Old Testament - Exodus 7 - March 28, 2022

 3/28/2022 – Exodus 7

In v 1, the Lord reminds Moses that He has made him a spokesman to Pharaoh, and Moses is to tell Pharaoh ALL that the Lord has commanded. Then in v 2, He tells Aaron that he is to ask Pharaoh to “send the children if Israel out of his land.” And then the Lord explains just to them that Pharaohs heart will be hardened, for that will enable the Lord to show His “signs and wonders” until finally “the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.”

The scriptures are always reminding us that if we act in faith and obey the Lord, THEN He will bless us to be able to do what He asks of us. Moses and Aaron are excellent examples of how the Lord helps and tutors us. 

I believe that Satan was also involved in these efforts to keep the Israelites in Egypt. From the book Answers to Gospel Questions I found this statement: “It should be remembered that Satan has great knowledge and thereby can exercise authority and to some extent control the elements, when some greater power does not intervene.” The Lord had told Moses and Aaron that Pharaoh would ask for a miracle, and at that time Aaron was to throw his rod down and it would become a serpent. Aaron & Moses followed their instructions to the letter. But after Aaron’s rod had become a serpent, Pharaoh called in his wise men and sorcerers…who managed to create the same miracle with multiple rods turning into serpents. But then, Aaron’s rod swallowed up every one of the rods of the wise men and sorcerers—what a way for the Lord to intervene! 

V 13 then says: “And he [the Lord] hardened Pharaoh’s heart”, but the JST’s v 13 says “And Pharaoh hardened his heart…” The Lord would never do anything to push any of His children  away from Him.

The Lord commands Moses and Aaron to return to Pharaoh the very next morning, telling him “The Lord God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee, saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness” (v 16). Pharaoh ignores that request yet again, and the plagues continue to come upon the Egyptians. 

The study manual had an interesting paragraph: “There have been numerous attempts through the ages to explain the plagues described in these chapters of Exodus. Some have tried to show that the various plagues were the result of some natural phenomenon such as passing meteorites or the explosion of a volcanic island in the Mediterranean Sea. While there is some degree of logical progression in the plagues (the river’s pollution could have driven the frogs out of the marshes to die, and this situation would then have bred lice, flies, and disease), it is not possible at present to explain how the Lord brought about these miraculous events. The fact that the plagues were selective (that is, sent upon the Egyptians but not the Israelites) adds to their miraculous nature. God often works through natural means to bring about His purposes, but that fact does not lessen the miraculous nature of His work. In the plagues and eventual deliverance of Israel from the bondage of Egypt is a record of remarkable and miraculous intervention by God in behalf of His children. How He actually intervened is not nearly so significant as that He did intervene.”

The Lord gave Pharaoh lots of chances to change his ways. Elder Lund, a seventy, made this statement: “Individual agency is so sacred that Heavenly Father will never force the human heart, even with all His infinite power. Man may try to do so, but God does not. To put it another way, God allows us to be the guardians, or the gatekeepers, of our own hearts. We must, of our own free will, open our hearts to the Spirit, for He will not force Himself upon us” (Ensign, May 2008, p 33). 

Some important gospel principles we learn from these scriptures:

The Lord can deliver us from our trials and afflictions OR He can give us strength to endure them. Exodus 6:6-7, Mosiah 24:13-14

God has power over all things.  Exodus 7:3-5, 10-12, 20; 8:5, 16, 24:9:6, 10, 23;  10:13, 22

There are counterfeit miracles that are not of God.  Exodus 7: 10-12, 22; 8:7, 18

Miracles come as a result of faith; they do not create faith.  Exodus 4:31; 11:10; D&C 63:7-12.


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