23. CAN GOD BE KNOWN?
Pharaoh believed that even God couldn't change fate. Boy was he wrong.
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Who is God and can He be known? These questions have been asked for thousands of years. And after thousands of years, it seems a bit foolish that people could still be wondering. After all, God has revealed Himself to individuals and nations in innumerable ways and on countless occasions. Some might say,
“God is unknowable and if He chose to reveal anything about Himself it would only be His will.”
But one only needs to look at the beautiful forests, mountains, and beaches to see that He is creative. Not to mention all the stories from the Bible that show God’s character, involvement and concern with humanity. Therefore, it seems logical that the proper question to ask is “How can God not be known?” Let’s look at two personal stories of how God made himself known both to an individual and a nation.
Oğuz is a normal man from Konya. Since his childhood, he has always been a hard worker. He knew that success depended upon the amount of effort that was put forth. Therefore, it was no surprise to his family that he graduated from primary school with top honors and got a scholarship to go to a good high school. After graduating from lise, he went on to university, completed his undergraduate studies and nished a master's program. Feeling adventurous, he decided to work abroad for a few years. Wherever Oğuz went, success followed. But in spite of his success there was always something missing in his life. He could never shake the feeling of loneliness in his heart.
This loneliness wasn’t the type that psychologists could treat or that success could satiate. And it didn’t matter how much money he made, places he visited, or praise he received from his colleagues. He also knew that his wife couldn’t counter this emptiness. He remembered that he rst started to feel this way before he got married. He had accomplished all his goals and was ready to settle down.
“Surely,” he thought to himself “a wife will complete my life!”
But after the wedding and honeymoon, the loneliness came back.
Oğuz thought he might be going crazy or had a psychological problem, so he visited a psychiatrist. The doctor asked him several questions and determined that this was a typical case of depression. He prescribed a medicine and wished Oğuz happiness. But, the medicine didn’t help! Oğuz had reached his limit and was unable to take it anymore. One night while he was lying in bed, he begged God to help him,
“I don’t know what is wrong with me! Please help me.”
Eventually Oğuz fell asleep and the next morning he wrote about his dream:
“I was walking on a dirt path through a dark forest. The limbs of the trees were hanging over the path and blocking the sunlight. I felt like the farther I went the path became narrower. The branches of the trees and bushes were closing in on me and I became nervous. As the anxiety pressed down on me, I thought to myself that I would not be able to continue walking. Just then, I came to an old bridge with some of the boards missing. I knew that I needed to cross it, but I was afraid. I couldn’t see the bottom of the valley and I didn’t want to fall.
Out of nowhere, I saw a man dressed in white standing on the other side of the bridge. He said,
“Don’t be afraid! I will help you cross.”
Then he walked over, took my hand, and led me to the other side. To my dismay, the trail didn’t look any better than before. But before I even said one word, the man dressed in white said,
“Don’t worry! Just as I helped you over the bridge, I will help you on the path!”
I can’t describe the peace that I felt in His presence. All I can say is that I’m not lonely anymore!”
In the Bible, there was a time when the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob felt alone. They were living in Egypt as slaves and God’s promises of a homeland were unimaginable. With every lash from the whip, they were reminded that they were the property of the most powerful ruler of their time, the Pharaoh of Egypt. But God didn’t leave them alone in their loneliness. He had heard their cries for freedom and justice and decided to reveal Himself. Through Moses and his brother Aaron, He would show them that He kept His promises and was more powerful than any man or false god.
So Moses, after meeting with his brother Aaron in the desert, returned to Egypt and told the elders of the Israelites that God, YHWH, had heard their cries. As the shouts of joy diminished, they bowed their heads and worshipped the Creator and God of their fathers. The stage was set. The Hebrews were ready to be delivered. But how would the pharaoh react to God’s plan? Let’s pick up the story in Exodus chapter 5:
1 Afterward Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness. 2 But Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and moreover, I will not let Israel go. 3 Then they said, The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness that we may sacri ce to the LORD our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword. 4 But the king of Egypt said to them, Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people away from their work? Get back to your burdens. 5 And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land are now many, and you make them rest from their burdens! 6 The same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their foremen, 7 You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks, as in the past; let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8 But the number of bricks that they made in the past you shall impose on them, you shall by no means reduce it, for they are idle. Therefore they cry, Let us go and offer sacri ce to our God. 9 Let heavier work be laid on the men that they may labor at it and pay no regard to lying words.
“Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice?” What a pompous statement! It is unlikely that the pharaoh would not have heard of the One True God, the Creator, Protector, and Revealer of Dreams. It wasn’t like Egypt was isolated from the rest of the world or that they had no experiences with the God of Abraham. If you recall, it was God who saved Egypt by having Joseph interpret a previous pharaoh’s dream. An event that not only revealed God’s knowledge of the future and concern for humanity, but brought the family of Jacob to Egypt. No, it wasn’t about not knowing God as much as it was not wanting to submit to Him! It is sad that people are still doing the same thing today. But the pharaoh didn’t just deny God, he dared him to act by exacting a punishment upon the Hebrews. He ordered that their work be made more difficult.
As their cries intensi ed and went up to heaven, God heard them and once again sent Moses to the pharaoh. This time Moses came with a stern warning against the pharaoh’s stubbornness. If he didn’t obey God then all of Egypt would not only witness His power and judgment, but they would never be able to say that they didn’t know who He was! Lets continue the story in Exodus chapter 7 verses 10-13:
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.
This is the first of many miracles that the Pharaoh witnessed. Most people would be amazed and scared during this type of event. But the pharaoh, who considered himself a god, didn’t utter one bit. He had seen his magicians do this type of thing many times before. So he called them forth to perform their secret arts. But two interesting things happened. First, the Bible doesn’t say that they tried to undo what God did, they just merely copied it. Second, the miracle that they performed wasn’t nearly as strong as God’s because their serpents were destroyed. That single event should have convinced the Pharaoh that YHWH was stronger than magic, but it didn’t.
As would happen on ten different occasions, God again sent Moses to the Pharaoh. On each occasion, He would reveal his power not only over nature, but an Egyptian god. The rst demonstration of his power and judgment was against the very thing that gave life to Egypt. Let’s see what happened next in Exodus chapter 7 verses 20-25:
20 Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded. In the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants he lifted up the staff and struck the water in the Nile, and all the water in the Nile turned into blood. 21 And the fish in the Nile died, and the Nile stank, so that the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile. There was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. 22 But the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts. So Pharaoh's heart remained hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the LORD had said. 23 Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and he did not take even this to heart. 24 And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile for water to drink, for they could not drink the water of the Nile. 25 Seven full days passed after the LORD had struck the Nile.
In our day, Egypt is still dependent upon the Nile’s life giving waters. But a few thousand years ago, they couldn’t have existed without it. The trees that lined the riverbank drank from it freely and the farmers depended upon its nutrient rich oodwaters to spill into their elds. If you close your eyes, you can probably imagine shermen casting their nets and large barges carrying quarried rock to building sites. It is no wonder that the Egyptians viewed the river with awe and wonder. But, the problem was they were worshipping the created not the Creator. So when God turned the Nile waters into blood, He showed that He, not the Nile god Hapi, was in control of the river and thus their very lives. But in spite of this supernatural act, the pharaoh refused to let the Hebrews go. Let's read Exodus chapter 8 verses 1-15:
1 Then the LORD said to Moses, Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, Thus says the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me. 2 But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will plague all your country with frogs. 3 The Nile shall swarm with frogs that shall come up into your house and into your bedroom and on your bed and into the houses of your servants and your people, and into your ovens and your kneading bowls. 4 The frogs shall come up on you and on your people and on all your servants. 5 And the LORD said to Moses, Say to Aaron, Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the canals and over the pools, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt! 6 So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. 7 But the magicians did the same by their secret arts and made frogs come up on the land of Egypt. 8 Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, Plead with the LORD to take away the frogs from me and from my people, and I will let the people go to sacrifice to the LORD. 9 Moses said to Pharaoh, Be pleased to command me when I am to plead for you and for your servants and for your people, that the frogs be cut off from you and your houses and be left only in the Nile. 10 And he said, Tomorrow. Moses said, Be it as you say, so that you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God. 11 The frogs shall go away from you and your houses and your servants and your people. They shall be left only in the Nile. 12 So Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and Moses cried to the LORD about the frogs, as he had agreed with Pharaoh. 13 And the LORD did according to the word of Moses. The frogs died out in the houses, the courtyards, and the elds. 14 And they gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank. 15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart and would not listen to them, as the LORD had said.
Frogs were considered to be holy. According to some accounts, if you killed one it was punishable by death. They were the symbol of Heqt, the frog headed goddess who gave the breath of life to babies and protected women during childbirth. But the frogs that came from God did not respect the Pharaoh like he respected them. They entered his house, his bedroom, and even his bread bowl. In a sense, they were a metaphor for God’s ability to access every part of our lives.
At first, the Pharaoh pretended to change his mind, but eventually showed his true intentions. Bolstered by the magicians’ ability to once again replicate God’s miracle, he refused to let them go. But there was one thing he did accept, only God could remove the scourge that was now plaguing Egypt. All of the sacri ces and prayers that had been sent up to Heqt, now proved to have been in vain. But when Moses spoke to God, God listened and dispersed the frogs. Now, the Pharaoh knew that only God could respond to prayer. But it still wasn’t enough to convince him. Lets read verses 16-19 to see if a horde of gnats changed his mind.
16 Then the LORD said to Moses, Say to Aaron, Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, so that it may become gnats in all the land of Egypt. 17 And they did so. Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and there were gnats on man and beast. All the dust of the earth became gnats in all the land of Egypt. 18 The magicians tried by their secret arts to produce gnats, but they could not. So there were gnats on man and beast. 19 Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, This is the nger of God. But Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the LORD had said.
It was just a matter of time before the magicians’ efforts would be futile. They knew that their powers were actually deceptive illusions and that they could only trick everyone for a period of time. That time had come and after they were unable to replicate what God had done, they admitted that God was more powerful than them. But the Pharaoh wouldn't listen. So God sent a swarm of ies worse than anything they had ever seen. And once again an Egyptian god was powerless!
What could have been going through the Pharaoh’s head? They knew these gods, worshipped and revered them, and thought that they were in control. But what they thought was the truth turned out to be a lie! The amulets and statues of Kheper remained silent and the bugs, which he supposedly controlled, swarmed, buzzed, bit and tortured the Egyptians. Where was the supreme Amun, helper of the pious and god of the wind, to blow away this plague? Where was the guardian goddess Mafdet and the protector god Sed? They were silent because they didn’t exist!
But the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob did exist and there was a fascinating turn of events right before this plague. God made a distinction between the Hebrews and the Egyptians. While the Hebrews felt the effects of the water turned to blood, the frogs, and the gnats; the ies did not affect them. In fact they wouldn’t be affected by any of the remaining plagues. God wanted the Pharaoh to see and know that He protected His people. Let's continue in Exodus chapter 9 verses 1-7:
1 Then the LORD said to Moses, Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.2 For if you refuse to let them go and still hold them,3 behold, the hand of the LORD will fall with a very severe plague upon your livestock that are in the eld, the horses, the donkeys, the camels, the herds, and the flocks.4 But the LORD will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that nothing of all that belongs to the people of Israel shall die.5 And the LORD set a time, saying, Tomorrow the LORD will do this thing in the land. 6 And the next day the LORD did this thing. All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one of the livestock of the people of Israel died.7 And Pharaoh sent, and behold, not one of the livestock of Israel was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go.
What would it take to convince you? Up to this point, the Pharaoh had only brought discomfort upon his people. The Nile was back to normal and the frogs, gnats, and ies were gone. But starting with this plague, the effects were going to be longer lasting. And this plague didn’t just ravage the livestock populations it attacked a central gure and symbol of the Egyptian pantheon. The bull and ram were sacred and often used to depict gods like Apis, Nut, Neith, Hathor and Khnum. The Egyptians knew that when the very animals they worshipped began to die and the gods who represented them couldn’t stop it, something terrible was happening. Let's see what happened in verses 8-12:
8 And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, Take handfuls of soot from the kiln, and let Moses throw them in the air in the sight of Pharaoh.9 It shall become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and become boils breaking out in sores on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt.10 So they took soot from the kiln and stood before Pharaoh. And Moses threw it in the air, and it became boils breaking out in sores on man and beast.11 And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils came upon the magicians and upon all the Egyptians.12 But the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them, as the LORD had spoken to Moses.
This must have been a terrible disease. The Bible says that the magicians weren’t even able to stand before Moses. As they picked, scratched, and wailed in agony they must have wondered why Sakhmet (protector against disease), Imhotep, (god of medicine), and Isis (goddess of life and healing) weren’t helping them. YHWH was protecting the Hebrews, wasn’t He just one god of many?
Once again, Moses went in to the Pharaoh and warned him. If he didn't listen to God, a plague of hail would fall upon Egypt. Everything that remained in the elds would surely be destroyed. But the Pharaoh's heart just grew harder and the hail came.
Some people have to learn lessons the hard way and it seems that Pharaoh was one of them. His stubbornness decimated the livestock and now the crops. It is hard to believe that a man with so much power and knowledge at his ngertips could be so stupid. He had to have noticed that he was ghting a battle that couldn’t be won. Up to that point nothing had stopped God from in icting judgment and it was only Moses' intercession that brought relief from each plague. The sky goddesses Nut and Hathor; the sky god Horus; Shu, the god of air and bearer of heaven; Seth, the god of storms and protector of crops; Neper, the god of grain crops; Osiris, the ruler of life and vegetation; Isis, the goddess of life; and all the cow and ram deities mentioned above proved impotent before the true God. And yet, the Pharaoh still would not let the Hebrews leave.
It is of worth to note that God, just as the Bible said, could have destroyed the Pharaoh and allowed his people to take over Egypt. But instead He gave Pharaoh the chance to not only know Him, but to make Him known to the whole world. God told Pharaoh what He wanted, warned him of what would happen, and gave him a chance to comply. But the Pharaoh would have nothing of it.
After this plague Moses once again went to the Pharaoh and warned him. He made it clear that if the Pharaoh didn’t submit to God’s request, locusts would destroy all the vegetation that was left. But the Pharaoh still didn’t listen to God. He refused to let the Hebrews leave Egypt. Let’s read the rest of the story in Exodus chapter 10 verses 21-29:
21 Then the LORD said to Moses, Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness to be felt.22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was pitch darkness in all the land of Egypt three days.23 They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the people of Israel had light where they lived.24 Then Pharaoh called Moses and said, Go, serve the LORD; your little ones also may go with you; only let your flocks and your herds remain behind.25 But Moses said, You must also let us have sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.26 Our livestock also must go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind, for we must take of them to serve the LORD our God, and we do not know with what we must serve the LORD until we arrive there.27 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let them go.28 Then Pharaoh said to him, Get away from me; take care never to see my face again, for on the day you see my face you shall die.29 Moses said, As you say! I will not see your face again.
When darkness enveloped the land of Egypt and the rays of the sun were unable to penetrate it, so darkness must have covered Pharaoh’s heart. He was angry, bitter, and frustrated. YHWH proved to be stronger than every Egyptian god, even Ra the Sun God. Many of us would like to think that we would never be like Pharaoh. But pride, sel shness, temptation and the desire for power do strange things to people. Is it possible that many of us, on a daily basis, do the same thing that Pharaoh did? We live our lives thinking God can’t be known or ignoring the things He shows us. Sometimes we approach God like one of four blind men who encounter an elephant for the first time.
They decide to feel the elephant to determine what sort of creature it is. The first blind man felt the back leg of the elephant and said,
"An elephant is like a tree."
The second blind man felt the trunk and said "An elephant is like a snake."
The third blind man felt the tail and added "An elephant is like a rope."
But the fourth blind man wouldn’t touch the elephant at all because he was afraid. None of them could accurately describe the elephant because they only examined it from one aspect and the fourth one didn’t even try.
Like the Pharaoh and the fourth blind man, some of us don’t want to know what God is like or we make excuses that He can’t be known. But after reading this story, it is apparent that God doesn’t hide himself from humanity and goes to great lengths to reveal who He is. He expressed His will, showed His abilities and power, and made known His character to the Pharaoh. He proved that He controls nature, is the only one worthy of worship, gives a warning before acting, protects His people, and keeps His promises. But the story isn't over and God isn't nished. As the following events unfold, it will become clearer and clearer that God can be known!
Discussion Questions
1. Why do you think the Pharaoh resisted God for so long?
2. Can you think of any other ways that God made himself known?
3. Why did God let the Hebrews experience the first few plagues, but not the others?
4. Why do you think God wanted the Hebrews to witness his power?
5. What does “God hardened the Pharaoh’s heart” mean?
6. What is preventing you from knowing God?
7. The Pharaoh altered the fate of his nation by the choices that he made. God altered the fate of a nation through miraculous acts.
Do you think that God could alter your fate? Why?
“God is unknowable and if He chose to reveal anything about Himself it would only be His will.”
But one only needs to look at the beautiful forests, mountains, and beaches to see that He is creative. Not to mention all the stories from the Bible that show God’s character, involvement and concern with humanity. Therefore, it seems logical that the proper question to ask is “How can God not be known?” Let’s look at two personal stories of how God made himself known both to an individual and a nation.
Oğuz is a normal man from Konya. Since his childhood, he has always been a hard worker. He knew that success depended upon the amount of effort that was put forth. Therefore, it was no surprise to his family that he graduated from primary school with top honors and got a scholarship to go to a good high school. After graduating from lise, he went on to university, completed his undergraduate studies and nished a master's program. Feeling adventurous, he decided to work abroad for a few years. Wherever Oğuz went, success followed. But in spite of his success there was always something missing in his life. He could never shake the feeling of loneliness in his heart.
This loneliness wasn’t the type that psychologists could treat or that success could satiate. And it didn’t matter how much money he made, places he visited, or praise he received from his colleagues. He also knew that his wife couldn’t counter this emptiness. He remembered that he rst started to feel this way before he got married. He had accomplished all his goals and was ready to settle down.
“Surely,” he thought to himself “a wife will complete my life!”
But after the wedding and honeymoon, the loneliness came back.
Oğuz thought he might be going crazy or had a psychological problem, so he visited a psychiatrist. The doctor asked him several questions and determined that this was a typical case of depression. He prescribed a medicine and wished Oğuz happiness. But, the medicine didn’t help! Oğuz had reached his limit and was unable to take it anymore. One night while he was lying in bed, he begged God to help him,
“I don’t know what is wrong with me! Please help me.”
Eventually Oğuz fell asleep and the next morning he wrote about his dream:
“I was walking on a dirt path through a dark forest. The limbs of the trees were hanging over the path and blocking the sunlight. I felt like the farther I went the path became narrower. The branches of the trees and bushes were closing in on me and I became nervous. As the anxiety pressed down on me, I thought to myself that I would not be able to continue walking. Just then, I came to an old bridge with some of the boards missing. I knew that I needed to cross it, but I was afraid. I couldn’t see the bottom of the valley and I didn’t want to fall.
Out of nowhere, I saw a man dressed in white standing on the other side of the bridge. He said,
“Don’t be afraid! I will help you cross.”
Then he walked over, took my hand, and led me to the other side. To my dismay, the trail didn’t look any better than before. But before I even said one word, the man dressed in white said,
“Don’t worry! Just as I helped you over the bridge, I will help you on the path!”
I can’t describe the peace that I felt in His presence. All I can say is that I’m not lonely anymore!”
In the Bible, there was a time when the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob felt alone. They were living in Egypt as slaves and God’s promises of a homeland were unimaginable. With every lash from the whip, they were reminded that they were the property of the most powerful ruler of their time, the Pharaoh of Egypt. But God didn’t leave them alone in their loneliness. He had heard their cries for freedom and justice and decided to reveal Himself. Through Moses and his brother Aaron, He would show them that He kept His promises and was more powerful than any man or false god.
So Moses, after meeting with his brother Aaron in the desert, returned to Egypt and told the elders of the Israelites that God, YHWH, had heard their cries. As the shouts of joy diminished, they bowed their heads and worshipped the Creator and God of their fathers. The stage was set. The Hebrews were ready to be delivered. But how would the pharaoh react to God’s plan? Let’s pick up the story in Exodus chapter 5:
1 Afterward Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness. 2 But Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and moreover, I will not let Israel go. 3 Then they said, The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness that we may sacri ce to the LORD our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword. 4 But the king of Egypt said to them, Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people away from their work? Get back to your burdens. 5 And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land are now many, and you make them rest from their burdens! 6 The same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their foremen, 7 You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks, as in the past; let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8 But the number of bricks that they made in the past you shall impose on them, you shall by no means reduce it, for they are idle. Therefore they cry, Let us go and offer sacri ce to our God. 9 Let heavier work be laid on the men that they may labor at it and pay no regard to lying words.
“Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice?” What a pompous statement! It is unlikely that the pharaoh would not have heard of the One True God, the Creator, Protector, and Revealer of Dreams. It wasn’t like Egypt was isolated from the rest of the world or that they had no experiences with the God of Abraham. If you recall, it was God who saved Egypt by having Joseph interpret a previous pharaoh’s dream. An event that not only revealed God’s knowledge of the future and concern for humanity, but brought the family of Jacob to Egypt. No, it wasn’t about not knowing God as much as it was not wanting to submit to Him! It is sad that people are still doing the same thing today. But the pharaoh didn’t just deny God, he dared him to act by exacting a punishment upon the Hebrews. He ordered that their work be made more difficult.
As their cries intensi ed and went up to heaven, God heard them and once again sent Moses to the pharaoh. This time Moses came with a stern warning against the pharaoh’s stubbornness. If he didn’t obey God then all of Egypt would not only witness His power and judgment, but they would never be able to say that they didn’t know who He was! Lets continue the story in Exodus chapter 7 verses 10-13:
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.
This is the first of many miracles that the Pharaoh witnessed. Most people would be amazed and scared during this type of event. But the pharaoh, who considered himself a god, didn’t utter one bit. He had seen his magicians do this type of thing many times before. So he called them forth to perform their secret arts. But two interesting things happened. First, the Bible doesn’t say that they tried to undo what God did, they just merely copied it. Second, the miracle that they performed wasn’t nearly as strong as God’s because their serpents were destroyed. That single event should have convinced the Pharaoh that YHWH was stronger than magic, but it didn’t.
As would happen on ten different occasions, God again sent Moses to the Pharaoh. On each occasion, He would reveal his power not only over nature, but an Egyptian god. The rst demonstration of his power and judgment was against the very thing that gave life to Egypt. Let’s see what happened next in Exodus chapter 7 verses 20-25:
20 Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded. In the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants he lifted up the staff and struck the water in the Nile, and all the water in the Nile turned into blood. 21 And the fish in the Nile died, and the Nile stank, so that the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile. There was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. 22 But the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts. So Pharaoh's heart remained hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the LORD had said. 23 Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and he did not take even this to heart. 24 And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile for water to drink, for they could not drink the water of the Nile. 25 Seven full days passed after the LORD had struck the Nile.
In our day, Egypt is still dependent upon the Nile’s life giving waters. But a few thousand years ago, they couldn’t have existed without it. The trees that lined the riverbank drank from it freely and the farmers depended upon its nutrient rich oodwaters to spill into their elds. If you close your eyes, you can probably imagine shermen casting their nets and large barges carrying quarried rock to building sites. It is no wonder that the Egyptians viewed the river with awe and wonder. But, the problem was they were worshipping the created not the Creator. So when God turned the Nile waters into blood, He showed that He, not the Nile god Hapi, was in control of the river and thus their very lives. But in spite of this supernatural act, the pharaoh refused to let the Hebrews go. Let's read Exodus chapter 8 verses 1-15:
1 Then the LORD said to Moses, Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, Thus says the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me. 2 But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will plague all your country with frogs. 3 The Nile shall swarm with frogs that shall come up into your house and into your bedroom and on your bed and into the houses of your servants and your people, and into your ovens and your kneading bowls. 4 The frogs shall come up on you and on your people and on all your servants. 5 And the LORD said to Moses, Say to Aaron, Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the canals and over the pools, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt! 6 So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. 7 But the magicians did the same by their secret arts and made frogs come up on the land of Egypt. 8 Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, Plead with the LORD to take away the frogs from me and from my people, and I will let the people go to sacrifice to the LORD. 9 Moses said to Pharaoh, Be pleased to command me when I am to plead for you and for your servants and for your people, that the frogs be cut off from you and your houses and be left only in the Nile. 10 And he said, Tomorrow. Moses said, Be it as you say, so that you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God. 11 The frogs shall go away from you and your houses and your servants and your people. They shall be left only in the Nile. 12 So Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and Moses cried to the LORD about the frogs, as he had agreed with Pharaoh. 13 And the LORD did according to the word of Moses. The frogs died out in the houses, the courtyards, and the elds. 14 And they gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank. 15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart and would not listen to them, as the LORD had said.
Frogs were considered to be holy. According to some accounts, if you killed one it was punishable by death. They were the symbol of Heqt, the frog headed goddess who gave the breath of life to babies and protected women during childbirth. But the frogs that came from God did not respect the Pharaoh like he respected them. They entered his house, his bedroom, and even his bread bowl. In a sense, they were a metaphor for God’s ability to access every part of our lives.
At first, the Pharaoh pretended to change his mind, but eventually showed his true intentions. Bolstered by the magicians’ ability to once again replicate God’s miracle, he refused to let them go. But there was one thing he did accept, only God could remove the scourge that was now plaguing Egypt. All of the sacri ces and prayers that had been sent up to Heqt, now proved to have been in vain. But when Moses spoke to God, God listened and dispersed the frogs. Now, the Pharaoh knew that only God could respond to prayer. But it still wasn’t enough to convince him. Lets read verses 16-19 to see if a horde of gnats changed his mind.
16 Then the LORD said to Moses, Say to Aaron, Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, so that it may become gnats in all the land of Egypt. 17 And they did so. Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and there were gnats on man and beast. All the dust of the earth became gnats in all the land of Egypt. 18 The magicians tried by their secret arts to produce gnats, but they could not. So there were gnats on man and beast. 19 Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, This is the nger of God. But Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the LORD had said.
It was just a matter of time before the magicians’ efforts would be futile. They knew that their powers were actually deceptive illusions and that they could only trick everyone for a period of time. That time had come and after they were unable to replicate what God had done, they admitted that God was more powerful than them. But the Pharaoh wouldn't listen. So God sent a swarm of ies worse than anything they had ever seen. And once again an Egyptian god was powerless!
What could have been going through the Pharaoh’s head? They knew these gods, worshipped and revered them, and thought that they were in control. But what they thought was the truth turned out to be a lie! The amulets and statues of Kheper remained silent and the bugs, which he supposedly controlled, swarmed, buzzed, bit and tortured the Egyptians. Where was the supreme Amun, helper of the pious and god of the wind, to blow away this plague? Where was the guardian goddess Mafdet and the protector god Sed? They were silent because they didn’t exist!
But the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob did exist and there was a fascinating turn of events right before this plague. God made a distinction between the Hebrews and the Egyptians. While the Hebrews felt the effects of the water turned to blood, the frogs, and the gnats; the ies did not affect them. In fact they wouldn’t be affected by any of the remaining plagues. God wanted the Pharaoh to see and know that He protected His people. Let's continue in Exodus chapter 9 verses 1-7:
1 Then the LORD said to Moses, Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.2 For if you refuse to let them go and still hold them,3 behold, the hand of the LORD will fall with a very severe plague upon your livestock that are in the eld, the horses, the donkeys, the camels, the herds, and the flocks.4 But the LORD will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that nothing of all that belongs to the people of Israel shall die.5 And the LORD set a time, saying, Tomorrow the LORD will do this thing in the land. 6 And the next day the LORD did this thing. All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one of the livestock of the people of Israel died.7 And Pharaoh sent, and behold, not one of the livestock of Israel was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go.
What would it take to convince you? Up to this point, the Pharaoh had only brought discomfort upon his people. The Nile was back to normal and the frogs, gnats, and ies were gone. But starting with this plague, the effects were going to be longer lasting. And this plague didn’t just ravage the livestock populations it attacked a central gure and symbol of the Egyptian pantheon. The bull and ram were sacred and often used to depict gods like Apis, Nut, Neith, Hathor and Khnum. The Egyptians knew that when the very animals they worshipped began to die and the gods who represented them couldn’t stop it, something terrible was happening. Let's see what happened in verses 8-12:
8 And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, Take handfuls of soot from the kiln, and let Moses throw them in the air in the sight of Pharaoh.9 It shall become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and become boils breaking out in sores on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt.10 So they took soot from the kiln and stood before Pharaoh. And Moses threw it in the air, and it became boils breaking out in sores on man and beast.11 And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils came upon the magicians and upon all the Egyptians.12 But the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them, as the LORD had spoken to Moses.
This must have been a terrible disease. The Bible says that the magicians weren’t even able to stand before Moses. As they picked, scratched, and wailed in agony they must have wondered why Sakhmet (protector against disease), Imhotep, (god of medicine), and Isis (goddess of life and healing) weren’t helping them. YHWH was protecting the Hebrews, wasn’t He just one god of many?
Once again, Moses went in to the Pharaoh and warned him. If he didn't listen to God, a plague of hail would fall upon Egypt. Everything that remained in the elds would surely be destroyed. But the Pharaoh's heart just grew harder and the hail came.
Some people have to learn lessons the hard way and it seems that Pharaoh was one of them. His stubbornness decimated the livestock and now the crops. It is hard to believe that a man with so much power and knowledge at his ngertips could be so stupid. He had to have noticed that he was ghting a battle that couldn’t be won. Up to that point nothing had stopped God from in icting judgment and it was only Moses' intercession that brought relief from each plague. The sky goddesses Nut and Hathor; the sky god Horus; Shu, the god of air and bearer of heaven; Seth, the god of storms and protector of crops; Neper, the god of grain crops; Osiris, the ruler of life and vegetation; Isis, the goddess of life; and all the cow and ram deities mentioned above proved impotent before the true God. And yet, the Pharaoh still would not let the Hebrews leave.
It is of worth to note that God, just as the Bible said, could have destroyed the Pharaoh and allowed his people to take over Egypt. But instead He gave Pharaoh the chance to not only know Him, but to make Him known to the whole world. God told Pharaoh what He wanted, warned him of what would happen, and gave him a chance to comply. But the Pharaoh would have nothing of it.
After this plague Moses once again went to the Pharaoh and warned him. He made it clear that if the Pharaoh didn’t submit to God’s request, locusts would destroy all the vegetation that was left. But the Pharaoh still didn’t listen to God. He refused to let the Hebrews leave Egypt. Let’s read the rest of the story in Exodus chapter 10 verses 21-29:
21 Then the LORD said to Moses, Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness to be felt.22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was pitch darkness in all the land of Egypt three days.23 They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the people of Israel had light where they lived.24 Then Pharaoh called Moses and said, Go, serve the LORD; your little ones also may go with you; only let your flocks and your herds remain behind.25 But Moses said, You must also let us have sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.26 Our livestock also must go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind, for we must take of them to serve the LORD our God, and we do not know with what we must serve the LORD until we arrive there.27 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let them go.28 Then Pharaoh said to him, Get away from me; take care never to see my face again, for on the day you see my face you shall die.29 Moses said, As you say! I will not see your face again.
When darkness enveloped the land of Egypt and the rays of the sun were unable to penetrate it, so darkness must have covered Pharaoh’s heart. He was angry, bitter, and frustrated. YHWH proved to be stronger than every Egyptian god, even Ra the Sun God. Many of us would like to think that we would never be like Pharaoh. But pride, sel shness, temptation and the desire for power do strange things to people. Is it possible that many of us, on a daily basis, do the same thing that Pharaoh did? We live our lives thinking God can’t be known or ignoring the things He shows us. Sometimes we approach God like one of four blind men who encounter an elephant for the first time.
They decide to feel the elephant to determine what sort of creature it is. The first blind man felt the back leg of the elephant and said,
"An elephant is like a tree."
The second blind man felt the trunk and said "An elephant is like a snake."
The third blind man felt the tail and added "An elephant is like a rope."
But the fourth blind man wouldn’t touch the elephant at all because he was afraid. None of them could accurately describe the elephant because they only examined it from one aspect and the fourth one didn’t even try.
Like the Pharaoh and the fourth blind man, some of us don’t want to know what God is like or we make excuses that He can’t be known. But after reading this story, it is apparent that God doesn’t hide himself from humanity and goes to great lengths to reveal who He is. He expressed His will, showed His abilities and power, and made known His character to the Pharaoh. He proved that He controls nature, is the only one worthy of worship, gives a warning before acting, protects His people, and keeps His promises. But the story isn't over and God isn't nished. As the following events unfold, it will become clearer and clearer that God can be known!
Discussion Questions
1. Why do you think the Pharaoh resisted God for so long?
2. Can you think of any other ways that God made himself known?
3. Why did God let the Hebrews experience the first few plagues, but not the others?
4. Why do you think God wanted the Hebrews to witness his power?
5. What does “God hardened the Pharaoh’s heart” mean?
6. What is preventing you from knowing God?
7. The Pharaoh altered the fate of his nation by the choices that he made. God altered the fate of a nation through miraculous acts.
Do you think that God could alter your fate? Why?