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."
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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)
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Verses 1-4: God directs Moses to have the children of Israel set up camp at Pi-hahiroth (Numbers 33:7), which is between Migdol (Jeremiah 44:1) and the Red Sea, near Baal-zephon. However, the exact location is unknown today, so there are three possible sites within three days journey of the Valley of Goshen where the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea, as described in this chapter, could have taken place. (Refer to the map below, courtesy of Logos Bible study software.) (v.2) Pharaoh and his army would believe that they had the Israelites trapped with no way of escape. (v.3) (Psalm 71:11) God would once again harden Pharaoh’s heart so that he would pursue the children of Israel. God states in verse 4, “…I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord.” (Exodus 9:16, Romans 9:17, 22-23) God will have glory, honor and praise one way or another. If not willingly through the bended knee and humble heart of the repentant, then He will have it through judgment and punishment of the stiff-necked, proud and defiant. Either way, God always wins! Verses 5-9: Pharaoh and his people regret letting the Israelites go. It has only been a few days since the death of all the firstborn throughout Egypt, and it seems astounding that the Egyptians are so hardened in their sin, and so stubborn in their pride and rebellion, that they willfully continue fighting against their creator. But Pharaoh harnesses his chariot and summons all his captains and his armies from all over Egypt to pursue the children of Israel. (v.6-7) We are reminded in verse 8 that God is still directing Pharaoh, hardening Pharaoh’s heart because of his willful rebellion and disobedience, and that the Lord is about to deliver His chosen people “…with an high hand.” (Acts 13:17) Thus, Pharaoh and all his army, which most likely numbers several thousand, thunders across the desert plains toward the encampment of the Israelites at Pi-hahiroth. Verses 10-14: When the children of Israel see the Egyptian army headed their way, they immediately turn to Moses in terror and anger. “…Hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness?” (v.11) Exactly as God had foreseen, the Israelites’ faith in the Lord crumbles at the first sign of what they view as certain defeat and death. They accuse Moses of leading them to their doom. “…For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.” (v.12) But Moses’ faith is greater than that of the Israelites, and he commands them, “Fear ye not..” (Genesis 15:1, 46:3, Exodus 20:20, 2 Chronicles 20:17, Isaiah 41:10, 13-14) “…stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord…” (Exodus 15:2, Psalm 46:10-11) “…which He will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.” (v.13) “The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.” (v.14) (Exodus 15:3, Deuteronomy 1:30, 3:22, Joshua 10:14, 42, 23:2, 2 Chronicles 20:29, Nehemiah 4:20, Isaiah 31:4) Verses 15-18: God tells Moses to command the children of Israel to start marching towards the sea. (v.15) He then commands Moses to “…lift thou up thy rod (Exodus 4:17, 20, 7:19, 17:5-6, 9, Numbers 20:8-9, 11, Isaiah 10:26), and stretch out thine hand over the sea…”, at which point God will divide the waters so that the Israelites will walk across on dry ground. (v.16) He then states emphatically once more that He “…will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them…”. God will receive honor and glory because of Pharaoh and his people. (v.17) “And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord…” (v.18) Verses 19-22: The angel of God (Exodus 13:21-22, Isaiah 63:9) moves from the forefront of the Israelites’ camp to the rear where the cloud then becomes like darkness to the pursuing Egyptians, thus separating the children of Israel from their enemy. (v.19) To the Israelites there was light, even during the night, but the Egyptians were surrounded with total darkness. They could not come near the children of Israel for most of the night. (v.20) The reason for this supernatural defense and separation is because it takes half the night for the “…strong east wind…” to divide the waters of the Red Sea. (v.21) This verse is proof that the location where God had directed the Israelites to cross was no mere shallow, narrow pond or tributary of the Red Sea. That is what many skeptics today claim in order to deny the truth of this event, thus denying the power and majesty of God. There was a large sea, several miles deep and most likely one or two miles wide, whose waters needed to be separated and piled up into two walls on either side of a dry path for the 2.5 million Israelites to cross. This passage in Exodus, the true and inerrant word of almighty God, who was the maker and sustainer of this miracle, states very clearly for us today what really happened. There is no other explanation for this supernatural event. It was “…the salvation of the Lord…” on behalf of the children of Israel! (v.13) In the early hours of the morning watch of the following day, while it is still night, the Israelites step onto the dry bed of the Red Sea and begin their journey to the other side. (v.22) (Exodus 15:19, Joshua 3:17, 4:22, Nehemiah 9:11, Psalm 66:6, 78:13, Isaiah 63:12-13, 1 Corinthians 10:1, Hebrews 11:29) Verses 23-25: God allows just enough distance between the Egyptians and the Israelites for Pharaoh to witness this astounding miracle, yet Pharaoh’s heart is so hardened that he orders his army to pursue the children of Israel into the Red Sea. (v.23) This is in the very early hours of the morning (v.24), when the cloud that is the angel of God is still between the Egyptian and Israelite camps. God confuses and confounds the Egyptian army by breaking off their chariot wheels, thus causing chaos among the ranks and slowing their progress. (v.25) Many of Pharaoh’s army turn back, recognizing that “…the Lord fighteth for them against the Egyptians.” But it’s now too late for them to make it back to the shore. Verses 26-31: As soon as the Israelites are safely on the other side, God tells Moses to once again “…Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.” (v.26) At dawn, just as the sun is beginning to rise, the hand of God releases the waters of the Red Sea, utterly and completely overwhelming the whole of the Egyptian army. (Joshua 4:18) Not a single one of them is left alive. (v.27-28) God’s final judgment against Pharaoh and all his people is, at last, complete. The children of Israel are saved! (v.29-30) (Psalm 58:10, 59:10, 66:6, 78:52-53, 106:10, Isaiah 11:15-16, 63:8, 11) As a result of this miracle, the Israelites’ faith in the Lord is renewed, and their trust in both Him and his servant Moses is restored. (v.31)  As I noted previously, the first 28 verses of this chapter take place some time before the ninth plague, probably on the ninth day of the current month of Abib which would, from now on, be the first month of the Jewish calendar. (v.2) The tenth day would have been the first of the three days of darkness over all the rest of Egypt since God required the Israelites to select a perfect lamb of one year old and separate it from the flock for three days. (v.3, 5-6) Thus, on the evening of the third day, as Moses has his penultimate confrontation with Pharaoh (10:24-29, 11:4-8), the children of Israel would have been obeying God’s new ordinance to them by slaying the lamb and using the hyssop to mark the side posts and the lintel of the door of every house.
Verses 1-2: This month in which God delivers His chosen people from their bondage in Egypt is the month of Abib. (Exodus 13:4) From this time on, this is now the first month of the Hebrew calendar year. (v.2) Verses 3-6: According to Strong’s concordance, the Hebrew word for “congregation”, used for the first time here in verse 3, is “edah”, and it is used over 100 times in the Exodus/Joshua narrative. According to the Moody Bible Commentary, “It has the basic meaning of ‘community’ or ‘congregation.’ Up to now the people have been identified as ‘Hebrews’ or ‘sons of Israel,’ but from now on they are constituents of a unique assembly; they will be exclusively bound together by this Passover experience into the ‘edah’.” Each house is to select a lamb on the tenth day of Abib. (v.3) If a household is too small for a whole lamb, then those of that house may share with their neighbor. The lamb should also be large enough that there are plenty of portions for all the members of the house. (v.4) If a lamb is not available, then a goat may be used. (v.5) It’s to be an unblemished male of a year old, and it must be separated from the flock for three days. (v.6) During this time he must be observed and examined to make sure that he is perfect. On the fourteenth day of Abib, at twilight, the lamb is to be killed. The Exodus narrative, as well as the ordination of the Passover, is riddled with typologies and symbology of us today as sinners and Jesus Christ as our savior. Just as God delivered His chosen people from their slavery in Egypt and instituted the first Passover, so Jesus Christ was born into this world so that He could die on a cross so that we today might have deliverance from the bondage of sin and death. It was no coincidence that God required the Israelites to select a perfect lamb. Jesus Christ is intentionally referred to in the New Testament as the “Lamb of God”, the ultimate fulfillment of the lamb that was used in the blood sacrifices of the Old Testament as atonement for sins. (Genesis 22:7-8, Exodus 20:24, Isaiah 53:7, Ezekiel 45:15, John 1:29, 36, Hebrews 9:13-14, 1 Peter 1:18-19, Revelation 5:12-13) Just as the children of Israel were born in Egypt, so are we born in sin (Genesis 3:7, Psalm 51:5.) We are captives, slaves to the flesh and the god of this world, and we need a savior. Jesus Christ is that savior. (Romans 6:12-14, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11) It’s also worth noting here that Jesus spent three days in the tomb following his crucifixion, just as all of Egypt spent three days in darkness. At the end of those three days, following the slaying of the perfect lamb, the Israelites were delivered from bondage into freedom. When Christ arose from the dead on the third morning, we today are delivered from the darkness and slavery of sin into the glorious dawn of liberty and new life in Christ. But that’s only if we first accept the shed blood of Jesus and surrender to Him as Lord and Savior, just as the Israelites had to first follow God’s commands regarding the slaying of the lamb and then painting the blood on the side posts and lintel of the door of every house. Verses 7-13: The blood of the slain lamb is to be applied to the side posts and upper post of the door of every house wherein the lamb was eaten. (v.7) The lamb itself is to be roasted in fire, not boiled (v.9), seasoned with bitter herbs and eaten with unleavened bread. (v.8) The roasting in fire foreshadows Christ’s suffering on the cross, as does the fact that the lamb is to be roasted whole. (v.9) No bones are to be broken (v.46) (Numbers 9:12), also significant as Christ would have none of his bones broken while hanging on the cross. (Psalm 34:20, John 19:33, 36) The bitter herbs are to remind the Israelites of the bitterness of their slavery in Egypt. The unleavened bread eaten here is significant for two reasons. One, this whole meal is to be prepared in haste for the exodus from Egypt is happening this same night and so there’s no time to allow the bread to properly rise before baking, which usually takes a few hours. (Deuteronomy 16:3-4) Two, leaven is often used in scripture to represent sin. The apostle Paul made this direct connection in 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 and Galatians 5:9. Jesus used the example of leaven in bread to represent the hypocrisy and false doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees. (Matthew 16:11-12, Mark 8:15, Luke 12:1) Nothing of the lamb is to remain after the meal. Whatever is not eaten is to be burned in the fire. (v.10) The meal is to be eaten in haste, with all members of the household dressed and ready to leave as soon as it’s over. (v.11) This verse concludes with the phrase, “…it is the Lord’s passover.” Verses 12-13 explain the significance of the entire meal and its methods of preparation as well as the painting of blood on the doorposts. God is executing judgment against all of the false gods of Egypt. He has that right because He is the one true God. “I am the Lord.” (v.12) Each plague thus far has been a judgment against one or two of the specific false gods, and this tenth judgment is to be the final, definitive proof of just how impotent and unreal are all the mythical gods of the Egyptians. The reason that the children of Israel are to have their loins girded, their shoes on their feet and their staffs in hand while eating the passover meal is because as soon as the Egyptians discover their dead sons, they will drive out the Israelites immediately. They will not wait until morning. (Exodus 6:1) The blood on the doorposts will protect the children of Israel from God’s wrath and judgment. “…I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you…” (v.13) Just as our sins today are covered under the blood of Christ when we accept Him as our Lord and Savior, so God’s chosen people were saved from judgment by the blood of the Passover lamb. Verses 14-20: The feast of the Passover is not just to be eaten on one night. It is a memorial feast that will, henceforth, be celebrated for one week. (v.15) It would begin on the fourteenth day of Abib, lasting until the 21st day, and only unleavened bread would be eaten. (v.18, 20) No leaven was to be found anywhere in the houses where this feast would be observed. Whoever did not honor the requirements of this meal would be “…cut off from Israel.” (v.15, 19) That phrase, “cut off”, means that the person or persons would be “…removed from the blessing and protection of the community”, according to my Moody Bible commentary. (Genesis 17:14, Numbers 9:13) As noted earlier, God used leaven here to represent sin. This was the first major step in the process of marking off and separating His chosen people from all the other nations and cultures around them, especially those of the promised land to which He would be leading them. From the first day of this holy week to the seventh, all leaven is to be purged and cleansed from every Israelite house. All other activities of normal life for this one week are to be suspended, and everyone’s focus is to be on this memorial feast. (v.16) The Israelites were to remember for all generations to come what God had done here on this night for His chosen people. (v.14, 17) The efforts to remove all leaven from the house represented the cleansing of hearts from sin and helped to keep the focus of the Israelites on God and His holiness. That’s why it would be a grievous sin to ignore God’s command and eat bread that was made with yeast. (v.15, 19) God repeats this ordination for emphasis in verse 20: “Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread.” It’s important to note here that God was not saving the Israelites just so that they could then go off to some other land and enjoy the blessings and freedom apart from Him. I briefly alluded to this in my commentary of chapter 3. Ever since revealing Himself to Abraham and initiating that covenant with him, God’s plan was always to develop and cultivate a relationship with Abraham’s seed. This Passover Feast, which was to be observed annually, was the first major step in the creation of that ongoing relationship with the Israelites. As we will see later in Exodus and Leviticus, God will be instituting many other feasts and traditions for the Israelites that will even further cement this special relationship between them and Him. Verses 21-28: Moses then relays all of the commands from God regarding the selection and preparation of the lamb, the painting of blood on the doorposts, and the details of the Passover Feast to the congregation of Israel. In verses 24-27, he reminds them of the reason why they would be celebrating this week-long feast every year: that their children and their children’s children may know of what God will do for His chosen people this night. (Exodus 10:2, Deuteronomy 32:7, Joshua 4:6, Psalm 78:6) Verses 29-33: As God promised to both Moses and Pharaoh, He passes through Egypt at midnight, and the firstborn of Pharaoh all the way down to the eldest of the captive slave in the dungeon, as well as the firstborn of all the cattle, is slain. (v.29) There is not a single house in all of Egypt where there is not one dead. (v.30) This includes the valley of Goshen. In the houses of the Israelites, the death was the Passover lamb instead of the firstborn son. That death, a substitutionary sacrifice of shed blood, averted the judgment of God. The obvious picture here is, once again, a foreshadowing of Christ’s death on the cross once and for all as the substitutionary atonement for our sins, thus providing us a way of eternal salvation and escape of God’s wrath. Pharaoh immediately summons Moses and Aaron and, just as God predicted (Exodus 3:20, 6:1), he tells them to go. “Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel…” (v.31) “Also, take your flocks and your herds…” (v.32) Pharaoh wanted every last Israelite, along with all their livestock, out of his land and away from his people as soon as possible. This, too, was just as Moses had predicted in his meeting with Pharaoh earlier that evening. (Exodus 10:9, 26) Also, incidentally, Pharaoh was wrong in his prediction earlier that evening. (Exodus 10:28) Not only is this his final meeting with Moses, but Moses is most certainly not going to die. Pharaoh’s last words to Moses and Aaron are, “Bless me also.” (v.32) But, as with all his previous false confessions of repentance, we can safely assume that his heart is not genuinely softened towards God, even after the loss of his firstborn son. He still does not truly believe. He is only sorrowful over the death of his son, still completely missing the point of God’s judgment and wrath against him and all his people. We know this because of the final confrontation between the Egyptians and the Israelites at the Red Sea. (Exodus 14) Not just Pharaoh, but all of Egypt is insistent that the children of Israel get out of the land as soon as possible. They are now even more terrified of the Hebrew nation and their God than ever before. “…We be all dead men.” (v.33) Verses 34-39: The Israelites depart Egypt in such haste that the bread for the next day’s meal doesn’t have time to rise, nor is there time to properly pack up their utensils and other things. (v.34, 39) And also, just as God had predicted, the Israelites find “…favor in the sight of the Egyptians…” (v.35-36) in that the Egyptians give the children of Israel silver, gold, clothing and other supplies for their exodus. (Exodus 3:21-22) Note from my study Bible: “The phrases ‘borrowed of the Egyptians’ and ‘they lent unto them’ does not imply any deception on the part of the Israelites. Both ‘borrowed’ and ‘lent’ come from the same Hebrew word, with the first commonly translated ‘asked’ and the second being rendered as ‘handed over’, as it is in a different stem. This was not merely conscience money for the Jews’ generations of slave labor. It had been promised to Abraham long before in Genesis 15:14.” In the early hours of the morning of the fifteenth day of Abib, the children of Israel, now numbering about six hundred thousand, (Exodus 38:26, Numbers 1:46, 2:32, 11:21), not including the women and children, journey from Rameses to Succoth. (Genesis 47:11, Exodus 1:11, Numbers 33:3, 5) That puts the current total population of this fledgling nation at approximately two to two-and-a-half million, according to the Moody Bible Commentary. It’s no wonder that the Pharaoh from Exodus 1 says in verse 9, “…Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we…”! Nor is it just the Israelites that leave Egypt this day. Verse 38 mentions that “…a mixed multitude went up also with them…”. This is most likely some of the Egyptians that had come to believe in the one true God (Exodus 9:20), as well as some of the other slaves of the Egyptians, and possibly some other criminals and malcontents that seized upon the opportunity to escape judgment from the law, according to my study Bible. Some of this “mixed multitude” will eventually cause trouble for the children of Israel. (Numbers 11:4) Verses 40-51: The total years of the Israelites’ bondage in Egypt was 430. (v.40-41) (Genesis 15:13, Acts 7:6) Once again, God stipulates to Moses and Aaron that the Passover meal, with all of its ordinances and rituals, is to be observed each year hence by the children of Israel for all generations. (v.42) He then adds provisions for the non-Israelite that wishes to partake of the Passover. As long as that gentile is part of the Israelite household, i.e. a “…servant that is bought for money…” (v.44), and provided he has been circumcised, he may partake of the Passover meal. But a foreigner or a hired servant are forbidden, meaning that any outsider who does not intend to become a permanent resident among the children of Israel cannot participate in any of the rituals nor eat any of the Passover meal. (v.45) (Leviticus 22:10-11) However, if a stranger who is visiting an Israelite household for a time wishes to participate, he and all his sons must first be circumcised and then he/they may eat of the meal and observe the rituals. (v.48) (Numbers 9:14) The same law – and its subsequent blessings and provisions – would apply to both the “…homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.” (v.49) Furthermore, none of the Passover lamb is to be taken outside of the house. The meat is to be eaten only within that home where it is prepared and cooked. (v.46) God also gives one last reminder to Moses and Aaron that none of the lamb’s bones are to be broken at any time during the meal’s preparation. The children of Israel do all that God commands Moses and Aaron, both in the initial preparation and eating of the Passover meal on their last night in Egypt, as well as in the early morning hours of the next day as they quickly depart the land of Egypt in a single mass exodus. (v.50) Thus, “…the Lord did bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies.” (v.51) Chapter 10:
Verses 1-2: Once again, God gives the reason for the judgments against Pharaoh and his people: “…that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son’s son, what things I have wrought in Egypt…that ye may know how that I am the Lord.” (v.2) (Exodus 12:26-27, 13:8, 14, Deuteronomy 4:9, 6:7, 11:19, Psalm 44:1, 77:11-12, 78:5, 106:7-8, 114:1, 135:9, 136:10-11, Joel 1:3) Even today, more than 3,500 years later, we are telling our children of God’s signs and wonders that He did here in Egypt, and how He delivered His chosen people from the bondage of Pharaoh, just as our parents told us and our grandparents told them. God preserved all of this in His pure and perfect Word that we might know of this today and for all generations to come until the end of this world. Verses 3-6: Moses obeys God and goes before Pharaoh yet again with a warning of judgment if Pharaoh will not let the Israelites go. “How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me?” God asks of Pharaoh. (v.3) This time, the judgment for continued pride and disobedience will be locusts. (v.4) Moses warns Pharaoh that the locusts will consume those crops that were left intact from the hail and fire of the previous plague. (v.5) They will fill every house of every Egyptian, the like of which none of Pharaoh’s ancestors had ever seen. (v.6) Verses 7-11: By now, even Pharaoh’s own household has had enough of his stubborn pride. They beg Pharaoh to let the Israelites go for Egypt has been laid waste because of Moses and his God. (v.7) (Exodus 8:19, 9:20, 12:33) So Pharaoh calls Moses and Aaron before him again and asks them who among the Israelites will be going into the desert to worship God. (v.8) Moses answers that every man, woman, child and beast of the children of Israel will be leaving Egypt, for that was God’s command. (v.9) But now, for the third time, Pharaoh tries to bargain with Moses and with God. He says that only the men may go. The women and children must remain behind. (v.11) He then dismisses Moses and Aaron without any further discussion. Verses 12-15: God tells Moses to stretch out his rod over the land and an east wind brings the locusts upon all of Egypt. Like the serpent, the locust in the Bible is often used by God as a literal punishment as well as a symbol or metaphor of evil. (Deuteronomy 28:38, 42, 1 Kings 8:37, 2 Chronicles 6:28, 7:13, Psalm 78:46, 105:34, 109:23, Isaiah 33:4, Joel 1:4, 2:25, Nahum 3:15, 17) But the locust, or “grasshopper” as we know it today, is also used as an example of diligence and unity in Proverbs 30:27 as well as a food staple for John the Baptist (Matthew 3:4, Mark 1:6). And, once again, this particular judgment by God against the Egyptians foreshadows one of the judgments against the world in the Tribulation. (Revelation 9:3, 7) Locusts today, just as in Biblical times, will usually migrate in swarms and are deadly to crops. Verse 14 says that the locusts “…rested in all the coasts of Egypt: very grievous were they…”. There had been nothing like this in Egypt before this judgment, and there has been nothing like it since. Verse 15 goes on to say, “For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened…”. The locusts consumed every herb, every crop, and every green thing on every tree that survived the previous plague. There was absolutely nothing left in the fields or orchards after this judgment. But, as with all the previous judgments, the valley of Goshen wherein dwelt the Israelites was left untouched and supernaturally protected. Verses 16-20: This plague is at once so devastating and so deadly to all of Egypt that Pharaoh calls for Moses and Aaron “…in haste…”. (v.16) Once again, he gives a superficial confession of guilt. “I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you.” The key words in that sentence are “your God”. Pharaoh still refuses to acknowledge the one, true God as his God! He is not genuinely repentant for his pride and rebellion. Just as before, he is only paying lip service in false humility as verse 17 makes clear. “Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and intreat the Lord your God, that he may take away from me this death only.” (Emphasis mine.) As usual, Pharaoh completely misses the point of God’s judgments against him and his people. As I noted earlier, Pharaoh, like so many unbelievers today, refuses to bow and submit to God as his own Lord, master and savior. Pharaoh stubbornly refuses to acknowledge his own sin of pride and only wants deliverance from this one disaster. Thus he is only saying to Moses and Aaron what he knows they – and God – want to hear so that life will go back to normal. Nonetheless, Moses does as Pharaoh requests, and God honors the request. He brings about a mighty west wind that sweeps away every locust into the Red Sea. Not a single grasshopper remains in all of Egypt. (v.19) And, as predicted by God – and as in all the previous seven judgments – Pharaoh hardens his heart in pride and unbelief and refuses to let the Israelites go. (v.20) Verses 20-23: The ninth judgment comes without any warning by God and without any meeting of Moses and Pharaoh first. God tells Moses to “…Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.” (v.21) Moses obeys, and there falls a “…thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days…”. (v.22) The darkness is so thick and so prevalent that none of the Egyptians could see one another, nor are they able to leave their houses for the entire three days. (v.23) But, as before, this judgment does not touch the Israelites in the valley of Goshen. There remains light in all their houses for these three days. This plague is no mere nightfall whereby the sun simply doesn’t rise for three days. The key phrase is in verse 21: “…darkness which may be felt.” God extinguishes every form and source of light, from the stars in the sky above to the lamps within the houses. From the very beginning of creation, God made a distinction between the light and the darkness. (Genesis 1:2, 4-5, 18) From that point onward, throughout the entire Bible, God is represented as the source of light and truth. (Genesis 1:16-17, 2 Chronicles 21:7, Nehemiah 9:12, Job 33:28, 37:15, Psalm 36:9, 56:13, 112:4, 118:27, 119:105, Proverbs 4:18, 13:9, Isaiah 60:19-20, John 1:4-5, 3:19, 8:12, 12:35, Romans 13:12, 1 Corinthians 4:5, 2 Corinthians 4:4, Ephesians 5:8, Colossians 1:12, 1 Thessalonians 5:5, James 1:17, 2 Peter 1:19, 1 John 1:5, 7, Revelation 21:23-24, 22:5) That is by no means a complete list of cross references containing the word “light”, and, for the sake of time and page, I will not indulge in a comparison of the theme of light and darkness as found in the Bible. That alone could be a whole series of lessons and sermons which are better left for another time. For the purposes of this topic here in Exodus, it is worth noting that God is again foreshadowing one of the judgements against the world during the Tribulation (Revelation 16:10), as well as emphasizing what life apart from Him will be like for those that refuse Him and His free gift of salvation. There will come a day when all the lost and the unbelieving will stand before God and answer for all their sins, including pride, rebellion and unbelief, and they will be cast into the lake of fire for all eternity. (Revelation 20:15, 21:8) But this is not fire as we know it. Jesus describes this future damnation as “outer darkness”. (Matthew 8:12, 22:13, 25:30) That means this fire, which is extremely painful to the point where the damned shall cry out and gnash their teeth for eternity, is a dark fire, a fire that gives no light whatsoever, a darkness that can be felt. The darkness that the Egyptians experienced here in Exodus 10 was but a mere taste of that eternal punishment that awaits all who, like Pharaoh, refuse to humble themselves and submit to God and His sovereignty and accept His free gift of salvation. Verses 24-29: Pharaoh’s final face-to-face meeting with Moses is one last effort to bargain with Moses and with God. Pharaoh tells Moses that the children of Israel may go, but all their livestock and herds must remain behind in Egypt. (v.24) Moses responds by bluntly stating that every single animal that belongs to the Israelites will be exiting Egypt along with the children of Israel. (v.26) Again, this was God’s command, and Moses is not compromising one iota. In response, Pharaoh’s heart is hardened by God, as predicted, and he says to Moses, “Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die.” (v.28) (It’s ironic that Pharaoh uses the words “see” and “seest” in the midst of such thick and consuming darkness.) Moses agrees. “…I will see thy face again no more.” (v.29) But, as usual, Pharaoh is wrong. He will see Moses one more time - in just a few hours, in fact, shortly after midnight. And this time he will indeed let the Israelites go. Chapter 11: Verses 1-3: The best way to understand the timeline of these last two plagues is to read these first three verses of Chapter 11 as taking place before the scene of Moses’ second to last meeting with Pharaoh in 10:24-29. Verses 4-8 of this chapter are a continuation of that scene, while verses 9-10 should be read as a parenthetical summary of all that’s occurred since Moses’ first meeting with Pharaoh in chapter 5. The tenth and final judgment, the death of the firstborn son, takes place on the third night of the three days of darkness, the same evening as Moses’ penultimate scene with Pharaoh here in chapter 11. Just as God predicted to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:21-22), the Egyptians are more than willing to give to the Israelites of their wealth, as well as other provisions needed for their journey into the wilderness. (v.2) (Psalm 106:46) Moreover, God had also given Moses great favor and esteem in the eyes of the Egyptians, including Pharaoh’s household. (v.3) Verses 4-8: As noted above, these are the final words of Moses to Pharaoh, a continuation of the scene that ended the previous chapter. After telling Pharaoh that he spoke the truth when he stated that he would see Moses’ face no more (10:29), Moses then relays to Pharaoh God’s final judgment. “…About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt…” says the Lord. All the firstborn will die, from the son of Pharaoh all the way down to the eldest son of the lowliest servant, and even the firstborn of every animal among the Egyptian livestock. (v.5) The mourning of these deaths will cause such a great cry throughout the land, such as has never been heard before or since this time. (v.6) But among the children of Israel there would be no such cry, not even the barking of a dog against them. (Joshua 10:21) As before, God had marked His chosen people and set them apart from the Egyptians. (v.7) Moses’ final prediction to Pharaoh is that his servants and all his household would beg Moses and the Israelites to flee Egypt before the night is over. He then angrily storms out of Pharaoh’s presence. (v.8) Verses 1-7: The fifth judgment by God against Pharaoh and his people is a pestilence among all their livestock: sheep, cattle, horses, donkeys and oxen. Once again, God is proving that He is the one, true God above all the false gods of the Egyptians. Note from my study Bible: “Egypt’s religion included the worship of various animals, such as the bull-gods Apis and Mnevis, the cow-god Hathor, and the ram-god Khnum, as well as many animal-headed deities.” Not only that, Egypt is renowned throughout the world at this time for her horses and chariots. (1 Kings 10:28-29, 2 Chronicles 1:16-17, Isaiah 31:1, Ezekiel 17:15) As with the first plague, God is striking down one of the staples of the Egyptian economy as well as a symbol of her worldly might and power. And, as with all the other judgements, the livestock of Israel in the valley of Goshen is untouched and unharmed. (v.6-7)
Verses 8-12: The sixth judgment comes with no warning to Pharaoh. Moses and Aaron take handfuls of ash from a furnace in the presence of Pharaoh and hurl it into the air. Throughout all of Egypt, save for the Israelites, every man, woman and child is struck with grievous and sore boils. (Deuteronomy 28:27, Job 2:7-8, Revelation 16:2) Verse 11 states that Pharaoh’s magicians could not even stand before Moses and Aaron because the pain of the sores was so great. Yet Pharaoh still refuses to surrender to God and let the Israelites go. (v.12) Verses 13-21: Each of the first nine judgements against Pharaoh can be grouped into three cycles of three plagues each. Six are now completed, and God gives Pharaoh a more detailed warning before the final cycle of judgments. He commands Pharaoh to “…Let My people go, that they may serve Me.” (v.13) Then He reiterates for Pharaoh the reason for these judgments: “…that thou mayest know that there is none like Me in all the earth.” (v.14) God then goes into more detail regarding this pronouncement. What He is saying in verses 15 and 16 is, essentially, “I could have already judged you by killing you and your people at the start, but instead I have chosen you as a vessel to display My power, and that My name will be known throughout all the world.” Paul references verse 16 in Romans 9:17 as an example of God’s sovereignty. God is a righteous and jealous God. He is the creator of all things, and He will not share His glory with another. (Exodus 20:3, Isaiah 42:8, 48:11) Even if mankind does not willingly bow and submit to His sovereignty, God will still get the glory and honor. This is what Paul meant in Romans 9:22 when he spoke of “…vessels of wrath fitted to destruction…” Pharaoh is an example of a vessel of wrath. He chose from the very beginning to defy God (Exodus 5:2), and his pride and rebellion have only worsened during the first six judgments. He has stubbornly and consistently hardened his heart, and so God is using him as a vessel through which God’s sovereignty, majesty and power are displayed and magnified throughout the whole earth. God now warns Pharaoh that “…I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail…”, the kind of which has never been known in Egypt before now. (v.18) But even in the midst of severe judgment God is still a loving and merciful God, for He then tells Pharaoh to tell his people to get indoors and seek shelter, for only those who are out in the fields will die, both man and beast. (v.19) Verses 20 and 21 indicate that there were some in Pharaoh’s household who did believe the word of Moses and Aaron and sought shelter for themselves and their livestock. Others, sadly, hardened their hearts in the same prideful and rebellious manner as Pharaoh. Verses 22-26: The hail is actually a mixture of hail and fire. Hail is frozen rain. The fact that it is mixed with fire is yet more proof of the supernatural nature of these judgments. All of these plagues were not just unusual weather phenomena. In a manner similar to the judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah, God rains fire and thunder from heaven, as well as hail, to both crush and devour every man, beast, tree and crop that is in the fields. (v.24-25) The only area left untouched by this plague is, of course, the valley of Goshen. (v.26) Verses 27-35: Pharaoh calls for Moses and Aaron and confesses, “I have sinned this time: the Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.” (v.27) But this is not genuine repentance. The key phrase is the words “this time”. Pharaoh’s heart is still hardened, for he refuses to acknowledge his previous sins of pride and rebellion up to this point. Pharaoh’s confession is nothing more than mere lip service, a show of false humility that he hopes will placate God for the moment so that the severe hail, thunder and fire will cease. This is an example of so many unsaved and lost today who only cry out to God when they are in the midst of great trouble and trials, but as soon as the crisis has passed they immediately forget God and continue in their life of sin and wickedness. Moses tells Pharaoh that he will petition God once again on Pharaoh’s behalf, but that he knows that Pharaoh and his servants do not truly fear and respect God. (v.30) Verses 31-32 state that not all of the crops were destroyed, for the wheat and rye had only just been planted and had not yet begun to sprout. This is yet another example of God’s mercy. There will still be food for the Egyptians after these judgements. Moses intreats the Lord, and the plague of hail and fire ceases. (v.33) But, as every time before, Pharaoh and all his house harden their hearts as soon as the judgment ceases, just as God predicted to Moses at the very beginning. (v.35) 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 1-7: God reiterates for Moses his new ability to do miracles in the presence of Pharaoh. The Lord had previously stated this to Moses in Exodus 4:16. (Jeremiah 1:10) This is what God means when He says here, “…I have made thee a god to Pharaoh…” Aaron would be the spokesman for Moses, just like a prophet. (v.2) God then lays out the game plan for Moses once more: He would harden Pharaoh’s heart so that His signs and wonders would be multiplied throughout Egypt so that Pharaoh would let the Israelites go, but only after the great judgments. (v.4) God is emphatic that it won’t just be the children of Israel that will know He is the Lord. The Egyptians, too, will recognize Him as the one true God when He frees “…the children of Israel from among them.” (v.5) And so Moses, now 80 years old, and Aaron, 83, go before Pharaoh a second time. (v.7) Verses 8-13: God predicts that Pharaoh will demand a sign from Moses and Aaron. (Exodus 10:1, Isaiah 7:11, John 2:18, 6:30). God tells Moses to tell Aaron to cast down his rod, just as God had shown to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 4:2-3). Aaron does so, but Pharaoh is not impressed. (v.10) He calls for his sorcerers and magicians (Genesis 41:8, Daniel 2:2, 2 Timothy 3:8), and they are able to do the same miracle. (Exodus 8:7, 18, 2 Timothy 3:9, Revelation 13:13-14) But, even after Aaron’s serpent swallows up all of their serpents (v.12), Pharaoh’s heart is still hardened. He refuses to bow to God’s sovereignty and authority, just as God predicted. (v.13) It was the power of Satan that allowed Pharaoh’s magicians and soothsayers to do those miracles. This whole episode of the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt was a power struggle between God and the devil, and God allowed Satan to work through Pharaoh and his “wise men” (v.11) so that God’s power and name would only be further magnified throughout Egypt and the rest of the known world at that time. Paul states in 2 Corinthians 11:14 that “…Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.” Lucifer is a created being, same as all the other angels, same as you and me, and, thus, he has no genuine, original power of his own. God allows him to do what he does, and his days are numbered. Satan hates God and all that He loves, and so Satan does his best to deceive us – God’s creation – by imitating God’s miracles. This, too, was all part of God’s plan for delivering His chosen people from the hand of Pharaoh. Verses 14-25: God tells Moses and Aaron to meet Pharaoh at the bank of the Nile river the next morning. The phrase “…goeth out unto the water…” most likely refers to bathing. (Exodus 2:5) The Nile river was the lifeblood of Egypt. It was the source of all the drinking water for the Egyptians as well as the primary means by which they watered their crops. Some of the gods in the Egyptian pantheon were represented by the river itself as well as the animals within it. Many of the plagues – or judgments – were directed against specific deities of Egyptian mythology. (See the chart at the end of this post.) This was yet another way in which God demonstrated his power and sovereignty over the natural world, as well as proof that He was – and is – the one true and living God, the creator and sustainer of all things. God tells Moses and Aaron to tell Pharaoh that, because he refused to hearken to the word of the lord, God will turn the Nile river into blood. All living creatures within it will die, and the river will stink. There will be no drinkable water anywhere in the land. (v.19, 21) As soon as Aaron stretches forth his rod over the river, the judgment comes true. Verse 22 states that Jannes and Jambres, Pharaoh’s magicians (2 Timothy 3:8), also turn the water to blood, and thus Pharaoh stubbornly refuses to believe Moses, just as God had predicted. It’s unclear if the sorcerers were able to turn the blood back into water and then into blood again, or if only a portion of the river had been turned into blood first by God and then the rest by the magicians because of God allowing them to do so to fulfill His judgment and prophecy. Whatever the case, every single drop of water throughout the land of Egypt – except the Goshen valley where the Israelites dwell (Genesis 47:6) – is turned to blood, even that which had been stored in wooden vessels and other pots within the Egyptian houses. (v.19) The effects described in verse 21 indicate that the blood was real. This was no mere illusion or something that resembled blood. It was actual human blood. As noted in my study Bible, “In addition to the loss of all their fish and their drinking water, the Egyptians suffered the extreme indignity of seeing the gods of the Nile made loathsome before their very eyes.” Pharaoh returns to his house, persisting in his unbelief (v.23). Despite their efforts digging for fresh water around the river, the Egyptians fail to find any to drink (v.24) God allows the judgment to stand for seven days. Though it doesn’t say specifically in this passage, we can safely conclude that many Egyptians died of thirst in those seven days. The ten plagues that God uses here in Exodus to judge Pharaoh and his people are a foreshadowing of the judgments He will bring upon the whole world during the Tribulation. This first one, specifically, will be repeated in the second trumpet and the second and third vials. (Revelation 8 & 16) And, just like Pharaoh here in Exodus, there will be many then that will harden their hearts in unbelief, thus sealing their judgment of eternal damnation in the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:15)  CHAPTER 5:
Moses and Aaron stand before Pharaoh, and Aaron delivers God’s message: “…Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.” (v.1) Pharaoh’s response, as I noted in the previous chapter, is boastful and defiant. “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.” (v.2) In Egyptian myth and culture of that time the Pharaoh was not just considered a representative of the gods, but was a god himself. Thus, the Exodus account is a confrontation between gods: Pharaoh vs Yahweh, the one true God. Moses and Aaron respond by explaining that “…The God of the Hebrews…” commands all the children of Israel to go three days’ journey into the desert to perform “…a sacrifice unto the Lord our God…” lest he punish them. (v.3) Pharaoh’s retort is both dismissive and sneering. He tells them, in essence, that the Israelites have no time for such nonsense and that Moses and Aaron should get back to work. (v.4) Verses 5-19: In a further response to Moses and Aaron’s demands, Pharaoh orders his taskmasters to no longer gather the straw for the Israelites that is the main ingredient for making bricks. They are now to gather it themselves, but their daily quota will not change. Since they have so much free time to talk about their God and plan a journey into the desert, Pharaoh reasons, they must have plenty of extra time to gather the straw needed for their work. (v.7-8) This, of course, only increases the physical labor of the Israelites, which leads to harsher punishments of the Israelite officers that the Egyptian taskmasters had set over the other slaves. (v.14). They are unable to meet their daily quota with the newly added burden of gathering the straw. The officers go before Pharaoh to complain about the new rule. (v.15) But Pharaoh dismisses them with the same retort he gave Moses and Aaron. If the children of Israel have time to talk about going into the desert to sacrifice to the Lord, then they must have plenty of time to gather the straw needed to make their daily quota of bricks. (v.17) He demands that they immediately get back to work. (v.18) Verses 20-23: The Israelite officers complain to Moses and Aaron, blaming them for the new conditions and harsher punishments that Pharaoh is inflicting upon them. (v.21) Moses, as he will do so often in the years to come, takes their grievance to the Lord, and adds his own complaint as well. He doesn’t understand why he did what God told him to do, and it only made the situation worse for the Israelites. Where was the deliverance God promised? “Why is it that Thou hast sent me?” he asks with a despairing tone. (v.22) As happens so often in our own lives, Moses can’t understand why obeying God seems to have made the situation worse rather than better. From his – and the Israelites’ – perspective, God had failed in His promise to deliver them. The plight of the children of Israel looks even more hopeless and bleak than ever before. Rather than rebuke and punish Moses for his lack of faith and trust, God once again shows Himself to be the compassionate and loving Father that He is. His initial words to Moses in verse 1 are a reassurance and a reminder of what He first told Moses at the burning bush: “…Now shalt thou see what I will do…”. God reminds Moses that Pharaoh will indeed let the Israelites go, and not only that, but “…with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land.” In other words, Pharaoh would not only release the children of Israel from their enslavement, but he would do so eagerly and forcefully, the complete opposite of his current attitude and disposition of rebellion and pride. CHAPTER 6: Verses 2-9: One of the remarkable attributes of God is His infinite patience and loving kindness towards us, especially when we are so quick to forget His promises and His past providence in our lives. Moses had so quickly forgotten the game plan God had laid out for him just a few weeks earlier at the burning bush, and now God reminds Moses not only of His promise to deliver the children of Israel from their bondage, but also goes all the way back to Abraham, reassuring Moses of the initial promise that God had made with him, Isaac and Jacob. “…I have remembered My covenant,” God says to Moses in verse 5. He then tells Moses to go back to the elders and reassure them of this same covenant. “…I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments.” (v.6) In verse 3, God states that He was known to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob “…by the name of God Almighty, but by My name Jehovah was I not known to them.” (Exodus 3:14-15, 15:3, Psalm 68:4, 83:18, Isaiah 52:6, Jeremiah 16:21, Ezekiel 37:6, 13, John 8:58) Moreover, in verse 7 God tells Moses that “…I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God…” (Genesis 17:7, Exodus 29:45-46, Leviticus 26:12-13, 45, Deuteronomy 29:13, Revelation 21:7) In other words, God had not made Himself truly, personally known to Abraham, Isaac. Jacob and Joseph. He had revealed Himself to them, He had guided them, cared for them, and made a covenant with Abraham, but He had not revealed His true name until now. What God is saying to Moses in this passage is that He will not just deliver the Israelites from their bondage, but He will also have an ongoing, personal relationship with His chosen people. He will reveal Himself to them in ways that He never did with their forefathers. We see this later on in the books of Exodus and Leviticus, when God gives Moses and the Israelites the ten commandments, the law, and the instructions for the priesthood and the tabernacle. God is basically reminding Moses that He’s only just begun to work on behalf of His people, and that they haven’t seen anything yet. God is about to demonstrate His true power and majesty, not only for all the children of Israel to see and to wonder, but also for the benefit of the Egyptians and all the surrounding nations as well. (Joshua 2:10-11) Unfortunately, when Moses relays all of this to the elders of Israel, they don’t believe him because of the despair and anguish caused by their current circumstances. How often are we like them! God promises over and over in His word that He will never leave us, or forsake us, or fail to fight on our behalf, yet we fall into persistent misery and self-pity because our deliverance does not come immediately when we first cry out. Like Job, we often feel like God has abandoned us completely, and it must have been the same for the children of Israel until Moses and Aaron arrived on the scene to relay God’s message of the promise of deliverance. Yet, when that deliverance did not happen immediately, and when the situation only seemed to get worse, the Israelites fell into deeper despair and despondency. Instead of strengthening their faith and trust in God, they blamed Moses and God for making their pain and anguish even worse, and they persisted in their doubt and unbelief. Verses 10-13: God commands Moses once again to go before Pharaoh and demand that he release the children of Israel. (v.11) And, once again, Moses complains that Pharaoh is not going to listen to him since the Israelites didn’t believe him either. Moses gives the excuse that he is not an orator, basically reminding God that He’s picked the wrong man for this mission. (v.12) But God merely, patiently reiterates His command to Moses and Aaron. (v.13) Verses 14-30: What follows here is a brief genealogy that lists the descendants of Jacob’s first three sons: Reuben, Simeon and Levi. As you’ll recall from Genesis 34 and 35, theses three men had each committed a grievous sin. They were immoral, proud, rebellious, quick to anger and slow to forgive, and yet God used each of them to be the fathers of what would soon become the twelve tribes of Israel, God’s chosen people. The reason that only these three and their descendants are listed instead of all of Jacob’s sons is because the point of this passage is to go only as far as the appearance of Moses and Aaron. Moses, when he was later writing all of this down as a record for the Israelites, wanted to convey for the reader the point that God specifically uses the proud, the angry, the immoral, the weak, the broken, and the murderers (Moses, remember, had slain a man in the same vengeful manner as Simeon and Levi), and yes, even the stammerers, to execute His divine will and plan. God has always magnified Himself the most through the most broken, rebellious and sinful of humanity, and He’s about to magnify His name in a mighty way not just through Pharaoh and his hardened, arrogant heart, but through Moses’ weaknesses and shortcomings as well. 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. Verse 1: Moses is a shepherd, tending to his father-in-law’s flock on the backside of the desert. He spends forty years here (Acts 7:30), living in peace and quiet, rearing a family, until one day when he brings his sheep to the mountain of God at Horeb. (Exodus 17:6, 18:5, 1 Kings 19:8).
Verse 2-3: Moses sees a nearby bush on fire, yet the bush is not consumed. (Deuteronomy 33:16, Mark 12:26, Luke 20:37) This is another Christophany, an appearance by the Angel of the Lord. (Genesis 16:7, 21:17, 22:11, 24:7, 31:11, 32:24, 48:15-16) Moses marvels at this sight, moving closer to investigate. Verses 3-6: When God sees that Moses is drawing closer to the bush, He calls to Moses. Moses answers, “Here am I”. (v.4) God tells him to not come any closer, but to take off his shoes instead, “…for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.” (v.5) God then identifies Himself to Moses as the God of his fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. As soon as Moses understands whom he’s speaking with he hides his face out of fear and reverence. Verses 7-12: God has heard the cry of His people (v.7) (Nehemiah 9:9, Psalm 106:44), and He’s prepared to deliver them from the Egyptian bondage “…unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey…” (v.8) (Genesis 15:13-14, Numbers 13:27, Deuteronomy 1:25, 8:7, Joshua 3:17). He then lists for Moses the names of the people groups currently inhabiting the land of Canaan, the land which God had already promised to Abraham and his seed. God then tells Moses that he is the one whom God is sending to “…bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.” (v.10) Moses responds with the question, “Who am I?” (v.11) His objection is that he’s a nobody. He’s not a leader, and he’s not a hero. He’s an eighty year old shepherd who’s been living in quiet seclusion for forty years and has no experience whatsoever for this monumental task to which God is calling him. In essence, he’s asking, “Lord, are you sure you’ve got the right man? You want me to do what???” But God’s response is calm and firm and reassuring: “Certainly, I will be with thee.” (v.12) (Genesis 31:3, Exodus 33:14, Deuteronomy 31:23, Joshua 1:5, Isaiah 43:1-3, Romans 8:31) Is there any words of God at once sweeter and more savory than that phrase “I will be with thee”? From Noah to Abraham, to Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and now Moses, God has never – not even for a moment – abandoned those whom He called. As it was with Abraham, so now it is with Moses: God has chosen the man through whom He wants to accomplish His will, and He will give him the strength and means to do just that. God then tells Moses that after he’s brought the Israelites out of Egypt he will return to this very mountain to serve God. (v.12) This is another sign, another promise that God would do as he said. God does the same for you and me today. God never calls us to a mission or a task without also promising to always be with us and to give us the wisdom, courage and strength that we need to fulfill that calling. God also doesn’t fail to supply all the physical necessities that we need to serve Him. (Philippians 4:19) Verses 13-15: Moses’ response to God’s promise is a bit unusual. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph had never once asked God for His name. (Or if they did, it was never recorded in scripture.) Moses is the first to wonder about the name of God. (v.13) This is an odd question to me because the Israelites are already familiar with God. They know who he is. Jacob passed down the knowledge of the God of his fathers to his twelve sons, and they, in turn, passed it on to their sons, and so on. We can logically infer from scripture that no specific name has been attributed to God up to this point, but that seems incidental. God is God, the creator of all things, and the sustainer and provider of His chosen people. Why does it matter – especially to Moses – what His name is? The only logical answer, to me at least, is that Moses is stalling. He’s full of doubt and, perhaps, unbelief. It’s very possible that Moses, up to this point in his life, has had very little to do with God. Being reared in the Egyptian court, it is certain that he was not taught anything about the one, true God. But since Jethro is a high priest of God, we can safely assume that he taught Moses about God. But it’s clear from this passage that Moses has never attained the close, personal relationship with God that his forefather Abraham cultivated and enjoyed. God’s response to Moses is simple and direct: “I AM THAT I AM.” (v.14) According to the commentary in my study Bible, this name “…constitutes the idea that the “I AM” in this passage reveals God as the Being who is absolutely self-existent, and who, in Himself, possesses essential life and permanent existence. To the Hebrew, ‘to be’ does not just mean ‘to exist’, but to be active, to express oneself in active being. God is the One who acts. The imperfect tense of the verb becomes clear. God’s manifestation to Israel is yet future at the time of the burning bush incident. The ‘I AM’ or ‘I will be’ is God’s promise that He will redeem the children of Israel.” Another doctrinal note from my study Bible regarding this verse: “There are three primary names of God: Elohim (God), Jehovah or Yahweh (usually printed as ‘Lord’ in the KJV), and Adonai (Lord). Each of these names emphasizes a different aspect of the nature of God. The name Elohim appears 31 times in Genesis 1, where it emphasizes His strength and creative power. The name Yahweh is most often used to express God’s self-existence, particularly in relation to humanity. Adonai means ‘master’ and underscores the authority of God.” Another significance of God revealing His name to Moses is to separate Himself from all the other false gods and idols that the children of Israel had already encountered in Egypt and would soon meet with in the promised land from the heathen culture of the indigenous peoples. All the other gods had been born out of the corrupt and sinful imagination of man, and thus man named them. God, however, named Himself, demonstrating the very nature of what all the other false gods lacked: true sentience. God had revealed Himself to Abraham, had guided and cared for him and his seed, and is now giving Himself a name by which His chosen people will call upon Him and know Him. None of the false gods of Egypt or the Canaanites could do that! “This is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.” (v.15) God is. He has always been, and he always shall be. He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, and there is none other like Him. To God, there is no such thing as “past” or “future”. He exists outside time and space, where there is only the “now”, with no beginning and no end. (Psalm 30:4, 97:12, 102:12, 135:13, Hosea 12:5) Verses 16-22: God tells Moses to go and gather the elders of Israel and tell them that “…I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt.” (Genesis 50:24-25, Exodus 4:31, Psalm 33:18, Luke 1:68) He then lays out for Moses the game plan. Moses and the elders of Israel will go before Pharaoh and ask him to allow them to take the children of Israel into the desert on a three day’s journey so that they might “…sacrifice to the Lord our God.” (v.18) But Pharaoh will refuse their request, and so God will stretch out His hand and smite all of Egypt with signs and wonders, after which Pharaoh will allow the Israelites to go. (v.19-20) Not only will the Egyptians let the Israelites go, but they will also give them clothes, jewelry, and other such wealth so that the Israelites will not leave empty handed. (v.21-22) (Exodus 11:2) God basically explains to Moses exactly how He will accomplish the deliverance of His chosen people. He knows already that Pharaoh will refuse Moses’ request, and He also has the foreknowledge of Pharaoh’s rebellion against Him. As in the case of Esau (Malachi 1:2-3), it appears that God has already rejected Pharaoh long before Pharaoh actually makes the foolish choice to defy God and Moses. This is interesting, considering that the phrase “…hardened Pharaoh’s heart…”, or some variation thereof, appears ten times in Exodus, and every time the action is attributed directly to God. (Exodus 4:21, 7:3, 13, 9:12, 10:20, 27, 11:10, 14:4, 8, 17) Exactly how that form of predestination and election fits with God’s plan of salvation for all of mankind, specifically His desire “…that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9), is a theological mystery. Even more so when one considers Jesus’ words in Mark 4:12 where He explains the meaning of the parable of the sower and the seed. As I’ve noted before in my commentary on Genesis, there is neither the time nor the pages available to do a deep dive on this topic, although I will discuss this a bit more in my commentary in the next chapter. For now, we must simply accept that God will harden Pharaoh’s heart, partly in response to Pharaoh's willful disobedience and rejection of God, but also in order that God might show forth and maximize His glory and honor in the deliverance of His chosen people, the Israelites. But Moses isn’t quite ready to say ‘Yes’ to God’s calling. |
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