Exodus 7:8-13:16, God Judges

Introduction

Good morning! If you have a Bible, please open with me to Exodus 7. We’re continuing our study of Exodus. Our flyover study, if you will. Through this study, much like our similar study of Genesis earlier this year, our aim is to marvel at our great God in all of His glory as He reveals Himself and His ways through His Word.

This morning we will look at the events that ultimately lead to the Exodus as God brings about judgment on Pharaoh and the land of Egypt in order to save His people. Before we go any further, let’s pray and ask the LORD to bless our time in His Word.

PRAY

“Shock and awe”. That’s a phrase that perhaps many of you have heard and are to some degree familiar with. It is most often associated with the U.S. military and was particularly well known in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. As our military began its operations they began with overwhelming firepower. The goal is to create a state of shock, confusion, and paralysis in the enemy by using a massive and sudden application of force.

The initial bombing campaign in Iraq used overwhelming airstrikes and bombardments to overwhelm and quickly incapacitate the Iraqi military. This of course had its desired effect and it demonstrated our military’s extensive fire superiority over our adversary. Such that the ground forces were able to move relatively quickly through the country with minimal resistance. The enemy will and capacity to resist had been broken in the face of such devastating and overwhelming force from the U.S. and our allies.

As we come to a well-known section of our study in Exodus, the plagues sent on Egypt, we see a sort of shock and awe, albeit a little more drawn out by God’s design. Our previous study showed us Pharaoh’s initial defiance when Moses went before him. He made clear he did not know “the LORD” (Yahweh) and that he had no intentions of ever letting Israel go.

Pharaoh, and the Egyptians, saw him as a god and they saw no reason to obey the LORD. But by the end of our time this morning, Pharaoh and Egypt will be well acquainted with the LORD––who He is and His infinite power over them displayed in His just judgment upon them.

Main Point–Look at God’s judgement and know that He is God and worship Him.

God judges…

With Power

With Patience

With Purpose

With Power

The first thing we must notice throughout our text this morning is the reality that God judges with power. He makes known that His power is demonstrably greater than any other power. No one can contend with Him. Beginning with an initial sign in the presence of Pharaoh and ending with the death of every firstborn in Egypt, God progressively ramped up the pressure and made known His limitless sovereign power over all. Just begin by looking at the initial sign with me.

Initial Sign (Exodus 7:8-13)

Follow along as I READ Exodus 7:8-13.

This first sign presents somewhat of a foreshadowing of things to come. Aaron cast down his staff. It became a serpent. But interestingly, Pharaoh’s magicians were able to do the same with their staffs “by their secret arts.” We don’t know how specifically. Whether by some sort of trickery or sleight of hand like we might see at a magic show in our day or by demonic power, they were able to mimic the sign.

Now, as the rest of the plagues will plainly demonstrate, we ought not read this and think that somehow human power and sorcery can match the power of God. That much becomes all the more plain in the fact that Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. God will not be mocked. His power is always infinitely superior to those who would oppose Him. Nevertheless, in the face of this sign from the LORD, Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, “as the LORD had said.”

The stage is set for the devastating and progressive shock and awe that will display God’s power as He brought judgment on Pharaoh and the land of Egypt.

First Plague––Nile to Blood (Exodus 7:14-25)

READ Exodus 7:14-19

Because of Pharaoh’s hard heart and refusal to obey the LORD, judgment began by turning the Nile to blood. The fish in the Nile died. The Nile stank. The Egyptians could not drink from the Nile. They had to dig alongside the Nile to find water. There was blood all throughout the land of Egypt.

Some critical scholars have tried to say that this particular plague was the result of something known as “red tide.” that can sometimes happen in this part of the world. That the Nile didn’t turn to actual blood, but that it merely looked like blood. But that’s not what the text says. It says clearly that it turned to blood. More than that, it wasn’t only the water of the Nile that turned to blood. Verse 19 says that this happened to their rivers, their canals, their ponds, all their pools of water, even in the vessels of wood and stone.

This was no natural event. This was a supernatural display of God’s power. This was a significant sign to begin with given the reality that the Nile was representative of one of their Egyptian gods. It was their source of abundance and flourishing. It was their water source. Their food source. It’s what nourished their land and made it fertile. Now it stunk like decay and death. God displayed not only his power over Egypt, but even their so-called god who provided for them and caused their flourishing.

Once again, Pharaoh’s magicians were able to mimic the sign. Perhaps they dug along the Nile like the people did and found some, using their sorcery and turning it to blood. But before you are tempted to be impressed by that, wouldn’t they have done better to try and reverse the plague? But they couldn’t. They couldn’t overcome God’s power and undo His judgement against them. All they could do, through some trickery, was mimic it. All their mimicking accomplished was the continued hardening of Pharaoh’s heart, just as the LORD had said.

Second Plague––Frogs (Exodus 8:1-15)

READ EXODUS 8:1-7

We come to the second plague, that displayed God’s power over Egypt. He overwhelmed the land with frogs that came up out of the Nile. They filled the land, even filling homes. Imagine trying to sleep in a bed full of frogs; or cook when all your cookware is perpetually full of frogs. Baking bread with a side of frog slime to coat it with. But once again, Pharaoh’s magicians somehow mimicked the sign as well.

Nevertheless, Pharaoh began to crack a little, or so it seemed. He asked Moses to plead with the LORD to take away the frogs and in return he would let the people go and sacrifice to the LORD. So that it couldn’t be attributed to chance or natural causes, Moses even had him appoint the time this would occur––tomorrow. That’s exactly what happened. Only, once the relief came, Pharaoh’s heart was hardened again and he did not let Israel go. As the LORD said.

Third Plague––Gnats (Exodus 8:16-19)

READ Exodus 8:16-19

We come to the third plague and there’s a couple of changes as things continue to escalate against Pharaoh and Egypt. This time, Moses and Aaron don’t even go in to speak with Pharaoh. They just do what the LORD commanded them to do. Aaron struck the dust of the earth and gnats overwhelmed the land. They were all over everyone––man and beast alike.

The other difference is from here forward, Pharaoh’s magicians are no longer able to mimic the signs. Though they tried, they couldn’t manufacture what the LORD had done here. And it led them to acknowledge what it seems Pharaoh was still reluctant to acknowledge––“This is the finger of God.” Despite their acknowledgment, Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, “as the LORD had said.”

Fourth Plague––Flies (Exodus 8:20-32)

READ Exodus 8:20-24

Following the third plague, Moses and Aaron were instructed by the LORD to present themselves to Pharaoh again. They demanded that he let the people go to sacrifice to the LORD in the wilderness or the land would be swarmed with flies. Given Pharaoh’s refusal, that’s exactly what happened. The land was filled with swarms of flies. All the land of Egypt was swarmed with flies, except in the land of Goshen where Israel dwelt.

Once again, the land of Egypt was devastated. So much so that Pharaoh again began to relent. Only, he tried to bargain his way out of the trouble by suggesting that they could sacrifice to the LORD within the land. Needless to say, that was not going to happen. God was going to have His people totally freed. So, with some convincing, Moses was able to get Pharaoh to agree to let them go into the wilderness to sacrifice to the LORD, or so it seemed. Because, once again, when relief came, Pharaoh hardened his heart and did not let the people go. As the LORD said.

Fifth Plague––Egyptian Livestock Die (Exodus 9:1-7)

READ Exodus 9:1-7

The fifth plague brought another level of devastation in the wake of Pharaoh’s hardened heart. All the livestock in Egypt were struck dead, except for the livestock that belonged to the people of Israel. Some of you deal with cattle, or have dealt with cattle. Imagine if suddenly one day your entire herd fell over dead. Depending on the level of your operation, hundreds or thousands of cattle are suddenly gone. Now multiply that over an entire nation. A complete economic disaster. And still, even with the evidence made plain, Pharaoh remained hardened.

Sixth Plague––Boils (Exodus 9:8-12)

READ Exodus 9:8-12

Similar to the third plague, this one came without warning. Moses took the soot from the kiln, threw it in the air and everyone––man and beast––were covered in sores. Sores so painful that Pharaoh’s magicians were unable to stand before Moses. Nevertheless, once again, the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart just like He said He would (9:12).

Seventh Plague––Hail (Exodus 9:13-35)

READ Exodus 9:13-21

What we see foretold is exactly what unfolded according to verses 22-35. Pharaoh was still exalting himself. God could have taken care of all of this with one plague. Nevertheless, He orchestrated it this way to demonstrate His power. We see that in verse 16. Hail fell everywhere except in the land of Goshen where Israel dwelt. Everything in their fields was struck down in all the land of Egypt––man, beast, plant, and tree.

In the wake of the devastation we see Pharaoh acknowledge that he sinned against the LORD (v. 27). But once again, this is not true repentance. As devastating as the hail was, there was still hope in Pharaoh’s eyes. Moses called him on it. Regarding their crops it was the flax and barley that were struck down, but their wheat and emmer were late in coming up. For you farmers this would be like your wheat and soybeans being destroyed, but you still will be able to harvest corn and sunflower later on. Not good, but not a total loss of all your crops.

Eighth Plague––Locusts (Exodus 10:1-20)

READ Exodus 10:1-11

So, still having some of his crops to get by with, Pharaoh’s heart remained hardened. But God would bring total devastation with the locusts. What the hail didn’t destroy, the locusts ate. And the land of Egypt was left in total ruin. Their livestock were dead. All their fields were struck down of any produce. There was literally nothing left for them. Just as Pharaoh’s servants said, the land was in total ruin. Though Pharaoh’s servants and likely all of Egypt were ready to yield, Pharaoh still would not relent. The LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart (v. 20)

Ninth Plague––Darkness (Exodus 10:21-29)

READ Exodus 10:21-23

This time, like the third and sixth plagues, there was no warning. Moses was to simply stretch out his hand and there was pitch darkness all over the land of Egypt, except in the land of Goshen where Israel dwelt. And this was no ordinary darkness. It was a darkness, the text says, that could be felt. Just imagine the most terrifying darkness you can think of. Unable to see. No light from the sun, the moon, or stars. Nothing lighting the night sky. You can’t even see your hand in front of your face. Perhaps a foreshadowing fear of the death that was to come in the final plague.

The text goes on to tell us that, again, Pharaoh tried to barter with Moses. But the LORD would have none of it. He will have His people freed to worship and serve Him just as He said. So, the LORD once again hardened Pharaoh’s heart. So much so that Pharaoh threatened Moses with death if he ever saw him again.

Tenth Plague––Death of Firstborn (Exodus 12:29-32)

Through everything up to this point, we’ve seen God’s strong power at work in bringing devastating judgment upon Pharaoh and Egypt. We’ve seen the stubborn hardness of heart at work in Pharaoh. But that hardness would be broken with the final blow. For now, at least, until we see their final defeat next week at the Red Sea. In Exodus 11 God told Moses what He would do. The Lord would kill all the firstborn of Egypt––great and small; man and beast. Not a house would be untouched. Then, Pharaoh would let them go.

But God also graciously and mercifully gave instructions for the Passover and how Israel could escape the same judgment. We see that in Exodus 12:1-28. Then, the final blow came. READ Exodus 12:29-32

Pharaoh’s will was finally broken. He tried to contend against the one true and living God and was laid low. The most powerful man in all the known world was no match for the power of the LORD. Egypt was left in ruins and Pharaoh’s household was in ruins. Loved ones, this is the same LORD we worship and serve today. He is all powerful and mighty to save. No matter what we face in the world, we have no cause to worry or fret or be fearful. If God is for us, who can be against us?

Pharaoh was now familiar with the LORD and why he should obey Him. But why now? Why did it take so long? Why not give in after the first plague? Or the second? Especially after the third when even his own magicians were stunned and recognized all that was happening was from the LORD. That brings us to the second point.

With Patience

Loved ones, this same all-powerful God who judges with power also judges with patience. He is, according to His own words later in Exodus 34, “slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” But, He will also “by no means clear the guilty.” Through all these plagues and the long process of breaking Pharaoh’s resolve God was demonstrating both His supreme power and sovereignty as well as His great patience. This even with the reality that God was the one hardening Pharaoh’s heart.

We considered this a couple of weeks ago. God told Moses that He would harden Pharaoh’s heart. And we see that repeatedly throughout this passage. We see both that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart and that Pharaoh hardened his own heart. Both realities are true. Pharaoh bears the responsibility and guilt for resisting the LORD. At the same time, it was according to God’s sovereign will. No matter how hard this may be for us to understand in our finite thinking, these two truths are complementary, not contradictory.

Last time, we looked at Paul’s commentary on this matter in Romans 9:14-26. If you weren’t with us, I’d encourage you to go back and listen to that and then go and read and meditate on that passage in Romans 9 this afternoon. There we learn that God will have mercy on whomever He wills and hardens whomever He wills. But elsewhere, Paul acknowledges the biblical reality of human responsibility. Just look at Romans 1, for example, where he describes those who suppress the truth about God. All unbelievers, just like Pharaoh.

Alec Motyer provides a helpful analogy for the seeming moral dilemma of God hardening Pharaoh’s heart even as Pharaoh hardened his own heart. Just think about the plague of hail that fell on the land of Egypt. A meteorologist might explain to us that the hail formed as moist air rises and freezes and ice forms and increases in size until they become too heavy to be lifted by upward air currents and fall to the ground. But when we read in the Bible where it says that God would send a hailstorm “this time tomorrow” we know that it is not providing an alternative means for hail forming.

The Bible is simply cutting past secondary causes––what the meteorologist would tell us––to give us the first and greatest cause––God Himself. The Bible is telling us there that God is ultimately carrying out His will in accordance with the mechanisms He created to make them happen. Motyer concludes, “The Lord of all creation uses, manages, directs, and controls the way creation operates. The physical world is his world, and—to come to our present topic—so is the moral world.” Thus there is no contradiction in the reality that both God and Pharaoh hardened Pharaoh’s heart.

This reality before us, of Pharaoh’s hardened heart should serve as a warning to us. Even as it was owing to God’s will, nevertheless, Pharaoh was responsible for His resistance to the LORD. In those moments where Pharaoh weakened and almost gave in to let Israel go, he demonstrated His guilt. He knew and acknowledged that he was sinning. And yet, knowledge of sin does not mean that he truly repented. Pharaoh shows us what it looks like to have worldly sorrow rather than godly sorrow that leads to repentance.

Worldly sorrow, like what we see in Pharaoh, is not truly sorry for offending a holy God. It is only sorry for the consequences being faced. Pharaoh was experiencing the consequences for rejecting the LORD and revealed that the ultimate source of His anguish was the devastation inflicted upon Him. We see this in our own lives when we are more sorry about the consequences that follow our sin, rather than being sorry for offending God.

Men, when you are harsh and unloving toward your wife, are you sorry for how offensive that is to God? Or are you more sorry that you have to experience your wife’s cold shoulder? Sisters, when you fail to respect and submit to your husband, are you sorry for how offensive that is to God? Or are you sorry that your husband has given up on loving and leading your family as he’s called to? Young people, when you are caught in disobedience to your parents, are you sorry for offending God in not honoring your parents? Or are you more sorry about the privileges you might lose for having broken your parent’s trust?

True repentance, turning from sin and to God in faith, flows from godly sorrow. A sorrow that is not primarily concerned with the consequences being faced. Rather, it is a sorrow that causes us anguish over having offended the LORD. So, might I just ask all of us here this morning, which will it be for us? Godly sorrow leading to repentance, or worldly sorrow that leads to death?

We’re all here, hearing the same word about this all-powerful God, and yet there could be two different responses––softening or hardening. Charles Spurgeon once said, “The same sun which melts wax hardens clay. And the same gospel which melts some persons to repentance, hardens others in their sins.” I pray for all of us that the LORD would graciously grant us godly sorrow that leads to repentance when we sin against Him.

Non-Christian friends here today, do not take for granted the LORD’s patience and continue to harden your heart against Him. You must know, as the apostle Peter wrote, that the LORD “is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.” (2 Peter 3:9-10) Turn to Him today in repentance and faith and experience His life-giving salvation.

With Purpose

God’s judgment is not only powerful and patient. It also comes with purpose. Over and over again throughout our passage this morning, the LORD provides a reason for His actions of judgment against Israel. We’ll note two purposes that are plainly evident throughout.

“Know that I am the LORD”

The first purpose we see repeated throughout is so that the LORD would be known. Back in Exodus 7:5, he says He will act so that Egypt will “know that I am the Lord.” Again, in Exodus 9:14, so that Egypt and Pharaoh will know “There is none like me in all the earth” and in 9:16 “that my name might be recounted in all the earth.” But the LORD also had another people in mind. His own covenant people He came to rescue. Exodus 10:2 tells us that Israel and her children will “know that I am the Lord.”

Loved ones, our God wants to be known and is worthy of being known. That He would be loved and worshiped by those whom He created. That’s not to say that He needs our love and worship. He didn’t create us out of need for us. He didn’t create us because He was lonely and needed fellowship. God has existed eternally in perfect love and fellowship with Himself––Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

He didn’t have to create or save us. Instead, He chose to, for our benefit. That we would have the great joy of knowing and loving Him in perfect fellowship with Him for all eternity. And this world and all that has happened throughout all human history is the grand stage of His plan of redemption in which He is making Himself known to all. More so to His people in a saving way that will cause us to marvel at Him in all His glory for all eternity. That flows right into the next purpose we see throughout the passage.

Set Apart God’s People

Additionally, throughout the plagues we see that God aimed to set apart His people. To make a distinction between His people and the world, in this case Egypt. We saw this at several points:

The fourth plague––there were no flies in the land of Goshen (8:23).

The fifth plague––none of Israel’s livestock died (9:4).

The seventh plague––no hail in the land of Goshen (9:26).

The ninth plague––there was light in the land of Goshen (10:23).

We see this distinction most prominently in the Passover and the final plague with the death of all Egypt's firstborn. This is recounted throughout Exodus 11 and 12. But that distinction was not based on any sort of inherent righteousness that Israel had. The distinction that came in the Passover was wholly dependent upon God’s mercy alone toward Israel. That’s why He graciously gave them the provision of the Passover Lamb.

Follow along as I READ Exodus 12:21-28

Loved ones, this teaches us that Israel deserved the same fate as Egypt. They too were sinners in rebellion against the LORD. They too were descendants of Adam and Eve born dead in sin. Any Israelite who neglected these instructions would experience the bitter sting of death also. It was not their own righteousness or ethnicity that set them apart. It was the blood of the Lamb that set them apart. Thus the LORD passed them over.

This we must recognize points forward to the reality that we are set apart by faith in the shed blood of Jesus. Like the passover Lamb served as Israel’s substitute, the LORD Jesus Christ suffered and died in our place as our substitute. Our Passover Lamb who was slain for us. Such that, on the last day, just as the LORD passed over all who had the blood marking their door He will pass over you in mercy because Jesus bore His wrath and judgment in your place.

Loved ones, this is the good news of the gospel. We are debtors of God’s grace and mercy through faith in the shed blood of Jesus. We should look at this passage and let it lead us to worship and serve the LORD all the more because of what He has done for us in Christ. That’s why God saved Israel and brought them out of Egypt. So that they would worship and serve Him as His distinct people. Marveling at His mighty work of salvation for them. In doing so, they were to be a light to the nations, proclaiming “Come know and worship our great God with us.”

It seems that that happened to some extent even here in the exodus. Notice in Exodus 12:38 that as they went up out of Egypt they did so as a “mixed multitude.” We’re not given the details of all who were a part of this mixed multitude. It seems reasonable to conclude that perhaps some Egyptians and other foreigners got the point through all the plagues. That the LORD is God. That He is to be reverenced and worshipped. Thus, they with all Israel experienced God’s mercy in the face of overwhelming judgment and marvelled at God’s saving work on their behalf.

God also knew their frame. How forgetful they would be. And so, He instituted this feast as an annual memorial for them to remember His salvation. As a means to teach coming generations of His great salvation, so they wouldn’t forget Him and what He had done for them in redeeming them out of slavery in Egypt. We see that in Exodus 13:1-16, the Feast of Unleavened Bread. This is what the LORD Jesus took and transformed for us into the Lord’s Supper the night before He was crucified. The meal of the new covenant that reminds us of what Christ did for us in His death on the cross.

Conclusion

Loved ones, does God’s saving work in Christ lead you toward greater love and worship toward Him for what He has done? Particularly in light of His judgment that we see fell on Egypt and know will one day fall on all who remain in rebellion against Him? It ought to. Love ones, when we have a right understanding of God’s judgment and the reality that we are equally deserving of His judgment, it will have an effect on our worship as those who experience His saving grace and mercy. For that is all that sets us apart. God’s judgment leads us to worship Him as those who have received His mercy. It does not and it will for all eternity.

One of my favorite hymns, written by Isaac Watts, captures the sentiment well. The whole hymn is fantastic. I hope we learn it and sing it as a church in the near future. But just listen to these words from one verse:

While all our hearts and all our songs

Join to admire the feast

Each of us cry with thankful tongues

“Lord, why was I a guest?”

The answer, as the rest of the hymn gives, is God’s love and mercy. Loved ones, as those who have received God’s mercy…Look at God’s judgement and know that He is God and worship Him.