Stubbornness: A Virtue, And A Vice (Exodus 7:8-24) Series

Let's start today by simply rereading Exodus 7:1-7:

(7:1) And Yahweh said to Moses,

"Look! I have made you God to Pharaoh,

while Aaron your brother shall be your prophet.

(2) You shall speak all that I command you,

while Aaron your brother shall speak to Pharaoh,

and he will release the sons of Israel from his land,

(3) while I will harden the heart/mind/resolve of Pharaoh,

and I will multiply my sins and wonders in the land of Egypt,

(4) and he will not listen to you-- Pharaoh--,

and I will set my hand against Egypt,

and I will bring out my army-- my people-- the children of Israel--

from the land of Egypt with great acts of judgment/authority,

(5) so the Egyptians know/acknowledge that I [am] Yahweh--

when I stretch out my hand over Egypt,

and I bring out the sons of Israel from their midst,"

(6) and Moses did, with Aaron, just as Yahweh commanded them, thus they did.

(7) And Moses [was] 80 years old,

and Aaron [was] 83 years old.

The new stuff starts here. Verse 8:

(8) And Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,

(9) "When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, 'Make for yourselves a wonder ,' say to Aaron,

"Take your staff,

and throw it before Pharaoh.

It shall become a serpent,"

Pharaoh understands that anyone can claim God spoke to them. It's not hard to claim to be a prophet. To claim to be God's spokesman. But how can anyone know whether or not it's true?

This isn't a hypothetical question, or problem. We run into the same thing all the time, when we share the gospel. When we talk about Jesus to other people, and about how we serve the one true God, how can people know that we are truth-tellers? How can they know that we are right, and everyone else is wrong?

The NT gives us maybe two different answers.

(1) God draws people to himself (John 6:44). All people are taught by God (John 6:45). So when you tell people about Jesus, you aren't starting from nothing. And you aren't working alone. God has already worked on them. And we can pray that God would do even more for people-- that He would open their hearts to the gospel (Acts 16:14).

(2) God uses healings, and signs, and wonders to verify the truthfulness of our gospel message.

1 Thess. 1:4-5 (also 1 Cor. 2:5; Acts 8:4-8):

4 For we know, brothers[b] loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.

People understand that there are many so-called gods, and many religions, and many saviors. God, knowing that people wrestle with this, and are unsure what to believe, makes it easier for people to trust him by giving them signs, and wonders, and healings. These miracles are an anchor for people's faith. A firm foundation, that will keep them free from doubt and uncertainty.

So when Pharaoh challenges them to make a sign-- like something you'd whip up something in the kitchen-- we should understand that he's making a reasonable demand. If it's true, prove it.

And God, knowing how this will play out, tells Moses ahead of time which sign to start with. Aaron will throw down his staff before Pharaoh and his servants, and it will become a serpent.

Verse 10:

(10) and Moses went, with Aaron, to Pharaoh,

and they did thus, just as Yahweh had commanded,

and Aaron threw his staff before Pharaoh and before his servants,

and it became a serpent,

(11) and he called-- also Pharaoh-- to the wise men and to the sorcerers,

and they did-- also they-- the magicians of Egypt with their occult skill likewise/thus,

(12) and each man threw his staff,

and they became serpents,

and the staff of Aaron swallowed their staffs,

(13) and the resolve/heart of Pharaoh was strong,

and he didn't listen to them,

just as Yahweh had spoken,

This is probably the best spot in the whole Bible to stop, and talk about magic, and sorcery, and the dark arts.

Magic, and sorcery, and witchcraft-- things like that-- are real. There is power in them. They work. The reason people get sucked into those things is not because they are idiots, or easily conned. They get sucked into those things because they offer benefits.

I read a story once about a guy who was heavily involved in magic and sorcery, and a young Christian woman made this challenge to him: "If you want to see real power, you should come to my church."

So the guy goes to this church, and as he sits in the seats, listening to the worship, he actually starts levitating.