Exodus 7-9

Exodus 7-9

This year, I plan on reading the Old Testament of the Bible within the 2012 calendar year. Follow me on this journey! Please, if you have questions or comments... let me know! 

Scripture Thought (What I Learned):

Chapter 7: Pharaoh's Heart is Hardened

                God comes to Moses and Aaron and tells them that they need to go in and talk to Pharaoh, but that he will harden his heart and Pharaoh will not let the Hebrews go. Because of this the signs and wonders will be multiplied throughout all of the land of Egypt. Moses is commanded to speak these things unto Pharaoh and have Aaron be his spokesperson.

                Moses and Aaron go in unto Pharaoh and he demands a miracle or a sign. So Aaron throws down the rod and it turns into a serpent, so Pharaoh calls in some magicians of the land and all of them are able to re-create what Aaron did. Pharaoh's heart in once again hardened.

                The Lord commands Moses to go out on the river bank the next morning and wait for when Pharaoh goes out to the river. When he come Moses and Aaron are waiting for him and tell him that if he does not let the people go that they will turn all the water of Egypt into blood and the fish will die and cause the land of Egypt to stink.

                Pharaoh doesn't listen to them, so Aaron extends his hand and smite the water, turning all the water in the land of Egypt into blood. Pharaoh again calls his magicians and they are able to do the exact same thing. Pharaoh turns around and heads back into the house, kind of like he was telling them, so what? The Egyptians dig around the river to get water to drink.

Chapter 8: Plagues

                The Lord tells Moses and Aaron to go in unto Pharaoh again and tell Pharaoh that if he does not let the people go that he will cause frogs to come up all over Egypt.

                Aaron stretches forth his hand over the water of Egypt and the frogs came up from all of the land of Egypt, into houses and beds and all around. The magicians of the land use their enchantments and are also able to bring up frogs from all of the land of Egypt. Pharaoh calls for Moses and Aaron and asks for them to stop the frogs, and in return he will let the people go. The frog will remain in the river only.

                The next morning they gather up "heaps" of frogs throughout the land. But again Pharaoh hardens his heart and decides to not let the people go. So the Lord commands Moses to tell Aaron to stretch out the rod and smite the dust of the land that their might appear lice. The magicians try to bring about lice, but are unable to replicate it, the magicians tell Pharaoh that this is surely the finger of God. But Pharaoh still hardens his heart. So the Lord commands Moses to rise up early in the morning and warn Pharaoh that if he does not let the people go, he will send swarms of flies. So the next morning swarms of flies fill the air of Egypt, all the while not affecting the land of Goshen where the Hebrews dwell. Pharaoh agrees to let the people go, but that they may not go a very far distance. So Moses calls of the flies and they leave the land to the point that there is none in the entire land of Egypt. When Pharaoh sees that they are gone, he hardens his heart and does not let the people go.

Chapter 9: Rain and more in Egypt

                Moses go in unto Pharaoh and tell him that if he does not let the people go that all of the cattle in the land will be plagued and die, come the next morning. But the cattle of the Israelites will not die. Pharaoh hardens his heart and refuses, the next morning happens exactly as Moses had warned.

                The Lord commands Moses and Aaron to take handfuls of ash from the furnace and sprinkle it towards the heavens, it shall become small dust throughout the land of Egypt and causes sore boils upon all the Egyptians. The Lord harden Pharaoh's heart and he did not hearken unto Moses or Aaron.

                So Moses goes in unto Pharaoh and tells him that he will send rain throughout the land that will cause hail; big enough to kill animals and people if they are caught in the field when it happens. Pharaoh does not listen.

                Moses is then commanded by God to lift up his rod toward heaven to cause it to rain and hail. It was so strong that it had "fire" mixed with the hail. The hail killed the herb in the field and broke trees.

                Pharaoh agrees to let the people go, and pleads for the hail and storms to stop, the minute they stop... he hardens his heart and does not let the people go.