Chapter 7
Themes, discussion questions, Christ connections, and denomination lenses.
Just read this chapter →Scripture
KJV1And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.
2Thou shalt speak all that I command thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land.
3And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.
4But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments.
5And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.
6And Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them, so did they.
7And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh.
8And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
9When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent.
10And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent.
11Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.
12For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.
13And he hardened Pharaoh’s heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.
14And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh’s heart is hardened, he refuseth to let the people go.
15Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water; and thou shalt stand by the river’s brink against he come; and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in thine hand.
16And thou shalt say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee, saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness: and, behold, hitherto thou wouldest not hear.
17Thus saith the LORD, In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.
18And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall lothe to drink of the water of the river.
19And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water, that they may become blood; and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone.
20And Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood.
21And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.
22And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; as the LORD had said.
23And Pharaoh turned and went into his house, neither did he set his heart to this also.
24And all the Egyptians digged round about the river for water to drink; for they could not drink of the water of the river.
25And seven days were fulfilled, after that the LORD had smitten the river.
“And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.”
Overview
God tells Moses that He has made him 'a god to Pharaoh' and Aaron his prophet. He warns that Pharaoh's heart will be hardened, and God will multiply His signs and wonders in Egypt. Moses is eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three when they confront Pharaoh. Aaron's rod becomes a serpent, and when the Egyptian magicians replicate the sign, Aaron's rod swallows theirs. The first plague begins: Aaron strikes the Nile with his rod, and all the waters of Egypt turn to blood. The fish die, the river stinks, and there is no clean water to drink. Pharaoh's heart remains hard.
Key Themes
God's Sovereignty Over Pharaoh's Heart
God declares in advance that He will harden Pharaoh's heart — the plagues serve not merely to persuade but to demonstrate God's power and reveal His glory to all nations.
Judgment on Egypt's Gods
The Nile was worshipped as a source of life in Egypt. By turning it to blood and death, God directly challenges Egypt's false deities and shows Himself supreme.
The Insufficiency of Counterfeit Power
Egypt's magicians can imitate some signs but cannot reverse them — counterfeit spiritual power may mimic God's work but ultimately proves impotent and self-defeating.
Study Questions
What does it mean that God made Moses 'a god to Pharaoh' (v. 1), and how does this reshape the power dynamic between God's servant and the world's mightiest king?
How should we understand the hardening of Pharaoh's heart — is it God overriding Pharaoh's will, or confirming the direction Pharaoh has already chosen?
Why does God allow the Egyptian magicians to replicate the sign of the serpent and the plague of blood, and what does this teach about discerning true from false spiritual power?
What is the significance of the first plague targeting the Nile specifically, and how does this relate to God's judgment on the gods of Egypt (12:12)?
How does Aaron's rod swallowing the magicians' rods foreshadow the ultimate outcome of the contest between God and Pharaoh?
Connection to Christ
The water turned to blood anticipates both the judgments of Revelation and the blood of Christ that brings life rather than death. As Moses was appointed to stand before Pharaoh with God's authority, so Christ stands as the ultimate Prophet who confronts the powers of darkness with absolute authority.
Personal Reflection
Take time to journal or meditate on what God is teaching you through Exodus 7. How can these truths transform your thinking and actions today?