Humbled Before God: The Downfall of Pride and Power

Introduction

We are living in a time when pride and power struggles dominate the headlines. The recent government shutdown has left more than two million federal workers in uncertainty—hundreds of thousands ordered not to work, and others like troops and air traffic controllers required to serve without pay. Leaders on every side are pointing fingers, assigning blame, and digging their heels in deeper.

It’s easy to get frustrated watching this unfold, but as the people of God, we know that what we’re seeing is not just political—it’s spiritual. Pride and greed are at the root of these conflicts, not just in Washington, but in the human heart. And until humility takes the place of arrogance, peace will remain out of reach.

That’s why we pray. Not because Americans as a nation are God’s covenant people, but because God’s people live among Americans, and the decisions of our leaders affect us deeply. We pray for divine intervention—for hearts to be softened, for wisdom to rise above pride, and for God to work in such a way that His people may live peaceful, productive lives and that the gospel may go forth unhindered.

In Exodus, we see a similar picture: a nation in crisis, a proud ruler refusing to bow, and a God who will not be ignored. Pharaoh’s arrogance is not so different from what we witness in our world today. But just as God humbled Pharaoh, He still humbles the proud and exalts the humble.

For those of you who are going through the book of Revelation with me, remember what we learned from Chapter 4. The throne room of heaven reminds us that God has not moved from His throne. He still reigns over all creation. And we must evaluate our present circumstances in light of that constant reality.

As we study these passages in exodus we will be reminded and in some cases confronted with three unalterable truths:

I. God’s Sovereignty is Displayed Through Obedient Servants (4:28-31)

II. Human Pride Resists God’s Authority (5:1-8)

III. God’s Power Confronts and Exposes False Strength (7:1-13)

I. God’s Sovereignty is Displayed Through Obedient Servants (4:28-31)

Last week we say Moses wrestling with fear and excuses. Moses finally submits to God’s call and recounts to Aaron all that God had said. It does not appear that Moses had to perform the miracles for Aaron to believe but that Aaron believed Moses right off the cuff because he trusted the source. So together they go and speak to Israel, performed the miracles given to Moses, which authenticated him as God’s emissary.

Exodus 4:31 LSB

31 So the people believed; and they heard that Yahweh cared about the sons of Israel and that He had seen their affliction. So they bowed low and worshiped.

Just as God predicted, Israel responded in belief at the signs and in worship at the explanation of God’s awareness of their misery. This makes sense. Jesus appealed to the same logic in His ministry

John 10:37–38 LSB

37 “If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; 38 but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and continue knowing that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.”

But Jesus’ claim was much greater than that of Moses. Moses was saying, “God has sent me” Jesus was saying “I and the Father are one.” And because His claim was greater, so was His sign. That is why Jesus provided them an even greater sign than a leprous hand and a snake transforming staff.

Matthew 12:38–40 LSB

38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered and said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” 39 But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation eagerly seeks for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; 40 for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Jesus identifies His resurrection as the one definitive sign validating His identity and mission. Every other miracle pointed forward to this one.

John 2:18–22 LSB

18 The Jews then said to Him, “What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this sanctuary, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 The Jews then said, “It took forty-six years to build this sanctuary, and will You raise it up in three days?” 21 But He was speaking about the sanctuary of His body. 22 So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.

Jesus foretold His own resurrection as His credential. When it happened, it confirmed everything He claimed — that He is the true dwelling of God among men (John 1:14)

Romans 1:3–4 LSB

3 concerning His Son, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 who was designated as the Son of God in power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,

The resurrection publicly declared what Jesus always was — the divine Son. It was the Father’s own validation of the Son’s claims. If Moses’ credentials were the staff and the leprous hand, Jesus’ credentials were the empty tomb.

What happened with Moses, Aaron and Israel was absolutely logical. I have been sent by God, God has proven it, now obey. God is not illogical. What he asks of His people makes perfect sense.

Before He displays His power in Egypt, He displays His faithfulness in Israel. God’s sovereignty is revealed not only through miraculous acts, but through ordinary obedience—through two brothers who dared to trust Him enough to speak and act on His behalf.

And this obedience is not anchored in blind faith, but in evidential faith. A faith that sees, hears, and reasons that God is true.

God could have freed Israel without Moses or Aaron, yet He chose to use them. That’s how divine sovereignty works—it doesn’t remove human responsibility, it redeems it. God’s will is accomplished through His servants, not apart from them.

The tension between divine sovereignty and human responsibility is one of the great mysteries of Scripture. We cannot always tell where one ends and the other begins, but we know this much: God rules over all, and yet He calls His people to participate in His plan.

We see this pattern throughout Scripture. Noah built the ark, but it is God who brought the flood and did the saving. David faced Goliath, but it was God who gave the victory. The apostles preached the gospel, but it was God who opened hearts to believe.

The challenge for us is simple: Are we cooperating with the sovereign plan of God, or are we resisting it?

Moses’ story reminds us that obedience often begins with trembling hands but ends with worshiping hearts. When we step out in faith, others see God at work. Israel bowed and worshiped because two men chose to obey. Although God told them that they would believe after the signs.

II. Human Pride Resists God’s Authority (5:1-8)

Now, with minds and hearts united Moses an Aaron go tackle their next hurdle. They have been warned that Pharaoh will not listen. So Moses, and Aaron tell Pharaoh that God has ordered the release of His people,

Exodus 5:2 LSB

2 But Pharaoh said, “Who is Yahweh that I should listen to His voice to let Israel go? I do not know Yahweh, and also, I will not let Israel go.”

Remember last week’s message, Ehyeh means I AM. Yahweh means He is. So there is a play in words here that is a bit lost in English. In essence Pharaoh is saying,

Who “IS HE” or who is “HE IS” that I should listen…

Pharaoh refused to recognize divine authority. Every Egyptian deity, including Pharaoh himself, bore a finite name—a limitation. But Yahweh, “He Is,” is without boundary, definition, or end. His very name sets Him above every god, including Pharaoh. To acknowledge Yahweh would have meant renouncing his own supposed divinity—and pride could never allow that.

So, in order to show himself superior to “HIM”One who identifies Himself by an unending verb, he retaliates by increasing the Israelites workload,

Exodus 5:7–8 LSB

7 “You are no longer to give the people straw to make brick as previously; let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8 “But the quota of bricks which they were making previously, you shall set upon them; you are not to reduce any of it. Because they are lazy, therefore they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’

Pride always punishes others; it never takes responsibility. Pharaoh’s defiance becomes a mirror for all humanity — an image of the heart that says to its Creator, “I will not yield.”

Even today, we see this same spirit at work. Our own leaders, locked in stalemate, refuse to yield or humble themselves, and the people they lead bear the weight of their stubbornness. Pride is not only ancient—it is alive and well.

But I want you to consider the theological implication of whats happening in this passage. Pharaoh says, “who is the Lord that I should obey” which echoes the serpent’s “Did God really say” (Gen 3:1). Pride always challenges God’s rule and that is why those who hold on to it end up destroyed

Proverbs 16:18 LSB

18 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling.

Like the hymn writer said. “this is my Father’s world” so if you do care at all for His rule you are welcome to move to another. But if you are going to live here and hold on to your pride at the same time, you will be declaring war on God.

“…God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6)

Pharaoh’s arrogance is therefore not just political; it is theological. The ruler of Egypt had set himself against the Ruler of Heaven, an adversarial relationship in which Pharaoh would greatly lose. This same thought process was also found in Nabuchadnezzar,

Daniel 4:30 LSB

30 “The king answered and said, ‘Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal house by the strength of my power and for the glory of my majesty?’

But this type of arrogance is even older than Pharaoh and Nabuchadnezzar, look at the words of Satan,

Isaiah 14:13–14 LSB

13 “But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. 14 ‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’

But this is the natural state of the human heart apart from the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 1:21 LSB

21 For even though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Scripture is consistent concerning God’s answer to human pride:

Luke 1:51–52 LSB

51 “He has done a mighty deed with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart. 52 “He has brought down rulers from their thrones, And has exalted those who were humble.

Pharaoh’s story will become the clearest illustration of that truth. God will systematically dismantle every false god of Egypt — from the Nile to the sun — proving that “Yahweh alone is God; there is no other.” (Deuteronomy 4:35)

C.S Lewis said,

A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you are looking down you can’t see something that is above you.

C. S. Lewis

That’s Pharaoh’s problem — and often ours. Pride keeps the eyes low, focused on self, unable to look up and see the Lord enthroned above. That is why Peter admonishes

1 Peter 5:6 LSB

6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time,

Pharaoh’s defiance shows us that pride is the great enemy of God’s rule — but humility is the pathway to grace. God always humbles those who exalt themselves, and He always lifts up those who bow before Him.

Every knee will eventually bow—either now in worship or later in judgment. As Paul declares:

So we must ask ourselves:

Where does pride still resist God’s authority in my life?

Am I willing to humble myself before His hand rather than be humbled by it?

Because one way or another, God will have the last word.

III. God’s Power Confronts and Exposes False Strength (7:1–13)

So when we reach chapter 7, Pharaoh’s pride has already set the stage for divine confrontation and Moses and Aaron are informed of this fact. God also informs the dynamic duo of their roles according to His divine order:

Exodus 7:1–2 LSB

1 Then Yahweh said to Moses, “See, I set you as 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 speak to Pharaoh that he let the sons of Israel go out of his land.

God is precise about the roles and they are not given liberty to alter them. Moses plays the part of God, Aaron the part of prophet. This order had nothing to do with rank or ability. Aaron may be more eloquent, yet he must speak what Moses commands.

We see this same divine order in marriage.  God establishes authority not according to talent or personality, but design.

The delineation of order also appears within the Godhead. The Son is not any less powerful or any less God than the Father, yet His role is that of son. The Spirit, the most mysterious person of the Trinity, is no less important or less God than Father and Son, yet His role is to reveal Father and Son. And no one argues concerning their role not being visible enough. No one has seen the Father although He is the maker of all, and all worship the Son, and none can worship neither the Son or the Father unless the Spirit indwell them. This is just a side nugget for you to keep in mind. Back to our regularly scheduled program

Notice the reversal—God tells Moses, “I make you as God to Pharaoh.” The man who once feared standing before kings now stands as God’s representative to a king. This is not about Moses’ greatness but about divine authority. When God sends His servants, they carry His authority with them.

That’s also why God deals so severely with false prophets:

Deuteronomy 18:20 LSB

20 ‘But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or which he speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’

So if you’re going to claim, “Thus says the Lord,” you had better make sure the Lord actually said it., you want to call yourself a prophet of the most high? Go ahead… Good luck to you. But then God says something that’s often misunderstood:

“I will harden Pharaoh’s heart with stiffness…” (Exodus 7:3)

This does not mean that God turned an innocent man into a rebel. This is a clear instance where divine sovereignty is commingled with human responsibility and choice.

When Scripture says God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, it means He judicially confirmed Pharaoh in his own stubbornness. God didn’t inject evil into Pharaoh’s heart; He simply allowed Pharaoh to do what he already wanted and ordained the outcome to serve His redemptive purposes.

Human side: Pharaoh hardened his heart by persistent rebellion.

Divine side: God hardened Pharaoh’s heart by withdrawing restraining grace and allowing him to become what he already was.

This concept where God decisively lets you continue in your chosen path will be seen universally toward the end of times. Look at what’s recorded in Revelation

Revelation 22:11 LSB

11 “Let the one who does unrighteousness, still do unrighteousness; and the one who is filthy, still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still do righteousness; and the one who is holy, still keep himself holy.”

In other words you are locked in to your decision. Remember the game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? You are asked a question, allowed time to reason through it and then you are asked “Is that your final answer” Once you say yes, for better or worse you are locked into your choice.

So the brothers stand boldly before Pharaoh, and begin to show their credentials as emissaries of the Most High God. Like officers showing divine badge of authority.

Exodus 7:10–12 LSB

10 So Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, and thus they did just as Yahweh had commanded; and Aaron threw his staff down before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent. 11 Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers, and they also, the magicians of Egypt, did the same with their secret arts. 12 And each one threw down his staff, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs.

What a scene! The magicians could imitate, but they could not dominate. Pharaoh’s magicians duplicated the feat by their secret arts, probably miracles empowered by Satan it was a fake badge. Their power was counterfeit and temporary. God’s power, by contrast, consumes and prevails.

This passage is about the clash between sovereignty and false strength. Pharaohs magicians represent human wisdom, demonic power, and religious deception. But all of the are swallowed by the authority of God. This same theme runs through all of Scripture:

When Goliath mocked Israel’s God, David said, “The battle is the Lord’s” (1 Samuel 17:47). And he was indeed crushed by God

When Sennacherib king of Assyria boasted against the Lord, God sent one angel to strike down 185,000 soldiers in a single night (2 Kings 19:35).

When Herod accepted praise as a god, the Lord struck him down and he was eaten by worms (Acts 12:23)

The message is clear: no one can stand against God’s power. His sovereignty exposes every false source of strength—whether political, spiritual, or personal. Paul captures this in the NT

1 Corinthians 1:25 LSB

25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

The world’s “power” is illusion. The cross, which seemed like defeat, is the ultimate act of divine power—because in it, Christ conquered sin, Satan, and death itself.

Colossians 2:15 LSB

15 Having disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them in Him.

Just as Aaron’s staff swallowed the serpents of Egypt, the cross swallowed death and exposed every pretension that opposes God.

Application:

Pharaoh’s magicians remind us that false strength can imitate true power for a time. The world still has its magicians—those who mimic the miraculous, substitute self-help for salvation, and exalt human achievement as if it were divine. But in the end, all of it will be swallowed up by the truth of God’s Word and the glory of His Son.

What are the modern “staffs” we throw down in defiance of God?

Human wisdom that tries to redefine truth.

Money and success that promise control but deliver anxiety.

Technology and knowledge that make us think we are gods.

Isaiah 46:9–10 LSB

9 “Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, ‘My counsel will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’,

When life feels like a contest of power—between what you can control and what you can’t—remember: God is never competing; He’s already reigning.

So, where Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord that I should obey Him?”, believers respond, “There is none like the Lord our God.”

Let us be a people who resist the pride of Pharaoh and reflect the humility of Christ.

Let us walk in obedience, even when it’s hard.

Let us trust in the God whose power never fails and whose grace never ends.

And let us live in such a way that when the world asks, “Who is the Lord?”, they will see the answer in us.