That My Name Might be Known - Part 1

Divine Possession

Verses 28 – 29: Moses is repeating his call and commission by God. For the fourth time we read the declaration ‘I AM the LORD’. We must pay attention to this. The LORD is driving home the point that He alone is the one true God. He is the sovereign. He is the one to be looked to and obeyed. He is the one who decrees and declares. He is the one with the power to fulfill His words and He is not constrained by our lack of abilities. Service to the Lord requires that we remember God is God, period. Service to the Lord requires that we remember we belong to Him. We are slaves, not volunteers (). We were brought with a price and owe allegiance to the one who redeemed us. Moses’ gives the same rationale for his hesitation: He can’t speak well. This is an interesting statement given how much he does actually speak. The Lord has already answered this objection (). We can’t focus on who we aren’t or our lack of abilities. We must focus on who He is. As the old saying goes, God will not send you where His grace can’t keep you.

Divine Authority

Chap. 7 Verse 1: When Moses deals with Pharaoh, he will do so with divine authority and power. This is very important. Remember that Pharaoh is considered deity and yet Moses will present as someone with divine authority over Pharaoh and thus able to demand his obedience. He is able to impose sanctions for disobedience. Moses will be shown as more powerful than this god that sits upon the throne of Egypt. It is of course God working through Moses to accomplish His purposes. Even as Moses is the prophet of God, Aaron is Moses’s prophet. The words that come will be those from the Lord.

Today the christian is the prophet of God, that is we are to speak the words of Christ to the kingdoms and powers of this world. He has given us a message and backs that message with the Spirit of truth. We are the voice of God when we declare the word of God to believer and unbeliever alike. Let us not miss the importance and responsibility of this. For many of our friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers we are Christ. Their picture of Christ is shaped by the image of Christ in front of them. This is why our thoughts, speech, and actions matter. We must pay attention to these things because the world is watching. Souls are at stake.

Divine Message

Verse 2: Moses is again told to speak only what the Lord has commanded him to speak. Aaron is to instruct Pharaoh to release Israel. The repeated commands to speak only what the Lord has given is a message that Moses must not deviate from the Lord’s instruction. He must, in no way, rely on his own wisdom or ability. That didn’t go well the last time (cf. ). Rather, even as an ambassador declares and promotes the policy of their president, so Moses must do with Yahweh. This is still true today. We can’t and mustn’t deviate from or alter the word of the Lord as found in scripture. We must speak, teach, and live the gospel as it was given to us and not as we would want it to be. We also must not be concerned about the consequence. We generally know what they will be. We also know the King of kings.

Divine Judgment

Verses 3 – 4b: What does the Lord mean when he says He will harden Pharaoh’s heart? What does it mean to say Pharaoh’s heart was hardened?

There are three words used for hardening in Hebrew:

Hazaq: to strengthen or make strong, to be courageous – Pharaoh will be strengthened, or made stronger, in his resolve against God’s commands.

Qashah: to be difficult, stubborn, or hard

Kabed: to be either literally and figuratively heavy, to be, make, or display honor, to be unresponsive(people). Concerning the human heart, it means failure to respond to the commands of God. It reflects spiritual not physical reality.

Pharaoh’s heart will be hard, and he will ignore Moses’s warnings and proclamations. He will be exceedingly stubborn in his refusal of Moses’ demands. We will see this over the next five chapters as the Lord will bring nine plagues and yet Pharaoh resist all the way through. Pharaoh was determined not to obey God despite the LORD’s merciful approach. This is the natural state of every unbeliever until God acts. It is also why God is justified in giving the unbeliever over to their sin (). At many times Pharaoh will harden his own heart. God, as a matter of judgment, will also harden Pharaoh’s heart and bring judgment for refusal to obey. The intensity of the hardness over time will be increased by both God and Pharaoh. There are important lessons here both for ministry and everyday interaction.

We are not guaranteed that every ministry opportunity will be successful. We know God is and will use us to draw His people to Himself for His glory. We don’t know when that will occur. We don’t know that will ever occur for certain people. This is why we can’t judge or operate based on our perception of how we did, by numbers large or small, or other external methods. If we have witnessed to and lived holy before a person for years without their turn to repentance, that is not on us. We must also realize that even miraculous moves of God by themselves may not have any effect. I submit to you to praying for someone to experience a miracle to believe may is not a wise thing to do (, ). The greatest sign that could be given has been given: the empty tomb. Some people will not believe. Others will actively oppose. The Lord will draw whom He wills. None of this is determined by you or I. Again, we must simply trust and obey. The rest is in the Lord’s hand. We preach and evangelize. It is the Lord who saves.

Divine Deliverance and Revelation

Verses 4c - 5: This is the fifth of the gospel promises we discussed last week. God will bring judgment upon His enemies and deliverance to His promise. He has set his love upon Israel. He will save and prosper. He has set his sights upon Pharaoh and Egypt. Those who have harmed His people will fill His wrath. The believer in this world is not to seek personal vengeance. He / She is to trust in the Lord, pray, and manifest the fruits of the spirit. The rest is in the hand of God. When it is all said and done. Israel, Egypt, and the rest of the nations will know who is the one true God.

The Bible between God and Pharaoh is about to begin. It will be one-sided battle as Pharaoh will be ultimately unable to compete. He can’t command creation to do his will. The Lord will bring out a mighty army of men plus women and children. All who know the name of Yahweh.

Proper Obedience

Verses 6 – 7: The proper response to the commands of the Lord is obedience. Moses and Aaron obey. Moses and Aaron were both well in age, perhaps indicating they relied on the strength of the Lord to accomplish His mission.

Practical Application

The ultimate revelation of God, the ultimate knowing of Him, happened with the incarnation (;, ). The greatest demonstration of His power happened with the resurrection. Christ has made God known and has given us a message to declare to the Lord. We must declare that message which by His Holy Spirit will be shown true to all His people. This is our call. We serve a God who purchased us and expects us to do what we are called to do. That is all we must do. He has the authority to command this and we have the authority to declare Him to all the earth. The rest is in His hands and for His glory.

The Bible declares in that He who calls us is faithful, and He will also bring it to pass. God was declaring His faithfulness to Moses. The faithful God of Moses is our faithful God. We often cite the Apostle Paul in . God will finish what He has started. He will do what He has said. It shall come to pass. All He says shall come to pass. Therefore we must not be fearful, doubtful, or weary because we serve a God who is able. Let us redouble of efforts saints of the most high God. We have the promise of victory. Even as Moses and Aaron obeyed the command of their Lord as faithful soldiers, I say to all the saints: onward Christian soldiers. Amen

Gospel Application

The text here is clear to refusal to submit to the commands and demands of God bring the wrath of God. This is the state of all men apart from God. All sinners are Pharaoh outside of Christ. We refuse to obey. We have the truth both in creation and via the saints but will not acknowledge or heed it. Even as Pharaoh’s judgment is coming soon, so it is with all whom will not surrender to him. It does not have to be this way. Jesus Christ came to save sinners. He will save all those whom place their trust in Him. This requires that repents and believes the gospel. Acknowledge and confess your sin and worthiness of God’s judgment. Ask for forgiveness and to be received into his kingdom. Place your trust in Christ alone, not your supposed good works, and your shall be saved. Don’t be like Pharaoh is going to be. Don’t refuse, delay, and ignore. Now this the acceptable time and day of salvation. Repent and believe today.

Here we see the first demonstration to Pharaoh and Egypt of the power of God. It is a small taste, but sufficient to demonstrate Yahweh’s superiority over the God’s of Egypt. We see God’s power to bring life when there was none from the staff becoming a snake. So then, what are we to make of the sorcerers being able their staff to snakes? The Mentor Commentary gives us a helpful insight: “it must be noted that when they were called before Pharaoh, they would have been informed of what was going on and what they were expected to do. They therefore would have come prepared. The ability to paralyse cobras by putting pressure on a particular area in their necks so that they become rigid was the sort of secret information that was known to such men. It is therefore not improbable that the magicians arrived with what looked like staffs, but which were in reality hypnotised snakes. The jolt of being thrown to the ground would have broken the hypnosis, and confusion reigned in Pharaoh’s court as snakes slithered everywhere. While the priest magicians had the ability to do some things, their contribution to the situation was not totally helpful.”[2] In short, This was an act of deception.

In short, This was an act of deception.

Pharaoh may have initially been pleased but them the unexpected happened. Aaron’s snake eats the others and then becomes wood again. Can you imagine what these priest magicians would have thought? I wonder myself. What I do know is this was a divine foreshadowing, though they wouldn’t have realized it. The God of Moses and Israel will ultimately consume Pharaoh and his court. Egypt and her gods will be destroyed in judgment.

Mackay, J. L. (2001). Exodus (pp. 139–140). Fearn, Ross-shire, Great Britain: Mentor. This was an act of deception. Also, why does Aaron’s snake eat the owners and then become wood again? It would seem to be a message that the God of Moses and Israel will ultimately consume Pharaoh and his court.

Exodus The Second Session with Pharaoh (7:8–13)

so that they become rigid was the sort of secret information that was known to such men. It is therefore not improbable that the magicians arrived

Verse 13: As predicated, Pharaoh does not give in. He refuses to listen and holds on the Israel. Unfortunately for him, Yahweh was at war with him. Things were not going to go well.

1. Tony Merida, Exalting Jesus in Exodus, ed. David Platt, Daniel L. Akin, Tony Merida, (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, 2014), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 54.

1. Tony Merida, Exalting Jesus in Exodus, ed. David Platt, Daniel L. Akin, Tony Merida, (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, 2014), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 54.

2. Mackay, J. L. (2001). Exodus (pp. 139–140). Fearn, Ross-shire, Great Britain: Mentor.