Jacob (Israel) and his kin entered into Egypt as a family and left as a nation. Ever since Jacob heard that his son Joseph yet lived – and more than that, was second in command of the world empire of that time, he and his sons went down into Egypt and were greatly honored in life (and in Jacob’s death) by Pharaoh and his Court.
It was because of the severe regional drought that Jacob and his family found it necessary to leave Canaan to begin with, yet their intention to stay in Egypt was only temporary (until the calamity was over), but they became accustomed to life in Goshen – the most fertile area in Egypt and so what was supposed to last perhaps only a single generation lasted much longer.
Inevitably, the friendship between Egypt and Israel deteriorated with a new Pharaoh that didn’t recognize Joseph as savior of the realm. Suspicion and paranoia rose up in Pharaoh’s heart (EXOD 1:9-10), and cruel, harsh slavery was the result.
It was Pharaoh’s initial objective to oppress and subjugate the Hebrews with hard bondage, in masonry (brick making) and in the fields (farming and ranching). Yet this had the opposite effect than what Pharoah anticipated. The Hebrews only grew in numbers, exceeding an already dominant population (EXOD 1:12). This happens invariably when GOD’s saints are persecuted – they prosper spiritually, having their faith refined in the furnace of affliction.
It wasn’t merely Pharaoh’s objective to breed the Hebrews out of existence (EXOD 1:15-16), it was also Satan’s. He was keenly aware of the covenant GOD made with Abraham, and he recognized it as a direct challenge to his authority as “the god (ruler) of this world” – establishing a theocratic kingdom: an island of GOD’s sovereign domain in the satanic sea of darkness.
The fact that the male Hebrew babies were spared by the midwives who refused to kill them (had they done so, leaving only female babies, these would be married to Egyptians – thus the breeding program to exterminate the Hebrews) led GOD to bless them and ensure that their own families prospered – the male babies could have been killed outright after birth, but this didn’t happen (yet). This leads me to believe that Pharaoh’s directive was a covert operation to be handled with subtlety. Some action on the part of the midwives (had they cooperated) that would insinuate a still birth – not murder.
The chapter ends with the command of Pharaoh to cast all of the male babies alive into the Nile (a crocodile-infested river that was also esteemed as a sort of ‘god’ by the Egyptians - think of it: they were in a sense sacrificing GOD’s people to their own pagan deity!).
There are many parallels between Moses and Jesus Christ (these amount to “biblical type" or models) and as we saw previously, many more parallels between Joseph and Jesus Christ. Also as stated prior: all the Bible points to Christ, every one of the 66 books testify of the central Person of the Bible. This sets up the Perfect Plan of GOD’s Gospel as the Executor of this New Covenant, sealing it with His own blood!
Moses himself told the Hebrews that GOD would raise up a Prophet like himself, and that they need to listen to Him (DEUT 18:15).
In EXODUS 2, the babe was in danger of losing his life by Pharaoh’s command, similarly to the way that the Christ child was in danger of Herod’s edict (MATT 2:13-14). Satan was aware of what the incarnation and birth of the Christ child represented: A CRUSADE AT CHRISTMAS initiating the ultimate battle against the kingdom of darkness!
Moses mother was a woman of profound faith, because she took her three month old baby, placed him in an ark (a tar coated woven basket) and set him in the Nile River (the same one in which other Hebrew babies met their demise by hungry Egyptian crocodiles).
Pharaoh’s daughter (likely his niece) found the babe, recognized him as a Hebrew child (probably from the woven cloth customary among Hebrews) but took him as her own. She no doubt considered that Moses (the Egyptian word from which this name is derived means “born from waters”) was a gift from the “god” of the Nile.
Moses sister Miriam was watching the whole thing from afar and approached the noble woman with a shrewd suggestion: “Would you like me to find a nurse to feed the child?” and brought their mother to her! Pharaoh’s daughter would actually pay Moses own mother to nurse him!
And furthermore, the one who would become the Deliverer of Israel was raised in Pharaoh’s Court, afforded the finest of education, clothes, accommodations, food and military training!
Tell me GOD doesn’t have a sense of humor!
Fast Forward: Moses is now a grown man, probably around forty years old (he lived to be 120, so his “Forty” was more like our “thirty” today).
He sees the affliction of his people – and he knew his origin because his real mother undoubtedly told him. Though he desired to liberate them, even going so far to kill an Egyptian that was persecuting one of his brethren, his plan didn’t go so well. He was found out and fled Egypt, having been rejected by his fellow Hebrews.
Another parallel to Christ Who came to His own, and His own didn’t receive Him (JOHN 1:11), But just as the Hebrew slaves eventually accepted Moses as their leader, so will the Messiah be received by wayward Israel at the Second Advent of Christ (ZECH 12:10; 13:6; ROM 11:25-27)! This was actually what Stephen tried to present to the Sanhedrin at his bogus trial in ACTS 7.
Moses took a Gentile bride in Midian where he found refuge from the fury of Pharaoh. Likewise Christ Himself has a Gentile bride – the church! It’s interesting to note that just as Moses found a bride outside of “the land” that would become Israel, likewise Christ found His bride from among the Gentile nations.
Shortly after this, Pharaoh died and was succeeded – but things didn’t improve for the Hebrews – on the contrary, they “groaned because of the bondage and cried out…”
GOD heard their cries and He remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – note here, GOD includes Isaac and Jacob in the Covenant that He made with Abraham (EXOD 2:24). This is the Abrahamic Covenant, which is immutable and unconditional, and though the nation of Israel was wayward throughout the history of the Old Testament, the LORD GOD has always been and always will be faithful to His Word and His promises! In PSALM 105:8-10 GOD includes the people of Israel collectively (See also: ISA 55:3; JER 32:36-42; EZEK 37:21-28). Jesus Christ the Messiah of Israel will ultimately fulfill the Abrahamic (and Davidic) Covenant when the Millennial Reign commences.
By the time EXODUS 3 happens, another forty years had passed (it seems that Moses’ life could be divided into thirds: forty years in Egypt, 40 years in Midian, and the last 40 years in ministry, leading Israel from Egypt to Canaan).
This is where the LORD appeared in the burning bush: many see an allegory here of the hypostatic union of Christ. The bush represents His humanity, the fire represents His Deity. Desert bushes (acacia) were full of an oily sap that would sometimes ignite in the intense desert heat. So what made this particular bush so special in Moses’ eyes? The other bushes eventually burned up all the sap they contained, leaving the bush in ashes. This bush didn’t (EXOD 3:2-3)! “The Angel of the LORD” that was present in the burning bush was more often than not (and perhaps exclusively) an Old Testament Christophany (an appearance of the Person of Christ, the Word of GOD, Only Begotten of the Father).
EXODUS 3:7-8
7 And the LORD said: "I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. 8 "So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites.
It was GOD that sent Moses into Egypt, just as the Father sent His only begotten Son into the world. Both are deliverers, both are leaders that lead their respective groups to/into a promised land of sorts:
Moses led the Hebrews to Canaan that would eventually become Israel where GOD’s theocratic kingdom would be established.
And the LORD Jesus Who sought to reestablish that kingdom of Israel but was rejected, and so He would lead another group (the church) into the kingdom of GOD which is our inheritance. And later He will bring the fulfillment of the kingdom to Israel.
We can’t leave Chapter 3 without addressing how Moses inquired after the name of GOD. GOD’s response: “I AM THAT I AM (The Hebrew is “Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh”) … I AM has sent me [Moses] to you.”
Then in vs. 15 we have the following:
EXODUS 3:15
Moreover God said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: 'The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.'
Note that “LORD” is in all capital letters. In the Hebrew it would be rendered as YHWH or as we pronounce it today YaHWeH. This is the personal Covenant Name of GOD. Both expressions come from the same Hebrew root verb: “to be/to exist” hayah.
Ehyeh or I AM or I WILL BE is in the first-person; GOD is speaking about Himself. While in the Tetragrammaton (YHWH) the meaning is more like “He is, He causes to be, He will be”.
These two expressions together exemplify GOD’s self-existence, that is, He depends on nothing outside of Himself; His eternal being: He simply “is”. We are more familiar with how it’s expressed thusly: “The One Who is, Who was, and Who will be” or:
REVELATION 11:17a
saying: "We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come…
Lastly we recall the words of the LORD Jesus Christ Who confronted the Pharisees.
JOHN 8:56-59
56 "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad." 57 Then the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?" 58 Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM." 59 Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
Then a bit later we have this scene:
JOHN 10:30-33
30 "I and My Father are one." 31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. 32 Jesus answered them, "Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?" 33 The Jews answered Him, saying, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God."
There is no doubt that in both cases, Jesus the Christ is claiming Deity as the Son of GOD, equal to Father GOD. And it’s most likely that every time GOD appears to Moses (and other Old Testament persons) Moses is experiencing an encounter with GOD the Son – Who can manifest Himself without mortal consequences on the observer, and not an appearance of GOD the Father “whom no man can see and live” (EXOD 33:20).
Chapter Four tells us of GOD’s commission on Moses (who really doesn’t want the job) and he along with Aaron explain GOD’s plan of deliverance to the people. What I find fascinating is that GOD clues Moses in on the future, telling him that Pharaoh will refuse to let the children of Israel go, until GOD “plays hardball” (EXOD 4:23).
Chapter Five initiates the plan, but it seems to backfire (only seems!) because where Moses and Aaron declare the word of the LORD, “Thus says the LORD GOD of Israel, let my people go!”, Pharaoh retorts, “Who is the LORD (YHWH)… I know not the LORD, nor will I let Israel go.”
Now for EXODUS 6…
Here GOD confirms His plan to grant Canaan land to the Hebrews just as He promised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Twelve times in this one chapter, GOD refers to Himself as YHWH (“LORD”) and as YHWH He will show His superiority over all the pantheon of Egypt by humiliating their “Top Ten” by means of the Ten Plagues of Egypt He brings down upon them.
EXODUS 7: Here Moses under GOD’s direction brought about two signs: the staff turned into a serpent (as GOD showed him on Sinai), followed by the First of Ten plagues: turning the river into blood. But because the Egyptian magicians could duplicate these, Pharaoh was not impressed but hardened his heart (just as GOD foretold).
From Chapter SEVEN to TWELVE, we see the progression of these plagues, moving from irritants and inconveniences, to hardships, to the final judgment that broke Pharaoh and all Egypt that finally let GOD’s people go!
The TEN PLAGUES of EGYPT and JUDGMENT ON THEIR GODS:
1) Nile to Blood → challenges Hapi, god of the Nile (source of life)
2) Frogs → confronts Heqet, frog-headed goddess of fertility
3) Gnats/Lice from Dust → challenges Geb, god of the earth
4) Flies → possibly against Khepri (linked with insects/creation)
5) Livestock Disease → strikes at Hathor (cow goddess) and Apis (sacred bull)
6) Boils → undermines healing gods like Sekhmet and Imhotep
7) Hail with Fire → challenges sky/weather deities like Nut
8) Locusts → another blow to agricultural gods tied to land and crops
9) Darkness → directly confronts Ra, the sun god—one of Egypt’s highest deities
10) Death of the Firstborn → strikes at divine kingship itself—Pharaoh was seen as god-like
This wasn’t just about punishment. It was a direct statement:
“Your gods don’t have power here. I do.”
This relates directly to what the New Testament tells us of Christ Jesus, the Word made flesh:
PHILIPPIANS 2:9-11
9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (see also: EPH 1:20-21; HEB 1:4; 2:9)
AND IT ESCALATES:
First, nature is disrupted, then health and livelihood; finally, life itself and Pharaoh’s authority It systematically dismantles Egypt’s worldview.
The following is a rabbit-trail, but a treatment well worth the consideration:
THE BIBLICAL PATTERN: GOD CONFRONTS FALSE TRUST
Core idea: God confronts what people trust in, exposes its weakness, and proves Himself as the only true authority.
1. EGYPT (THE TEMPLATE) – EXODUS
In the Book of Exodus:
Egypt places trust in its gods, natural systems (Nile, sun), and Pharaoh. God systematically dismantles each one through the plagues. The result is the collapse of Egypt’s entire system of trust.
PATTERN ESTABLISHED:
False security by cultures and religions; directly confronted by the revelation and the truth of GOD. There is exposure of powerlessness of cultures and earthly powers by GOD’s Light.
God alone stands because the truth is immutable and He is omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient.
2. MOUNT CARMEL – GOD VS. BAAL
In 1 KINGS 18:
Israel turns to Baal, believed to control rain and storms; a GOD-inspired drought exposes Baal’s supposed power. Elijah challenges the prophets of Baal and in response Baal does nothing; God answers immediately with fire.
PATTERN:
Misplaced trust → direct challenge → silence/failure → decisive demonstration of God’s power
3. DAGON AND THE ARK
In 1 SAMUEL 5:
The Philistines place the Ark before their god Dagon. GOD saw to it that Dagon fell face down before the Ark of the Covenant, then broke apart.
PATTERN:
Idol elevated → brought into God’s presence → collapses without effort
4. BABYLON JUDGED
In Book of DANIEL 5:
Babylon trusts in power, wealth, and false gods; their king desecrates what is sacred, then judgment appears (“writing on the wall”). Afterwards the kingdom falls immediately.
PATTERN:
Pride → confrontation → judgment → sudden collapse.
5. NEW TESTAMENT SHIFT – INTERNAL IDOLS
In the New Testament:
The focus shifts from external idols to internal ones: such as wealth, power, prestige, control over the people; religious oppression, religious pride and hypocrisy.
Jesus Christ exposes what people truly trust in.
The Cross of Christ becomes the ultimate turning point: What appears to be defeat actually defeats false authority, sin, death, and condemnation for all who trust in the Gospel.
THE PATTERN SUMMARIZED
Across Scripture:
People place ultimate trust in something other than God, then God confronts that specific object of trust. It fails under pressure as God demonstrates His authority.
KEY INSIGHT FOR STUDY
This pattern is consistent (appears across multiple books and eras); false systems and beliefs are targeted. God confronts the exact thing being trusted.
GOD reveals the falsities of these, exposing what people truly rely on and calls them to repentance and a return to Himself.
In the next study of GOD’s PERFECT PLAN: The GOSPEL – Part 8 we’ll backtrack a bit to EXODUS 12 and examine the crucial ordination by GOD of the sacrificial lamb of the Passover.
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