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Patriarchs and Prophets
“They hearkened not ... for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.”
Again the divine message came to Moses, “Go in, speak unto Pharaoh
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king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land.” In
discouragement he replied, “Behold, the children of Israel have not
hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me?” He was told to
take Aaron with him and go before Pharaoh, and again demand “that
he send the children of Israel out of his land.”
He was informed that the monarch would not yield until God
should visit judgments upon Egypt and bring out Israel by the signal
manifestation of His power. Before the infliction of each plague,
Moses was to describe its nature and effects, that the king might save
himself from it if he chose. Every punishment rejected would be
followed by one more severe, until his proud heart would be humbled,
and he would acknowledge the Maker of heaven and earth as the true
and living God. The Lord would give the Egyptians an opportunity
to see how vain was the wisdom of their mighty men, how feeble the
power of their gods, when opposed to the commands of Jehovah. He
would punish the people of Egypt for their idolatry and silence their
boasting of the blessings received from their senseless deities. God
would glorify His own name, that other nations might hear of His
power and tremble at His mighty acts, and that His people might be
led to turn from their idolatry and render Him pure worship.
Again Moses and Aaron entered the lordly halls of the king of
Egypt. There, surrounded by lofty columns and glittering adornments,
by the rich paintings and sculptured images of heathen gods, before
the monarch of the most powerful kingdom then in existence, stood the
two representatives of the enslaved race, to repeat the command from
God for Israel’s release. The king demanded a miracle, in evidence of
their divine commission. Moses and Aaron had been directed how to
act in case such a demand should be made, and Aaron now took the rod
and cast it down before Pharaoh. It became a serpent. The monarch
sent for his “wise men and the sorcerers,” who “cast down every man
his rod and they became serpents: but Aaron’s rod swallowed up
their rods.” Then the king, more determined than before, declared his
magicians equal in power with Moses and Aaron; he denounced the
servants of the Lord as impostors, and felt himself secure in resisting
their demands. Yet while he despised their message, he was restrained
by divine power from doing them harm.
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