The rods became serpents (Exodus 7:7, 11)
Summary https://marksbiblejourney.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-book-of-exodus-chapter-1-israel.html
"God encourages Moses. Pharaoh will not listen to Moses, but God will judge Pharaoh and the land of Egypt until Pharaoh listens. Moses was 80 years old and Aaron was 83 years old when they spoke to Pharaoh. Pharaoh does not listen to what they have to say even though their staff turns into a serpent when they throw it on the ground. God enables Moses to carry out the first plague against Egypt. Moses raises his staff in front of Pharaoh, and all the water in the Nile is turned to blood. The fish in the Nile die, the river stinks, and no one is able to drink the water. Even after this, Pharaoh's heart becomes hardened and he will not listen to Moses. Seven days pass before God strikes Egypt with the second plague."
Some key verses from the Amplified Bible (AMP) version..
- "Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now hear this: I make you as God to Pharaoh [to declare My will and purpose to him]; 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 children of Israel go out of his land." v.1-2
- "The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out My hand on Egypt and bring out the children of Israel from among them.” And Moses and Aaron did so; just as the Lord commanded them, so they did." v.5-6
- "Then Pharaoh called for the wise men [skilled in magic and omens] and the sorcerers [skilled in witchcraft], and they also, these magicians (soothsayer-priests) of Egypt, did the same with their secret arts and enchantments. For every man threw down his staff and they turned into serpents; but Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. Yet Pharaoh’s heart was hardened and he would not listen to them, just as the Lord had said." v.11-13
- ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to you, saying, “Let My people go, so that they may serve Me in the wilderness. But behold, you have not listened until now.” Thus says the Lord, “By this you shall know and recognize and acknowledge that I am the Lord: look, with the staff in my hand I will strike the water in the Nile, and it shall be turned to blood. The fish in the Nile will die, and the Nile will become foul, and the Egyptians will not be able to drink water from the Nile.”’” v.16-18
- "The fish in the Nile died, and the river became foul smelling, and the Egyptians could not drink its water, and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. But the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts and enchantments; so Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said. Then Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and he did not take even this [divine sign] to heart." v.21-23
- "Seven days passed after the Lord had struck the Nile." v.25
My personal observations and reflections...
- 'EGYPTIANS SHALL KNOW, I AM THE LORD'. At this point of the story, the Most High God said something very interesting to Moses. It sounds like a confidence boost to me-- Moses seems to be assured or confirmed by God, regarding his calling (or mission/purpose). God said, Moses was made/appointed as a "God" to Pharaoh, while his brother Aaron shall be his prophet. All that God commands, he shall speak, and Aaron 'shall tell Pharaoh to let the children of Israel go out of his land.' God repeated and reaffirmed what he had previously said to Moses, as if to emphasize His great power, and 'promise' to take out all the Israelites out of the land of Egypt, out of slavery.
"a. So the Lord said to Moses: God showed amazing patience with His servant Moses. After the outburst at the end of the previous chapter, we might expect that God had enough with Moses. Yet God didn’t even chastise Moses; He simply told him what to do and set him to do it. This is another example of the richness of God’s mercy.
b. I have made you as God to Pharaoh: Pharaoh had rejected any direct dealing with Yahweh, as he said in Exodus 5:2: Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? Therefore, God would then deal with Pharaoh through Moses.
i. “He should stand before Pharaoh in the place of God, not only delivering His messages, but accompanying them with such actions of power as should demonstrate the authority of those messages.” (Morgan)
ii. This idea carries over into the New Testament, especially when Paul wrote that believers are like letters written by Jesus that the whole world reads (2 Corinthians 3:2-3). People that won’t look to God look at us; those who won’t read the Bible read our life.
iii. “A prophet is one who represents God to man and, as such, all the Lord’s people are prophets. Are we giving those around a true idea of God?” (Thomas)
c. Aaron your brother shall be your prophet: If Moses was to be “as God” to Pharaoh, then Aaron was to be Moses’ “prophet” – his spokesman before Pharaoh.
i. Just as Moses was not to act on his own initiative but to wait for God’s direction, Aaron was not to act on his own initiative, but to wait for Moses’ direction. "
- GREAT JUDGMENTS. God is the rightful Judge and Ruler of the earth, because He is the Creator of everything. He is the omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent God. The word "judgment' is a terrifying word in itself. But I guess, it's a little bit comforting when you know you are on God's side, rather than being on the enemy's side. The Israelites were never perfect, as we all are, we are not always good children to God, in terms of trusting, loving, and obeying Him-- but, we have a perfect God, and we can always count on Him. That's our only assurance! I am an sinful, imperfect being, loved by a perfect God.
We also learned that Moses was 80 y/o and Aaron was 83 y/o. I remember a verse from Psalm 139:16..
"Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were appointed for me,
When as yet there was not one of them [even taking shape]."
And in Your book were all written
The days that were appointed for me,
When as yet there was not one of them [even taking shape]."
Moses spent 40 years as the Prince of Egypt, 40 years as a Midian Shepherd, and 40 years as a leader/prophet from God to the Israelites in the wilderness. Nothing happens randomly or by accident in our lives, it is all authored by God, for His glory.
* Study Guide Commentary from David Guzik:
"b. Harden Pharaoh’s heart: Pharaoh revealed his heart when he refused the humble request of Moses back at Exodus 5:1-4. Now, God would strengthen Pharaoh in the evil he already chose.
i. God can do the same today. In our rebellion, we may reach the place where God will strengthen us in the evil we desire: Therefore God also gave them up to their uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts…and even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting (Romans 1:24, 28).
c. And multiply My signs and My wonders in the land: Even as God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, He also gave him reasons to believe and surrender to God – if he wanted to.
ii. God planned and did His work so that the Egyptians would see that He was the Lord. He does the same in His work among the church, displaying His wisdom to angelic beings, both faithful and fallen (Ephesians 3:10-11). He also does the same in individual lives, displaying His goodness and power to an on looking world. “Believers are the world’s Bibles, by studying which men may come to know the Lord Himself.” (Meyer)
iii. “These miracles would also be an invitation for the Egyptians to personally believe in the Lord. Thus the invitation was pressed repeatedly…and some apparently did believe, for there was a ‘mixed multitude’ (Exodus 12:38) that left Egypt with Israel.” (Kaiser)
c. Moses was eighty years old: This is retirement age for many, but Moses knew that God’s will was more important than retirement. We also see from this that Aaron was Moses’ older brother, so God went against the conventional customs of that day by making the younger brother more prominent. "
- GOD'S STAFF SWALLOWED UP THE WISE MEN/SORCERER/MAGICIAN'S STAFF. God showed the awesome miracle of staff turning into a serpent to Moses when he talked to him in the midst of the burning bush. Before Pharaoh, it was Aaron who did it, being told by Moses. At this point, Moses and Aaron were continually obeying God's commands-- perhaps being amazed by God's power as well. It was said "For every man threw down his staff and they turned into serpents; but Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs." (v.12) We don't know how many men were there, but no matter how many they were, Aaron's staff swallowed up them all. As unbelievable as it may sound, there is nothing impossible with our Creator God. This means that no matter how many or strong the enemy may be, God is stronger and no one can match Him.
"He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.”
My God, in Him I will trust.”
Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler
And from the perilous pestilence.
And from the perilous pestilence.
He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.
A thousand may fall at your side,
And ten thousand at your right hand;
But it shall not come near you.
And ten thousand at your right hand;
But it shall not come near you.
Only with your eyes shall you look,
And see the reward of the wicked." Psalm 91:1-8
And see the reward of the wicked." Psalm 91:1-8
*Bible Footnotes: Exodus 7:12 Jannes and Jambres may have been among this group of Egyptian sorcerers. See 2 Tim 3:8.
This happening must have been annoying to Pharaoh, since it challenged his 'powers' as a king. It hardened his heart, and he would not listen to Moses/Aaron, just as the Lord had said.
* Study Guide Commentary from David Guzik:
"c. Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent: This was not exactly the same miracle that Moses experienced on Mount Sinai and performed before the elders of Israel (Exodus 4:2-5 and 4:29-30). That saw the rod of Moses turn into a serpent, but a different Hebrew word is used here – something like a crocodile, which was something of a symbol of Egypt itself.
i. “When cast down it became a tannin (‘great serpent,’ ‘dragon,’ or ‘crocodile’)….The connection of the name tannin with the symbol of Egypt is clear from Psalm 74:13 and Ezekiel 29:3.” (Kaiser)
a. So the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments: In the midst of an unmistakable miracle, Satan provided Pharaoh with a reason to doubt – and Pharaoh seized on the doubt and hardened his heart.
i. “Magic was very prevalent in Egypt, and a number of papyri deal with the subject.” (Cole)
b. For every man threw down his rod, and they became serpents: Apparently, this wasn’t mere magic; the enchantments of the Egyptian magicians were examples of dark, demonic power showing itself in what at least appeared to be miracles.
i. Miracles – or at least apparent miracles – are part of Satan’s arsenal. Paul later wrote on this theme: The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they may be saved (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10).
ii. This means that miracles can prove that something is supernatural, but they cannot prove that something is true.
iii. These Egyptian magicians were intelligent, learned men; but they lacked the wisdom of God, as Paul observed concerning them in 2 Timothy 3:7-9: Always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was."
- BLOODY NILE. The first plague was sent by God, because Pharaoh's heart was hard and he refused to let the people go. God turned the water into blood, by commanding Moses to say to Aaron-- ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, over their streams, over their pools, and over all their reservoirs of water, so that they may become blood; and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, in containers both of wood and of stone.’” (v.19)
The way I see it, God made the Egyptians worked hard by digging for water just like the Israelites were working hard as slaves. The last verse that says, "Seven days passed after the Lord had struck the Nile." (v.25) makes me wonder if the plague lasted for 7 days, or it just happened for 1 day..
https://www.findshepherd.com/the-first-plague-blood.html
https://st-takla.org/bible/commentary/en/ot/matthew-henry/exodus/ch7.html
As catastrophic as it may be, Pharaoh tried to disprove the miracle by calling the magicians of Egypt, and they did the same by their secret arts and enchantments. It's better to believe God, rather than to trust in illusive and deceptive powers of the enemy. Pharaoh continued to harden his heart.
*Bible Footnotes: Exodus 7:22 Perhaps the priests were able to change a small quantity of the blood back into water or vice-versa. That would explain why Pharaoh took the problem so lightly (v 23).
* Study Guide Commentary from David Guzik:
"a. That they may become blood: This is the first of the plagues. There are nine in total (the tenth is the slaying of the firstborn, which is in a class by itself), and they are grouped together in threes. In this structure of threes, the first two plagues only come after warning and a call to repentance; the third plague in each set comes without warning.
i. God may or may not have used natural mechanisms to accomplish these plagues; even if He did, the timing and character of the plagues come from God’s hand alone.
ii. It is important to understand that these plagues were all literal; there was nothing symbolic about them. Each plague pointed to a greater meaning than the event itself, but they really happened. This guides our understanding about the plagues in the Book of Revelation; there is no reason to see them as merely symbolic either.
iii. The plagues God brought against Egypt had a definite strategy and purpose. Each of them confronts and attacks a prized Egyptian deity. Not only did they bring punishment against Egypt, the plagues also answered Pharaoh’s original question: Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? (Exodus 5:2) The plagues show the Lord God to be greater than any of the deities of Egypt.
c. So there was blood throughout the land of Egypt: Specifically, this first plague was directed against the numerous Egyptian river deities. The Nile itself was virtually worshipped as a god by the Egyptians, and the Lord God shows that He has complete power over the Nile, not some river god.
i. “The ‘plagues’ are described by cognate Hebrew words, all meaning ‘blow’ or ‘stroke’.” (Cole) Each plague was as if God were to strike or beat a deity worshipped by the Egyptians.
ii. The Egyptian god Khnum was said to be the guardian of the Nile, and this showed he was unable to protect his territory. The god Hapi was said to be the spirit of the Nile, and was brought low by this plague. The great god Osiris was thought to have the Nile as his bloodstream; in this plague he truly bled. The Nile itself was worshipped as a god, and there are papyri recording hymns sung in praise of the river.
iii. There is a significant mention of something like this in a papyrus from this general period known as the Ipuwer Papyrus. It actually says (Ipuwer 2.10) that the Nile was blood and undrinkable. The same papyrus repeatedly mentions that servants left their masters.
b. The magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: Bible scholars warmly debate if this was a magician’s trick or if these enchantments were miracles from Satan’s hand. The evidence seems to lean in favor of them being miracles from Satan’s hand.
i. If the magicians of Egypt really wanted to do a miracle, they should have turned the bloody river clean again. They didn’t because it seems that Satan cannot perform a constructive, cleansing miracle. He can bring supernatural destruction, but not goodness. All they did was make more bloody water!
ii. “Alleviation of human suffering is no part of the programme of the devil or his agents. That can only come from Jehovah, through the believing cry of his servants.” (Meyer)"
Read the Bible here:
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+7&version=AMP
Reference and credits to https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/guzik_david/StudyGuide2017-Exd/Exd-7.cfm ©2013 David Guzik
No comments:
Post a Comment