I love when we start a chapter off with
Then the Lord said cause you know whatever follows is going to be good. I mean you know whatever the Lord says is going to be major, but in Exodus whatever He says is going to pack a punch. And Chapter 7 is no exception cause this is where we start the plagues baby!
Then the Lord said to Moses, "See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet. (that's deep) You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country. But I will harden Pharaoh's heart and though I multiply my signs and wonders in Egypt, he will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with my mighty acts of judgement I will bring out my divisions, my people the Israelites. And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it."
Whew wee there is a lot going on here.
1. God is reminding Moses that He will harden Pharaoh's heart therefore he will not listen to you. I love that God pointed this out to Moses because if you remember from Chapter 6 v. 30 Moses had a doubt about that. We talked about Moses's doubts a few times (here and here) last week he straight up asked God here in v. 30 "But Moses said to the Lord, "Since I speak with faltering lips, why would Pharaoh listen to me?" God is telling him in Chapter 7 he's not going to listen because of me so stop worrying about it!
2. He stresses I will 3 times in this paragraph to Moses leaving little doubt who is actually in control.
a. I will harden Pharaoh's heart
b. I will lay my hand on Egypt and with might acts of judgement
c. I will bring out my divisions, my people the Israelites.
3. Lastly he stresses that the Egyptians will know that I AM the Lord (my favorite saying and I believe the most we hear the Lord say I Am).
I love how in Chapter 7 we get an age check. Moses is 80 and Aaron is 83 so if you are feeling like you are too old to be used by God go back to chapter 7 in Exodus and get a reality check and don't say to me that people lived longer then cause I'm pretty sure that's an excuse (Moses)...
Right off the bat God is warning both Aaron and Moses that Pharaoh is going to want a miracle. God wants them to do the staff snake routine that was practiced by Moses earlier (Poor Aaron he missed the whole thing but hey apparently he has faith more than I and is a lot better off with snakes then Moses) cause it went down just like God said it would. Aaron throws his staff it becomes a snake. Pharaoh summoned his wise men and sorcerers and they did the same thing with their "secret art" (let's take a moment on the side crazy train and recognize that magic does exist not good magic in this context but still I'm just saying all those out there that told me it didn't you LIED what you could have said is yes there is magic it is used for good or bad. Aaron good others bad and just left it at that. JUST SAYING) So the other magic people did the same thing but here's where it gets interesting Aaron's snake straight up eats the other magician's staffs! STRAIGHT UP EATS THE OTHER SNAKES seriously. AND NO ONE BATS AN EYELASH. COME ON. I get that magic is the norm in this time frame (cause we'd be freaking the hell out if a staff turned into a snake now and days don't pretend like we wouldn't) but then to have one staff eat the other staffs come on. Yet Pharaoh's heart was harden just like the Lord said it would be and he would not listen.
And thus the plagues begin...
So the first plague of Egypt was as dramatic one. All the waters of the land were turned to blood. The Nile which was a major source for drinking, food, and bathing. The vessels (even the water in their idols) were even touched by it the streams, canals, ponds and reservoirs were all turned to blood. The fish died and the river smelled so bad that Egyptians could not drink its water. Blood was everywhere in Egypt.
But here's the kicker that I was never taught in Sunday school: The Egyptians magicians did the same thing by their secret arts: SERIOUSLY WHAT THE HELL? How? where? why? And why not turn it back if you can turn it to blood? Why would you just have a spell like that? But not a reversal? Doesn't even make sense? Or was Moses and Aaron constantly going around turning it back to blood? Which I doubt b/c I think that would've been in the book don't you? So because his FREAKING magicians could do the same damn trick (which is still baffling every dang time I read this) and because the Lord had harden his heat which then makes me wonder if it wasn't the Lord who gave them the magic mayhaps?!?! Pharaoh once again would not listen to Moses and Aaron instead he turned and went into his palace and did not even take this to heart. And the poor Egyptians (who I do and don't feel bad for it's not their fault they had to do what the Pharaoh said it's not like they got to vote the man in) where stuck digging along side the Nile to get drinking water because they could not drink the water of the river.
Plague #2 - Frogs
Seven days later (which I'm not clear on if the river just got clean on its own or if the Lord cleaned it or if Moses did or the magicians finally did or if a rain storm washed away the blood or heck maybe it still was bloody my best guess is the blood eventually washed away with the tide and eventually became clear again). Every time I ask this no one has an answer so your guess is as good as mine.
Any who 7 days later the Lord said to Moses to go to Pharaoh again to let his people go or a plague of frogs happen. Doesn't sound bad until you realize they will literally be everywhere in your bed, houses, ovens, kneading troughs, etc.
Interesting enough Aaron is the one who has to do this with Moses' staff. Sadly enough the dang magicians did the same thing which means they added to the freaking problem and didn't help in anyway except to prove that their magic could do the same thing. NOT HELPFUL also baffling. Here's where it gets interesting though. Pharaoh summons Moses and Aaron and says, "Pray to the Lord to take the frogs away from me and my people and I will let your people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord."
2 things:
1. clearly the magicians could not make the frogs go away (score a point for our side)
2. frogs are clearly annoying in large numbers
Moses said to Pharaoh, "I leave to you the honor of setting the time for me to pray for you and your officials and your people that you and your houses may be rid of the frogs, except for those that remain in the Nile."
"Tomorrow" (apparently frogs are really, really annoying in large numbers)
Moses leaves and "cried out tot he Lord about the frogs he had brought on the Pharaoh. And the Lord did what Moses asked. The frogs died in the houses (probably not exactly what Pharaoh was seeking me thinks) since they ended up being piled in heaps and the land reeked of them. But when Pharaoh saw there was relief he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord said.
point in fact: Pharaoh lied
Plague #3 - Gnats
Aaron stretched out his hand and struck the dust and and it became a plague of gnats. Here's the interesting part of this particular plague the magicians could not replicate it with their secret art when they tried to produce it. Because of they couldn't they said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God" (so my prediction that God is the one that gave them the "secret art" was totally wrong cross that off the list)
Pharaoh's heart however, was hard and he would not listen.
Plague #4 - Flies
I like this plague for only 1 reason and here it is: this is the plague that made the distinction between the Egyptians and the Hebrews. Before now everyone was treated the same I believe, but here God makes the "distinction between my people and your people" in v. 23 What I also find interesting is that Pharaoh wants Moses and the Israelities to worship here in the land and what I didn't know the answer to (besides the fact that God doesn't want them to) is why they couldn't do just that, but Moses in v. 26-27 answers that for me.
"That would not be right. The sacrifices we offer the Lord our God would be detestable to the Egyptians. And if we offer sacrifices that are detestable in their eyes, will they not stone us? We must take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God, as he commands us." That was very interesting so I ask myself what about the offering was detestable to the Egyptians and I found it rather fascinating: The animals that the Hebrews would sacrifice were sacred to the Egyptians and would have caused a riot if they saw them sacrificing them. Kind of like the Hindu and Muslims in India. (fun fact: the more you know)
Pharaoh once again promises to let the people go and offer if they don't go far away and Moses promises to pray for him. Moses agrees as long as Pharaoh is not deceitful again by not letting the people go. But we all know that pharaoh once again lied because he we have 6 more plagues.
Plague #5 - Livestock
This plague affected not only cows but donkeys, horses and camels, sheep, goats and the cattle. However, only the Egyptians once again God made the distinction between the Egyptians and the Hebrews. He also set a date like a warning sign to Pharaoh (which isn't always good to know when things are going to hit the fan). Then the Lord did it and Pharaoh investigated all the livestock of the Egyptians died but not one animal belonging to the Israelites died. Yet his heart was unyielding and he would not let the people go.
So there we go the first 5 plagues to hit Egypt... what do you think was the worst of the 1st batch?
I have to go with blood then livestock personally. Although frogs seemed to annoy everyone greatly.
Next week we will hit on the next 5 and then follow up withe Passover which I do love the story of Passover!
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