Exodus - Part 11 - Exodus 7:8-8:19

Moses and Aaron obeyed God’s command to speak to Pharaoh. God prepared a sign: Aaron's rod turned into a serpent, symbolizing divine authority, challenging Pharaoh’s godhood. Pharaoh’s magicians imitated the sign, but Aaron’s rod devoured theirs, showing God’s superiority. Pharaoh hardened his heart.

Next, God instructed Aaron to stretch his rod over the Nile, turning it to blood. The water became undrinkable, and fish died, causing a stench. Pharaoh’s magicians duplicated the sign but couldn’t reverse it. Pharaoh remained stubborn. This first plague judged the Nile, associated with the gods Hapi and Isis, emphasizing God’s supremacy over Egyptian deities.

God warned Pharaoh again, but when he refused to free the Israelites, a plague of frogs covered Egypt. This judged the goddess Hequet, linked to fertility. Pharaoh asked Moses to remove the frogs, promising to let the people go, but he reneged once the plague ended.

Without warning, God sent a plague of lice, which covered people and animals. Pharaoh’s magicians couldn’t replicate it, admitting, “This is the finger of God.” This plague judged Set, god of the desert, and disrupted Egyptian worship rituals. Despite his counselors’ advice, Pharaoh rejected God.

The plagues demonstrated God’s power over Egypt’s gods, showing Pharaoh and the Israelites that only God is supreme. Pharaoh’s resistance mirrored the human tendency to reject God’s authority. The Bible emphasizes that Jesus is the way to eternal life, and rejecting Him leaves one to bear the penalty for sin, unlike Christ, who bore it for us.