Daily Scripture Reading Exodus 6:16 - 7:13

Some Christians claim God pre-ordained who will be saved and all the deeds that every human will ever do. Others reject that and insist men have free will to choose salvation and whether to do right and wrong. This debate is known as man’s free will vs. God’s sovereignty. Today’s passage does solve this debate, but it does provide some evidence that needs to be considered as we seek to answer this question.

Moses went to Pharaoh and demanded that the Israelites be allowed to go into the wilderness to worship their God. Pharaoh refused the request and increased the workload of the Israelites instead, claiming the Israelites were lazy. The Israelites were upset with Moses because he was making their lives worse, not better.

Ex. 6:16 These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations:

Gershon and Kohath and Merari; and the years of Levi’s life were 137 years.

Ex. 6:17 The sons of Gershon:

Libni and Shimei, according to their families.

Ex. 6:18 The sons of Kohath:

Amram and Izhar and Hebron and Uzziel; and the years of Kohath’s life were 133 years.

Ex. 6:19 The sons of Merari:

Mahli and Mushi.

These are the families of the Levites according to their generations.

Ex. 6:20 And Amram took his father’s sister Jochebed as a wife, and she bore him Aaron and Moses; and the years of Amram’s life were 137 years.

Ex. 6:21 The sons of Izhar:

Korah and Nepheg and Zichri.

Ex. 6:22 The sons of Uzziel:

Mishael and Elzaphan and Sithri.

Ex. 6:23 And Aaron took Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab, the sister of Nahshon, as a wife, and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

Ex. 6:24 The sons of Korah:

Assir and Elkanah and Abiasaph; these are the families of the Korahites.

Ex. 6:25 And Aaron’s son Eleazar took one of the daughters of Putiel as a wife, and she bore him Phinehas. These are the heads of the fathers’ households of the Levites according to their families.

Ex. 6:26 It was the same Aaron and Moses to whom Yahweh said, “Bring out the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their hosts.”

Ex. 6:27 They were the ones who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt to bring out the sons of Israel from Egypt; it was the same Moses and Aaron.

The reason for including this genealogy at this point of the book was to show the genealogical background of Moses and Aaron.

Ex. 6:28 ¶ Now it happened on the day when Yahweh spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt,

Ex. 6:29 that Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “I am Yahweh; speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I am speaking to you.”

Ex. 6:30 But Moses said before Yahweh, “Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips; how then will Pharaoh listen to me?”

Take note of the expression “uncircumcised lips”. Moses did not think he was qualified to speak to Pharaoh.

Ex. 7:1 ¶ Then Yahweh said to Moses, “See, I set you as God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet.

Look at the word “prophet”. Moses and Aaron are a picture of the definition of a prophet. A prophet is a spokesperson. Moses told Aaron what to say, and then Aaron went and delivered the message to Pharaoh. Likewise, God told prophets what to say, and then the prophets delivered the message to people.

Ex. 7:2 You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall speak to Pharaoh that he let the sons of Israel go out of his land.

Ex. 7:3 But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart with stiffness that I may multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt.

Notice the phrase “I will harden”. This is an example of Yahweh’s sovereignty.

There is a debate within Christianity regarding man’s free will vs. God’s sovereignty. Some Christians claim God pre-ordained who will be saved and all the deeds that every human will ever do. Others reject that and insist man has free will to choose salvation and whether to do right and wrong. The fact that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart proves it is possible that there are times when God does not allow humans to make a choice.

Don’t miss the reason God hardened Pharaoh’s heart. God did that so that He could demonstrate His power.

Ex. 7:4 But Pharaoh will not listen to you. And I will set My hand upon Egypt and bring out My hosts, My people the sons of Israel, from the land of Egypt by great judgments.

Ex. 7:5 Then the Egyptians shall know that I am Yahweh, when I stretch out My hand against Egypt and bring out the sons of Israel from their midst.”

Yahweh intended to take some actions which would prove to Egypt that He is Yahweh.

Ex. 7:6 So Moses and Aaron did it; as Yahweh commanded them, thus they did.

Ex. 7:7 Now Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh.

This verse tells us Moses was eighty years old when he went back to Egypt to lead the Israelites out of slavery. The book of Exodus does not tell us how old Moses was when he fled Egypt after murdering the Egyptian. The book of Acts contains a sermon by Stephen in which he said Moses was forty when he fled Egypt; however, keep in mind that Stephen’s speech was not necessarily inspired. The author of Acts accurately recorded what Stephen said. That does not mean Stephen was 100% accurate in what he said.

Ex. 7:8 ¶ And Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,

Ex. 7:9 “When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, ‘Work a miraculous wonder,’ then you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent.’”

Ex. 7:10 So Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, and thus they did just as Yahweh had commanded; and Aaron threw his staff down before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent.

Ex. 7:11 Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers, and they also, the magicians of Egypt, did the same with their secret arts.

Notice the words “wise men”, “sorcerers”, “magicians”, and “secret arts”.

The Hebrew word that is translated “wise men” appears 133 times in the Old Testament. It is generally a positive term, indicating a particular person is wise.

The Hebrew word that is translated “sorcerers” appears 6 times in the Old Testament and is a negative term. Sorcery was clearly bad.

The Hebrew word that is translated “magicians” appears 11 times in the Old Testament. None of those references make it clear whether magicians were good or bad.

The Hebrew word that is translated “secret arts” appears eight times in the Old Testament. None of those references make it clear whether secrecy or stealthiness is good or bad.

Some people read this passage and think the Egyptians were using the spiritual world to turn staffs into serpents. That may not be what was happening. It is possible the magicians were using tricks to make it appear that staffs were turning into serpents, just as magicians today have tricks to make it appear they are pulling a rabbit out of a hat or a coin from behind a person’s ear.

Ex. 7:12 And each one threw down his staff, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs.

Ex. 7:13 Yet Pharaoh’s heart was hardened with strength, and he did not listen to them, as Yahweh had spoken.

Take note of the words “was hardened”. Yahweh hardened Pharaoh’s heart so that Pharaoh would rebel against Yahweh.

There is a debate within Christianity regarding man’s free will vs. God’s sovereignty. Some Christians claim God pre-ordained who will be saved and all the deeds that every human will ever do. Others reject that and insist man has free will to choose salvation and whether to do right and wrong. The fact that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart proves it is possible that there are times when God overrides man’s choices and desires.

What do you believe regarding man’s free will vs. God’s sovereignty?

How does today’s passage change your perspective on that question?

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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”