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Chapter 47

 

The Serpent, Serpents and Another Serpent

 

And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet. Thou 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. And I will harden PharaohÕs heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. But 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. 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. And Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them, so did they. And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh. And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Show a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent. And 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. Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but AaronÕs rod swallowed up their rods. And he hardened PharaohÕs heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.Ó (Exodus 7:1-13)

 

A God to Pharaoh

 

This chapter begins with a strange declaration. — ÒAnd the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet

 

            Did the Lord God say to Moses, ÒI have made thee a god to PharaohÓ? What does that mean? Look at the previous verse (Exodus 6:30). Being again commissioned of God to go to Pharaoh, Moses said, ÒBehold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me?Ó This is the LordÕs next word to Moses. — ÒSee, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh.Ó With that declaration, he assured Moses that he was sent with Divine authority as GodÕs messenger, and that, as GodÕs messenger, failure was an impossibility.

 

            Moses had been commissioned as GodÕs messenger to Pharaoh. He was clothed with power and authority from God as his representative to the King of Egypt. Civil magistrates are called ÒgodsÓ (Psalm 82:6-7; John 10:34-36), because they are set over men with Divine authority to whom we are responsible and whose laws we are commanded to obey (Romans 13:1-7).

 

            Here, Moses is called Òa god to PharaohÓ specifically because he was sent as GodÕs ambassador, as a man with a message from God to deliver to Pharaoh. That is the position in which every man sent of God as his messenger stands before those to whom he is sent.

 

            GodÕs servants are all sinful men, just like you, nothing but sinful men. Yet, that man who is sent of God, carrying GodÕs message to you, is clothed with Divine authority. He is to be heard. His message is to be obeyed. The labor of such men is never in vain (Jeremiah 1:10; 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:1; Hebrews 13:7, 17; 2 Corinthians 2:14-17).

 

            Moses received the message directly from God; but he did not personally deliver it to Pharaoh. He related GodÕs message to Aaron, his brother, the man appointed by God to be high priest over the house of Israel. And Aaron delivered the message to Pharaoh.

 

            What a vivid portrayal that is of true preaching. GodÕs servants seek and obtain a message from him. Then, they deliver the message back into the hands of Christ, the only Mediator between God and men, and implore him to deliver his message by them in the power of his Spirit.

 

            And those men who are sent of God to speak for him, true Gospel preachers, studiously labor to know and to speak only that which God commands and all that God commands in his Word (Exodus 7:2; Jeremiah 23:28; Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 20:27).

 

            Like Moses, GodÕs servants are not free to preach what they desire, selecting what they think is appropriate. We are commanded and responsible to Òdeclare unto you all the counsel of God,Ó to Òpreach the WordÓ (2 Timothy 4:2) in season and out of season, to Òhold fast the form of sound wordsÓ (2 Timothy 1:13). — ÒIf any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; he is proud, knowing nothingÓ (1 Timothy 6:3-4).

 

            With this qualification, ÒI have made thee a god to Pharaoh,Ó Moses went forth, acting as GodÕs representative. He ruled over EgyptÕs proud king, commanding him, controlling him, and punishing him for his disobedience.

 

            Moses is no longer timid, hesitant, and discouraged. He never again mentions his own inability, but goes forth in the name of Christ, as GodÕs messenger to men, full of confidence, not in himself, but in God whose servant he was. Let every man called and sent of God do likewise

 

GodÕs Purpose

 

In verses 3-5, the Lord God tells Moses plainly that he would be to Pharaoh a messenger of death and of judgment. It was GodÕs purpose in sending Moses to Pharaoh to harden PharaohÕs heart by his Word and by the wonders he would perform before his eyes. — ÒAnd I will harden PharaohÕs heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of EgyptÓ (v. 3).

 

            Here we see the great sovereignty of our God displayed in wisdom and justice. God hardened PharaohÕs heart by every renewed declaration of his Word, and by every wonder performed before his eyes. By these things the children of Israel were more and more convinced that the Lord was about to deliver them; but Pharaoh and the Egyptians became more and more hardened in their hatred of God. The same sun that melts the wax until it is dissolved, hardens the clay into brick (2 Corinthians 4:3-4; Hebrews 3:12-13; Isaiah 6:9-10; Romans 11:5-10; 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12; Romans 1:28-32).

 

            Many try to blunt the keen edge of Holy Scripture in order to make it more acceptable to the carnal mind. Instead of acknowledging with fear and trembling that GodÕs Word teaches precisely what is here stated, that the Lord God actually hardened the heart of Pharaoh, most argue that he did nothing of the kind, that he simply permitted the Egyptian monarch to harden his own heart.

 

            While it is true that Pharaoh did harden his own heart, the Scriptures specifically tell us that the Lord God himself hardened PharaohÕs heart, and that he did so precisely according to his own sovereign pleasure and eternal purpose. Pharaoh was responsible for hardening his heart. He did so because he hated God and refused to bow to him. Yet, even PharaohÕs hardness of heart was accomplished according to GodÕs purpose (Romans 9:15-23).

 

Two Great Ends

 

But GodÕs purpose in hardening PharaohÕs heart was not an arbitrary, capricious whim. He raised up Pharaoh, hardened his heart, and dumped him in the Red Sea in order to accomplish two great ends: the glory of his own great name and the deliverance of his people. We see this clearly in verse 4-5 and in Psalm 105:2; 5-28.

 

(Exodus 7:4-5) ÒBut 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. 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.

 

The Lord God turned the Egyptians Òto hate his people, to deal subtly with his servants.Ó ThenÉ

 

(Psalms 105:25-28) ÒHe turned their heart to hate his people, to deal subtilly with his servants. He sent Moses his servant; and Aaron whom he had chosen. They showed his signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham. He sent darkness, and made it dark; and they rebelled not against his word.Ó

 

And Òled them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm, dividing the water before them, to make himself an everlasting nameÉ led them through the deep, as an horse in the wilderness, that they should not stumble. So didst thou lead thy people, to make thyself a glorious nameÓ (Isaiah 63:12-14).

 

The Men

 

In verses 6-7 the Spirit of God describes the men God chose to be his servants by whom he would deliver his people. He does so by declaring just two things about them.

 

(Exodus 7:6-7) ÒAnd Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them, so did they. And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh.Ó

 

            First, Moses and Aaron were faithful men. — God only requires one thing of his servants. — ÒIt is required in stewards, that a man be found faithfulÓ (1 Corinthians 4:2). — ÒAnd Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them, so did theyÓ (Exodus 7:6). They never again showed the slightest reluctance, or made any objection to any message they were commanded to deliver or any work they were commanded to do, but went about it at once, and performed it with all readiness of mind and cheerfulness of heart. — May God the Holy Spirit give me grace to follow their example, for ChristÕs sake!

 

            Second, they were faithful men; and they were old men. — ÒAnd Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto PharaohÓ (Exodus 7:7). I see several things here that are important. They were men of considerable experience. They were mature men, seasoned with the experience of life in this world. They had been in training for a long time. They were wise, prudent men of great age, sedate and composed. They were weak, old men. A. W. Pink wroteÉ

 

ÒThis reference to the ages of Moses and Aaron seems to be brought in here in order to magnify the power and grace of Jehovah. He was pleased to employ two aged men as his instruments.Ó

 

The Serpents

 

What is the significance of the serpents mentioned in verses 8-12?

 

(Exodus 7:8-12) ÒAnd the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Show a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent. And 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. Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but AaronÕs rod swallowed up their rods.Ó

 

            After delivering GodÕs message to him, Pharaoh demanded (as God said he would) that Moses show him a sign, a miracle. Like multitudes throughout the ages, he seems to have said, ÒI will believe God, if you can prove that I should.Ó And God gave him a sign. But, remember, it was God who chose the sign. — Aaron threw his rod to the ground; and it immediately turned into a serpent. Then PharaohÕs magicians did the same thing with their rods by Òtheir enchantments.Ó But AaronÕs serpent swallowed the serpents of PharaohÕs magicians.

 

            The serpent was the emblem of Pharaoh and his power. His head-dress featured a raised cobra. The fact that AaronÕs serpent devoured the other serpents amounted to nothing less than the Lord God declaring his sovereignty, supremacy, and power over Pharaoh and his gods. But it showed even more than that. This sign, by which God originally declared himself to Pharaoh, was a display of our Lord Jesus Christ and his dominion and triumph over Satan, by which he would accomplish our redemption and eternal salvation.

 

            AaronÕs rod clearly represents Christ himself. It was the rod of power that budded with life. When it was thrown on the ground, it became a serpent. That is exactly what happened when our Lord Jesus Christ came into this world in human flesh. It was a serpent, Satan, who beguiled Eve and brought Adam into ruin. This was by GodÕs design (Job 26:13; Isaiah 27:1). When our Lord Jesus Christ was portrayed in his redemptive power and grace, he was portrayed as a serpent (Numbers 21:9; John 3:14-15).

 

            The serpent Moses made and held up in the wilderness for the saving of the people was a serpent of brass, because brass has within it a toxin, or poisonous element; and our blessed Savior, when he died in our place at Calvary made the toxin, the poison that ruined us his own, when he bare our sins in his own body on the tree. The serpent was made of brass for another reason. — Brass is the color that most resembles the color of the noxious reptile. And our Lord Jesus, in order to redeem and save his people from their sins, was made a curse for us. Therefore, when Moses portrayed him in his redemptive character, he made the image of a serpent, the only creature of God that is said to be under the Divine curse.

 

            PharaohÕs magicians, Òwith their enchantments,Ó threw their rods on the ground and made them appear as serpents. It really does not matter, but I am inclined to think these magicians did not actually turn their rods into serpents, but that they simply made them appear to be serpents, just as false prophets ever seek to imitate true prophets, and seek to give out imitations of Christ for Christ himself (2 Corinthians 11:13).

 

            Then, AaronÕs rod swallowed up their rods. The rods of Jannes and Jambres were entirely consumed by AaronÕs rod. God the Holy Ghost uses this great picture to assure his Church and his servants in all ages that our Lord Jesus Christ, his Church, and his Gospel always prevail over the gates of hell (2 Timothy 3:1-9). Our Lord Jesus Christ has, by his sin-atoning sacrifice, utterly destroyed the devil and cast him out. — ÒThe prince of this world is judgedÓ (John 12:31-33; 16:11; Revelation 20:1-6).

 

            Christ has bound the old serpent with the chain of his omnipotence, having utterly consumed every evil he brought upon GodÕs chosen. Soon, just as ÒAaronÕs rod swallowed up their rods,Ó our blessed Savior shall completely rid the universe of the slime of Satan upon his creation! — ÒAnd there shall be no more curse!Ó Because Christ died and rose again, because he has swallowed up the curse, GodÕs people have nothing to fear from the serpents spawned by Satan in this world (Isaiah 11:8-9).

 

A Hardened Rebel

 

PharaohÕs heart was hardened by that which, it would appear, should melt any heart. — ÒAnd he hardened PharaohÕs heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had saidÓ (v. 13). The fact is, so hard is the heart of man that it cannot be melted to repentance, except God himself melt it by his grace. But the primary emphasis of this statement is the fact that our great God is in absolute control of all things, both the good and the evil (Psalm 76:10; Proverbs 21:1; Revelation 17:17; Romans 11:33-36). — Let us worship and adore him.

 

Our sovÕreign God maintains

His universal throne;

In heavÕn, and earth, and hell He reigns,

And makes His wonders known!

 

His counsels and decrees,

Firmer than mountains stand;

He will perform whateÕer He please;

And none can stay his hand!

 

All things His will controls;

And His all-wise decree

Has fixed the destinies of all

In matchless sovÕreignty. —

 

Jacob by grace He saved,

And gives no reason why;

But EsauÕs heart He left depraved. —

And who shall dare reply?

 

What if the Potter takes

Part of a lump of clay,

And for Himself a vessel makes

And casts the rest away?

 

Who shall resist His will,

Or say, ÒWhat doest Thou?Ó

Jehovah is the SovÕreign still;

And all to Him must bow!

 

My soul, bow and adore

The Lord in all His ways;

His sovÕreignty none can explore;

But I will trust His grace!

 

ÒFor of Him and through Him

And to Him are all things:

To Whom be glory evermore!

Amen! Amen! Amen!Ó

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don Fortner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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