EXODUS – GOD’s MIRACULOUS DELIVERANCE of ISRAEL FROM EGYPT – Chapter SEVEN

GOD BEGINS HIS JUDGMENT ON EGYPT 

Contributing commentaries by pastors Sonny Islas, Albert Lopez and James Fire
Complete Study of Exodus by pastor Chuck Smith 

EXODUS 7 – by James Fire, Facebook video.

INTRODUCTION: GOD is the ultimate orchestrator, organizer, and powerhouse. Consider the stars in our universe: our own sun, which is 109 times the diameter of the Earth (the sun can contain about 1.3 million Earths!!); Rigel is about 50 times larger than our sun; Antares is about 50 times the size of Rigel (250 times the size of our own sun). What about VY Canis Majoris, the largest star on record – how big is this star? About 1,500 times the size of our own sun! 

All of these stars along with all the rest in our universe (that amounts approximately to 1 septillion or a 1 with 24 zeros after it by the way) are moving anywhere from almost 500,000 mph to approaching 2 million mph!

Imagine the kind of precision and power, and organizational skills, as well as impeccable timing and coordination to keep this universe operating the way it does.
When it comes to timing, GOD’s timing is perfect, absolutely flawless – far, far better than a Swiss watch! Far better even than an atomic clock that keeps time so accurately that is goes off by only 1 second every 100 million years! GOD’s timing is even better than that!
In EXODUS 6:1 the LORD’s first word to Moses was, “Now . . .” Not yesterday, not tomorrow, not an hour from now, but “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh”
As pastor Sonny told us when we studied EXODUS 6:

“’Now’ . . . not in your timing Moses but in Mine. What Moses failed to understand was that Pharaoh’s prideful refusal was all a part of the plan of God. If God wouldn’t have hardened Pharaoh’s hard heart even more, Egypt and Israel would have never seen and experienced the great and awesome power of God!
“God was not only interested in rescuing Israel – no – He was going to get much more out of all of this mess. He was going to humble Pharaoh (who thought he was a god – untouchable), He was going to judge Egypt for their ongoing idolatry and evil deeds and above all of this, He was going to reveal His unparalleled power by performing breathtaking signs and wonders. The same LORD Pharaoh knew nothing about, he will now come to know and never forget!
“Moses was just concerned with freeing Israel from slavery - God was too, but above that, He was [intent] with displaying His might and power! God was cooking up a grand Exodus where the Red Sea would be split, not some lame agreement and permission from Pharaoh!”

So GOD is precisely on time with His plan, completely at ease, no anxiety or tension or worry whatsoever; He knows what He’s about, and what He’s about to do.
Shouldn’t we, who know the LORD, and trust His power, His wisdom, His love for us, be completely at ease, no anxiety or tension of worry whatsoever? The Word confirms to us that we are frail, that we are dust (PSALM 103:13-15) – and that the LORD has compassion on our weaknesses and understands that about us. We often fail to trust the LORD as we should, and He understands.

Yet ideally, if we are going to trust the LORD, then let’s decide, no matter what happens, to trust the LORD Who governs this entire physical universe, as well as all the celestial heavens of the spiritual domain, and every single atom in His creation! He has all ability, and we know His motives for us are the highest and best – because of His love for us.
Let’s look now into this chapter:

EXODUS 7:1-2
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.

GOD is going to turn the tables on this man of Egypt who thinks of himself as a god, and instead, will make Moses as a god to him, and GOD is going to back Moses, so that Pharaoh along with the false gods of Egypt, will be humbled, put in his place – for everyone that exalts himself shall be humbled:

ISAIAH 2:11-12
11 The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. 12 For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low:

JAMES 4:6
But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

As I had mentioned previously, Moses is going to speak to Aaron, and Aaron will speak to Pharaoh and to all Egypt; Moses will be in the place of GOD the Father, Who spoke to His Son, the LORD Jesus, Who then spoke to us all the words to the world that the Father gave Him (JOHN 15:15).

So, Moses is a type of GOD the Father; Aaron is a type of the LORD Jesus, who like Aaron is a high priest, but not after the Levitical priesthood, but after the order of Melchizedek (HEB 5:5-6).

The LORD tells Moses that he must speak ALL that He commands him to say to Pharaoh. Don’t soft-soap GOD’s Word Moses, don’t dull the sharp point, don’t mollycoddle the message, don’t make it user-friendly, don’t try to be politically correct. Tell it like it is; the truth of GOD’s Word – do not diminish a word of GOD’s Word to Pharaoh.

There are certain messages we hear from the pulpit that stay with us over the years. A sermon of strong encouragement, a message of powerful conviction, a study on the absolute truth of GOD and His Word.

One of these messages for me was by pastor Sonny, when he delivered the message DIMINISH NOT A WORD, given during the Conference on the Life of David. I think most of us heard this message, but if you didn’t, you can find it on TTUF here which has the Facebook video included.

It’s not up to Moses to modify GOD’s message any more than it’s up to pastors to modify the message of the Bible, but that’s what too many pastors are doing these days. They are deleting Divinely revealed truth from this revelation because it will offend the congregation or offend their own Humanistic theology or philosophy; it certainly offends these false shepherds!

EXODUS 7:3-5
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.

This is the second time GOD specifically stated that He will harden Pharaoh’s heart; He also informs Moses that this king of Egypt won’t listen to him – and because of this, GOD will have the opportunity to “flex His muscles” as pastor Sonny mentioned in Chapter 6.

He is going to humble Pharaoh, who is determined to keep the Hebrews as his own slaves and will eventually break and surrender them to the LORD, but not before all the major gods of Egypt are also humbled before the One and True Living GOD! And even these pagan Egyptians are going to know that the GOD of the Hebrews is the LORD, and eventually, that will include Pharaoh. As Yule Brenner said in the film, The Ten Commandments, “This Hebrew God, IS GOD!”

In the same manner, Satan may try to keep every soul enslaved in his own kingdom of darkness, but the LORD GOD will deliver those souls He knows will come to faith, and there isn’t a thing that Satan can do to stop it! He, along with the third of all the angels that rebelled against GOD, like Pharaoh, be forced to acknowledge GOD.

PHILIPPIANS 2:9-11
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The first false god (among three subordinate others) of Egypt that is going to be humbled is Hapi, in the plague of blood upon the river Nile: 

We know that there are really no such thing as ‘gods’; there is only the One True Almighty Creator YHWH, however we do understand that behind these false gods are real satanic principalities and powers (1 COR 10:20).

We also understand that there is another river, the Euphrates, where four powerful fallen angels are bound, and one day they will be released (REV 9:14). 

So I think it’s probable that there were also satanic powers involved in the Nile, as there are in the Euphrates (nothing conclusive in the text, but such an assumption is I think, reasonable).
Getting back to our text then:

Notice what GOD calls His people: not only are they “the children of Israel” but GOD also refers to them as “[His] armies”.
Not that they did any fighting, the LORD fought their battles for them; this happened often throughout the history of Israel; as early as the Red Sea, the LORD speaks through His servant Moses:

EXODUS 14:13-14
13 [And Moses said unto the people], Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever. 14 The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

The LORD says very much the same thing in DEUT 20:4; JOSH 23:10.

2 CHRONICLES 20:17 
Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you.

EXODUS 7:6-7
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.

Notice the emphasis; they did as the LORD commanded and “so did they”. It’s vitally important that the LORD is obeyed. The stars in the heavens obey Him, the heavenly angels, and mighty cherubim and seraphim obey Him; the wind, the seas and the storms obey Him, the fish that the apostles caught in the net obeyed Him when He said, “Get in!” Even the demons obey Him.

But people of this world? They freely deny the LORD of Glory; even among some professing Christians, obedience to the LORD feels optional, or they look upon obedience disdainfully as being ‘legalistic’.

Not Moses and Aaron – these men were well into their eighties, and yet they obeyed the LORD’s command. We learn later in this book of Moses’ deep devotion and love for the LORD, in his request to see GOD’s face (EXOD 33:18-20)! I earnestly pray, that if I ever make it to that age, that it will be said that I “did as the LORD commanded”.

EXODUS 7:8-9
8 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, 9 When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent.

Pharaoh hears about this God of the Hebrew slaves, this one Who is called the LORD, and the spokesman for this God is standing before him, so he tells Moses, “Show me what you got!”

EXODUS 7:10
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. 

I can almost see Pharaoh scoff at this display of rods being transformed to serpents. I can hear him saying, “Is that the best you got?!”

EXODUS 7:11-12
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.

I have no doubt that what these magicians performed was not parlor tricks, some sleight of hand, but demonic power being displayed. 

There are documented cases of demonic possession where the victim vomits nails, or complains of extreme abdominal pain, and when surgery is performed, live snakes erupt from the incision, where gallons of bizarre fluid is spewed from the possessed. These evil spirits are able to perform such deeds. 

What I find interesting is that Aaron’s rod consumes the rods of Jannes and Jambres. The court magicians of Egypt (2 TIM 3:8), showing the LORD’s supremacy over the occult powers of these men.

The LORD knew that Pharaoh’s magicians would be able to duplicate this feat; so why did the LORD even use this plan? I think it was to lead Pharaoh into a false sense of confidence, to allow his ego and pride to deceive him into thinking that he is truly the only god in Egypt, and this ‘God of the Hebrew slaves’ is nothing. We see the results of this:

EXODUS 7:13-14
13 And he hardened Pharaoh's heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said. 14 And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh's heart is hardened, he refuseth to let the people go.

The LORD told Moses already what Pharaoh would do, and what will happen to this ruler of Egypt. Remember that in the book of Exodus, Pharaoh is a type or symbol or representation of Satan; and Egypt a representation of the world that is ruled by the devil.

We saints have been told by the LORD what Satan will do, and what will happen to him. Satan is going to finally obtain his one world government and religion and be openly worshiped by the world as the true god (2 THESS 2:4) and that he is going to overcome the saints (that is, those who come to faith during the tribulation; REV 13:7) and he will finally be cast into the lake of fire (REV 20:10). 

So just as Moses had no legitimate reason to freak out, because GOD already told him what He will do to Pharaoh, we saints have no legitimate reason to freak out if the world hates and persecutes us (JOHN 15:18,20), and Satan attacks – we already know that Satan will be defeated!

EXODUS 7:15-16
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.

So this is the official commencement of the plagues upon Egypt:

EXODUS 7:17-19
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 lothe 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.

1. Plague of Blood – The first plague Moses demonstrated was turning the Nile river, the Egyptian’s primary source of survival, into blood. This plague was a charge against the false god of the Nile, Hapi (god of the Nile). This plague devastated Egypt, as the fish died off and the water was unusable. While undoubtedly the Egyptians cried out to Hapi, it was evident his help was nowhere to be found.

According to myths of ancient Egypt, Hapi lived in the caves near the Nile cataract. It was located on the border between Egypt and Nubia. It was believed that Hapi brought the silt to the banks of Nile. This is the key thought that played the main role in forming the concept of the god of Nile, Hapi.

Basically, the annual flooding of Nile River was known as Hapi in the ancient Egyptian context. Thus the coming of the annual flooding of Nile was known as “Arrival of Hapi”. During this occasion, common people of Egypt used to worship Hapi extensively in order to get the blessing of Hapi’s prosperous agricultural.

“Arrival of Hapi” used to be a great celebration in ancient Egypt. Apart from the most important role of Hapi in bringing the silt to Egypt, another three gods; Khnemu, Anqet and Satet were believed to be the three guardians of Nile. They were believed to play the role of making sure in releasing the right amount of silt.

EXODUS 7:20-22
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.

And so, the LORD shows Himself superior to these so-called gods of Egypt, and proves to be an offense to Pharaoh who was accepted as a god himself among the Egyptians, but while they would seem to be able to duplicate this miracle, they couldn’t undo what GOD did, and turn the blood back to water!

I find it interesting that Pharaoh intended on slaying innocent blood, by drowning the Hebrew babies in that river; and here the LORD GOD says in action, rather than words – you want blood to run through this river Pharaoh? Fine, here you go! I’ll turn the entire river into blood!

EXODUS 7:23-25
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.

We know that seven is the number of completion or perfection in the Scripture, and after seven days of this judgment on these false gods, it was completed, Pharaoh is now going to have a chance to repent, and release the Hebrews, but it seems that this point, while having to witness hardship on his nation because of this plague, he is ultimately unimpressed, and unwilling to let GOD’s people go… yet!

The LORD GOD, creator and mover of VY Canis Majoris, the Milky Way galaxy that measures 100,000 light years across, and the other approximately 400 million galaxies in the universe (that He measures in the span of His hand, like one of us would hold a swiss watch) has only begun to roll up His Holy, Almighty sleeves and get to work.

EXODUS 15:1-11
Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. 2 The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him. 3 The Lord is a man of war: the Lord is his name. 4 Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea.
5 The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone. 6 Thy right hand, O Lord, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O Lord, hath dashed in pieces the enemy. 7 And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble. 8 And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as an heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea.
9 The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them. 10 Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters. 11 Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?