Introduction Outline

Transcription

1 Introduction Exodus The word Exodus was used as the title in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament. This term basically means departure and is found in Hebrews 11:22 where it refers to the departure of the Israelites from Egypt. Therefore this title nicely summarizes one of the key events recorded in the book. It was also the title used in the Latin Vulgate, the most popular translation of the Middle Ages. But the title for this book in the original Hebrew is simply the opening phrase of the book, which is translated these are the names. This approach was also followed in the book of Genesis and is used several other times in the Hebrew canon. As with Genesis, the book of Exodus does not clearly indicate who wrote it. But the authorship of Moses is suggested by several passages in which he is commanded to write down God s words or is reported doing so (17:14; 24:4; 34:27 28). This conclusion is confirmed by Jesus, who referred to the first five books of the Old Testament as the Law of Moses (Luke 24:44). Jesus specifically mentioned Exodus 3:6 and called it part of the book of Moses (Mark 12:26). He also quoted 20:12 and 21:17 and attributed the words to Moses. Most likely Exodus was written at approximately the same time as Genesis: during the wilderness journey of the Israelites sometime between 1446 and 1406 b.c. Outline Two types of outlines have been suggested for the book of Exodus: theological and geographical. The theological approach sees the themes of redemption (chapters 1 18), morality (chapters 19 24), and worship (chapters 25 40). This approach is helpful but not completely satisfactory since it does not adequately account for the material in 15:22 18:27. Therefore the geographical approach is superior. The book picks up where Genesis left off with the Israelites in Egypt. By the end of the book they are in Sinai. Their journey from one place to the other is recorded in 12:37 18: Israel in Egypt (1:1 12:36) 1.1 Prelude (1:1 7:13) The opening phrase these are the names is actually preceded by a Hebrew conjunction that can be translated and. It shows that the book of Exodus is really just a continuation of Genesis. This connection is further established with the review of Jacob s family at the beginning of the book. Exodus begins with a list of Jacob s sons who came to Egypt with him and then states that the total number of his descendants was 70 (1:1 5). This material is a brief summary of Genesis 46:8 27. In both places the total number of descendants given is 70 (Genesis 46:27; Exodus 1:5). But in Acts 7:14 Stephen states that the group s size was 75, which reflects the number found in the Greek translation of the Old Testament in Genesis 46:27 and Exodus 1:5. How should this problem be solved? First, the change to 75 in the Greek translation of the Old Testament should not be viewed positively. The number 70 in the original Hebrew is what was inspired by God. The translators made this change so they could include four grandsons of Joseph and one great-grandson, even though these relatives were not 1

2 alive when Jacob s family moved to Egypt. But second, even though the number 70 was what God gave Moses to write, Stephen was not inaccurate historically to use the number 75. The list of 70 people in Genesis 46 is almost completely dominated by Jacob s sons and grandsons. Undoubtedly many females could have been added to make the number much higher (Genesis 46:7). In addition, Jacob probably had great-grandchildren when his family moved to Egypt. If Judah s sons were old enough to get married and have children (Genesis 38:6 14), then at least some of Jacob s sons probably had grandchildren already. Jacob s family may have included several hundred people at this point. Therefore the numbers 70 and 75 are both accurate historically, even though they are not precise. Verse 6 repeats the ending of Genesis with the death of Joseph as well as his brothers. But in verse 7 the Israelites continued to be fruitful and multiply as before (Genesis 47:27). God was keeping His promise to bless Abraham s descendants and make him into a great nation (Genesis 12:2). By the time they would leave Egypt after 430 years there, they would grow to about 600,000 men (Exodus 12:37, 40)! But in verse 8 a new king who had not known Joseph came to power in Egypt. Most likely this statement is referring to a new dynasty. A new king from the same dynasty probably would have been told about Joseph because he would have been a descendant of the kings who worked with Joseph. According to historical records, the Hyksos dynasty reigned over Egypt from 1786 to 1558 b.c. These rulers were from Asia and would not have known about Joseph. However, the next dynasty is probably the one in mind here. The Egyptians regained control of the throne in 1558 b.c. By this time Joseph would have been largely forgotten; the Israelites arrived in Egypt over 300 years earlier in 1876 b.c. Enough time would have passed for the Israelites to become extremely numerous in the land (1:7). This multiplication disturbed the new king, and he used first personal plural pronouns to communicate his concern (1:9 10). An Egyptian king would have been more likely than an Asian king to use words like we, us, and our when talking to the Egyptians. This king decided to deal shrewdly with the Israelites and try to keep them from multiplying further. But why was he afraid that they would leave our country (1:10)? He wasn t trying to keep them as slaves because they weren t slaves yet! A more literal translation here is go up from the land. The same phrase is used in Hosea 1:11 where it cannot mean to leave the country. Instead it means something like reign over the land. At this point the king was not concerned that the Israelites would leave Egypt but that they would conquer it! The king attempted to halt the multiplication of the Israelites by oppressing them with forced labor (1:11). If they were busy working, they shouldn t have been able to have as many children! But the king s efforts were unsuccessful. The more the Egyptians oppressed them, the more they multiplied (1:12)! Clearly God was at work in this situation to bless His chosen people. However, the Egyptians continued to work the Israelites ruthlessly and make their lives bitter (1:13 14). Eventually the king decided to take a more extreme measure to stop the numerical growth of the Israelites. He commanded the Hebrew midwives to kill all the Israelite baby boys (1:15 16). Most likely the story has moved forward to the time just before the birth of Moses. However, the Hebrew midwives disobeyed the king s command. Was their disobedience justified? Absolutely! They would have been committing murder and disobeying God s moral law. Obeying God is more important than obeying men (Acts 5:29). But the midwives were called before the king to give an expla- 2

3 nation (1:18). They claimed that the Hebrew women were vigorous and gave birth before a midwife could arrive (1:19). Some scholars think that they lied to the king, but this view is not necessary. God probably blessed the Hebrew mothers not only with many pregnancies but also with quick deliveries. Perhaps the midwives arranged for the expectant mothers to summon them at the last minute. Even if the midwives did lie, they were not commended for lying but for fearing God (1:17). Because the midwives feared God, He was good to them and rewarded them with families of their own (1:20 21). This blessing may not sound special on the surface, but further consideration is needed. Only two midwives are mentioned here: Shiphrah and Puah (1:15). The Hebrew population must have been well over one million at this point. There is no way that two women could have served as the only midwives for all the Israelites. They were most likely the chief midwives and supervised the others. If they were the leaders, then they were probably older than the other midwives. Perhaps they were unmarried, but another possibility is that they were simply childless. In this case God reversed their barrenness, like He did for Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel. This blessing would have brought them great joy. Before too long the king must have realized how foolish he was to think that the Hebrew midwives would turn against their own people. At the end of chapter 1 he removed that problem from the equation. He pulled out all the stops and just told the whole nation to throw all the Hebrew baby boys into the Nile River (1:22). This statement leads directly into chapter 2 and provides the setting for the birth of Moses. When Moses was born, his life was in danger immediately! But his mother noticed that he was beautiful and decided to hide him (2:2). The HCSB gives healthy as an alternative translation to beautiful here, and this interpretation is probably on the right track. Undoubtedly many children died in infancy at that point in time, but Moses mother could see that he would not be one of them. However, after three months she could no longer hide him (2:2 3). He would have made too much noise to remain a secret. Therefore she decided to obey the king s command in a sense. She put Moses in the Nile River, but she did so in a way that would not bring harm to him. She put him in a basket and set it among the reeds by the bank of the river (2:3, 5). In other words, it wasn t floating down the Nile as people tend to imagine; it was basically stationary. After all, his sister was able to watch him from a distance (2:4). The Hebrew word for basket here is the same word used for Noah s ark in Genesis 6 9. Outside of these two stories, this word is found nowhere else in the Old Testament. In addition, both the ark and the basket were covered with pitch (Genesis 6:14; Exodus 2:3). The connection between these two events is obvious: God was protecting Moses in a small boat, just like He protected Noah s family and the animals in a large boat. Ironically, God used the king s own daughter to rescue Moses! Her father was showing no mercy, but she felt sorry for the Hebrew baby boy (2:6). She chose to disobey the king, just like the midwives did. But she did not act until the sister of Moses took the initiative (2:7). She boldly arranged for her mom to get paid to nurse her own son (2:8 9)! She was probably able to spend at least several years with him and give him some basic training about the Lord and his family background. Then she gave him to Pharaoh s daughter to become her son (2:10). Most likely she would not have been able to hide the boy s identity from her father, if she even tried. Perhaps he granted an exception to his rule so that she could adopt Moses. Much later Jesus would also be spared despite a king s order to kill baby boys (Matthew 2:16). God saved Jesus 3

4 by sending Him to Egypt of all places (Matthew 2:13). Therefore a strong link exists between these two stories. On both occasions God protected a future leader as a baby in Egypt. At this point the story moves very quickly and covers only the essential details. Verse 11 jumps forward many years to when Moses was about 40 years old (Acts 7:23). No details are given about his life as a member of the royal family. Instead the focus is on how he related to his own people; the Israelites are described this way twice in verse 11. Moses probably knew all along that he was a Hebrew; apparently he went out to see his people regularly (2:11, 13). Just as Pharaoh s daughter saw baby Moses and took pity on him, so also Moses observed the forced labor of his people and took pity on them. But in verse 11 he saw something particularly disturbing: an Egyptian beating a Hebrew. On the surface this situation may sound like par for the course, but most likely this beating was to the point of death. Moses responded by killing the Egyptian after checking to make sure that no one else was around (2:12). In the original Hebrew the same word is used for beating in verse 11 and struck in verse 12. In other words, Moses did to the Egyptian what the Egyptian was trying to do to the Hebrew. The next day Moses went out to observe his people again. This time he didn t see an Egyptian beating a Hebrew but two Hebrews fighting (2:13). When he tried to confront the wrongdoer, his authority was questioned (2:14). The man wondered who put Moses in leadership over them, but ironically he didn t realize that the answer was God! In His sovereignty He arranged for Moses to be adopted into the royal family. The wrongdoer also referred to the murder Moses committed the previous day. How could anyone have known what he did since he made sure that no one was present? Actually, the person he rescued was there, and most likely this man spread the news. Before long Pharaoh found out and tried to kill Moses, but he was able to escape (2:15). Moses ended up in the land of Midian. The Midianites were descendants of Abraham through his wife Keturah (Genesis 25:2). When Moses arrived in Midian, he sat down by a well (2:15). The local priest s seven daughters arrived to water their father s flocks, and Moses defended them from some shepherds (2:16 17). This situation is similar to Jacob and Rachel s first meeting. Both Jacob and Moses used their physical strength to help one or more women. Both incidents point back to the time when Abraham s servant met Rebekah at a well. Moses and Rebekah both drew water for animals to drink. But the actions of Moses also point forward. Just like he delivered the priest s daughters, he would also deliver God s people someday. His concern for the weak and helpless is a quality that would serve him well later. When the priest s daughters returned to their father, he wondered how they were able to finish their work so quickly (2:18). They explained that an Egyptian rescued them and watered their flocks for them (2:19). Yet they left him behind! The priest insisted that they go back and invite this Egyptian to dinner (2:20). In Egypt Moses was under a death sentence as a traitor for killing an Egyptian, but in Midian he was still considered to be a loyal Egyptian. Moses realized that he would be safe from harm here. He agreed to stay with the priest on a longer-term basis. At some point he married one of the priest s daughters, Zipporah, and they had a son named Gershom (2:21 22). Eventually the king of Egypt died (2:23). This event is significant because he s the one who tried to kill Moses earlier (2:15). In other words, Moses could safely return to Egypt now, as God pointed out later (4:19). But even after the king died, Moses stayed in Midian. Perhaps he did not hear about this news. But 4

5 even if he did, he would have been inclined to stay in Midian because his wife was from there. Midian had been his home for many years at this point (2:23). But back in Egypt the Israelites continued to be oppressed. Perhaps they thought that their situation would improve when the king died, but if anything things got worse! God heard the cries and groaning of the Israelites under this oppression, and He remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (2:24). The word remembered doesn t mean that God had forgotten about them! This term is used in covenant contexts to indicate that God was about to take action and fulfill His promises. The first example in Scripture is found in the story of Noah and the flood (Genesis 8:1). Chapter 2 ends by stressing that God was intimately aware of Israel s situation (2:25). The events of chapters 3 and following take place 40 years after Moses settled in Midian (Acts 7:30). He was 40 years old when he left Egypt (Acts 7:23), and now he is 80 years old when God appears to him. His first 80 years are covered in just one chapter! His last 40 years are what matter the most. Moses is a wonderful example of how God can use people later in life for His glory. At this point he was apparently working as a shepherd for his father-in-law, just like Jacob did. Moses used to have a position of royalty in Egypt, but now he is working in a profession that the Egyptians despised (Genesis 46:34). God has prepared Moses for his later encounters with Pharaoh, and now He is preparing him to shepherd His people. Chapter 3 begins with Moses shepherding his father-in-law s flock on Horeb. Earlier his father-in-law was called Reuel (2:18), but both now and later he is called Jethro (3:1; 4:18; 18:1 12). The HCSB provides some helpful footnotes explaining that Reuel was his clan or last name, while Jethro was his first name. Horeb is described here as the mountain of God (3:1). This place is otherwise known as Mount Sinai, where God s people would later worship Him (3:12). God chose to reveal Himself to Moses here. The text states that the Angel of the Lord appeared in a flame within a bush (3:2). But though the bush continued to burn, it was not consumed. Moses was naturally curious at this amazing sight and went to take a closer look. At this point God spoke to him (3:4). This passage uses the terms God, Yahweh, and the Angel of Yahweh interchangeably, which indicates that the Angel of Yahweh is God Himself. After calling out to Moses, God told him to take off his sandals (3:5). The reason He gave was that the ground on which he was standing was holy. There was nothing inherently special about this particular mountain; it was holy because God was there. The act of removing footwear was a sign of humility and reverence before someone greater. At this point God revealed to Moses who He was: the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (3:6). Moses responded with a further sign of reverence by covering his face and refusing even to look at God s holy presence. In both verses 7 and 9 God states what was already revealed to the reader at the end of chapter 2: He knew about the suffering of His people in Egypt. The repetition of this information carries great emphasis. God was about to act decisively to rescue His people from slavery and bring them back to the abundant land of Canaan (3:8). He mentions the different people groups who were living there at the time to show that He would conquer them. Now that God has stated what He would do for the Israelites, He explained how He wanted to use Moses in the situation. He commanded Moses to go to Pharaoh and lead His people out of Egypt (3:10). The rest of chapter 3 and the beginning of chapter 4 record five objections that Moses presented to God (3:11, 13; 4:1, 10, 13). While some of his questions were somewhat legitimate, the overall sense is that Moses 5

6 did not want to obey God, probably because he was afraid to return to Egypt. But God was very patient with Moses and did not respond with anger until the end. He answered each objection and provided encouragement to Moses. The first objection from Moses was basically that he was unworthy to do what God had commanded (3:11). On one level this objection was accurate, but ultimately it showed that Moses was not trusting in God. God responded by reassuring Moses that He would be with him and that Moses would return to that very mountain with God s people (3:12). The second objection from Moses was that the Israelites would want to know the name of the God who sent him to them (3:13). Since Moses was separated from his people for so long, he probably forgot God s name if he ever learned it in the first place. The subject of God s name is so important that His answer to Moses takes up nine verses, which makes it longer than any of His other four responses. Names are important in Scripture because they reflect the character of the people they identify. But before God told Moses His name, He explained its meaning (3:14). The statement I am who I am or simply I am for short communicates that God is self-sufficient and does not depend on anyone or anything for His existence. It also indicates that He is eternal and unchanging. In the New Testament Jesus proclaimed His deity by using this shortened statement on multiple occasions. Then in verse 15 God gave His actual name: Yahweh. This word is derived from the statement I am who I am in the original Hebrew. Yahweh is the one whom Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob worshiped and served. On the basis of who He is, God once again commanded Moses to go. This time He added some extra details, especially regarding the elders of Israel. The elders were a group of men who provided leadership for the people. They are mentioned here for the first time in Scripture. The New Testament borrows this language to refer to the leaders of the church. God commanded Moses to assemble these leaders and tell them that He would bring them out of Egypt to the land of Canaan (3:16 17). Then these elders were to go with Moses to see the king and ask permission for all the Israelites to take a three-day trip into the wilderness to sacrifice to their God (3:18). Apparently this command was not followed since the elders were absent during the later interaction between Moses and Pharaoh. Why did God tell Moses to make this particular request to Pharaoh? He already indicated to Moses that He would rescue the people from oppression in Egypt and bring them to Canaan (3:8). Was He advocating a deceitful approach here? On the contrary, He was asking Moses to make a reasonable request to expose Pharaoh as a wicked and oppressive ruler. God knew that Pharaoh would not agree to this request without His intervention (3:19). God wanted to display His awesome power in Egypt and humble Pharaoh before Him. Then Pharaoh would be ready to get rid of the Israelites for good (3:20). But God would not let them leave empty-handed. He would cause the Egyptians to show incredible generosity to them (3:21 22). They served the Egyptians for many years; the time was approaching for them to get paid for all their labor. Moses raised a third objection in the beginning of chapter 4. What if the Israelites wouldn t believe him (4:1)? God had probably not spoken to anyone since Jacob in Genesis 46. Therefore on the surface this objection seems reasonable. But ultimately it shows a lack of confidence in God s promises. He had just told Moses that the elders would listen to what he says to them (3:18). Ironically, Moses was afraid that the Israelites would treat him the same way that he was treating God at that very moment! In response 6

7 God gave Moses the ability to perform three different signs: turning his staff into a snake, giving his hand a disease and then healing it, and turning water from the Nile River into blood (4:2 9). God had Moses perform the first two signs immediately, but the third one required him to be in Egypt. These three signs were not just for the Israelites but would be adapted for the Egyptians as well. Moses gave a fourth objection in verse 10: he basically claimed that he was a poor speaker. He stated that he had never been eloquent, and as far as he could tell, the situation hadn t changed since God started talking to him. Some scholars think that Moses had a speech impediment of some kind or that he had a problem with stammering. But in keeping with the context, most likely Moses was exaggerating in an attempt to avoid going back to Egypt. As an adopted member of the royal family in Egypt, he undoubtedly would have received training in many areas, including speech. He may not have been a very skillful speaker in comparison with the best in Egypt, but he was probably at least adequate. Perhaps he felt unable to engage Pharaoh and those around him who had more skill in this area. Whatever the specific reason for this objection, Moses once again displayed a lack of trust in God. Yahweh responded by proclaiming His complete sovereignty over the human senses (4:11). People are born mute, deaf, or blind because God makes them that way! Of course, God can easily reverse these conditions, and in fact Jesus did so on many occasions to prove His deity. Moses was under God s sovereignty just like everyone else. God would be with him and teach him what to say (4:12). Therefore God commanded him to go to Egypt for a third time (3:10, 16; 4:12). But Moses was not quite ready to give up yet. He didn t have any specific objections left, so he just pleaded with God to send someone else (4:13). Up to this point God has been incredibly patient with Moses, but even God s patience has limits! And Moses was starting to push those limits here. God responded to the fifth objection of Moses with anger (4:14). Literally the original Hebrew states that His nostrils became hot. God is pictured sort of like a raging bull getting ready to charge. But even here God honors the request of Moses at least partially. He wasn t going to excuse Moses from going to Egypt, but He was willing to let his brother Aaron to speak for him. God mentioned that Aaron could speak well, but he still needed God s help like Moses did (4:15). Aaron would speak for Moses to the people, but Moses would serve as God to Aaron and tell him what to say (4:15 16). Interestingly, God said that Aaron was already on his way to meet Moses (4:14). Once again God s sovereignty is obvious; He knew that Moses would object and had already prepared His response by causing Aaron to leave Egypt. He was in total control of the whole situation! Since God was unwilling to take no for an answer, Moses finally agreed to go to Egypt. But first he asked for his father-in-law s permission, unlike Jacob, who left his father-in-law secretly. Undoubtedly Moses had a better relationship with his father-in-law than Jacob did! However, Moses apparently did not tell Jethro about his interaction with God since most likely Jethro was not a worshiper of Yahweh at this point. Instead Moses simply stated that he wanted to visit his relatives (4:18). Jethro gave his blessing to Moses and told him to go in peace. But Moses lingered; God had to tell him once again to go to Egypt (4:19). Moses was probably afraid of the death sentence that had caused him to flee from Egypt earlier. But 40 years have passed since that time; God reassured him that everyone who wanted to kill him was dead. Therefore Moses finally departed for Egypt, and he took his wife and sons with him (4:20). Obviously Moses has had other children since the birth of Gershom (2:22). However, his family left him at 7

8 some later point and probably returned to Midian. He would be reunited with his family the next time he saw Jethro (18:2 6). Now that Moses was headed for Egypt, God gave him a summary preview of what would happen there. When Moses performs all the miracles that God empowered him to do, Pharaoh would refuse to let the Israelites go. The reason is that God would harden his heart (4:21). This theme will be repeated over and over during the story of the plagues. In Scripture the heart represents the inner self of a person. The focus is not on emotions but on reasoning, planning, and choosing. The point here is that God was completely sovereign over the decisions of Egypt s leader. And His plan was to keep Pharaoh from letting the Israelites leave for a while. He wanted to bring judgment on Egypt and particularly Pharaoh, who was viewed as a deity by the Egyptians. Because Pharaoh would not let God s firstborn son go, He would kill Pharaoh s firstborn son (4:22 23). He skipped over the first nine plagues to focus on the last and most important one. The firstborn son was in a privileged position; the Israelites had this status in God s family because they were His chosen people. Pharaoh s firstborn son would normally be the next king of Egypt. God was proclaiming His sovereignty; He was in control over who would be the next king of Egypt. An interesting event is recorded in verses Scholars debate the identity of the person God was seeking to kill (4:24). Instead of a name the masculine singular pronoun is used here. Most interpreters assume that Moses is under discussion, but his son Gershom is another valid option. The preceding context argues for Gershom because of the focus on the firstborn son. God probably would not have sought to kill the man he had just appointed to represent him before Pharaoh. However, Moses was still responsible for failing to circumcise his son. Somehow his wife realized the problem and took action to fix it. After she circumcised Gershom, she threw his foreskin at the feet of Moses according to the HCSB and most other translations (4:25). However, in the original Hebrew the masculine singular pronoun is again used. It may refer to either Moses or Gershom, but the fact that Gershom was just mentioned argues strongly that he is still under discussion here. The feet may be a euphemistic reference to the genitals as indicated by the HCSB footnote. What did Zipporah mean by the statement a bridegroom of blood (4:25)? The Hebrew term for bridegroom can actually refer to any relative; it was used earlier to describe the relationship between Moses and Jethro (3:1; 4:18). Zipporah was probably talking about her son here, not her husband. This event serves as a preview of how the Israelite firstborn sons would be spared during the tenth plague: the shedding of blood would cause God to pass over them. It also shows how important circumcision was to God during Old Testament times. Moses was God s chosen instrument to lead His people, and now his son had the sign of belonging to God s people. But the fact that Zipporah had to perform the circumcision is another reminder that Moses had not been following God and was still weak spiritually. After this incident his wife and sons may have stayed behind. The circumcision probably would have kept Gershom from traveling for a while. He was most likely an older boy or a young man at this point and would have been in pain for at least a few days like the men of Shechem were (Genesis 34:24 25). Then Aaron came to Moses just as God had predicted (4:14, 27). Moses gave him a full report about what God had said to him. Together they went to meet the Israelite elders, and Aaron passed along God s message to them. Verse 30 seems to indicate that Aaron performed the signs, but the subject of the verb is 8

9 ambiguous in the original Hebrew. Most likely Moses did them since Aaron was only the spokesman (4:16). After all, God told Moses that he would be the one to perform the signs (4:17). But perhaps Moses remained passive and asked Aaron to do them instead. The initial response of the people to Moses and Aaron was positive (4:31), in fulfillment of God s promise to Moses (3:18). However, the fact that more than one sign had to be performed shows that they did not believe at first. But God had already showed patience toward them by giving Moses multiple signs to perform. Their response of worship is commendable, but their immature faith would soon be tested. In chapter 5 Moses and Aaron made their first appearance before Pharaoh. They did not bring the elders with them, contrary to God s instructions (3:18). But they did make the request that God had commanded (3:18; 5:1, 3). The text does not specify which one of them spoke to Pharaoh; most likely Aaron did the talking based on the previous context. Pharaoh reacted with great pride and arrogance (5:2). He refused the reasonable request of this God he didn t know and affirmed his own power over the Israelites. Then he went on the offensive and claimed that Moses and Aaron were distracting the people from their work (5:4 5). After their meeting he instructed the overseers to stop supplying the people with straw to make bricks (5:6 7). But he demanded that they continue to make the same number of bricks (5:8). He wanted them to work so hard that they would be too busy to think about leaving Egypt to worship their God (5:9). The Israelites tried their best to meet these new expectations (5:12). But unsurprisingly they were not able to do so, and the Israelite foremen were beaten as a result (5:14). They cried out to Pharaoh for help; perhaps they thought that he was not the source of these new expectations. But he responded by calling them slackers and continued to hold to his demands (5:15 18). When they saw that they were in big trouble, they confronted Moses and Aaron and accused them of creating this problem (5:19 21). Earlier Moses and Aaron asked Pharaoh to let the Hebrews go so that their God would not strike them with a sword (5:3). But now the Israelite foremen were claiming that Moses and Aaron gave a sword to Pharaoh and his officials in order to kill them (5:21)! Moses was troubled by this situation and went to talk to God about it. He asked God why He was causing trouble for the people (5:22 23). He essentially blamed God for what was happening. He claimed that God did not do what He had promised. God responded with great patience. Instead of rebuking Moses, He reaffirmed that He would keep His promises (6:1). God was just getting started here! He wanted to demonstrate His incredible power to Pharaoh. God s strong hand would force Pharaoh to let His people go. Then God reminded Moses that He is Yahweh (6:2, 6 8). This important statement appears four times in verses 2 8; the first and last occurrences serve as bookends for this passage. God was stressing what He was about to do for the Israelites. But first God clarified His relationship with the patriarchs. What did He mean by saying that He did not reveal His name Yahweh to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (6:3)? The name Yahweh is found throughout the book of Genesis, beginning in chapter 2. People began to call on the name of Yahweh very early in history (4:26). Moses may have inserted this name in various places throughout Genesis, but that explanation does not work very well when Yahweh s name is spoken by the patriarchs (16:2; 24:7; 26:22; 28:21). A better interpretation is that the patriarchs did indeed know Yahweh s name, but they didn t understand its 9

10 true significance. God had not revealed Himself to them as fully as He was about to reveal Himself to their descendants by redeeming them from slavery in Egypt (Exodus 6:5 8). The patriarchs knew Him better as God Almighty, which translates the Hebrew phrase el shaddai. This title might be better translated God of blessing ; certainly the patriarchs were extremely blessed by God. He established His covenant with them and promised to give them the land of Canaan, but they resided there as foreigners. Now He was about to give their descendants this land and display His character more fully. Moses relayed this interaction to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him (6:9). Pharaoh s cruel treatment had broken their spirit. Therefore God commanded Moses to speak to Pharaoh for a second time (6:10 11). Moses objected by once again using his excuse of being a poor speaker (6:12). If the Israelites would not listen to him, why would Pharaoh? Earlier God responded to this objection by telling Moses that He would teach him what to say (4:12), and now He is fulfilling that promise. He gave more details to both Moses and Aaron about how to complete their assignment (6:13). On this note the story is interrupted with a brief genealogy in verses The purpose is to show the family background of Moses and Aaron. It may seem out of place at first, but it reveals that God loves to choose lowly people for His purposes. The genealogy starts with Reuben and Simeon, the two oldest sons of Jacob (6:14 15). Only their sons are listed with them. A special note is given about Simeon s son Shaul, whose mother was a Canaanite woman. Most likely this statement served as a subtle warning to the Israelites not to follow his example. The rest of the genealogy is focused on the tribe of Levi, who was Jacob s third-oldest son. All three of these sons were ungodly (Genesis 49:3 7), but God chose to use the descendants of Levi to serve Him in a special way, beginning with Moses and Aaron. The fact that Moses was born to a Levite man and woman was already revealed (2:1). But now more details about the family are given. Levi s three sons and their sons are listed in verses The mention of three sons makes Levi parallel with Adam, Noah, and Terah. Moses and Aaron came from the line of Levi s second son, Kohath. Their parents were named Amram and Jochebed (6:20). Jochebed was Amram s aunt; this type of marriage was later forbidden in the law (Leviticus 18:12; 20:19). Then Amram s brothers Izhar and Uzziel receive brief attention (6:21 22), but not his brother Hebron. The reason is most likely that Izhar and Uzziel s descendants would become important characters later in Israelite history. One of Izhar s sons was named Korah; he would later lead a rebellion against Moses (Numbers 16:1 33). Uzziel s sons Mishael and Elzaphan would later carry their dead relatives Nadab and Abihu outside the Israelite camp (Leviticus 10:4). This genealogy is apparently compressed; the idea that Moses and Aaron could be Levi s great-grandsons seems impossible. Levi lived 137 years, Kohath lived 133 years, and Amram lived 137 years. Aaron was 83 years old at this time, and Moses was 80 years old (7:7). The Israelites lived in Egypt for a total of 430 years (12:40 41). But these four generations only add up to about 445 years since Levi probably would have been about 45 years old when the Israelites came to Egypt. Each son would have had to be born to his father just before his death, which is quite unlikely. Most likely a significant gap should be seen before Amram. The Hebrew word translated sons can also be used to refer to grandsons or more distant descendants. Separate genealogical records for Ephraim indicate that 10 generations lived during this same time frame (1 Chronicles 7:20 27). 10

11 The genealogy ends with Aaron in verses The sons of Korah, who was a descendant of Izhar, are listed in the middle of these verses (6:24). This interruption is appropriate because they would later try to become priests (Numbers 16:10). But God was going to choose Aaron and his descendants alone to serve in this capacity. Aaron s wife, Elisheba, is picked out for special mention. She is described as the daughter of Amminadab and the sister of Nahshon (6:23). These two men are listed elsewhere as part of the line of David (Ruth 4:20). Already at this early point the blending of the priesthood and the kingship can be seen. Ultimately it is fulfilled in Jesus. Aaron and Elisheba had four sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. Eleazar is picked out for special mention in verse 25 because he was the one who would replace Aaron as the high priest. He filled this role because his older brothers, Nadab and Abihu, disobeyed the Lord and were killed (Leviticus 10:1 2). Eleazar s son Phinehas is also listed here; he would replace Eleazar as the high priest. Why isn t Moses covered in the genealogy here? He was replaced by Joshua, not one of his sons. In fact, one of his descendants fell into idolatry (Judges 18:30). This fact is consistent with what was already hinted at earlier in the circumcision incident: Moses was not a good father. In the New Testament a church leader must have faithful children who are not rebellious (Titus 1:6). After the conclusion of the genealogy in verse 25, the author essentially repeats the material from verses in verses The focus is once again on God s command that Moses and Aaron return to Pharaoh. When Moses objected that Pharaoh would not listen to him, God stopped to give a deeper explanation. Earlier Yahweh said that Moses would serve as God to Aaron (4:16). Now He says that He has made Moses like God to Pharaoh (7:1). In a sense He was putting Moses on the same level as Pharaoh, who was considered to be deity by the Egyptians. Aaron would function as Moses prophet to Pharaoh in the sense that he would speak for Moses (7:2). On the surface the goal was that Pharaoh would let the Israelites go, but God would intervene and harden Pharaoh s heart (7:3), as He had already told Moses (4:21). This hardening would give God the opportunity to multiply His signs and wonders in Egypt. He would free the Israelites by bringing great acts of judgment on the Egyptians (7:4). Earlier Pharaoh stated that he did not know Yahweh (5:2). Now God states that He wants all the Egyptians to know who He is (7:5). Basically Moses was correct to conclude that Pharaoh would not listen to him. But Pharaoh s refusal to let the Israelites go was God s plan all along. It didn t have anything to do with Moses. Before Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh for the second time, God gave instructions to them about performing a miracle for Pharaoh on demand (7:9). Aaron would throw down his staff, and it would become a snake. God had already given Moses the ability to perform this miracle (4:3). Moses and Aaron did just what God commanded them to do (7:6, 10). Earlier Moses hesitated and made excuses, but now he was starting to trust and obey God. Verse 7 contains a note about the ages of Moses and Aaron. Moses is listed first even though he was the younger brother. This arrangement is a reminder that even though the firstborn son held a privileged position in the family, God often chose to bless a younger son, like He did with Jacob. Snakes had special significance for the Egyptians. Pharaoh s crown had a picture of a snake on the front of it. It was a symbol of his power and deity. By having Moses and Aaron turn a staff into a snake before Pharaoh, God issued a direct challenge to the sovereignty of Pharaoh. In response the king had his magicians perform the same action (7:11). Some scholars think that they were simply using sleight of hand, 11

12 but the text clearly states that they used their occult practices. In other words, Satan and his demons were behind this ability. The snake itself should serve as a reminder about the first sin in the Garden of Eden. However, Aaron s staff swallowed the staffs of the Egyptians magicians (7:12), which showed that God s power was superior to that of Satan and Pharaoh. Yet Pharaoh s heart was hard, and he stubbornly refused to let the Israelites go, just like God had predicted (7:13). This rebellious attitude serves as the trigger for the next section (7:14). 1.2 Plagues (7:14 12:36) The confrontation related to the snakes in the beginning of chapter 7 serves as the introduction to the plagues. It should not be considered as a plague because it did not affect the nation of Egypt as a whole. But it did establish a pattern for what would follow: God was about to demonstrate that He was vastly superior to Pharaoh and the many gods of Egypt. In this section God unleashes a series of 10 plagues: (1) blood (7:14 25), (2) frogs (8:1 15), (3) gnats (8:16 19), (4) flies (8:20 32), (5) livestock (9:1 7), (6) boils (9:8 12), (7) hail (9:13 35), (8) locusts (10:1 20), (9) darkness (10:21 29), and (10) death (11:1 12:36). The first nine plagues can be grouped into three sets of three, while the tenth plague stands alone as the climax. The first set of three plagues involves Aaron s staff (7:19; 8:5, 16), but in the last set the staff of Moses is used as Aaron fades into the background (9:23; 10:13). The first plague in each set involves an outdoor confrontation in the early morning (7:15; 8:20; 9:13). The second one is apparently initiated indoors at Pharaoh s palace. The third and final one begins without any warning. However, while the plagues can be viewed in groups, ultimately they should be seen as a unified whole in which Yahweh attacks the false gods of Egypt (12:12; Numbers 33:4). He wanted to show that none of the false gods of the Egyptians is like Yahweh. He alone is supreme over all creation. The Egyptian magicians were able to duplicate the first and second plagues (7:22; 8:7), as well as the opening miracle in which a staff turned into a snake (7:11). But Aaron s staff swallowed the staffs of the magicians (7:12), and the magicians were unable to duplicate the third plague (8:18 19) or any later plagues. God wanted not only the Israelites but also the Egyptians to recognize who He is (7:5, 17; 8:10, 22; 10:2). But God made a distinction between Israel and Egypt by causing the plagues to fall only on the Egyptians (8:22 23; 9:4, 26; 10:23; 11:7; 12:13, 23). Though this distinction is mentioned in connection with only five plagues, by extension it should be applied to the other five plagues as well. The plagues were designed to free the Israelites, not punish them. In order to sustain this prolonged attack against the Egyptian false gods, God said in advance that He would harden Pharaoh s heart and cause him to be stubborn so that he would not relent too quickly (4:21; 7:3). At the end of each of the first nine plagues, a statement is given about Pharaoh being unwilling to let the Israelites go because his heart was hardened. But sometimes the text says that Pharaoh hardened his own heart (8:15, 32; 9:34), and sometimes the text says that God hardened Pharaoh s heart (9:12; 10:1, 20, 27; 11:10). Other times the text is ambiguous (7:13 14; 7:22; 8:19; 9:7, 35). The point with this variety is probably that God did not force Pharaoh at any point to do something he didn t want to do. A balance is presented here between God s sovereignty and Pharaoh s responsibility. Still, some would state that God was unjust to harden Pharaoh s heart at all. How could God find fault with Pharaoh since he was not able to resist God s will? This objection is exactly what the apostle Paul 12

13 dealt with in his letter to the Romans when he mentioned Pharaoh (9:19). Paul acknowledged that God can show mercy to those He wants to, and He can also harden those He wants to (9:18). God is completely sovereign and can do whatever He wants. Paul responded to the objection by stating that we have no right to talk back to God (9:20). God made us and can do whatever He wants with us. Ultimately all people are sinners and deserve death. God is under no obligation to show mercy to everyone. God is glorified when He shows His wrath just like He is when He shows His mercy (9:22 23). In fact, God s mercy wouldn t seem very special if everyone received it! God s mercy on the Israelites is magnified through His righteous judgment on the Egyptians through the plagues. The first plague involved turning the Nile River into blood. The Nile has always been central to the nation of Egypt. Without it this powerful nation would have been crippled. God chose to direct His first plague at the very heart of Egypt s existence. In doing so He launched an attack on Hapi, the Egyptian god of the Nile. God sent Moses and Aaron to meet Pharaoh at the Nile (7:15). The king probably had a regular routine of visiting the Nile in the morning, perhaps to worship Hapi or simply to bathe. This plague took away not only Egypt s drinking water but also part of its food supply through the fish (7:18, 21). The Egyptian magicians were able to replicate this deed (7:22); apparently not every drop of water in the land was turned into blood by Aaron. Most likely the Israelites were not affected by this plague. But ironically the magicians simply added to God s judgment! They could not reverse the plague but could only intensify it. The second plague involved the swarming of frogs all over Pharaoh s territory. The Egyptian goddess Hekhet was depicted as having the head of a frog. The Egyptians believed that she controlled the multiplication of frogs. But Yahweh demonstrated that His power was vastly superior in this area. The Egyptian magicians were able to duplicate this action as with the first plague, but once again they were just adding to God s judgment. The king asked Moses to pray to Yahweh to remove the frogs and promised to let the Israelites go in response (8:8). Moses let Pharaoh choose the timing to prove that Yahweh is the true God (8:9 10). All the frogs outside the Nile River miraculously died the next day. The dead frogs piled up in heaps and caused the land to smell (8:14), just like the dead fish caused the Nile River to smell with the first plague (7:21). But once the plague ended, Pharaoh hardened his heart and did not let the Israelites go, just as God had predicted (8:15). The third plague involved turning the dust of the land into gnats. Earlier God promised to bless the Israelites by making them as numerous as the dust of the earth (Genesis 13:16; 28:14). Now God is using the prevalence of dust in judgment against the Egyptians. This plague began without any warning for Pharaoh; he did not deserve it because he had broken his promise about letting the Israelites go after the second plague ended. The Egyptian magicians were unable to replicate this plague; they concluded that a greater spiritual power was at work (8:19). But Pharaoh s heart was still hardened, and he refused to let the Israelites go as God had said. The fourth plague involved swarms of flies coming against Pharaoh and his people. As with the first plague, God directed Moses to go to Pharaoh in the morning when he was near the water (8:20). If Pharaoh was at the Nile River to worship Hapi again, this act is ironic because Yahweh had just defeated this false god. On this occasion God announced special treatment for the Hebrews; they would not be af- 13

14 fected by the plague (8:22 23). God stressed His sovereignty by predicting the specific time that the sign would take place (8:23). This plague was probably an attack on the god Kheprer, who was symbolized by the flying beetle. The flies sent by God likely stung and might have been mosquitoes. They were so prevalent that they filled the houses of the Egyptians and ruined their land (8:21, 24). Pharaoh did not bother consulting his magicians this time after their failure with the previous plague. Instead he summoned Moses and Aaron and gave them permission to sacrifice to their God (8:25). However, he added the restriction of staying in Egypt. He wanted to retain some measure of control in the situation. But Moses objected by relying on his knowledge of Egyptian practices. The Israelites were going to sacrifice animals, some of which were sacred to the Egyptians. These sacrifices would be detestable to the Egyptians and lead to them stoning the Israelites (8:26). Perhaps Pharaoh was cunningly trying to bring about this outcome! When Moses repeated his original request, Pharaoh agreed as long as the Israelites wouldn t go too far away (8:27 28). Moses warned Pharaoh not to act deceptively again like he did earlier with the second plague (8:29). But once the swarms of flies were completely removed the next day, Pharaoh hardened his heart again (8:31 32). The fifth plague involved the death of Egypt s livestock. The animals struck by this plague provide food, milk, clothing, and transportation. These types of animals were used as images for many different gods in Egypt. With this plague Yahweh was proclaiming His supremacy over all these false gods. As with the previous plague, the time of this plague was announced to Pharaoh as being the next day (9:5). In addition, a distinction was maintained between the Israelites and the Egyptians as before (9:4). Only Egypt s livestock was affected by the plague; not a single animal belonging to the Israelites was killed (9:6). This time Pharaoh sent messengers to check on the plague s effect in Israel s territory. But even when he confirmed God s protection for the Israelites, his heart was still hardened (9:7). He was willing to send out messengers, but he was not willing to send out the Hebrews. The sixth plague involved boils on people and animals. It was unannounced to Pharaoh as with the third plague. Moses simply tossed furnace soot in the air before Pharaoh to initiate this plague (9:8, 10), probably so that he would know its origin. Why did God have Moses use furnace soot? The furnace mentioned here was probably used for burning bricks and was therefore a symbol of oppression. Earlier the Hebrews toiled to make bricks for the Egyptians using furnaces. Now furnace soot was being used to punish the Egyptians. The magicians are mentioned specifically here; not only were they unable to reproduce this plague, but they could not even protect themselves against it (9:11). The type of disease here is unknown, but it may have been similar to the skin disease that God earlier gave Moses the ability to control (4:6 7). The seventh plague involved severe hail falling on the land of Egypt. God told Pharaoh through Moses that He could have killed him and his people already but that He let them live to show His power and make His name known in all the earth (9:15 16). The multiplication of plagues drew more people s attention to the Lord! With this plague the Egyptian gods under attack may have included Nut (the representative of the sky), Shu (the supporter of the sky), and Tefnut (the goddess of moisture). The hailstorm was the worst that had ever occurred in Egypt (9:18, 24). The hail killed people, animals, plants, and trees (9:25). But it didn t affect the land of Goshen where the Israelites lived (9:26). 14