As the Egyptians approach, God places a fiery cloud between them and Israel—producing darkness on Egypt’s side and light on Israel’s. God is the same to both believers and non-believers but one has light and the other remains in darkness. Before he knows what God will do, Moses tells them to have no fear, and they will never see this army again. Godly leaders trust God! God then instructs Moses to tell the people to go forward before he has even parted the water! As Moses waves his staff over the sea, billions of gallons of water pile up creating huge ‘walls’ to the left and right. During the night, Israel crossed over on dry ground and when the cloud lifted, the Egyptians pursued them. After Israel finished crossing and the army was near shore, God confused them, and as Moses waved his staff, tons of water crashed down killing the entire army. The same passageway that was salvation for God’s children was judgment for God’s enemies. Faith without testing is wishful thinking. God is trustworthy, even when believers are trustless (2 Tim. 2:13).

After systematically crushing nine of Egypt’s most revered gods, God reserved the last plague for Egypt’s trust in their own Pharaoh. Lies are eventually shattered against the rock of truth (Jer. 16:9). Because Egypt ‘kidnapped’ and abused Israel, God’s firstborn ‘son’, God will bring justice upon their firstborn sons for not letting Israel go (Ex. 4:23). The title ‘firstborn’ was for the firstborn male, thought to be the best or strength of the family or herd. The firstborn son received most of the family fortune at the father’s death and was treated with special favor as the future hope of the family. For the firstborn to die early was thought to be a curse from God and for it to happen to a nation in one night was catastrophic. This last plague challenged all the gods of Egypt and the Pharaoh himself as the self-proclaimed ‘blessed one’ of the gods. At first the Pharaoh wouldn’t obey as he didn’t ‘know the LORD’, now he knew the LORD in judgment rather than blessing (Ex. 5:2). Everyone will know the Lord as God the Judge, but not everyone will know the Lord as God the Savior (Is. 45:34; Phil. 2:9-11)!

The Pharaoh knew he and his advisors were overmatched by Israel’s God yet they refused unconditional surrender. Despite the power he has seen, the Pharaoh agrees partially but threatens Moses if he takes the women and children. At first the Pharaoh wanted to bargain and only let the men go, then later everyone but without the animals as hostages. Moses tells him he will take their herds and there will be no compromise as the defeated have no authority to bargain. A hard heart leads to a calcified will, and delayed obedience leads to increased penalties (like car registration!). Partial obedience is acknowledgement of what should be done but a willful heart not to complete it. Obedience in part is disobedience in full!

After the plague of flies, the Pharaoh wants to bargain with God to let the people worship in the land so as not to lose control. As Israel’s sacrificial worship would be revolting to the Egyptians and God commanded them to leave, they must separate to worship God. Personal control apart from God is an illusion. Seeing neither the flies, livestock death, nor boils affect the Israelites, Pharaoh starts to see divine distinction between his gods and Israel’s God. God told Moses to inform Pharaoh that the LORD (YHWH) is in the midst of their land thereby claiming Egypt as His own (Ex. 8:22)! Personal possessions apart from God are an illusion (Ps. 24:1). The Israelites were set apart or ‘sanctified’ to show the Egyptians and the world where the true God could be contacted. This was the purpose of Israel before and is the purpose of the church now (1 Pet. 2:9). The people of God are to show the power of God so people without God can become children of God!

In response to the Pharaoh, Moses brings biting gnats/fleas from the dust as a challenge to Geb, god of the earth, and they cover the ground, animals, and people. Though the magicians were able to emulate some of the miracles, they couldn’t reverse the effects, and when they couldn’t duplicate the gnats, they recognize God’s hand. Despite this, the Pharaoh doesn’t listen and hardens his own heart (8:15). Rebellious hearts will look for any reason not to believe! Testing exposes the quality of the heart and either hardens or purifies it. Though all lives feel pain, a godly heart is purified in the fire and becomes like gold after testing (Job 23:10). God told Moses beforehand that the Pharaoh was stubborn and wouldn’t let the people go (Ex. 3:19). So, God chose to also harden his heart to expose it for what it already was and extend Egypt’s punishment to clarify the power of Israel’s God. This was done to rebuke Egypt and warn other nations that Israel’s God was the true God (Josh. 2:10). The true heart of people should glorify the true God!

The Israelites had been praying for deliverance from slavery for years, so God called Moses from Midian to rescue them (Ex. 2:23). As Moses appeared before the Pharaoh he demanded that the people be allowed to go to Mt. Sinai to worship God. As he does not know ‘the LORD/YHWH’, the Pharaoh won’t obey. Believers should not be surprised when unbelievers don’t see the hand of God at work and are hostile towards it. Understandably, the Pharaoh has no respect for the God of the Israelites, as in his view, the Egyptian ‘gods’ have kept the Israelites in slavery. In the mystery of God’s plan, what the Pharaoh doesn’t realize is that Egypt has been used as an ‘incubator’ until the Israelites were big enough to take over Canaan (Gen. 15:13, 14). In the mystery of God’s sovereignty, He will eventually produce good out of evil done to His chosen people (Rom. 8:28). What is a mystery to humanity is destiny to divinity!

Moses returns from Mt. Sinai with his father-in-law’s flocks and leaves for Egypt. As Moses journeys with his wife and sons, God appears at a rest stop, coming to kill him. His wife realizes what is happening, and though not an Israelite, as his helper, saves her husband’s life by circumcising her son (Gen. 17:9-11). God often puts others in our lives to help us live for Him. As Moses should have done the circumcision she is angered by his lack of leadership and throws the skin at his feet in disgust. Either because of laziness or rebellion, Moses failed to follow God’s direction as He holds the leaders of His people and the home to high standards (1 Tim. 3:5). No one is indispensable or untouchable. It is the pleasure of God to use anyone, it is the privilege of believers to be used, and it is the prerogative of God to remove anyone. After meeting Aaron, they leave for Egypt and share the good news of liberation. God’s power goes with His presence in His people!

After God identifies Himself with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob/Israel, God shares His plan to send Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and bring them to Canaan—the Promised Land. Moses questions this plan, but God tells him the reason for confidence is not his ability but God’s reliability. God does not call the qualified but qualifies the called. Moses then asks what God’s name is so he can tell the people which God will deliver them from the pantheon of Egyptian ‘gods’. God reveals His name as ‘YHWH’ (from Heb. verb hayah ‘to be’) meaning ‘I am who/that I am—the one who is/will be’ hinting at His eternal, changeless nature. Names throughout history were often chosen to describe the situation or the character of the person being born (Prov. 22:1). Though God knew Moses personally before He met him, God shares His name with Moses so Moses can know Him personally! YHWH will make the gods of the earth’s strongest nation look inept as He takes the Israelites out unharmed and plunders Egypt like a victorious army by only asking for their goods. Those God knows closely, He blesses abundantly!

In the desert, Moses sat down at a well and saw women trying to get water for their flocks, but were run off by other shepherds. So, Moses bravely ‘stood up’ to save the weak (Ps. 82:3, 4). The women were seven daughters of Reuel/Jethro, priest of Midian, a distant cousin who Moses ended up living with and working for (Gen. 25:2). Moses would later marry Zipporah, who birthed his first son, Gershom. From privileged, single prince to poor, married father, God often uses our family and financial situations to mold us. Though Moses’ failed before, God’s people are defined by His promises, not their problems (vs. 24)!

For hundreds of years after Joseph died, the Israelite population grew so large in Egypt, the Pharaoh (possibly Amenhotep II) decreed infanticide for all males. Because Shiphrah and Puah, the Hebrew midwives charged with the delivery and recording of slave children, refused to obey and murder them, God blessed them. God honored their life-threatening decision and put the women in families gaining them safety and financial security or possibly children of their own. Faith in God must be tested, and God will honor those who honor Him (1 Sam. 2:30). Believers are called to follow the laws of the land, however, when the laws of the land contradict clear revelation of God, obedience to God is required (Acts 5:29; 1 Pet. 2:13). Believers will give temporary account to temporary governments but give eternal account to an eternal God—God’s Law trumps all other laws. Though the future is a mystery, believers must honor God in the present!