Then, from Exodus 6:28 through Exodus 7:9 we have Moses’ final hesitancy revealed, together with God’s response.
28 And it came to pass on the day when the LORD spake unto Moses in the land of Egypt,
29 That the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, I am the LORD: speak thou unto Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say unto thee.
30 And Moses said before the LORD, Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me?
7:1 And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.
2 Thou shalt speak all that I command thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he 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 shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine 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 forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.
6 And Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them, so did they.
7 And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh.
8 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
9 When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Show a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent.
Just notice once again how extremely God-centered this passage is. God is referred to as “the LORD” 8X. Of these, twice God literally speaks of Himself as “the LORD.” Additionally, God is referred to by a pronoun 14X. The entire focus of the passage is that God will permit pharaoh’s rebelliousness in order to make Himself known among the Egyptians.
At the end of this passage the LORD tells Moses that pharaoh will demand “a miracle” from Moses. When he does so, Aaron is to cast down his rod. It will become a serpent. We will see more regarding this as we continue.
Exodus 7:10-8:7- Pharaoh’s Second Objection and the Aftermath
As we have seen, pharaoh’s first objection to letting the Hebrew people go was his declaration of ignorance regarding the LORD. His second objection is identified in Exodus 7:10-13.
10 And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent.
11 Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.
12 For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods.
13 And he hardened Pharaoh's heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.
In this brief passage we have pharaoh’s second refusal to let the people go. Pharaoh’s response to Aaron’s rod becoming a serpent was to call in his ‘magicians.’ They were able to duplicate the feat, casting down their rods, which also became serpents. Although Aaron’s serpent swallowed up their serpents, pharaoh’s heart was hardened. At this point pharaoh remains unimpressed with the LORD. It is as if he feels that all his gods could duplicate these signs.
This boils down to ‘why should I care about your god, when my gods are capable of doing the same things?’ Satan is a master at counterfeiting much of what the true and living God does among men. He can produce signs and lying wonders.[1] It is going to take something far more compelling to affect pharaoh, who was content in his dead religion. So the LORD proceeds.
14 And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh's heart is hardened, he refuseth to let the people go.
15 Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water; and thou shalt stand by the river's brink against he come; and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in thine hand.
16 And thou shalt say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee, saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness: and, behold, hitherto thou wouldest not hear.
17 Thus saith the LORD, In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.
18 And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall loathe to drink of the water of the river.
19 And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water, that they may become blood; and that there may be
blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone.
20 And Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood.
21 And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.
22 And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; as the LORD had said.
23 And Pharaoh turned and went into his house, neither did he set his heart to this also.
24 And all the Egyptians digged round about the river for water to drink; for they could not drink of the water of the river.
25 And seven days were fulfilled, after that the LORD had smitten the river.
Once again, the Egyptian magicians were able to duplicate the sign shown by Moses and Aaron. And once again pharaoh’s heart remained hardened. He basically ignored Moses and Aaron, and ‘turned and went into his house.’
Contemplating these events, we do well to remember that the natural heart of every fallen son or daughter of Adam’s race is far more likely to hold on to its traditions and dead religious practices than to turn to God’s Truth.
Even when the ordinary Egyptians had to dig ‘round about the river for water to drink’ they did not yet turn away from their primary deity: pharaoh. Remember: This is a manifestation of spiritual warfare on the highest plane. It is surprising how much Christians fail to comprehend the power of dead religiousness and error.
8:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, Go unto Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me.
2 And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs:
3 And the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into thine house, and into thy bedchamber, and upon thy bed, and into the house of thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thine ovens, and into thy kneading troughs:
4 And the frogs shall come up both on thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants.
5 And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch forth thine hand with thy rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt.
6 And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt.
7 And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt.
Moses and Aaron return unto pharaoh to entreat him again to let the LORD’s people go. This time the sign the LORD gave Moses to perform was bringing forth frogs out of the river and have them swarm all across the land, so much so that we are told, ‘And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt.’
But, once again the Enemy was able to essentially duplicate the sign through the Egyptian magicians.
[1] 2 Thessalonians 2:9.