Exodus 4 – Exodus 6
Exodus 7 – Exodus 9

As Moses encounters God in the the early chapters of Exodus, there part of the conversation between Moses and God that I never noticed before. I’m wondering if you noticed it? It’s after Moses makes all the excuses on why someone else should do what he is being called to do, after he returns to Jethro, and begins to set out to travel with Zipporah. God speaks,

“Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord: Israel is my firstborn son. I said to you, “Let my son go that he may worship me.”
But you refused to let him go; now I will kill your firstborn son.’”
Exodus 4:22-23

Even as Moses approaches Egypt the fate of what Pharaoh and all of Egypt is about to experience is known and proclaimed . . . “I will kill your firstborn son.” Yet, despite heeded warnings, Pharaoh’s heart is continually hardened. And so the plagues begin:

Water is turned to blood
Frogs cover the land
Gnats take flight out of the dust of the earth
Swarms of flies take over everything
Death of the livestock
Boils that cover humans and animals
Hail
Locust cover everything
Darkness covers the face of the earth
Death of the firstborn

Sounds horrific! For every hardship the Egyptians face, the Israelites go unharmed. For every plague enacted, the hardships for Egypt only grow worse. Why Pharaoh? Why? Why would you not let God’s people go? That question we will never know the answer too, yet one thing is certain, the awesome power of the hand of God is revealed as we read through these chapters.

More to read as we venture into Chapters 10 – 12.

Peace,
Pastor Bailey