Exodus 7:1-13
1 So the LORD said to Moses: “See, I have made you as God to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother shall be your prophet. 2 You shall speak all that I command you. And Aaron your brother shall tell Pharaoh to send the children of Israel out of his land. 3 And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. 4 But Pharaoh will not heed you, so that I may lay My hand on Egypt and bring My armies and My people, the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. 5 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out My hand on Egypt and bring out the children of Israel from among them.”
6 Then Moses and Aaron did so; just as the LORD commanded them, so they did. 7 And Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three years old when they spoke to Pharaoh.
Aaron’s Miraculous Rod (Exodus 4:1–5)
8 Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 9 “When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, ‘Show a miracle for yourselves,’ then you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your rod and cast it before Pharaoh, and let it become a serpent.’” 10 So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did so, just as the LORD commanded. And Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent.
11 But Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers; so the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. 12 For every man threw down his rod, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods. 13 And Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as the LORD had said.
Moses spoke all the words of God as he was moved to do and as we who are in Christ are also impelled by the Spirit within us to speak His word (Jeremiah 23:29, 1 Peter 4:11) that has the power to change hearts or reveal their judgment (John 3:16, 18) by that word. God had given His words to Moses as if He was there in him and his brother Aaron was the mouthpiece as his prophet in a sense. Certainly Moses was not the LORD and Aaron was no prophet, yet that is how they would appear to Pharaoh as they spoke the words of God to him to offer the opportunity to repent or face judgment. Aaron was therefore told by Moses as God’s messenger to tell the king to release His people to go out of Egypt that they might worship and sacrifice to Him outside of that idolatrous land. God also told Moses that this would be more of a testimony against Pharaoh because he would not listen but be further hardened by the LORD as a vessel prep for destruction (Romans 9:17-18, 22) to glorify God through all the wonders by which He would demonstrate His power and sovereignty over him. God Himself would lead His people out of bondage with deliverance of a mighty hand and outstretched arm in judgment for what that nation had done to God’s children for generations there. The great signs and wonders would show the judgment on Egypt by these plagues and free the people. Then the Egyptians would have to give glory to God when they saw who He is by the works of His hands. We also have seen the great works of His hand to deliver us from judgment by taking on the consequences of our sin and putting that judgment to death on the cross as Jesus took our judgment on Himself and led us out of the bondage of sin in the world with a promised land in heaven to come! Moses and Aaron were faithful to speak this message faithfully to crush the opposition by the word of God with accompanying signs to confirm the omnipotent word and work of judgment and deliverance. The first miracle demanded by Pharaoh to prove they were sent by God before the ensuing plagues (after warning him) was Aaron’s rod that was thrown before the Pharaoh and transformed into a large snake. Unfortunately, the magicians of the court were able to do a similar feat with their own rods. The fact that Aaron’s rod was able to swallow them all up and turn back into a single stick did not seem to stick in the king’s heart because it was hardened against belief and obedience to God. This first miracle only served to harden Pharaoh more, just as he was prepared by God to do as a vessel of destruction for God’s glory, that the final act to deliver God’s people would be all the more remarkable to all. We are also called to speak the word of God faithfully, the gospel of deliverance, no matter the response of the hearers. God is glorified in it all!
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