A Prologue to the Plagues

Reference

Exodus 7:1-13

Today we come a turning point in the book of Exodus. As we concluded chapter 6 last week we saw a genealogy, and when we came to that part of the text I told you the genealogy was put there for help us as the readers pause and reflect on what we’ve seen and learned in the narrative so far. Now, as chapter seven begins we launch back out into the main plot. What will be the main theme and reality in view in the chapters to come? The plagues. The plagues are about to fall on Pharaoh and all Egypt. In these plagues God Himself will attack the gods of Egypt, and make it plain as day who is God and who is not. Our passage this morning, 7:1-13, prepares us for all of this. How? By giving us a preview of the contest to come, hence the title of this sermon, a prologue to the plagues.

Two headings this morning. See first…

Commission (v1-7)

“And the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall tell Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go out of his land. But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and bring my hosts, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment. The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them.” Moses and Aaron did so; they did just as the Lord commanded them. Now Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh.”

As we left Moses in the end of chapter 6, he had yet another moment of doubt as he said he was uncircumcised in lips, meaning unfit and unqualified to do what God had called him to do. God had every right to respond with severe rebuke for Moses doubting yet again, but look at what God does. God give Moses another commission, and in so doing God gives Moses divine authority by saying “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh…” Now be clear, Moses is not God, God is God. But God has made Moses like God to Pharaoh, and like God, Moses will speak to Pharaoh through the mouth of his prophet, Aaron.

It is helpful to remember at this point that Pharaoh considered himself to be divine, an incarnation of the gods of Egypt.[1] So when God says Moses is to be God to Pharaoh here in v1-2 God is putting Pharaoh in his place. Moses in a sense will appear before Pharaoh as no one ever has, for he will be like God to him.[2] This is indeed setting the stage for what’s about to happen. This emphasizes that the Exodus conflict isn’t a political struggle between nations, but a cosmic clash between the sovereign Lord and a rebellious, human king. Pharaoh might truly believe he is divine and mighty at this moment, but he'll soon learn that the One making these demands of him is mightier still.

Yet, though this is the case Pharaoh will still resist and refuse to listen to Moses. See v3? In v3, for the second time, we read of God hardening Pharaoh’s heart. The last time we saw this was back in chapter 4 and there the reason for God hardening Pharaoh’s heart was generally put, that Pharaoh would not let the people go. Now see more of the reason here in v3. God will harden Pharaoh’s heart, why? So God can multiply His signs and wonders in Egypt. Meaning, Pharaoh’s resistance is a key ingredient in setting the stage for the plagues, which will display both the great might of the true God as well as the weakness and frailty of the gods of Egypt. Again by telling this to Moses God is removing Moses’ resistance and giving him realistic expectations about what will happen as he goes back to speak to Pharaoh. Moses needs to know that Pharaoh’s rejection is part of the plan and is part of the catalyst for the plagues to come.[3]

v4-5 further describe the plagues using the phrase God “laying hands on Egypt.” This phrase is used often in the OT and it usually refers to hostile actions or judgment, which leads to death.[4] Here this phrase is used to speak of what God will do to Egypt. Add to this what v5 says. There God’s actions to Egypt are described as God “stretching out His hand” against Egypt. This language of a mighty stretched out hand was used a lot in ancient writings to refer to the power of a king or rulers’ strength in war. Ancient Egypt even used this phrasing to describe many of their Pharaoh’s, saying they were ‘strong armed.’[5]

Taking v4 and v5 together, this is quite the imagery being used isn’t it? It gives us a sense of God’s fierce intent toward Egypt for oppressing His people. Perhaps, think about it like this. In a playful manner, sometimes when I play with my kids, I’ll bear hug them or, wrap around them, and they try to escape or get out of my grip somehow. They try and try and try and try and…when they can’t and give up, what do they learn? They learn how strong Dad really is, yes, but they learn more. They learn how safe they are in Daddy’s grip, and how Dad can protect them against the bad guys. In a much more violent and strong and frightful manner, this is something of what God is saying He'll do to Egypt in v4-5. God will harden Pharaoh’s heart so that he won’t let the people go, then God will reveal His wondrous strength as He stretches out His had and lays hold of Egypt, and then God will lead His people out into freedom.

When God does this what will the Egyptians learn? Notice the beginning of v5, “The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord…” What does this mean? Does it mean the Egyptians will be saved and forgiven? Does it mean the Egyptians will be redeemed and know God’s great love? No. This means all of Egypt will learn who God is, but what they learn won’t encourage them or bring them rest or comfort, no. What they learn about God will terrify them. In the Exodus they shall come to know that God is God and Pharaoh is not.

See the double edge here. When God attacks in the plagues Israel will be redeemed, while Egypt will be judged. One God, doing His singular work, revealing His glory, brings about two different results. Salvation for God’s people, judgment for God’s enemies. This double edge is real. It is said, ‘The same sun which melts wax hardens clay.’ We see that reality displayed for us here. This is something we need to remember. I often meet people who truly believe that when it comes to God they are unaffiliated, or neutral, as if it’s all a matter of personal choice. How blind we are. Becoming a Christian, and following Jesus is not a personal choice, as if one group of people decides to take up a hobby of knitting while we have decided to take up religion as a hobby. No, no, no. Church, no one is neutral when it comes to things of God. The double edge reality we see here in Exodus remains true for the gospel too. How? ‘The same Gospel which melts some to repentance hardens others in their sins.’[6]

Well, as Moses was commissioned again in v1-5, we might wonder how he responds to all of this. Will he doubt again? Will he bring more objections or complaint to the Lord? Praise God we don’t see any of that. In v6 we see a refreshing sight. Moses and Aaron obey, doing all just as the Lord commanded them. In fact, for the next long while, we do not see Moses doubt or complain at all. He is 100% on board with what God’s doing. What changed? It doesn’t say explicitly, but we can make an educated guess. Moses has tried and failed, and yet, God has called him to go back again. In this I think Moses has realized three things: 1) his own weakness is great, 2) the task before him is impossible, and 3) God’s call remains clear. Perhaps in these things Moses is beginning to understand that he cannot do what God has called to do in his own strength and wisdom. He must trust the Lord to do all of this through him. And so he goes back to Pharaoh courageously, not trusting in himself, but in God who has called him to go. So too Church, we can find “strength and courage to obey God, to even try the impossible, not because of what we find within ourselves, but because of the God we look to in faith![7]

And lest you think doing hard things for the Lord is a young man’s game, did you see v7? Moses and Aaron were both in their 80’s! This affirms what we see later on in Deuteronomy, where it tells us Moses will die at 120 years old, which shows us how Moses’ whole life was evenly split into three 40 year segments. D.L. Moody described it best, “Moses spent 40 years in Pharaoh’s court thinking he was somebody, 40 years in the desert learning that he was nobody, and 40 years showing what God can do with a somebody who found out he was a nobody.”[8]

May we embrace such a posture as well. Look ahead now to our second heading…

Contest (v8-13)

“Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Prove yourselves by working a miracle,’ then you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent.’” So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron cast down his staff before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became 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. For each man cast down his staff, and they became serpents. But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs. Still Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.”

v8-13 is a brief moment, but in it there is contained most all of what we’ll soon see in the plagues: the obedience of Moses and Aaron, the counterfeit miracles of Satan, the power of God, and the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart.[9] Here all of these themes are present as the great contest begins.

God commands Moses in v8-9, “When Pharaoh asks you to prove yourselves by a miracle, throw your staff down on the ground before Pharaoh that it might become a serpent.” Question: why a snake? Of all things God could have chosen, why a snake? Answer: because of what the serpent means to the Egyptians. Many historians note that Egyptians were afraid and fascinated by snakes. So many Pharaohs wore the symbol of a snake on their crown or head-dress to strike fear into others. That God turns a staff into a snake tells us He is directly challenging and assaulting Pharaoh’s supposed sovereignty.[10] To use a modern comparison, it would be like someone taking a bald eagle into the Oval office and wringing its neck.[11] Can you see the challenge in view in that? By doing this before Pharaoh, God begins the great contest of power.

Moses and Aaron obey in v10, cast down the staff, and it becomes a snake. Or did it? The normal word in Hebrew for snake is the word nahash but here in v10 the staff becomes a tannin. This Hebrew word tannin can also mean snake, but curiously it has other translation options as well. In Ezekiel and Jeremiah this word tannin is used to describe not just a snake but a large reptilian monster like a crocodile. Some even believe Ezekiel and Jeremiah are referring to a dragon by using this word tannin.[12] So, what did the staff become? A snake, a crocodile, a reptilian monster, a dragon? I always thought it was a simple snake, and it really might be, but the Hebrew word used here is intentionally slippery, causing us to pause and wonder if something more menacing is in view.[13] Whatever it was, it was powerful, because see what happens next.

In response to this miracle Pharaoh summons his own wise men, magicians, and sorcerers and in v11 it says they “did the same by their secret arts.” Pharaoh’s henchmen were able to reproduce the miracle, but is that the way we’re to interpret this? Some people believe they were able to reproduce to miracle by magic or a kind of parlor trick, illusion, or sleight of hand. Others believe they were gifted snake charmers who knew the exact nerve on a snake to make them straighten out stiff as a board. But still others believe they really did turn their own staffs into snakes because they had given themselves over to the powers of darkness. Here’s what I think. Many modern scholars tend to believe trickery was used here, I disagree. All naturalistic explanations seem, at least to me, to be misleading. The whole point of this moment is the great contest of strength between the Lord and the powers of darkness. So I think Pharaoh’s magicians really did duplicate this feat but that they did so by demonic spells and incantations, ultimately by the power of Satan.

But look what happens in v12. See it? There was a great swallowing. When the magicians of Pharaoh duplicated the wonder, the staff turned to serpent monster from Moses and Aaron swallowed up the others. Pay attention to this phrase ‘swallowed up.’ It occurs many times in the Bible from this point forward. There is a swallowing up here. Pharaoh and is armies will soon be swallowed up by the Red Sea in Exodus 15. Korah and the rebels will be swallowed up in the earth in Numbers 16. And Jonah will be swallowed up by the fish in Jonah 1. All these moments indicate a snuffing out, or a destroying. Here Pharaoh learns firsthand how much greater and stronger the Lord is, that God can destroy the supposed gods of Egypt, but that this God is the true God over all.

Church, this closing scene reminds us that there are spirituals powers and forces all around us, both good and evil. While God is stronger than them all, the spiritual powers of evil are still considered powers. In many cultures around the world families have little altars in a corner of their homes dedicated to various spirits who have plagued their family, village, or region. We saw this in Vietnam firsthand when we went there, and it was dark. But the good news was truly good to them when they heard how Christ had existed well before these spirits and had power over all the spirits and could protect them from the spirits forever. I think in v11-12 we see a glimpse of a small spiritual battle, not only showing us what God is greater, but showing us a preview of the bigger battles to come in the plagues.

Yet, v13 ends our text with a sobering note. Pharaoh’s heart was hard and he would not listen. This sobering final note is a warning to anyone who sees the power of God and yet refuses to bow the knee before God.[14]

Conclusion:

I’d like to end by showing you the rich fulfillment of this passage. We’ve seen Moses dwell with the Lord on the mountain by the burning bush and descend to save God’s people suffering in Egypt. This Moses who came down from the mountain of God was like God to Pharaoh. In a richer and greater way, one day far after this moment the eternal Son of God would descend from the presence of God to save God’s people suffering in sins of all kinds. This Son of God is far greater than Moses because He would not just appear to be like God, He would be God Himself wrapped in flesh. And this Son of God would fight greater battles, and would win them all, showing us the true power of the Lord. But in the end, many thought all was lost as death swallowed Him up on the cross.

But what happened? The greater swallowing would occur. Yes, the Son of God died in our place, bearing our sin, as our substitute on the cross, and He would enter the grave. But in His resurrection, as He walked out of the tomb death itself was swallowed up in defeat! So Paul rejoices in 1 Cor. 15 saying, “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death where is your sting?”

Church we began with Luther’s reformation, and we end with it too. Luther once said, “When the devil throws your sins in your face and says you deserve death and hell, tell him this. ‘I know I deserve death and hell, what of it? I know One who suffered on my place, and made satisfaction for all of my many sins. His name is Jesus Christ, Son of God, and where He is one day I shall be also!’”

Praise God!

[1] Philip Graham Ryken, Exodus: Saved for God’s Glory – Preaching the Word Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2015) 172.

[2] John I. Durham, Exodus - WBC (Waco TX: Word Books, 1987) 87.

[3] John D. Currid, Exodus 1-18 - EP Study Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: EP Books, 2014) 148.

[4] Victor P. Hamilton, Exodus: An Exegetical Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2023) 114.

[5] Hamilton, 114.

[6] This phrase is normally attributed to Charles Spurgeon.

[7] Jay Sklar, ESV Expository Commentary, vol. 1, ed. Iain Duguid, James M. Hamilton Jr., Jay Sklar (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2025) 508.

[8] D.L. Moody, quoted in Ryken, 175.

[9] Ryken, 182.

[10] Currid, 154.

[11] Ryken, 185.