THE EGYPTIANS WILL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD

Passage: Exodus 6:28-7:13

Key verse: 7:5

NIV

Aaron to Speak for Moses

28 Now when the Lord spoke to Moses in Egypt, 29 he said to him, “I am the Lord.(A) Tell Pharaoh king of Egypt everything I tell you.”

30 But Moses said to the Lord, “Since I speak with faltering lips,(B) why would Pharaoh listen to me?”

7 Then the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God(C) to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.(D) 2 You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country. 3 But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart,(E) and though I multiply my signs and wonders(F) in Egypt, 4 he will not listen(G) to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment(H) I will bring out my divisions,(I) my people the Israelites. 5 And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord(J) when I stretch out my hand(K) against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it.”

6 Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord commanded(L) them. 7 Moses was eighty years old(M) and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.

Aaron’s Staff Becomes a Snake

8 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 9 “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Perform a miracle,(N)’ then say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,’ and it will become a snake.”(O)

10 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. 11 Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers,(P) and the Egyptian magicians(Q) also did the same things by their secret arts:(R) 12 Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. 13 Yet Pharaoh’s heart(S) became hard and he would not listen(T) to them, just as the Lord had said.

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

28 On the day when the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, 29 the Lord said to Moses, (A)“I am the Lord; (B)tell Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say to you.” 30 But Moses said to the Lord, “Behold, (C)I am of uncircumcised lips. How will Pharaoh listen to me?”

Moses and Aaron Before Pharaoh

7 And the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like (D)God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your (E)prophet. 2 (F)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. 3 But (G)I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I (H)multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, 4 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. 5 The Egyptians (I)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.” 6 Moses and Aaron did so; they did just as the Lord commanded them. 7 Now Moses was (J)eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh.

8 Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 9 “When Pharaoh says to you, (K)‘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.’” 10 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. 11 Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers, and they, the (L)magicians of Egypt, also (M)did the same by their secret arts. 12 For each man cast down his staff, and they became serpents. But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs. 13 Still (N)Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, (O)as the Lord had said.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

1. Aaron will be your prophet (6:28-7:6)

God knew that fluent speech would not convince Pharaoh. But Moses was still worried about his language problem, so God sent Aaron to be his spokesman. Even though Aaron would speak to Pharaoh in fluent Egyptian, God knew that Pharaoh would not listen. God's word would only make his heart harder. God himself would bring Israel out of Egypt with mighty acts of judgment. Then the Egyptians, the Israelites and all the world would know that God is the sovereign ruler of all the earth.

2. Aaron's staff becomes a snake (7:7-13)

Moses and Aaron stood before Pharaoh a second time. When Pharaoh asked for a miracle to prove their authority, Aaron threw down his staff and it became a snake. But the Egyptian magicians did the same thing, and Pharaoh's heart became harder. He did not repent. When God's word is rejected, the heart becomes hard.

Prayer: Lord, hasten the day when all the earth will know that you are God, and all people everywhere will bow down and worship you and obey your word.

One Word: Listen to God's word