04.02.26 - Exodus 7-8
Apr 2, 2026
Exodus 7-8
Moses’s reluctance to go before Pharaoh did not sway God’s directive for him to do so. Rather, Exodus 7 opens with God again instructing Moses and Aaron to speak to the Egyptian ruler, stating that they would be His messengers, relating precisely what God commanded them to say. Once more, God also reminded His servant that Pharaoh’s heart would be hardened, despite the many signs and wonders that He would bring upon the land. All of this was ordained by God so that those in Egypt—natives and Israelites—would know that the LORD is the only true God. To that end, the Egyptians worshipped many false gods, and, sadly, some of the people of Israel began to idolize them as well during their time as sojourners there.
“So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD commanded” (7:10). Aaron first threw down his staff at God’s command, which was miraculously transformed into a serpent. “Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers, and they, the magicians of Egypt, also did the same by their secret arts” (7:11). Despite Aaron’s staff (serpent) swallowing up the others that were cast down (which we will come back to in a moment), Pharaoh’s heart was not inclined to let his slaves (the Israelites) go. Such was also the case after the first plague God sent upon the land, as He turned all the water in the land, specifically the Nile River, into blood. (By the way, most scholars agree that each plague sent by God was directed at one of the gods the Egyptians worshipped, as a way of the one true God displaying His authority over the heavens and the earth.)
Chapter 8 opens with the second plague God brought into the land of Egypt—an infestation of frogs. Just like the wonder of turning a staff into a serpent and water into blood, the Egyptian magicians mimicked this plague. “Pharaoh’s magicians turned rods into snakes and water into blood, and were also able to produce frogs in the land. [Likewise,] Satan opposes God’s work by imitating it, and in this way he minimizes the power and glory of God. Pharaoh’s attitude was, ‘Anything Jehovah can do, we can do better!’ Of course, he couldn’t, but that was enough to bolster his pride and keep him from submitting to the Lord.”[i] To be sure, not only did Aaron’s staff swallow up the magicians’ rods, but these Egyptian imitators could not reverse God’s plagues. All of this validated that God’s authority exceeded that of any of the counterfeit wonder producers. Even still, Pharaoh’s heart remained hard, and consequently, the forthcoming plagues grew in intensity.
There are two more truths I want to highlight before we review the last few plagues mentioned in our reading today, coming from Exodus 8:13-15 (take note of the added emphasis): “The frogs died out in the houses, the courtyards, and the fields. And they gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank. But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart and would not listen to them, as the LORD had said.” First, notice that the Egyptian people suffered for Pharaoh’s sin, as they were the ones cleaning up the mess and dealing with the residual smell. Never doubt that your sin affects those around you. Second, after God mercifully stopped the spreading of frogs throughout Egypt and Pharaoh experienced relief from his problems, he hardened his heart yet again. How often do we plead with and desire to be near God during seasons of suffering, but once our burden is lifted, that same zeal for the Lord quickly fades? Let it not be said of us that our fire for God depends on whether we are in the valley or on a mountaintop!
The third plague from God brought gnats into all the land in Egypt, a sign Pharaoh’s magicians could not reproduce. When they told Pharaoh that this must be from God, he ignored their counsel and continued to resist the One from whom all of these judgments were coming. Then the flies came as God levied a fourth plague on the people of Egypt. Yet this plague was a bit different, as this time the LORD distinguished between the Egyptians and His people. “But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people dwell, so that no swarms of flies shall be there, that you may know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth. Thus I will put a division between my people and your people” (8:22-23; emphasis added).
Much more will be said about this in the days ahead, especially as we read of the final judgment God brings against Egypt, but for now, we must acknowledge that there will also be a division between God’s people (those who follow Jesus) and the people of the world on Judgment Day (Revelation 20:11-15). Oh, how joyful it will be on that day for the people whose names are written in the book of life, but also how horrible it will be for those whose names are not listed, and thus, are thrown into the lake of fire. This sobering truth ought to motivate us all the more to share the message of reconciliation entrusted to us with those around us, helping others, as best as it depends on us, cross that great divide, and be known as one of God’s people.
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Journal responses to the following prompts:
· Why is it so difficult to repent from sin the deeper you immerse yourself in it?
· Are you confident that your name is written in the book of life? Is there someone in your sphere of influence on the other side of that great divide, with whom you need to share the gospel?
[i] Wiersbe, W. W. (2001). The Bible exposition commentary: The Pentateuch. David C. Cook. p. 188.