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CHAPTER 6 : Moses And Aaron Deliver Their Message To Pharaoh -
Increased Oppression Of Israel -Discouragement Of Moses - Aaron
Shows A Sign - General View And Analysis Of Each Of TheTen " Strokes,"
Or Plagues Exodus 5-12:30
THE predicted trial was soon to come. Provoked through the daring of man, who
would measure hisstrength against that of the living God, it was to establish two facts
for all ages and to all mankind. Insight of Egypt (Exodus 7:5) and of Israel (10:2) it
was to evidence that God was Jehovah, the onlytrue and the living God, far above all
power of men and of gods. (Exodus 9:14) This was one aspectof the judgments which
were to burst upon Egypt. (Romans 9:17) The other was, that He was thefaithful
Covenant-God, who remembered His promises, and would bring out His people "with
astretched-out arm and with great judgments," to take them to Himself for a people,
and to be tothem a God (4:1-8). These are the eternal truths which underlie the history
of Israel's deliverancefrom Egypt. How Israel had understood and taught them to their
children, appears from manypassages of Scripture, especially from Psalm 78 and 105.
Nor is their application less suited to ourwants. It exhibits alike the Law and the
Gospel - the severity and the goodness of God - and may besummed up in that grand
proclamation unto all the world: "Jehovah reigneth." (Psalm 99:1)
The sacred narrative here consists of two parts, the one preparatory, so far as all
parties in thishistory are concerned - Pharaoh, Israel, and Moses; the other describing
the successive "signs" inwhich Jehovah manifested Himself and His power, and by
which He achieved both the deliveranceof Israel and His judgments upon Pharaoh and
Egypt. And here we shall notice successive progress,externally in the character of the
Plagues sent by God, and internally in their effect upon Pharaoh andhis people. Twice,
before the plagues laid low the pride of Egypt, Moses and Aaron had to appearbefore
Pharaoh, once with a simple message (5:1-5), the second time both with a message
and asign to attest their mission (6:10-13; 7:8-13). In this also we mark the Divine
condescension andgoodness. If at the first interview the king could say,
"Who is Jehovah, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I know not Jehovah,
neither will I let Israel go" (Exodus 5:2),
it became impossible to urge this plea, when, at the king's challenge, "Shew a miracle
for you" (7:9),Aaron's rod was changed into a serpent. This proved beyond doubt that
Jehovah was God, and thathe had commissioned His servants, since they wielded His
power. The only question still possiblewas, whether the gods whom Pharaoh served
were equal to the Lord. For this purpose the kingsummoned his magicians, who
imitated, in a certain way, the miracle of Aaron. But even so, theinferiority of their
power was proven when" Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods." This assuredly -even
(^)