We’re going to be looking at Exodus 7-8 today. I hope most of you read these chapters because we will not have time to read all of it this morning but will highlight passages. But before we learn from Exodus 7-8, let’s be reminded of who Pharaoh and the Egyptians were. Open your bibles to the beginning of Exodus….
Exodus 1:8-16, 22….
Exodus 2:15…. Moses grew up in Pharaoh’s household but now Pharaoh wants to kill him.
Exodus 3:19…. God knows people’s hearts and what they need!
Exodus 5:2, 5-8…. A new Pharaoh but…
And so, what type of people are the Egyptians and Pharaoh??
Pharaoh and the Egyptians during Moses’ time did not believe in the One and Only True God and so they were evil! Let us keep this in mind as we learn from Chapters 7-8 of Exodus. Read along with me starting with Exodus 7:1 …..
v1-2: God made Moses godlike and Aaron a prophet. Were they just like puppets then??
v6: Moses and Aaron were commanded and they obeyed! They could have disobeyed!
v3-5: Moses and Aaron were warned that Pharaoh would not listen to them.
Remember that we had noted earlier that Pharaoh was an evil person and we note here that God allowed Pharaoh to continue with a hardened heart while God performed miraculous signs and wonders. What was God trying to do here? If we put it all together, remember that God sees everything, God was fulfilling His plan of redemption, with the Israelites to be faithful to Him and perhaps for some of the Egyptians to believe in the One and Only God! Have you ever wondered why God still allows sin and evil to be around? The same principle applies; God is still at work for our good!
We can note a couple more things to support God’s Plan:
Exodus 11:9 - The Lord had said to Moses, "Pharaoh will refuse to listen to you-so that my wonders may be multiplied in Egypt."
Exodus 12:37 – The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Succoth. There were about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children. Many other people went up with them, as well as large droves of livestock, both flocks and herds.
Many other people must have included Egyptians who witnessed God and believed! We can note this from God's Word, anyone not born a Hebrew had to be circumcised to be in Israel as they went to the Promised Land!
After Exodus 7:5, we read many miracles performed by God but let’s not miss something important that also happened. Did anyone notice??
v8-10: Moses’ staff turned into a snake, by God’s will. But what do we note in v11?
v11: Egyptian wise men, sorcerers, and magicians also made staffs turn to snakes, by secret arts!
But in v12: God gives a glimpse of His power!
v13-21: The Nile River water turned into blood, by God’s will. But what do we note in v22-23?
v22-23: The Egyptian magicians also turned water to blood by their secret arts!
Any thoughts why the wise men and sorcerers were not mentioned??
And what can we say about God in v24-25?? God’s judgment was severe but still provided water needed for life at that time!
We will not take time to read it now, read it later if you have not read it over the week, but Exodus 8 continues with the story of the battle of powers!
Exodus 8:1-6: All Egypt was plagued with frogs, by the will of God! But what do we note in v7? Egyptian magicians also made frogs come up on the land! They made frogs come out of the land! Where do you think the magician’s secret arts came from??
Remember that the Egyptians were evil people worshiping gods other than the One and Only God; the Egyptian magicians likely depended on the power of demons!
We can note in Exodus 8:8 that Pharaoh was seeing the spiritual battle!
But let us note v15: Pharaoh himself hardened his heart!
And so, God revealed more of His power by making dust into gnats in v16-17!
But his time, what do we note in v18? The Egyptian magicians gave up and believed in the power of God over anything else!
Let us close by noting a few applications for our lives today. We have been noting who God is and who people are.
God?? - Yahweh, Almighty, Creator, Omniscient, Omnipresent, Holy, Loving
People? – all are sinners, but either believes in God or not
And as we had noted in our passage today, there is a 3rd entity.
3rd entity in our lives?? - There is the Devil and demons
And so, what should we keep in mind for our lives today?
First of all, Moses and the Israelites, although sinners, believed in God. How did God relate to Believers Moses and the Israelites??,
1. If we believe in God, He will talk to us, protect us, call and empower us for His perfect plan. The question for us is, are we listening and yielding to God everyday?
Secondly, God warned Moses of Pharaoh, who was not a Believer. Does God warn us of unbelievers today?
2. Remember Romans 12:2a…. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. We are to watch ourselves from being influenced by our unbelieving world.
3. In God’s divine plan, the devil and demons are around us and because we are all sinners, these spiritual enemies of God can influence us. Only we Christians are empowered and called to win this spiritual battle. Listen and yield to God everyday!
