharaoh. 13 And the Lord did according to the word of Moses. The frogs died out in the houses, the courtyards, and the fields. 14 And they gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank. 15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart and would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.

You could emphasize the temporary change of heart Pharaoh shows after the plague, which quickly disappears once the threat is removed. Discern the importance of sincere faith and trust in God, not just during crises but in all circumstances. This point encourages teens to cultivate a consistent faith life, seeking relationship with God beyond immediate needs.