MOSES’ AND AARON’S MISSION

Passage: Exodus 7:1-13

Key verse: 5

NIV

7 Then the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God(A) to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.(B) 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,(C) and though I multiply my signs and wonders(D) in Egypt, 4 he will not listen(E) to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment(F) I will bring out my divisions,(G) my people the Israelites. 5 And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord(H) when I stretch out my hand(I) against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it.”

6 Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord commanded(J) them. 7 Moses was eighty years old(K) 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,(L)’ then say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,’ and it will become a snake.”(M)

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,(N) and the Egyptian magicians(O) also did the same things by their secret arts:(P) 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(Q) became hard and he would not listen(R) to them, just as the Lord had said.

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ESV

Moses and Aaron Before Pharaoh

7 And the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like (A)God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your (B)prophet. 2 (C)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 (D)I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I (E)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 (F)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 (G)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, (H)‘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 (I)magicians of Egypt, also (J)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 (K)Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, (L)as the Lord had said.

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

Previously, when Moses and Aaron had spoken God’s message, “Let my people go,” to Pharaoh, it only seemed to make things worse (5:22-23). Moses and Aaron were discouraged. So the Lord told them his whole plan. The Lord knew that, even though he displayed many wonders, Pharaoh would only harden his heart. But finally, the Lord would rescue his people by an act of judgment on Egypt (5).

The first sign the Lord gave Moses and Aaron to perform before Pharaoh was to turn Moses’ staff into a snake (8-9). It should have made Pharaoh fear God. But Pharaoh summoned his own magicians, who replicated the miracle by their secret arts. Moses’ staff swallowed up the Egyptian magicians’ staffs, showing the Lord’s superiority over the gods of Egypt. Still, as predicted, Pharaoh only hardened his heart.

Sometimes the way God wants to use us doesn’t produce visible success, at least not at first. But if we let him lead, we can be sure he is using us to reveal his glory as well as save his people.

Prayer: Father, thank you for using faithful people to reveal your glory. Help me trust you and keep speaking your words, even when I don’t see visible success.

One Word: The Lord will work through us