Jesus in Exodus

Chapter 5

In chapter 5 Moses and Aaron go in to Pharaoh and present the demands that God had instructed them to make.

· Exodus 5:1-3, Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the desert’” Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey Him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go.” Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now let us take a three day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God, or He may strike us with plagues or with the sword.”

The festival, or feast, mentioned here implies rejoicing and celebration. And the sacrifice implies that Israel recognized their guilt and their need for atonement. And if God was to be placated a sacrifice must be made and that calls for blood to be shed. Finally notice that they demanded freedom for a three-day journey into the desert. Three days speaks to us of the interval between death and resurrection.

It is only on resurrection grounds, that is, being made alive from the dead, that we can hold a feast and a celebration to the Lord!!!! But Pharaoh was not buying this. He tells them to get the Hebrews back to their work of making bricks. Probably the Hebrews had expected Pharaoh to immediately free the people and let them go and apparently they had ceased their labor of brick-making. Instead, Pharaoh says for them to get back to work. In fact, he increases their workload and makes the work more difficult for them by making them gather their own straw for brick-making.

· Exodus 5:9, “Make the work harder for them so that they keep working and pay no attention to lies.”

How this reminds us of the unregenerate of our day who claim that the Bible is all myth and that we should not take it literally. The promises of damnation are not to be taken seriously according to God’s enemies.

Well the Israelite leaders went to Pharaoh and appealed to him to lighten their load but they were rebuffed. So now the people get angry with Moses and Aaron, accusing them of being the reason that their work is now more difficult. Poor Moses. His troubles are only beginning. He was prepared for the rejection by Pharaoh but now he was being criticized by his own people. Can we escape the type here of Jesus who came to live among His own people and to save them but they rejected Him. In fact, they cried, “Crucify Him.”

At this point we should recognize a very important fact: When the grace of God is recognized by His people, Satan goes into action in an all-out effort to discourage them. Satan never gives up without a fierce struggle. When a soul is convicted of sin and finds peace with God, Satan will get busy using material things to deal with them. As long as a person has no desire for Jesus, Satan will leave him alone.

Now notice that the leaders came to Pharaoh for relief instead of going to God. God is generally our last resort. But Moses went to God.

· Exodus 5:22-23, Moses returned to the Lord and said, O Lord, why have you brought trouble upon this people? Is this why you sent me? Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble upon this people, and you have not rescued your people at all.”

Let’s give Moses credit for showing us an important lesson: He spoke to God from his heart and told God exactly how he was feeling. I think God honors that. But we should speak our heart with the knowledge that God does all things well. God always has a good reason for His delays and it is well for us to remember to wait patiently for Him.

Finally, the terrible afflictions which the Hebrews experienced in Egypt before God delivered them are but a foreshadowing of the terrible experiences through which their descendants have  passed and will continue to experience until they are delivered when their great Deliverer comes again. Pharaoh’s conduct described here in this chapter of the history of Israel---his defiance of God, his rejection of the testimony of the two witnesses, his cruel treatment of the children of Israel---accurately typifies the course which will be followed by the Antichrist. So once again we see how the pages of Old Testament history are also prophetic of coming events.   

Chapter 6

· Exodus 6:1-5, Then the Lord said to Moses,” Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country.” God also said to Moses, “I am, the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the Lord I did not make myself known to them, I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they live as aliens. Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant.”

Don’t you know that these next words were music to Moses’ ears? There was still much to happen in between, but the Lord’s word is clear. It is the same today. God has warned us that there is coming a day of judgment and we cannot be occupied with the here and now but take God at His word.

· Exodus 6:6-8, Therefore, say to the Israelites: I am the Lord, I will bring you out from the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.

These three verses begin with “therefore” which looks back to the previous verse that deals with the covenant God had made with the Israeli ancestors. Now, God makes several promises. In fact, He makes seven promises. And at the end He makes the simple but profound statement, I am the Lord!!!!.

God attempts to reassure Moses and Aaron and tells them to report God’s  intent to the Israelites, but they would not listen because they were discouraged. In chapters 3 and 4 Moses gives God five reasons why he should not be God’s messenger. Here in the 6th chapter he gives two more reasons. That makes seven, the complete picture of the weakness and unbelief of Moses.

Chapter 7

· Exodus 7:1, Then the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.”

God had made Moses as His representative before Pharaoh and had given him divine powers and authority. This is a strange sounding verse but the effect of it is that Pharaoh would have to appeal to Moses to stop the plagues. Acting as God’s representative, Moses was to rule over Egypt’s proud king.

· Exodus 7:2-3, “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. But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt, he will not listen to you.” 

Notice that Moses was not given a choice of what he was to say to Pharaoh, he was commanded to say certain things. Now in the 3rd verse we are told that God said He would harden Pharaoh’s heart. Some have argued that if Pharaoh’s crimes against the Israelites were the result of his heart being hardened by God, then that would make God the author of his sins. And furthermore, wouldn’t that be an unrighteous act on the part of God and then punishing him for it.

Now God’s word clearly says that He will harden Pharaoh’s heart. Most commentators do not believe that this is the correct interpretation of the verse. They argue that this means passive permission. But wait. Isn’t it true that God, by His own activity, softens people’s hearts for His own purposes, and could He not therefore harden the hearts of others for His own purposes? Further, if God’s word is true when it says that there comes a time when God gives certain people over to the evil desires of their hearts, does that make Him the author of sin?

Well, why would God choose to harden Pharaoh’s heart? Verses 4 and 5 tell us.

· Exodus 7:4-5, “Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out my divisions, my people the Israelites. And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it.”

These judgments will be the subject we will look at shortly here.

The next scene is that familiar one where Moses and Aaron show Pharaoh the rod and serpent sign. Not to be out done, Pharaoh calls in his magicians who threw down their rods and they became serpents. How do you suppose they were able to do this? The answer is that they were agents of the Devil and he is able to counterfeit the miracles of God. But then Moses’ serpent swallowed up all of the rods of the magicians.

This brings us to the plagues and there are seven things to say about them. First, the purpose of the plagues was to demonstrate the mighty power of God. Second, they were a Divine punishment of Pharaoh and the Egyptians for their cruel treatment of the Israelites. Third, they were a judgment from God on the demonic powers of Egypt. Fourth, they demonstrated that God was high above all of Egypt’s gods. Fifth, they furnished a complete testing of human responsibility. This is indicated by the number of plagues, ten. Ten indicates the full responsibility, as indicated by the Ten Commandments. Sixth, they are a solemn warning to other nations, that God would curse those who curse the Israelites. And seventh, these miraculous signs were designed as a warning to the Israelites.

The arrangements of these plagues is also very interesting because of their order and design. The tenth one is separated from the others because of its special relation to Israel and their redemption. The other nine are arranged in groups of three, and they form three divisions. We will say more about this as we get to the specific plagues.

A further striking fact is the “introversion” of these plagues. By that I mean that, that there is a relation between one and ten, two and nine, three and eight, four and seven and five and six. Again, we will point this out later.

There are other significant aspects to these plagues such as their progressive nature, their moral significance, the conduct of the magicians and they furnish an amazing prophetic forecast of God’s future judgment on the world. Here are a few of them:

· During the “Time of Jacob’s Trouble” Israel will again be oppressed and afflicted. (Isa. 60:14 & Jer. 30:5-8)

· They will cry out to God and He will hear and answer. (Jer. 31:18-20)

· God will command their oppressors to let them go. (Isa. 43:6)

· God will send two witnesses to work miracles before their enemies. (Rev. 11:3-6)

· Their enemies will also do miracles. (Rev. 13:13-15)

· God will execute severe judgments on the world. (Jer. 25:15,16)

· God will protect His own people from their enemies. (Rev.7:4, 12:6, 14-16)

· Water will again be turned into blood. (Rev.8:8, 16:4-5)

· Satanic frogs will appear. (Rev. 16:13)

· A plague of locusts will be sent. (Rev. 9:2-11)

· God will send boils and sores. (Rev.16:2)

· Terrible hailstones will fall from heaven. (Rev. 8:7)

· There will be an awful darkness. (Isa. 60:2, Rev. 16:10)

· Just as Pharaoh hardened his heart, so will the wicked in the day to come. (Rev. 9:20-21)

· Death will come to multitudes. (Rev. 9:15)

· Israel will be delivered. (Zech. 14:3-4, Rom. 11:26)

History will repeat itself and then it will be fully demonstrated that the plagues of God on Egypt portend even more severe judgments.

The Plagues on Egypt

· Exodus 7:14-24, Therefore the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding; he refuses to let the people go. Go to Pharaoh in the morning as he goes out to the water. Wait on the bank of the Nile to meet him, and take in your hand the staff that was changed into a snake. Then say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you: Let my people go, so that they may worship me in the desert. But until now you have not listened. This is what the Lord says: By this you will know that I am the Lord: With this staff that is in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood. The fish in the Nile will die, and the water will stink; the Egyptians will not be able to drink its water.’” The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your arm over the waters of Egypt---over the streams and canals, over the ponds and all the reservoirs’ ---and they will turn to blood. Blood will be everywhere in Egypt, even in the wooden buckets and stone jars.”

Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded. He raised his staff in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials and struck the waters of the Nile, and all the water was changed into blood. The fish in he Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. Blood was everywhere in Egypt.

But the Egyptian magicians did the same things by their secret arts, and Pharaoh’s heart became hard; he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said. Instead, he turned and went into his palace, and did not take even this to heart. And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile to get drinking water, because they could not drink the water of the river.

There is a certain consistent form to these plagues and I would like you to notice that in this first plague. Pharaoh is first warned. This first judgment from the Lord speaks of death. It was a solemn warning from God that intimated the doom that waited for those who defied God.

As we have said earlier there is a correlation between these plagues on Egypt and those that will occur during the Great Tribulation. In Rev. 6:12 we are told that the moon will turn blood red. Next, we see that water is a symbol of the Word, and the water turned to blood reminds us of death.

An interesting contrast exists between this plague and the first miracle Jesus did when He turned the water into wine at the wedding at Cana. While the water turned to blood symbolizes death, Jesus’ turning water into wine speaks of rejoicing at the wedding ceremony.