Exodus 7:1-13

PLAGUES OF EGYPT

IMPORT OF THE EVENT

Murphy reminds us that:

To understand the import of this conflict we need to recall that for the first time since the dispersion of the nations (Genesis 11:0 ) the opposition between God and Satan in the history of mankind is coming out into broad daylight.

This nation for the time being represents all heathendom, which is the kingdom of the prince of darkness, and the battle to be fought is the model and type of all future warfare between the Seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. Hence it rises to a transcendent importance in the ways of God with man, and holds a place even in the preface to the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:2 ).”

THE ROD AND THE SERPENT

There are at least three ways to account for what these sorcerers are said to have done, and the suggestions apply similarly to their later performances with the water and the frogs:

1. One may deny they did it, for the Hebrew will allow this rendering in Exodus 7:12 : “They cast down every man his rod that they might become serpents, but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.” In other words, their rods were not changed at all, and were lost into the bargain.

2. One may say that by some feat of juggling an optical illusion was affected by which it appeared that their rods were changed.

One may accept the text on its face and say that they actually did the things by the power of Satan. This is the simplest view, harmonizing with the deep import to Satan of the whole transaction and with what we subsequently learn of his interference in the affairs of men and nations and the “lying wonders” he enables the former to perform (2 Thessalonians 2:9 ).

In this last case, the superiority of God’s power over Satan is seen in that Moses’ rod swallowed up those of the magicians, and hence Pharaoh was in so far inexcusable in not acknowledging his omnipotence.

HARDENING OF PHARAOH’S HEART

In the story the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart is spoken of nineteen times, in eleven of which God is said to have done the hardening, in three Pharaoh is said to have done it, and in five it is simply announced as being done.

From this it is plain that no inscrutable omnipotence bore down on Pharaoh to make him go against his will, but that without such constraint he freely resisted God’s command.

Bates’ Alleged Discrepancies, from which the above paragraph is taken, explains that Pharaoh by his conduct put himself under the operation of that law according to which a man’s heart becomes harder the longer he resists divine mercy. Inasmuch as Pharaoh himself resisted he hardened his own heart, but inasmuch as God ordained the law it may be said that God hardened it.

But while thus seeking to explain this awful circumstance, let us not try to eliminate divine sovereignty from it, nor neutralize the inspired interpretation of Romans 9:14-22 .

God did not say, “Go to now, I will by a personal impact on Pharaoh’s mind and subjugating control of his faculties, harden him.” Nevertheless, Pharaoh did not hold out against God because God could not subdue him, but because He “had great ends to accomplish in permitting him to prolong his obstinacy.”

The story, and especially Paul’s inspired comment on it, should have a strong effect in bringing any sober-minded sinner to his knees before God.

THE ORDER AND PROGRESS OF THE PLAGUES

There were ten plagues in all, and it will be found that there was a kind of order and progress in their arrangement, going from the external to the internal and from the mediate to the immediate hand of God.

Divided first into nine and one, the one standing out from the others in the awful loss of the first born, the nine again are arranged in threes. This arrangement is marked by the way, the place and the time in which they are announced to the king, or the abruptness of their coming without announcement; by their effect on him, and on the magicians, and in other ways, leading to the conclusion that there was a deeper order of nature and reason out of which they sprung.

Speaking of their effect, it will be seen that at the third the magicians acknowledge the finger of God, at the sixth they can no longer stand before Moses, and at the ninth Pharaoh refuses to see his face further.

Finally, the first three fall alike on the Hebrews and the Egyptians, but the last seven are reserved for the latter alone.

Examine 2 Timothy 3:8-9 , and observe that the two names mentioned there may be those of the leaders of the magicians, traditional names probably, and preserved in documents since lost. They represented Satan much as Moses represented God, and their defeat was an impressive demonstration of the supremacy of the God of the Hebrews.

THE MIRACULOUS IN THE PLAGUES

There are two kinds of miracles, absolute and providential, the latter those which are not so miraculous in themselves as in the circumstances of their performance. Such were these plagues, for in their character they were the natural phenomena of the land, only that in these instances they came at an unusual season, in an unusual degree, and in immediate response to Moses’ command.

Also they were particularly humiliating to the Egyptians because they reflected on the power and dignity of their gods. The Nile was their patron god, and to have its waters turned into blood and become a torment to them was dishonoring to that divinity. Another of their gods was represented by a frog’s head. They also worshipped flies, reared temples in honor of the ox and the cow, and idolized the sun which was turned into darkness to them. How strange that they should not have been awakened by these things!

QUESTIONS

1. What gives great significance to the events of this lesson and those immediately following?

2. In what three ways may we account for the acts of the sorcerers?

3. How would you explain the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart?

4. Discriminate between the two classes of miracles.

5. Why were the plagues peculiarly humiliating to Egypt?