Episode 356 - "The LORD's Purposes are Revealed" - Exodus 6:14-Exodus 7:13
Ex. 6:14 These are the heads of their fathers’ houses: the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi; these are the clans of Reuben. 15 The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman; these are the clans of Simeon. 16 These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, the years of the life of Levi being 137 years. 17 The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei, by their clans. 18 The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, the years of the life of Kohath being 133 years. 19 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites according to their generations. 20 Amram took as his wife Jochebed his father’s sister, and she bore him Aaron and Moses, the years of the life of Amram being 137 years. 21 The sons of Izhar: Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri. 22 The sons of Uzziel: Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri. 23 Aaron took as his wife Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab and the sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 24 The sons of Korah: Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph; these are the clans of the Korahites. 25 Eleazar, Aaron’s son, took as his wife one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him Phinehas. These are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites by their clans.
Ex. 6:26 These are the Aaron and Moses to whom the LORD said: “Bring out the people of Israel from the land of Egypt by their hosts.” 27 It was they who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt about bringing out the people of Israel from Egypt, this Moses and this Aaron.
Ex. 6:28 On the day when the LORD spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, 29 the LORD said to Moses, “I am the LORD; tell Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say to you.” 30 But Moses said to the LORD, “Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips. How will Pharaoh listen to me?”
Moses and Aaron Before Pharaoh
Ex. 7:1 And the LORD said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. 2 You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall tell Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go out of his land. 3 But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, 4 Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and bring my hosts, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment. 5 The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them.” 6 Moses and Aaron did so; they did just as the LORD commanded them. 7 Now Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh.
Ex. 7:8 Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, 9 “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Prove yourselves by working a miracle,’ then you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent.’” 10 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD commanded. Aaron cast down his staff before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent. 11 Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers, and they, the magicians of Egypt, also did the same by their secret arts. 12 For each man cast down his staff, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. 13 Still Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the LORD had said.
The Bible has many genealogical lists. Have you considered why this particular list is given here? Remember that this book wasn't written at the time of the Exodus. Moses delivered this to Joshua shortly before he died, and Joshua was his successor, who would ultimately lead the people decades later into the Promised Land.
The point is to show the authority the LORD had granted Aaron and Moses to speak the LORD’s message to Pharaoh and to Israel. As descendants of Levi, the LORD is revealing his sovereign choice for the priestly line. Aaron’s descendants would carry on the responsibilities and authority of Israel's priesthood. In short, this genealogical record shows to the future generations of Israel that Moses and Aaron were not maverick leaders, but ordained by the LORD for this specific role.
After the genealogical record is given, Exodus 6:26-28 explains that the LORD has given these men this responsibility, and they obeyed the LORD’s command even though Moses still revealed his doubts that he was the right person for the job.
In chapter seven, the LORD told Moses specifically what to say and do. He also told Moses that Pharaoh would not obey the LORD’s command. Think about that for a minute. What would you think if you believed that God had given you a responsibility, but informed you that you would be completely ineffective in accomplishing that? Likely, it would be discouraging, and we might not be so motivated to do it. I believe this is why the LORD continued to reveal his plans to Moses. I believe he’s telling Moses that he is certainly going to deliver the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt. However, it will not come as easily or painlessly as Moses or the Israelites might have hoped for. Why not?
I believe the LORD reveals in Exodus 7:5 that he has a broader plan and purpose than what anyone might have expected. The LORD told Moses, “The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them.” Do you see that? God wants Egypt to know who the LORD is, and that he is greater than all the so-called gods they worshipped.
Exodus 7:8-13 describes Moses and Aaron going to Pharaoh and following the LORD’s instructions. Pharaoh demanded a sign to validate their claim to be speaking for the LORD. Aaron cast down his staff, as instructed by the LORD, and it became a serpent. But Pharaoh called in his magicians, and they performed the same sign. It was as if Pharaoh was mocking the LORD by revealing that his magicians and gods could do the same thing and were equal. But the LORD then revealed something that perhaps no one expected. Aaron’s staff (serpent) swallowed those of the magicians. That’s a powerful message, yet Pharaoh ignored it.
The theological principle revealed in this text is God’s sovereignty. He is in control. He chooses who will be his priest and prophet. Furthermore, God's actions often reveal his power to many people, not just one person or one group. God makes himself known so people might respond positively to that revelation.