The Book Of Exodus
Exodus 3:14 "And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and He said, Thus shalt thou say
unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you."
This chapter opens in the same scene that closed chapter 32. God is still speaking with Moses. In the aftermath of the sin of the Israelites described in chapter 32, the covenantal relationship with God is broken. God will still keep His promise to Abraham’s seed by giving the children of Israel the promised land (v.1-2), but He will not go with them on this journey in the way that they had once envisioned. “…for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way.” (v.3) In the same way that Adam and Eve lost their fellowship and communion with God because of their sinful choice, so the children of Israel have lost what would have been a direct and close relationship with God during their journey to the promised land. From here on out, only Moses will have that close and personal relationship with God as he serves the dual role of leader of the people and their mediator before God. We see an example of this in the remaining scenes of this chapter.
Take note of the fact that it was the sin of idolatry that broke this covenantal relationship. Even after the Israelites had grumbled and complained about the lack of food and water during their journey to Mount Sinai God did not deal with them as harshly as He is now in the wake of their apostasy from the previous chapter. While it is true that there are no degrees of sin with God – all sin is sin, whether it be ingratitude or idolatry and sexual immorality – it is true that God often reserves harsher and more severe consequences for certain types of sin. We see this time and again throughout the OT. God repeats his promise to Moses of sending an angel before the Israelites into the promised land to drive out the heathen nations already there. (v.2-3) (Exodus 32:34) Verses 4-6: The news that God would not be dwelling among them as they had once hoped for is very distressing to the Israelites. (v.4) God instructs Moses to tell the people to put off their jewelry as a sign of mourning. (v.5-6) (Ezra 9:3, Esther 4:1, 4, Job 1:20, Ezekiel 24:17, 23) “Perhaps after they had stripped off their gold rings for the folly of the golden calf they had made other ornaments to hide that they had given up their precious personal possessions. Now they would become bare-fingered and vacant-eared (no finger rings, no earrings). The absence of these items would be a sad reminder of what they had lost, not merely physically but more importantly, spiritually—of their relative lack of the presence of God.” (Moody Bible Commentary) Verses 7-11: The tabernacle mentioned in verse 7 is obviously not the same structure described by God in chapters 25-31. This is instead just an ordinary tent that Moses pitches some distance outside the camp, perhaps as a further demonstration of the Israelites’ broken relationship with God. Rather than dwelling in the magnificent tabernacle in the heart of the camp as described to Moses up on the mount (Exodus 29:42-43), God is now, for the time being, going to meet with His people in this temporary tent “…afar off from the camp…”. (Deuteronomy 4:29) Whenever Moses enters this tabernacle the men of Israel stand at the door of their tents, watching from a distance until they see him going into the tabernacle. (v.8) (Numbers 16:27) At this point there is the familiar sight of the cloudy pillar that descends upon the tent whenever Moses is inside, indicating God’s presence. (v.9) As they wait for Moses to come out of the tent, the Israelites worship at the door of their own tents. (v.10) (Exodus 4:31) Verse 11 states that “…the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.” (Numbers 12:8, Deuteronomy 34:10) There are very few men of the Bible who can claim to be called a friend of God, and Moses now joins that honored rank. (Though scripture does not state it specifically, we can logically presume that, until this point, only Abraham, Noah, Enoch, and Adam are in this group.) It’s also stated here that Joshua, son of Nun, is assisting Moses during these times with God. The phrasing here probably indicates that Joshua remains with Moses even after Moses leaves the tent, not that Joshua remains inside the tabernacle after both Moses and God depart. The description of talking with God “face to face” is anthropomorphic language, meaning that Moses’ fellowship with God is being described in human terms that we can understand. It’s not meant to be taken literally. God does not have a “face”, much less a mouth, hands, eyes or any other human anatomy, yet we see often in scripture phrases such as “the hand of the Lord” or “the eyes of the Lord”, etc. God is a spirit, and He cannot be seen or experienced by human faculties unless he assumes human form, i.e. a theophany in the OT or Jesus Christ in the NT; or, as in this case, manifests as something non-living such as the cloud or a pillar of fire. “The fact that the Lord spoke to Moses ‘face to face, as a man speaketh to a friend’ (33:11a) indicated the warm communication that Moses had with his God. The expression denotes familiar conversation” (Davis, Moses and the Gods, 303). This likely refers to direct revelation as opposed to dreams and visions (Numbers 12:6-8).” (Moody Bible Commentary) Verses 12-23: The remainder of this chapter is Moses’ conversation with God. Moses’ first request of the Lord is reassurance of two things: 1) that Moses is still to be the leader of the Israelites (Exodus 3:10, 32:34), and 2) that God’s presence will continue to be with His chosen people. (v.12-13) Moses displays genuine humility and a sincere desire to seek the will of God, as indicated by his plea in verse 13: “…if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee…”. (Psalm 25:4, 27:11, 86:11, 119:33) Moses is afraid for the people, afraid of losing God’s presence forever because of their sin of idolatry. He is seeking God’s reassurance that He will not abandon His chosen people because of this one transgression, and God reaffirms His initial promise to Moses and the children of Israel. “…My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.” (v.14) (Exodus 3:12, Deuteronomy 4:37, 12:10, 25:19, Joshua 21:44, 22:4, Isaiah 63:9) But despite God’s reassurance, Moses repeats his request, insisting once more that without the presence of the Lord there is no reason for the Israelites to go any further from this place. (v.15) The only outward evidence that God’s chosen people have found grace in His sight is by His continual presence with them, both to guide them and protect them. (v.16) Without the presence of God, there is no difference between the children of Israel and all the other “…people that are upon the face of the earth.” (Exodus 34:10, Numbers 14:14, Deuteronomy 4:7, 34) While Moses acknowledges the one thing that distinguishes the children of Israel from all other nations of the earth, he also understands the great gulf of sin that separates God from His people. Moses’ statements in these verses indicate His understanding of God’s fundamental characteristics: His righteousness, holiness, justice, wrath, and, most importantly, His mercy and lovingkindness. Without God, the children of Israel are utterly helpless and at the mercy of both their own sinful natures as well as the heathen nations around them. God’s answer to Moses’ intercession must have been of great comfort to Moses: “…I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in My sight, and I know thee by name.” (v.17) (James 5:16) How blessed to have the God of heaven and earth, the Lord and creator of the universe, say to us, “I know thee by name”! For this is true of each of us today if we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior! God knew Moses by name, and He gently, lovingly assures Moses that he “…hast found grace in My sight…”. One would think that Moses should be content with this response and leave it at that! But instead, he makes a bold request, one which shows us why he had earned the title “friend of God”. Moses asks the Lord to “…shew me Thy glory.” (v.18) (Exodus 24:16-17, 1 Timothy 6:16) God honors the request (v.19), and then describes to Moses how it will be done, for “Thou canst not see my face…and live.” (v.20) (John 1:18, 6:46) What this means is that no human can experience the unveiled and pure glory of God in our current, fallen state. (Romans 3:23) The various references in the OT of men claiming to have seen the face of God are, as noted above, speaking either of a theophany or anthropomorphically. (Genesis 32:20, for example.) The Lord also gives a reason for granting this unusual favor. I “…will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.” (v.19) Paul quotes this verse in Romans 9:15 in his discussion of God’s sovereignty and divine will. What the Lord is saying to Moses is that he (Moses) has done nothing of his own merit or work to earn this special favor. Instead, God is choosing to show grace and favor to Moses because that is His sovereign desire, which is also the point Paul makes in Romans 9:16, as well as Romans 4:4, 16. As described by God, Moses will stand in the cleft of a nearby rock (Song of Solomon 2:14, Isaiah 2:21), and, as God is passing by, He will veil Moses with His hand (Psalm 91:1, 4, Isaiah 49:2, 51:16), taking it away in time for Moses to see the Lord’s back. (v.21-23) (If verse 22 sounds awfully familiar, it’s because Fanny Crosby paraphrased it in the chorus of one of her most famous hymns, “He Hideth My Soul”.) The Moody Bible Commentary sums up the last section of this chapter as thus: “It seems that Moses’ encounter transcended those other types of seeing or meeting the Lord, but precisely how is not indicated. Although it might be that Moses saw only the Shekinah glory of God and not the Lord Himself, any speculation as to what really happened is just that, speculation. ‘What really occurred on Mount Sinai between Moses and God on this occasion will never be fully known. Undoubtedly Moses saw things which the human tongue would be incapable of uttering’ (Davis, Moses and the Gods, 305; compare 2 Corinthians 12:4).”
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As noted previously, the children of Israel arrive in the wilderness of Sinai three months after leaving Egypt. (v.1) They set up camp at the base of Mount Sinai where they will remain for almost a year. (v.2) (Numbers 10:11-12) All the events described in the remainder of the book of Exodus, all of Leviticus, and Numbers 1-10:10 take place here in the wilderness of Sinai.
The term “wilderness” in the Bible is commonly used to describe a desolate place, a desert, or an uninhabited land. Strong’s Concordance also lists “pasture” or “open field” as one of the uses of this word in the original Hebrew. Wilderness conveys the image of an isolated place away from civilization, a vast area where there is nothing but grasslands or desert vegetation. A simple search for this word in my Bible app turned up 293 verses in the KJV, with nearly every book in the Bible having at least one verse containing this word. While it’s used as both a place of refuge for some (Genesis 21:20, Exodus 3:1, Revelation 12:6) and a form of righteous judgment for others (Job 12:24, Psalm 107:40, Isaiah 33:9, Zephaniah 2:13), it’s most often seen as the latter. There are far more references with God using the term “wilderness” as an example of His condemnation against the rebellious, the unholy, the proud and the wicked than there is of the desert as a desirable or good place. Here in Exodus, God chooses the wilderness of Sinai to give His holy law to His chosen people. The note in my study Bible for this passage says that “…this chapter, in addition to chapter 20, follows the pattern of ancient suzerainty treaties, thus suggesting that Yahweh is King and Israel is His kingdom. His subject people are to render complete submission, allegiance, and obedience to Him.” The term “suzerain” refers to the specific form of treaties that were common in the Ancient Near East (ANE), which typically consisted of the preamble (v.3), historical prologue (v.4) and then a list of specific obligations of the vassals, as well as the consequences of keeping or breaking the treaty, i.e. the blessings from God for obedience or punishment for disobedience (v.5-6). The commentary goes on to say that “…The pattern follows closely that of the Hittites, who were destroyed around 1200 B.C., thus demonstrating the antiquity of the Law, and the fact that it is a complete unit not to be dissected.” Verse 4: God had miraculously delivered the children of Israel out of bondage in Egypt, shown to them signs and wonders to demonstrate His power and authority over not only the physical world around them (the ten plagues and the parting of the Red Sea), but also over all the people of the earth (Pharaoh and the Egyptians), guided the Israelites through the desert – also miraculously providing for their basic needs – and now brings them to a place of rest and isolation at the foot of Mount Sinai. God has given His chosen people more than enough proof of His right and authority to rule over them. Verse 5: Then God says to Moses, “Now therefore, if ye will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all people: for all the earth is Mine:” That phrase “peculiar treasure” conveys the idea of “personal possession” or “property”; something that is set aside or separated for a unique purpose. (Deuteronomy 4:20, 7:6, 14:2, 26:18, 1 Kings 8:53, Psalm 135:4, Titus 2:14, 1 Peter 2:9) God had chosen Abraham, called him out from among his people to a new land for a new purpose, and is now initiating a new, personal relationship with Abraham’s seed. God had stated as much to Moses in Exodus 6:4. Though the whole earth and all that is in it belongs to God (Exodus 9:29, Deuteronomy 10:14, Job 41:11, Psalm 50:12, I Corinthians 10:26), the children of Israel are His special, peculiar treasure. But that same status also applies today to all true believers in the New Testament church age! Verse 6: God then concludes by stating His ultimate desire for His chosen people: “…a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.” (Deuteronomy 7:6, 14:21, 26:19, Isaiah 62:12, I Corinthians 3:17, 1 Peter 1:15-16) The whole purpose of the law which God is about to give to Moses is twofold: 1) It reveals the holiness of God and His perfect nature, and 2) it reveals, by contrast, the unholy, sinful, fallen nature of mankind. God is about to institute a system of rules and processes by which His chosen people will live their daily lives. This treaty, by which God will be their Lord and king and they His subjects, will state in clear and direct terms God’s expectations for the Israelites and the process by which they will atone for their sins when they fail to obey His law. That is what meant by the phrase “a kingdom of priests”. When God first revealed Himself to Abram/Abraham, He commanded him to “…Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee…” (Genesis 12:1) God called Abraham to separate himself from his family, and from his father’s house, and leave his homeland to begin a new life and a new journey to a promised land. God is now commanding the same thing from Abraham’s seed, the children of Israel. By giving them the law, God is making clear to His chosen people that they are to come out from the world, to live separate from the heathen nations around them, and they will accomplish this daily by doing and obeying the statutes, ordinances and precepts given forth in this law. Verse 7-9: Moses relays to the elders of the people the message God has just given him. The elders, in turn, pass this on to all the people, and the children of Israel respond by saying, “…All that the Lord hath spoken we will do.” (Exodus 4:31, 24:3, 7, Deuteronomy 5:27, 26:17) When Moses meets with God to give Him the people’s answer God then tells Moses He will appear before them as a thick cloud, and the Israelites will hear God’s voice when He speaks. (Exodus 24:15, Deuteronomy 4:11, Psalm 99:7, Matthew 17:5) The children of Israel were quick to pledge their obedience to God and His law, but they had no true understanding of their own sinfulness and depravity. D.L. Moody had this to say about verse 8: “Bold and self-confident language. The golden calf, the broken tablets, the neglected ordinances, the stoned messengers, the rejected and crucified Christ, are overwhelming evidences of man’s dishonored vows.” Verses 10-15: God then gives specific instructions to Moses about the manner in which the children of Israel are to prepare to receive the revelation of His law. For this day and tomorrow, they are to sanctify themselves by washing their clothes. (v.10) Though not stated directly, there is also an implied command here that the people are to wash and cleanse themselves. (Leviticus 11:44-45, Hebrews 10:22) Husbands and wives are also to abstain from sexual relations. (v.15) (I Corinthians 7:5) God makes clear to Moses the boundaries of the mountain and where the Israelites are to gather on the morning of the third day. God had declared Mount Sinai to be holy ground, and the people are to respect God’s holiness by not even coming near that ground which God makes clear is forbidden. (Exodus 3:5, 34:3, Hebrews 12:20-21) If anyone – man or beast – defies this command, they are to be immediately killed by stoning or shot with an arrow. In other words, no one can even go up on the mountain to execute that person or beast, lest they, too, violate the first directive. The obedience of the second directive had to be done from a safe distance. God concludes His instruction to Moses by saying that, at the sound of the trumpet on the third morning, the children of Israel are to come up to the designated assembly area on the mountain. Moses relays these instructions to the elders and all the people, and the Israelites obey. (v.14) Verses 16-25: On the morning of the third day, God descends upon Mount Sinai in a thick cloud, accompanied by lightning and thunder and the fanfare of the trumpet blast. (v.16) Moses calls the people forth to the designated area of the mountain where God instructed them to assemble. (v.17) (Deuteronomy 4:10) The whole mountain quakes, wreathed in fire and thick smoke. This, along with the constant thunder and lightning and the sustained trumpet blast, naturally causes great fear and awe among the children of Israel! (v.18) (Exodus 3:2, 24:17, Deuteronomy 4:11, 5:4, Judges 5:5, 1 Kings 19:12, 2 Chronicles 7:1, Psalm 68:8, 104:32, 144:5, Jeremiah 4:24, Hebrews 12:18, 26) So much so, in fact, that the people are too terrified to ascend the mountain to the designated meeting place. (v.17) So Moses ascends the rest of the way alone to meet with God by himself. (v.20) The reason for this grand and majestic manifestation of God’s presence is because of the oath the Israelites had just sworn to God three days earlier. (v.8) God needs to impress upon His chosen people the seriousness of His holiness and the gravity of the commitment they had just made to follow his law and obey Him. But because the people are too afraid to follow God’s first command to meet Him on the mountain, God gives a new instruction to Moses. (v.21-25) Instead of a nation of priests, the children of Israel will now be a nation with priests. God commands Moses to tell the people to return to camp, “…lest they break through unto the Lord to gaze, and many of them perish.” (v.21) Only Moses, Aaron, and the priests may come further up the mountain to meet with the Lord, but God also repeats His command regarding sanctification of the priests before they return with Moses. (Leviticus 10:3, 21:6) NOTE: the term “priests” here most likely refers to the elders, or the heads of the families, or the firstborn males of each house. [Exodus 13:2, Job 1:5] The Levitical priesthood has not yet been officially established. Moses returns to the people to give them God’s latest instructions. Verses 1-7: God leads the children of Israel from the wilderness of Sin to Rephidim where, once again, there is no water. (v.1) Rephidim is in the southern region of the Sinai Peninsula, near Mount Sinai, which is known today by the Egyptian Arabic name of Jebel Musa. (See map below, courtesy of Logos Bible study software.) For the third time in as many months, the children of Israel murmur and complain against Moses. (v.2-3) The word “chide” that is used in verse 2 means “to strive” or “contend with”, either physically or by using words. (Genesis 31:36, Numbers 20:3, Judges 8:1, Psalm 103:9) Moses’ answer: “Wherefore do ye tempt the Lord?” (Deuteronomy 6:16, Psalm 78:18, 41, Matthew 4:7, 1 Corinthians 10:9) As always, whenever the Israelites grumble and complain against Moses, they are, in actuality, sinning against God.
The primary difference, though, between this incident and the previous situation at Marah (Exodus 15:22-26) is that this time around the Israelites provoke and test God. That’s the meaning of the word “tempt” in verses 2 and 7. (This is also the same meaning of that word as it is used in Genesis 22:1 where God tested, or “proved”, the faith of Abraham.) Whereas at Marah God used the lack of water to prove the faith of the children of Israel, here the Israelites are now testing God’s sovereignty and His patience by deliberately rebelling and striving with Him. Their faith in God’s providence and power should have been stronger by now, especially when they had already been through this exact scenario only a few weeks earlier! Yet here they are again, grumbling and complaining against Moses because there’s no drinkable water, and this time Moses is actually afraid for his life because of the anger of the people. (v.4) And so, once again, Moses cries out to God, and God commands him to gather the elders of Israel at Horeb where Moses strikes a large rock with his rod. Fresh water gushes forth, and the thirst of the people is quenched. (v.5-6) (Numbers 20:10-11, Deuteronomy 8:15, Nehemiah 9:15, Psalm 78:15, 105:41, 114:8, 1 Corinthians 10:4) (NOTE: that cross reference of Numbers 20 is not the same incident as the one described here in Exodus 17. That incident is the second time that God brought forth water from the rock for the Israelites.) Moses calls this place Massah, which means “tempted” and Meribah, which means “contention”, for the people did test and quarrel with God. (Psalm 81:7) “Is the Lord among us or not?” (v.7) Even after deliverance from slavery in Egypt, the miraculous salvation at the Red Sea, the miracle of the bitter waters turned sweet at Marah, and, most recently, manna from heaven every morning and fresh quail every evening, the children of Israel STILL doubt and question the very presence of God in their midst! It seems incredible that they could be so shortsighted and weak of faith after going through all of that, but are we today any better? I can think of many times over this past year when I doubted God, even after all that I’ve seen Him do in my life since I cried out to Him three years ago! He has performed many miraculous changes, both within and without, yet I have still doubted His plan for my life and the direction that He has clearly marked for me. I have had to ask forgiveness many times just in the last few months because of my doubt and lack of faith. As much as I want to judge and condemn the Israelites for their failure to believe, trust and obey God, I must instead recognize my own failing to do just that, and then humbly ask God once more to grow my own faith and my trust in Him. Verse 8-16: The Amalekites are descendants of Esau. (Genesis 36:12, Numbers 24:20, 1 Samuel 15:2) Though this passage doesn’t specifically say why, the reason for this conflict is explained in Deuteronomy 25:17-19. The Amalekites took advantage of the weak and weary of the Israelites as they journeyed through this region. But even more importantly, they do not fear God. Joshua makes his first appearance on stage in verse 9. It’s clear that he’s a military leader, for Moses commands him to assemble an army to go fight the Amalekites. Moses, in the meantime, stands atop a nearby hill with Aaron and Hur. (v.10) (According to the Believer’s Bible Commentary, Flavius Josephus, a prominent Jewish historian of the first century, stated that Hur was Miriam’s husband, though scripture itself makes no mention of this.) Moses holds out his rod over the battlefield, and the fight goes well for the Israelites. But when Moses’ arms become weary and he lowers them, the tide of battle turns against the children of Israel. (v.11) So Aaron and Hur get a large stone for Moses to sit upon, and they each hold up an arm so that Moses can continue seeking God’s power on behalf of the Israelites. (v.12) We can reasonably infer from the passage that God must have instructed Moses to do this before Moses gave his orders to Joshua, even though the text doesn’t specifically say so. The reason for this is because God is again proving to the children of Israel that the battle belongs to Him alone. The Israelites’ should never depend on their own strength to win against their enemies. This is shown time and again throughout the OT. God honors Moses’ obedience, and the children of Israel win their first battle against the Amalekites. (v.13) God then instructs Moses to “Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.” (v.14) As stated above, the Amalekites do not fear the Lord, and they chose to fight against Israel, hence the reason for this judgment from God. This prophecy is eventually fulfilled. (1 Samuel 15:7, 30:17, 1 Chronicles 4:43) Moses builds an altar and calls the name of that place Jehovah-nissi (“YHWH Nissi” in Hebrew), meaning “The Lord is my banner”. Abraham built a similar memorial at Moriah, the site where God had directed him to offer up Isaac as a sacrifice. (Genesis 22:14) “The Lord hath sworn that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.” (v.16) Just as He had done with their father, Esau, (Genesis 25:23, Malachi 1:3) God is now pronouncing judgment upon the Amalekites because of the promise He made to Abraham in Genesis 12:3. Verses 1-21, known as the “Song of Moses”, comprise the majority of this chapter. The OT is filled with such passages, most of them in the book of Psalms, and many of them can also be filed under the additional category of prayers. This is the first recorded song/prayer in the Bible of rejoicing by the Israelites at God’s deliverance from their enemies. The Believer’s Bible Commentary divides the Song of Moses as follows:
Prelude (v.1): The triumph of Jehovah Stanza #1 (v.2-3): What He is: strength, song, and salvation. Stanza #2 (v.4-13): What He has done: victory over past enemies, deliverance of His people from Egypt. Postlude (v.19): Contrast the defeat of Egypt and the deliverance of Israel. Response by Miriam and all the women (v.20-21) Matthew Henry (1662-1714), the famous English preacher and Biblical scholar, had this to say about the Song of Moses: “We may observe respecting this song, that it is, (1.) An ancient song, the most ancient that we know of. (2.) A most admirable composition, the style lofty and magnificent, the images lively and proper, and the whole very moving. (3.) It is a holy song, consecrated to the honour of God, and intended to exalt his name and celebrate his praise, and his only, not in the least to magnify any man: holiness to the Lord is engraven in it, and to him they made melody in the singing of it. (4.) It is a typical song. The triumphs of the gospel church, in the downfall of its enemies, are expressed in the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb put together, which are said to be sung upon a sea of glass, as this was upon the Red Sea, Rev. 15:2, 3.” Verse 1: This verse immediately proceeds verse 31 of the previous chapter. The children of Israel believed the Lord after they witnessed His power and His might in not only rolling back the waters of the Red Sea, but then also in His execution of righteous judgment upon Pharaoh and all his armies. The Israelites’ belief in Yahweh, and their joy at His deliverance of them from their enemies caused this outpouring of praise and celebration of God and all that He is. “I will sing unto the Lord, for He hath triumphed gloriously…” (Isaiah 12:1) The name “Lord” appears eleven times in verses 1-19, for this song is about God Himself. Matthew Henry says of this verse that, “All our joy must terminate in God, and all our praises be offered up to Him, the Father of lights and Father of mercies, ‘for He hath triumphed’. All that love God triumph in His triumphs; what is His honour should be our joy.” Verses 2-3: God is our defense, our fortress and refuge in times of distress and suffering. (Psalm 18:1-2, Isaiah 12:2, Habakkuk 3:18-19) The Israelites’ natural response in verse 2 is to worship and praise God, just as their father, Jacob, did after his first encounter with the Lord. (Genesis 28:21-22) God deserves our worship and praise, not only because of who He is, but because of what He does on behalf of His children. Moses calls Him “my father’s God” in this verse, echoing God’s introduction to him at the burning bush. (Exodus 3:6, 15-16) Because of who God is and what He’s just done on behalf of the children of Israel, He is worthy to be exalted. (2 Samuel 22:47, Psalm 99:5, Isaiah 25:1) “The Lord is a man of war: the Lord is his name.” (v.3) (Exodus 3:14-15, 6:2-3, Nehemiah 4:20, Psalm 24:8, 83:18, Revelation 19:11) One of my favorite hymns is “O Worship the King” by Robert Grant, first published in 1833. Grant’s lyrics are adapted from Psalm 104, and my favorite lines in that hymn are in the second stanza: “His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form, and dark is his path on the wings of the storm.” I thought of that as I read verse 3 of this chapter in Exodus. God is a just and jealous God, avenger of the righteous and punisher of the wicked. Verses 4-13: Moses summarizes the crossing of the Red Sea, describing in vivid, poetic imagery how God destroyed Pharaoh and his army. “Pharaoh’s chariouts and his host hath He cast into the sea…” (v.4) “The depths have covered them…” (v.5) (Nehemiah 9:11) “Thy right hand, O Lord, is become glorious in power…” (v.6) (Exodus 3:20, Psalm 17:7, 118:15) “…Thou sentest forth Thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble.” (v.7) (Deuteronomy 4:24, Psalm 59:13, 78:49-50, Isaiah 5:24, Hebrews 12:29) “And with the blast of Thy nostrils the waters were gathered together…” (v.8) (Psalm 78:13) “The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil…” (v.9) (Isaiah 53:12) “Who is like unto Thee, O Lord, among the gods?” (v.11) (Exodus 8:10, 9:14, Deuteronomy 3:24, 2 Samuel 7:22, 1 Kings 8:23, Psalm 71:19, 86:8, Micah 7:18) “…glorious in holiness…” (Psalm 68:35, Isaiah 6:3, Revelation 4:8) “…fearful in praises…” (1 Chronicles 16:25) “…doing wonders?” (Exodus 3:20, Psalm 77:11, 14) “Thou in Thy mercy hath led forth the people which Thou hast redeemed…” (v.13) (Nehemiah 9:12, Psalm 77:20) “…Thou hast guided them in Thy strength unto Thy holy habitation.” (Deuteronomy 12:5, Psalm 78:54) Moses and the children of Israel recognize and acknowledge that God is the one true God, and that all others are false gods. He alone deserves glory, honor, praise and worship from all the people of the earth. Verses 14-15: These two verses are a good indicator that the Song of Moses was most likely composed many years after the crossing of the Red Sea, when Moses was writing the Pentateuch. The children of Israel had not yet encountered the Philistines (v.14), nor the descendants of Esau or Lot (v.15). But we know from Joshua 2:9 that the statements in these two verses come true. The Israelites will have many victories over the Edomites (Deuteronomy 2:4, Genesis 36:15, 40), the Moabites (Genesis 19:36-37, Numbers 22:3-4), and the Philistines when they finally enter the promised land. Verse 16: “Fear and dread shall fall upon them…” (Exodus 23:27, Deuteronomy 2:25) “…by the greatness of thine arm they shall be as still as a stone…” (1 Samuel 25:37) “…till thy people pass over, O Lord, till the people pass over, which thou hast purchased. (Psalm 74:2, Isaiah 43:1, Jeremiah 31:11, Titus 2:14, 2 Peter 2:1) God redeemed His chosen people from bondage in Egypt, the same way that we today are purchased by the shed blood of Christ if we accept His gift of salvation. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) Verses 17-19: God will bring His chosen people into the promised land, planting them “…in the mountain of Thine inheritance…”. (v.17) (Psalm 2:6, 44:2, 78:54, 68, 80:8, 15) Once there, the Lord will build Himself a “Sanctuary”, which His hands will establish, (Psalm 68:16, 76:2, 132:13-14), a place for Him to dwell where He will reign forever and ever. (v.18) (2 Samuel 7:16, Psalm 10:16, 29:10, Isaiah 57:15) The prophecy of this verse was partially fulfilled when Solomon built his temple in Jerusalem. But the final, definitive fulfillment is yet to come, after the Great Tribulation, during the millennial kingdom, when Christ will reign for a thousand years on the earth, and the nation of Israel will be whole again, ruling all other nations alongside King Jesus. Verse 19 closes this hymn by summarizing once more the Israelites’ crossing of the Red Sea and God’s final judgment upon Pharaoh and his army. Verses 20-21: Moses’ sister, Miriam, is called a prophetess in verse 20. The word “prophetess” is used eight times in the KJV Bible, including this instance here in Exodus: Judges 4:4 (Deborah), 2 Kings 22:14 and 2 Chronicles 34:22 (Huldah), Nehemiah 6:14 (Noadiah), Isaiah 8:3 (Isaiah’s wife), Luke 2:36 (Anna), and Revelation 2:20 (Jezebel). Acts 21:8-9 refers to Philip’s unnamed daughters who prophesy in Caesarea, and Paul speaks specifically of men and women who exercise the gift of prophecy in the New Testament church in 1 Corinthians 11:4-5. Strong’s Concordance defines “prophetess” as an inspired woman, i.e. a poetess or musician, which is how the word is used here in verses 20-21 to describe Miriam. But a prophetess can also mean, “wife of the prophet”, as is the case with the reference in Isaiah, or a “teacher” or “instructor”, which is how the apostle Paul uses it in his letter to the Corinthians. This was also probably the case with Anna in the temple at the time of Jesus’ birth. In the examples of Deborah, Huldah, and Jezebel, they, too, were teaching and instructing, but it’s obvious that they also held positions of some authority, for they were sought out by others for their wisdom and instruction, some of which was contrary to God’s word and His people, i.e. Jezebel. There are many scholars, theologians and, sadly, pastors who have used these examples from scripture to justify the ordination of women pastors and evangelicals. Paul makes it clear in 1 Timothy 3:2, Titus 1:6, and Ephesians 5:22-23 that a pastor, deacon, and all other elders of the church must be men. Wives are to submit themselves to the authority of their husbands, and, therefore, women in the church may not hold offices of authority over any of the men. That is God’s design for both marriage and His church. These women in the Bible who are referred to as “prophetess” did not have any authority over any man, but were merely teachers, instructors, workers and/or musicians. (Even Deborah did not act of her own authority over all of Israel, but was the wife of Lapidoth, and she assisted Barak in saving the Israelites from the armies of Sisera. A “judge” in those days was not the same as a king or governor, but was more like a military advisor or a mediator who resolved conflicts among the people as well as keeping law and order.) Miriam takes up her timbrel and leads the other women in song and dancing, echoing the refrain of verse 19. (Judges 11:34, 21:21, 2 Samuel 6:16, Psalm 30:11, 150:4) Verses 22-27: There is good reason these last six verses are included in this chapter and not the beginning of chapter sixteen. A mere three days after the miraculous “salvation of the Lord” on behalf of His people, the Israelites arrive at the wilderness of Shur. (v.22) But the only source of water is at Marah (Numbers 33:8, Ruth 1:20), which means “bitter”, and it is so named because the water that is found there is too bitter to drink. (v.23) So soon after witnessing God’s power and sovereignty on their behalf, the children of Israel immediately turn to grumbling and complaining against Moses. (v.24) (Psalm 106:13) This is the first event of what would become an oft repeated cycle with the Israelites: complaining to Moses & God because of some lack of a necessity, God then miraculously providing for that specific need, the Israelites thankful for only a brief time, and then complaining once more about something else, thus repeating the whole pattern once more. Moses, as he would often do over the next forty years, turns to God as soon as the Israelites complain to him about the lack of drinkable water. (v.25) In response, God directs Moses to a nearby tree which Moses cuts down and casts into the water. This causes the bitterness to vanish, thus making the water drinkable. (2 Kings 2:21) According to the Moody Bible Commentary, it’s possible that the bitterness in the water is caused by unusually high levels of mineral content, or the water is simply unclean due to other reasons. Whatever the case, there is “…no known tree that has the quality to turn impure water pure or to filter out the mineral content. This is to be seen for what it appears to be: a miracle of the Lord’s provision.” Verse 25 goes on to say that God “…made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there He proved them.” (Psalm 17:3, 66:10, 81:7, 95:9, Hebrews 3:9) What this is means is that God is testing the faith of the Israelites. The Moody Commentators have this to say about this passage: “The word for “test” here has the idea of “to prove the worth” of something, “to verify the quality” of something. The Lord was not trying to cause them to fail. Rather, as an exercise in training and testing, the need for provisions gave the people an opportunity to verify their faith. In effect, this was to remind them that, after delivering them from the plagues and dividing the sea, God would be the One to provide for their everyday needs.” Verse 26 is the ordinance referenced in verse 25, the word of the Lord, given to the Israelites through Moses: “…If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.” (Exodus 19:5-6, 23:25, Deuteronomy 7:12, 15, 32:39, Psalm 41:3-4, 103:3, 147:3) Once again, God is demonstrating His desire to have an ongoing relationship with His chosen people. (Exodus 6:6-7) He is promising to protect and defend them from their enemies, as well as provide and care for them, if they will obey, serve and worship only Him. He has redeemed them from bondage in Egypt for a purpose, and He has a specific plan for the nation of Israel. He uses this crisis – the first of many – as an opportunity for them to demonstrate their faith and trust in Him, as well as for Him to demonstrate to them His ability to care and provide for them always. But, as we well know from reading the rest of the OT, the Israelites consistently fail miserably at trusting and obeying Yahweh, especially in these early years immediately following the exodus from Egypt. God still works in the same manner for us today. All of the trials and adverse circumstances that He allows to take place in our lives are for two reasons: the growth and purification of our faith in Him as well as for His honor and glory. (1 Peter 1:6-7) God leads the Israelites to Elim, an oasis with plenty of shade and water, where they are able to set up camp and rest from their long journey thus far. (v.27) (Numbers 33:9, Psalm 23:1-2) Verses 1-7: For the third time Moses and Aaron go before Pharaoh and relay God’s command to let His people go so that they might serve Him. If Pharaoh refuses, God will bring forth a judgment of frogs. (v.1-2) Pharaoh, of course, refuses, and Moses tells Aaron to stretch forth his rod once again over all the streams, rivers and ponds throughout Egypt. A mighty host of frogs come up from the waters, filling every house, every bedchamber, every kitchen and oven, even getting into all the food. (v.3) (Psalm 105:30) And, once again, Pharaoh’s magicians perform the same miracle by the power of Satan. (v.7) Notice that Jannes and Jambres didn’t have the power to reverse the plague. All they could do was increase it. As I noted in the previous chapter, Satan is merely an imitator, a copycat. The only power he and his servants possess is that which God allows them and nothing more. And even that little that God allows is used only to bring about His divine will and nothing more.
Verses 8-15: Pharaoh summons Moses and Aaron and asks them to ask of God to remove the frogs. The word he uses here is “intreat”. (Exodus 9:28, 10:17, Numbers 21:7, 1 Kings 13:6) He is ready to let the Israelites go. (v.8) Moses asks when Pharaoh would like him to make the request, and Pharaoh says, “Tomorrow.” Moses tells him that it will be done, “…that thou mayest know that there is none like unto the Lord our God.” (v.10) (Exodus 9:14, 15:11, Deuteronomy 4:35, 39, 33:26, 2 Samuel 7:22, 1 Chronicles 17:20, Psalm 86:8, Isaiah 46:9, Jeremiah 10:6-7) Moses then cries unto the Lord and God responds accordingly. The frogs immediately die, and the people gather them in heaps, so much so that verse 14 says, “…the land stank.” And, as God had predicted, Pharaoh promptly hardens his heart and reneges on his promise to Moses and Aaron. (v.15) Notice here that Pharaoh doesn’t ask Moses to immediately intreat the Lord. Instead he says simply, “Tomorrow.” This indicates the hardness of his heart. He is more willing to suffer another day of misery with the frogs than to acknowledge God’s sovereignty and submit to His authority immediately. Pharaoh stubbornly refuses to let go of his pride and, thus, he is willing to cut off his nose to spite his face, as the old saying goes. Verses 16-19: God commands Moses to tell Aaron to strike the earth with his rod, and the dust becomes swarms of lice throughout all of Egypt. Every man and beast – save for the children of Israel, of course – is stricken with lice. (v.17) This time, however, when Pharaoh’s magicians attempt to do the same miracle, they fail. (v.18) Even they now recognize that “…this is the finger of God…”, and they tell Pharaoh this. (v.19) (Exodus 7:5, 10:7, 1 Samuel 6:3, Psalm 8:3, Luke 11:20) But Pharaoh’s heart remains hardened, proving that he had already determined he would never believe, no matter what Moses, Aaron, or his own servants testified. Not even the miraculous judgments that he is witnessing with his own eyes compel him to change his heart and surrender to God’s sovereignty and authority. Verses 20-24: For the second time God tells Moses to rise up early and meet Pharaoh as he goes down to the Nile river to bathe. (v.20) And, once again, Moses relays to Pharaoh God’s command: “Let my people go, that they may serve me.” This time, Pharaoh’s refusal will cause swarms of flies to plague every Egyptian. (Psalm 78:45) Their houses and their lands will be covered with flies. But the land of Goshen will be completely spared so that “…thou mayest know that I am the Lord in the midst of the earth.” (v.22) This is how we know that these plagues were not some naturally occurring phenomenon that happened to coincide with God’s words to Pharaoh. God miraculously caused each of these judgments, and they struck only specific regions of Egypt. The land of Goshen where the children of Israel dwelt was spared of every single plague. Again, this is a foreshadowing of the Tribulation that is prophesied in Revelation. The only difference there is that God will rapture His church from the world before He brings about judgment on the wicked and the unbelieving. In the same way that the Israelites were spared of these judgments against Pharaoh and the Egyptians, so shall we today (or whatever generation of believers are alive at the time of Christ’s second coming) be spared God’s wrath upon the world by fire and plagues. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) God states clearly in verse 23 that he is drawing a line in the sand for Pharaoh, separating His chosen people from the Egyptians. God alludes to His original statement to Pharaoh through Moses in Exodus 4:22-23: “…Israel is My son, even My firstborn…” God is reminding Pharaoh once more here in chapter 8 that the nation of Israel is His firstborn, and He has marked them as such. On the next morning, Pharaoh will know this by the sign of the flies that will plague only his house and all the houses of the Egyptians, but not a single man, house, or beast of the children of Israel will be touched by this plague. As promised, the swarms of flies fill the house of Pharaoh, his servants’ houses and all the houses of the land of Egypt. The flies decimate the whole land, in fact, save for the valley of Goshen. (v.24) Verses 25-32: Pharaoh once again calls for Moses and Aaron, but this time he tries to negotiate with God. He tells Moses that the Israelites may take a break from their labor to “…sacrifice to your God in the land.” (v.25) This is the first of four compromises that Pharaoh proposes to Moses in the course of these judgments, and there’s an excellent picture here of the way Satan uses the same strategy with us believers – especially newly saved Christians – today. What Pharaoh is essentially telling Moses here is that he’ll allow the Israelites to serve God, but that they don’t need to leave Egypt to do so. They can still obey God’s command because the important thing is the rituals and the sacrifice, not the location of where they perform those things. Satan used the exact same tactic with Eve in the garden of Eden. His first words to her were, “Hath God said…” (Genesis 3:1). But Moses refuses to fall for Pharaoh’s deception. He points out that the Egyptians will bring even more harm to the children of Israel if they sacrifice sheep upon their altars as God commands. (v.26) This was apparently an abomination to the Egyptians, and it hearkens back to the warning Joseph gave to his father and brothers in Genesis 46:34. Moses accurately states that the Egyptians will stone the Israelites to death if they do as God commanded within the borders of Egypt. Moses remains firm with Pharaoh. The children of Israel will go three days’ journey into the wilderness to sacrifice to the Lord their God as He commanded them. (v.27) But Pharaoh again tries to compromise. “I will let you go,” he says in verse 28, “…only ye shall not go very far away.” He then asks Moses to intercede to God on his behalf once more. Moses responds that he will “…intreat the Lord…” on behalf of Pharaoh and the Egyptians, but he also warns Pharaoh to not “…deal deceitfully any more in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.” (v.29) God does not accept half measures from His children. (Luke 9:62) It’s either total and complete surrender and obedience to His divine will and His commandments or nothing at all. There is no middle ground, no riding the fence. This is yet another indicator that Pharaoh had willfully and defiantly hardened his heart towards God of His own choice from the very beginning. He had no intention of ever letting the Israelites go, and he was never truly, genuinely repentant of his sin. Moses intreats the Lord, and God removes the plague of flies from Pharaoh’s house and all the houses of the Egyptians. (v.30-31) But, as predicted by God from the beginning, Pharaoh hardens his heart yet again and won’t allow the children of Israel to leave Egypt. (v.32) (Psalm 52:2) Verses 1-9: Despite God’s promises – including the revelation of His name – to Moses, Moses is still not ready to commit to the task that God is calling him to. His third objection in verse 1 is a fear that the Israelites will not believe him when he says that God sent him. In response to this, God performs two miracles for Moses. He tells Moses to cast his rod upon the ground. Moses does so, and the shepherd’s staff instantly becomes a snake. (v.3) This was no mere illusion, for the text says that Moses fled from it. It was an actual, living snake, and this is significant for two reasons. One, the snake was an oft used symbol in Egyptian iconography and in their mythology. Two, the serpent, when seen in scripture, is always representative of Satan. (Genesis 3:1) When God tells Moses to grab the serpent by the tail – as opposed to the neck which would have protected Moses from getting bitten – He was, in effect, showing Moses that he would have victory over Pharaoh by God’s power and authority. The snake is turned back into a staff once more. (v.4) By this one miraculous sign, God was demonstrating His power not only over Satan and the false gods of the Egyptians, but, by extension, the Pharaoh himself, also an agent of the devil.
Next, God tells Moses to put his hand inside his cloak. When Moses withdraws it he is stunned and horrified to see it white with leprosy. (v.6) God then tells him to put it back inside his cloak, and after Moses withdraws it a second time it’s made whole and clean. (v.7) God tells Moses that these two signs will prove to the Israelites that it is the God of their fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that has sent Moses unto them. (v.5, 8) But, if they won’t believe those two miracles, then God tells Moses to draw up water from the Nile river and pour it out upon the land. It will be turned to blood, and then they will believe. (v.9) This is a foreshadowing of the first plague. (Exodus 7:19) Verses 10-17: Moses’ final excuse to God for why he’s not the right man for this job is that he’s not eloquent. “…I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.” (v.10) Eloquence and oratory skills were highly prized among the Egyptians, and Moses is explaining to God that he’s not an orator. He wouldn’t know what to say to Pharaoh to convince him to let the Israelites go. Even after God has already told Moses that He will be with him, and that Pharaoh will refuse Moses’ requests at first, Moses still thinks that he’s going into this alone, that it will be up to him to convince Pharaoh to free the children of Israel. Once again, God patiently assures Moses that He will tell him what to say. (v.12) God also reminds Moses that He is sovereign above all things, including the tongues of men. (Psalm 94:9, 146:8, Matthew 11:5, Luke 1:20, 64) But Moses is still not convinced, and he finally, bluntly, asks God to send someone else. (v.13) At this point God’s patience with Moses is at an end, and He tells Moses that He will send Aaron, Moses’ brother, to go with Moses, but that God will still speak to Moses and Moses will relay the messages to Aaron. Aaron will be the one to stand and speak before the Israelites and before Pharaoh. (v.14-16) (Deuteronomy 5:31) God’s final command to Moses is to take up his rod by which he will do the miracles that God will perform through him as signs to the Israelites and to Pharaoh. (v.17) Verses 18-23: Moses returns to Jethro and asks permission to return to Egypt to free his people. Jethro gives his blessing. (v.18) The Lord then informs Moses that it’s safe for him to return to Egypt “…for all the men are dead which sought thy life.” (v.19) So Moses gathers his family and his shepherd’s staff and departs for Egypt. (v.20) Along the way, God adds further instruction for Moses, repeating that he is to perform the signs and wonders that God showed him earlier at the burning bush. But then God adds, “I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.” (v.21) In verse 22, God refers to the nation of Israel as “…My son, even my firstborn.” (Isaiah 63:16, 64:8, Hosea 11:1, Romans 9:4, 2 Corinthians 6:17-18) Then, in verse 23, God explicitly states that Moses is to tell Pharaoh that if he doesn’t let the children of Israel go, God “…will slay thy son, even thy firstborn.” (Exodus 12:29, Psalm 105:36, 135:8, 136:10) There is an interesting dichotomy here in that God has displayed a pattern of most often choosing the second – or third or fourth – born son rather than the firstborn. With the exception of Abram/Abraham (Genesis 11:27, 12:1), God has selected the younger/youngest son for a special calling, i.e. Abel over Cain, Jacob over Esau, Joseph and Judah over Reuben, and, eventually, David, the youngest of all the sons of Jesse, as the second king of Israel. Yet here in this passage God refers to the children of Israel as His firstborn, and He has marked them as His chosen people ever since, even to our present day. Verse 21: This is a good spot to park for a moment and address the issue that has caused much debate about the sovereignty of God and His divine will versus human free will and choice. As I noted in my commentary of Exodus 3, there are ten references in the first 14 chapters of this book that clearly state that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart. But, at the same time, there’s verses that also clearly state Pharaoh hardened his own heart. (Exodus 8:15, 19, 32, 9:7, 34-35) The central question, to me at least, is whether or not God gave Pharaoh the opportunity to repent first before the judgment, or whether God chose to reject Pharaoh from the very beginning since He knew that Pharaoh would never repent, despite all the proofs of God’s existence and His power and sovereignty over all things. As I’ve stated before, 2 Peter 3:9 says that God is longsuffering, “…not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” John 3:16 states that God “…so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Yet, in Romans 9, Paul addresses this very topic of Pharaoh and God’s sovereign election in verses 17 and 18: “For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.” Then, in verses 20 and 21, Paul says, “Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?” In one sense, it seems that God deliberately hardened Pharaoh’s heart so that he would serve as a vessel of dishonor in order that God’s power and majesty and sovereignty would be known throughout the whole earth. Paul even quotes Exodus 33:19 in verse 15: “For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” The logical conclusion to this is stated in verse 18: “…whom He will He hardeneth.” Therefore, it seems that Paul is directly contradicting what Jesus Himself stated in John 3:16 and what Peter echoed in his epistle. If God granted mankind free will to either choose or reject Him, and if God is not willing that any should perish, but that ALL come to repentance, why does He deliberately harden some men’s hearts and speak in parables so that some will never understand, “…lest their sins should be forgiven them.” (Mark 4:12) Do we truly possess free will, or is that merely an illusion? Has God already determined long before each of us is born whom He will save and who will be vessel of dishonor with no hope whatsoever of salvation? When Moses meets Pharaoh for the first time in Exodus 5:1 and relays God’s message to him, Pharaoh’s response in verse 2 is, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.” Pharaoh knew of God because of the presence of the Israelites. Ever since the arrival of Joseph in Egypt four hundred years earlier, all of Egypt knew of the God of Jacob and the children of Israel. The mention of high priests such as Melchizedek and Jethro, who were of other nations and people groups that were not related to Abraham and his chosen seed, indicates that God was known to all the world at this time, long before the children of Israel appeared on the scene. Paul states in Romans 1:19-20 that “…the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made…”. God has revealed Himself to His creation in a variety of ways, the primary one being conscience. All of us are born with an innate and subconscious knowledge of what is right and wrong. He is also revealed in the order and design of the natural world around us. Our ability to question our existence, to instinctively seek out a purpose and an answer to the existential question, “Why am I here?” is external evidence of our souls seeking the One who made us. Thus, Paul concludes verse 20 by saying, “…they are without excuse.” Pharaoh, like so many of us today, rejected his conscience as well as the knowledge passed down to him from his forefathers who knew Jacob and Joseph. He rejected the children of Israel by continuing the oppression and enslavement of them begun by his grandfather, thus rejecting and rebelling against God Himself. Pharaoh did exactly what Paul describes in verses 21-25 of Romans 1. “…they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful.” (v.21). “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.” (v.22) “Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator…” (v.25) The many false gods of the Egyptians – as well as those of the heathen nations that currently inhabited the promised land at that time – were depicted in writings and drawings of that time as animals, or as celestial bodies, such as the sun god Ra. The Egyptians elevated the created things – the animals, sun, moon, stars, etc – above the Creator, thus rejecting God and causing their consciences to be seared. (I Timothy 4:2) Therefore, both the truths stated in John 3:16, 2 Peter 3:9, Mark 4:12, and Romans 1 are correct. God has revealed Himself to man in a variety of ways so that all of us are without excuse. (Romans 1:20) Some of us, of our own free will, have rejected that truth, as in the case of Pharaoh. As a result, God hardens the hearts and sears the consciences of those who have willfully, continually rejected Him and His truth. He deliberately blinds their eyes and ears as a form of judgement. (Mark 4:12) Furthermore, He gives them over to “…vile affections…” (Romans 1:26) and “…a reprobate mind…” (Romans 1:28) as a form of judgment. This is exactly what happened to Pharaoh throughout chapters 5-14 of Exodus. He continually and willfully rejected Moses and defied God, and thus God hardened his heart as a form of divine judgement. What complicates all of this, and what is hard for us with our finite, temporal minds to fully understand, is that God already knows who will reject Him and who will accept Him. It’s not that He deliberately chooses whom He will save and whom He will condemn without even giving us the opportunity to repent; it’s that He merely knows who will eventually receive Him as Lord and savior and who will persist in their sin and pride and rebellion against him. Commentary from my study Bible on this passage: “One must remember that God deserves the right to judge sin and the sinner whenever He desires. The sinner is subject to the wrath of God at any point in his/her life. God has the right to judge sin in any way He so desires the first time one commits sin. It is really the mercy of God that allows the sinner to continue to live. Pharaoh sinned knowingly, willfully and continually. (Exodus 9:34)” We are born sinners, and we deserve the fate of Hell for our sin. God could have withdrawn completely from His creation the moment Adam and Eve ate that forbidden fruit. But He didn’t. He loved us so greatly, and He desired so greatly to restore the fellowship and communion that was lost because of sin that He devised the plan of salvation by sending His only begotten son to die for all mankind. But the opportunities that God grants each of us to repent of our sin and turn to him are not infinite. As in the case of Pharaoh, God may give sinners only so many chances and then, after they consistently refuse Him, He may withdraw his mercy and execute judgment at any time. He will, in effect, give them what they desire: the freedom to continue in their pride, rebellion and wickedness. Then, after they die and stand before Him, He will execute the final judgment: “…Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” (Matthew 25:41) But before that, while they persist in their sin in this life, God will use them in spite of their rebellion to bring about His honor and glory, just as He did with Pharaoh and the Egyptians. Verses 24-26: This brief interlude, which takes place during the journey to Egypt, is a bit confusing. But from the little information that we are given in these three verses, we can conclude that Moses did not completely obey God regarding his calling. Though it never clearly states anywhere in chapters 3 and 4, we can safely assume that God commanded Moses to circumcise his sons, just as Abraham did with himself and all his house when God first initiated His covenant with him. So it appears that, for whatever reason, only one of Moses’ sons was circumcised, and thus, God’s anger is kindled against Moses, and He seeks to kill him. (v.24) According to my Moody Bible Commentary, “The death threat was probably some life threatening illness but the exact nature is not clear.” Therefore, it’s up to Zipporah to perform the ritual, which she very likely found disgusting and repugnant due to her non-Israelite origins. Her words in verse 26 can be interpreted as a declaration to Moses that he is her bridegroom a second time because her action stays God’s judgment and delivers Moses from certain death. This also explains why God later tells Aaron to meet Moses back at Mount Horeb. (v.27) God’s punishment for Moses required that he and his family return home to Midian. According to Moody, “The significance of this passage is twofold. First, it demonstrated that if Moses was to be the spokesman for the covenant-keeping God of Abraham, he needed to keep the provisions of the covenant (Genesis 17:9-22). Second, it foreshadowed the requirement that those participating in the Passover were required to be circumcised (Exodus 12:43-48).” Verses 27-31: God tells Aaron to go meet Moses at Mount Horeb. Aaron, presumably, has been living in Egypt this whole time, and his reunion with his younger brother is a joyful one. (v.27) Moses relays to Aaron all that God has told him, and then they go to Egypt to meet with all the elders of Israel. As God promised, Aaron does all the speaking for Moses, and he also performs the miracles for the people that God showed Moses. (v.30) And, as God had also promised, the children of Israel believe when they witness the signs and wonders and hear Aaron’s words. They respond to this belief by bowing their heads and worshiping YAHWEH, the Lord God of their fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the great IAM. |
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