7 August Exodus 7

Know that I am Lord Exodus 7 (AMP) Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now hear this: I make you as God to Pharaoh ; and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. 2 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. 3 And I will make Pharaoh’s heart hard, and multiply My signs and My wonders (miracles) in the land of Egypt. 4 But Pharaoh will not listen to you, and I shall lay My hand on Egypt and bring out My hosts , My people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment (the plagues). 5 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.”

God knew from the beginning that Pharaoh would not agree to Moses’ request. It was no surprise to God that Pharaoh did not heed Moses. This would provide God the opportunity to bring righteous judgment upon Egypt. In doing so, God would reveal Himself even to those who rejected Him.

In Exodus 5:2 (AMP) Pharaoh claims that he does not know who God is. “But Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, nor will I let Israel go.” God promised to display his power and might to Pharaoh, showing him who He really is, the God almighty. He wanted the Egyptians to see and experience who he was and the mighty works that He would do. “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.”

These miracles would also cause the Egyptians to believe in God. In Exodus 12:38 (ERV), “a great number of people who were not Israelites went with them, along with many sheep, cattle, and other livestock.” Many Egyptians left with Israel when they left Egypt because they believed in God.

Jesus said the same: if they don’t see the miracles, they will not believe. John 4:48 (AMP) Then Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders, you will not believe.”

What was the significance of the rod becoming a serpent? During Egyptian times, the serpent, particularly a cobra, was a special creature and a sign of immortality. Therefore, the first sign to Pharaoh was that God was immortal.

The first of the ten plagues was turning water into blood. This wasn't the only time water was changed. In the Bible, John tells us about Jesus' first miracle in John 2, where He turned water into wine. In the New Testament, wine stands for the blood of Christ. This shows a preview of the New Covenant, where blood (or death) was needed for redemption.

What does it mean to harden your heart? It means seeing clear evidence of God's work and refusing to accept His Word and submit to His will. Pray to God today, asking that we not harden our hearts but instead acknowledge His wonders and Him as Lord in our lives.