The function of the plagues, which begin in Chapter 7, goes back to the words of Pharaoh in Exodus 5:2, I do not know the Lord.
I think it will be helpful to have all of the Bible references that provide an account of God working through the plagues to reveal himself. Here they are listed in order:
- 6.7 – And you [Israel] shall know that I am the Lord your God.
- 7.5 – And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord.
- 7.17 – By this you [Pharaoh] shall know that I am the Lord.
- 8.10 – That you [Pharaoh] may know that there is no one like the Lord our God.
- 8.22 – That you [Pharaoh] may know that I am the Lord in the midst of the earth.
- 9.14 – I will send all my plagues that you [Pharaoh] may know that there is none like me in all the earth.
- 9.29 – I [Moses] will stretch out my hand. There will be no more hail that you [Pharaoh] may know that the earth is the Lord’s.
- 10.2 – That you [Moses and Israel] may tell what signs I, the Lord, have done among them, [the Egyptians] that you may know that I am the Lord.
- 11.7 – That you, Moses and Israel, may know that the LORD makes a distinction between the Egyptians and Israel.
- 14.4 – And I will get glory over Pharaoh, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD.
- 14.8 – And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.
Not Listening
Victor Hamilton has this to say about the plagues and the knowledge of God: “This emphasis on knowing the Lord lifts the plagues beyond the function of chastisement.
“The plagues are not God’s revenge on Pharaoh. The divine purpose is that Pharaoh and his people, to say nothing of the Israelites, will indeed acquire knowledge of the true God.
“It will be knowledge based on observation and confrontation, not on hearsay. To know the Lord as Lord means to recognize and then submit to His authority.”
One interaction between Moses and Pharaoh reveals the need for the knowledge of God.
“But until now you have not listened.” Thus says the Lord, “By this you shall know that I am the Lord” (Exodus 7:16-17).
We may claim to know the Lord, but we don’t truly know Him if we are not listening to His direction. To know the Lord is to live in the fear of the Lord and to follow His guidance.
Let’s remember that the fear of the Lord involves living in a relationship with God, humbly listening to His direction, and following it obediently.
The key element of a hard heart is an unwillingness to listen, even when God is speaking to us.
The biblical “heart” involves the mind and the will. When our thoughts and intentions refuse to budge from self-centered plans, we have a hard heart.
Paul offers an antidote to a hard heart in Romans 12.
I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, on the basis of God’s mercy, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable act of worship.
Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:1-2).
The first choice that moves us away from a hard heart is to commit the entirety of our lives to the Lord.
The second step joins with the first by renewing our minds to know and do God’s will.
Everything God did with the Egyptians and Hebrews was to show them His character, so they could align themselves with what Paul taught in Romans.
God is still working with people today to achieve the same purpose. The question is whether we will listen to Him or continue with a hard heart.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 