Exodus Chapter 7

Miracles and Plagues before Pharaoh

A. God Explains the Plan to Moses Again

1. (Exodus 7:1-2) The Reaffirmation of the Work of Moses and Aaron.

“So the LORD said to Moses: ‘See, I have made you as God to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother shall be your prophet. You shall speak all that I command you. And Aaron your brother shall speak to Pharaoh to send the children of Israel out of his land.’”

The LORD once again displayed remarkable patience toward Moses. Despite Moses’ discouragement and complaint in the preceding chapter, God did not rebuke or replace him. Instead, the LORD re-affirmed His plan and restated Moses’ divine commission. This moment reveals the enduring mercy and longsuffering of God toward His servants, even when they falter in faith or courage.

When the LORD said, “I have made you as God to Pharaoh,” He meant that Moses would stand before Pharaoh as the representative of divine authority. Since Pharaoh had arrogantly declared in Exodus 5:2, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go?”—God would now answer that challenge through Moses. Pharaoh, who had rejected a direct encounter with Yahweh, would now be forced to confront God’s power through His chosen vessel. As G. Campbell Morgan notes, “He should stand before Pharaoh in the place of God, not only delivering His messages, but accompanying them with such actions of power as should demonstrate the authority of those messages.”

This concept foreshadows a principle found in the New Testament. Believers, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, represent Christ to a watching world. Paul writes, “You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us” (2 Corinthians 3:2–3). Many will never read the Bible, but they will read our lives. As Thomas remarked, “A prophet is one who represents God to man and, as such, all the Lord’s people are prophets. Are we giving those around a true idea of God?”

The LORD further declared, “Aaron your brother shall be your prophet.” Just as Moses was not to speak independently of God, Aaron was not to speak independently of Moses. Their relationship illustrated the divine order of revelation and obedience. Moses received God’s command; Aaron proclaimed it. Both men acted only by divine instruction, ensuring that the message was entirely God’s.

Finally, God said, “You shall speak all that I command you.” Moses was not to alter or dilute God’s word based on past discouragement or fear of Pharaoh’s reaction. The LORD reminded him that obedience—not results—was his duty. God’s servants must speak faithfully regardless of apparent success or opposition.

2. (Exodus 7:3) God Promises to Harden Pharaoh’s Heart.

“And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt.”

The declaration, “I will harden Pharaoh’s heart,” has often raised questions concerning divine sovereignty and human responsibility. However, as in Exodus 4:21, the phrase does not mean that God forced Pharaoh to rebel. Instead, God confirmed Pharaoh’s own chosen path of obstinacy. Pharaoh had already revealed his defiance when he dismissed the LORD’s demand in Exodus 5:1–4. Therefore, God’s “hardening” was a judicial act—strengthening Pharaoh in the rebellion he had willfully embraced.

Throughout Scripture, we see this principle at work: when a person persistently rejects God’s truth, divine restraint is eventually removed, and they are given over to the consequences of their own decisions. Paul explained this process in Romans 1:24, 28: “Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts… and even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting.” In this way, Pharaoh’s heart became increasingly hardened each time he resisted the clear evidence of God’s power.

Yet, even as God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, He continued to multiply “signs and wonders in the land.” Every plague was both a judgment and an opportunity for repentance. Pharaoh was given overwhelming proof of the LORD’s supremacy over Egypt’s gods. Had he humbled himself, he would have been spared. The miracles were not meant to destroy without warning, but to reveal God’s glory and to give Pharaoh the chance to yield before judgment became final.

Thus, in this passage, we see the perfect balance of divine sovereignty and human responsibility. God’s purpose would be accomplished, yet Pharaoh’s own choices determined the hardness of his heart. God’s miracles before Pharaoh were both a display of power and a merciful call to repentance—a call that Pharaoh tragically ignored.

3. (Exodus 7:4–7) Why God Will Harden Pharaoh’s Heart

“But Pharaoh will not heed you, so that I may lay My hand on Egypt and bring My 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 out My hand on Egypt and bring out the children of Israel from among them.” Then Moses and Aaron did so; just as the LORD commanded them, so they did. And Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three years old when they spoke to Pharaoh.”

God revealed to Moses that Pharaoh’s rejection of His command was not a failure of divine power or purpose but rather part of the plan. “But Pharaoh will not heed you” shows that God was not surprised by Pharaoh’s stubbornness; it was fully foreseen and even incorporated into God’s redemptive design. Pharaoh’s obstinacy would become the stage upon which God would display His mighty hand, executing judgment on Egypt and delivering Israel in a manner that all would know was supernatural.

When the LORD said, “so that I may lay My hand on Egypt and bring My armies and My people… by great judgments,” He revealed that the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart served a higher purpose. Egypt’s idolatry, cruelty, and pride would meet divine justice. Pharaoh’s refusal allowed God’s power to be revealed in such a way that the world would see His holiness, wrath, and mercy operating simultaneously. The deliverance of Israel was not only an act of compassion but also a declaration of God’s supremacy over all false gods.

Pharaoh had arrogantly asked in Exodus 5:2, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go?” God’s response came through ten devastating plagues that dismantled Egypt’s pantheon one by one, proving that He alone is the LORD. This pattern—God using human rebellion to magnify His sovereignty—is seen throughout Scripture. The Apostle Paul referenced Pharaoh in Romans 9:17, where he wrote, “For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, ‘For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.’”

God’s purpose extended beyond judgment; it was also evangelistic. He said, “And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD.” Even in His wrath, God sought to reveal Himself to unbelievers. His works in Egypt became a testimony to all nations. Centuries later, Rahab in Jericho would tell the Israelite spies, “We have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt” (Joshua 2:10). Thus, the Exodus became a global declaration of God’s glory.

This same divine principle is reflected in Ephesians 3:10–11, where Paul wrote, “To the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Just as God revealed His power to Egypt through Israel, He now reveals His wisdom to the heavenly realm through His redeemed people. As F. B. Meyer observed, “Believers are the world’s Bibles, by studying which men may come to know the Lord Himself.”

Moreover, as Walter Kaiser noted, these miracles were not merely punitive—they were invitations to believe. Pharaoh and his people had multiple opportunities to repent. Some Egyptians evidently did respond in faith, as indicated by the “mixed multitude” that left Egypt with Israel (Exodus 12:38). Even amid judgment, God extended mercy to those willing to believe.

The closing verse gives important chronological details: “Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three years old when they spoke to Pharaoh.” In the world’s eyes, this would be retirement age, but in God’s plan, it was the beginning of their greatest mission. Their ages remind us that God’s calling does not expire with age or custom. The LORD deliberately chose the younger brother, Moses, for leadership over the elder, Aaron, demonstrating that divine election often transcends human traditions and expectations.

Moses and Aaron obeyed exactly as the LORD commanded. Their faithfulness in this moment marks a turning point. They were now fully yielded to God’s purpose, ready to stand before Pharaoh as instruments of His judgment and redemption.

B. Moses and Aaron Before Pharaoh

1. (Exodus 7:8–10) Moses and Aaron Appear Before Pharaoh Again

“Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, ‘When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, “Show a miracle for yourselves,” then you shall say to Aaron, “Take your rod and cast it before Pharaoh, and let it become a serpent.”’ So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did so, just as the LORD commanded. And Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent.”

The LORD anticipated Pharaoh’s challenge. When Pharaoh demanded a sign—“Show a miracle for yourselves”—it was not an act of curiosity but defiance. Egypt was steeped in occult practices, and Pharaoh likely viewed Moses’ God as one more deity among many. God, therefore, instructed Moses and Aaron to perform a sign demonstrating His supreme power.

The command, “Take your rod and cast it before Pharaoh,” recalls the earlier miracle God gave Moses in Exodus 4:1–9, when his staff became a serpent before Israel’s elders. However, that sign had been for Israel’s encouragement; now the miracle served as a warning to Pharaoh.

When Moses and Aaron stood before Pharaoh again, it took tremendous courage. The first encounter had ended in disaster, with Pharaoh increasing the Israelites’ burdens (Exodus 5:15–19). Yet now they returned in obedience, undeterred by fear or memory of failure. True faith often requires returning to the place of past disappointment, trusting that God’s power will succeed where human effort once failed.

Aaron obeyed and cast his rod before Pharaoh, and “it became a serpent.” The Hebrew word used here differs from the one in Exodus 4:3. There, the word was nachash (ordinary serpent), but here it is tannin, which can mean “great serpent,” “dragon,” or even “crocodile.” This distinction is significant because the crocodile was a powerful symbol of Egypt itself, associated with the god Sobek, who was revered as a deity of strength and protection. By turning the rod into a tannin, God directly challenged Egypt’s national symbol and its false gods.

As Walter Kaiser notes, “When cast down it became a tannin (‘great serpent,’ ‘dragon,’ or ‘crocodile’)... The connection of the name tannin with the symbol of Egypt is clear from Psalm 74:13 and Ezekiel 29:3.” In Psalm 74:13, we read, “You divided the sea by Your strength; You broke the heads of the sea serpents in the waters.” Likewise, in Ezekiel 29:3, God says, “Behold, I am against you, O Pharaoh king of Egypt, O great monster who lies in the midst of his rivers.” In both passages, the tannin represents Egypt’s power, which God alone can subdue.

This miracle, therefore, was more than a spectacle—it was a prophetic act. God was declaring to Pharaoh that His power would consume Egypt’s might. The rod, a shepherd’s staff turned into the symbol of Egypt’s destruction, prefigured the greater judgments soon to come.

2. (Exodus 7:11–13) Pharaoh’s Magicians Imitate the Miracle of Aaron’s Rod

“But Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers; so the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. For every man threw down his rod, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods. And Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as the LORD had said.”

Pharaoh’s immediate response to the miracle performed by Moses and Aaron was to summon his “wise men and sorcerers.” These individuals were not mere illusionists; they were highly regarded in Egypt for their supposed ability to harness supernatural forces. Egypt was the cradle of occultism in the ancient world, and its magicians were deeply involved in demonic practices. As commentator R. Alan Cole notes, “Magic was very prevalent in Egypt, and a number of papyri deal with the subject.” Their knowledge, however, was rooted not in divine truth but in deception and spiritual darkness.

When Scripture says that the magicians “did in like manner with their enchantments,” it reveals one of Satan’s oldest tactics—counterfeit miracles designed to confuse and harden the hearts of unbelievers. Even in the midst of an unmistakable act of God, Pharaoh was given a reason to doubt, and he eagerly seized it. Satan cannot create genuine life or divine power, but he can imitate enough of the supernatural to deceive those already inclined toward unbelief. This was not harmless sleight of hand; it was the manifestation of demonic power.

Paul warned of this same reality in the New Testament:
“The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they may be saved.” (2 Thessalonians 2:9–10)
This passage clarifies that miracles—or things that appear miraculous—can demonstrate that something is supernatural, but they cannot prove that it is true. The Egyptians’ enchantments were authentic displays of supernatural energy, yet they originated from hell itself.

Furthermore, Paul directly referenced these same magicians in his letter to Timothy:
“Always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.” (2 Timothy 3:7–9)
These two men, remembered in Jewish tradition as Pharaoh’s chief magicians, exemplified intellectual brilliance without spiritual discernment. They were learned but blind, scholars of deception rather than truth.

When Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods, God provided a symbolic and unmistakable message: His power would consume the might of Egypt. The rod, which had become the tannin—the great serpent or crocodile symbol of Egypt’s strength—now devoured the serpents of the magicians, portraying divine supremacy over every demonic counterfeit. Egypt’s power was swallowed whole by the hand of the LORD.

Charles Spurgeon, in his sermon “The Power of Aaron’s Rod,” beautifully observed that this event illustrates the truth that God’s power not only overcomes His enemies but also swallows up our idols and sins. Whatever stands opposed to Him—false religion, human pride, or the works of darkness—will be consumed by the greater power of God.

Yet despite this unmistakable sign, “Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as the LORD had said.” The problem was not intellectual ignorance but moral rebellion. Pharaoh’s hardness was self-inflicted, and in his pride, he rejected the evidence before him. The same sun that melts the wax hardens the clay. The difference lies not in the sun but in the substance upon which it shines. God’s power had been clearly revealed, but Pharaoh chose defiance over submission.

3. (Exodus 7:14–18) God Sends Moses to Warn Pharaoh About the Coming of the First Plague

“So the LORD said to Moses: ‘Pharaoh’s heart is hard; he refuses to let the people go. Go to Pharaoh in the morning, when he goes out to the water, and you shall stand by the river’s bank to meet him; and the rod which was turned to a serpent you shall take in your hand. And you shall say to him, “The LORD God of the Hebrews has sent me to you, saying, ‘Let My people go, that they may serve Me in the wilderness’; but indeed, until now you would not hear! Thus says the LORD: ‘By this you shall know that I am the LORD. Behold, I will strike the waters which are in the river with the rod that is in my hand, and they shall be turned to blood. And the fish that are in the river shall die, the river shall stink, and the Egyptians will loathe to drink the water of the river.’”’

The LORD now pronounced the first of ten devastating judgments upon Egypt. Pharaoh’s hardened heart had brought him to this point. God said plainly, “Pharaoh’s heart is hard; he refuses to let the people go.” This hardness was not ignorance but willful rebellion. Despite repeated opportunities to repent, Pharaoh continued in pride, and now divine judgment would begin.

God commanded Moses, “Go to Pharaoh in the morning, when he goes out to the water.” Pharaoh’s daily journey to the Nile was more than routine—it was religious. The Nile River was considered sacred, revered as a god in Egyptian mythology and believed to be the lifeblood of the nation. By confronting Pharaoh at the Nile, God struck at the very heart of Egypt’s idolatry. The river that they worshiped would soon become an instrument of judgment.

Moses was to carry “the rod which was turned to a serpent” as a visible reminder of God’s power over Egypt’s symbols and gods. He was to proclaim, “Thus says the LORD: ‘By this you shall know that I am the LORD.’” Every plague that followed would expand upon this central theme: that the LORD alone is God and that all idols are false. The Nile’s transformation into blood would prove that Egypt’s life source could become its curse under the hand of Yahweh.

God’s mercy is evident even here, for He gave Pharaoh a warning before the judgment came. If Pharaoh had humbled himself and obeyed, the plagues could have been avoided. Instead, he persisted in rebellion. Each plague thus became both an act of judgment and an opportunity for repentance.

When the LORD said, “Behold, I will strike the waters which are in the river… and they shall be turned to blood,” He declared not only a physical but also a spiritual reality. The river that once sustained Egypt would now reek of death, and the Egyptians would “loathe to drink the water.” This sign symbolized the corruption of Egypt’s spiritual condition. What they worshiped as life-giving would now testify to their sin.

The purpose of the first plague, as of all the others, was captured in the phrase, “By this you shall know that I am the LORD.” Pharaoh’s sin against Israel was ultimately a sin against God Himself. He refused to acknowledge Yahweh’s sovereignty, and his defiance would now lead to catastrophic consequences.

4. (Exodus 7:19–21) The First Plague Comes Upon Egypt: The Nile Turns to Blood

“Then the LORD spoke to Moses, ‘Say to Aaron, “Take your rod and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their streams, over their rivers, over their ponds, and over all their pools of water, that they may become blood. And there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in buckets of wood and pitchers of stone.”’ And Moses and Aaron did so, just as the LORD commanded. So he lifted up the rod and struck 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. The fish that were in the river died, the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink the water of the river. So there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.”

This act marked the beginning of divine judgment upon Egypt and the first in a series of ten devastating plagues. The LORD commanded Moses and Aaron to stretch forth the rod of God, which symbolized divine authority, over every body of water in Egypt—rivers, streams, ponds, and even stored water in vessels. The result was immediate and absolute: every drop of water in the land became blood.

The text specifies, “that they may become blood.” This first plague introduced the pattern for all the others. The ten plagues were divided into three groups of three, with the tenth—the death of the firstborn—standing alone as the climactic judgment. In each triad, the first two plagues came after a clear warning and a call to repentance, while the third came without warning, emphasizing God’s longsuffering and justice.

Some have attempted to explain these plagues as natural phenomena. In this case, it has been suggested that the Nile, when in heavy flood, could collect red sediment and microorganisms that turn the water reddish and toxic, killing the fish. However, such explanations fail to account for both the timing and the totality of the plague. This judgment occurred precisely when Moses announced it, covered every source of water—even stored water in vessels—and produced an unmistakable stench of death. No natural event could be so precisely commanded or so comprehensively destructive.

Whether God used natural means or not is beside the point; the timing, scope, and purpose of this event bear the direct imprint of divine intervention. As with all biblical miracles, the purpose was not entertainment but revelation—God was showing His supremacy over Egypt and its gods. The plagues were literal events, not allegories or symbols. While they carried symbolic meaning, they truly occurred. This is an important interpretive principle when studying the plagues in Revelation—they too are literal, though rich in prophetic meaning.

Each plague struck directly at the heart of Egypt’s religious system. The LORD said in Exodus 5:2, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go?” The plagues were His resounding answer. Each one demonstrated that Yahweh, the God of Israel, was greater than Egypt’s deities.

Specifically, this first plague targeted the Egyptian river gods. The Nile River was not merely a waterway—it was considered divine. The Egyptians worshiped the Nile as the very lifeblood of the nation. By turning it into blood, the LORD declared His total dominion over Egypt’s life source. As commentator R. Alan Cole notes, “The ‘plagues’ are described by cognate Hebrew words, all meaning ‘blow’ or ‘stroke.’” Each plague was a deliberate blow against a specific idol or false deity.

Several Egyptian gods were humiliated by this act. Khnum, said to be the guardian of the Nile, was powerless to defend it. Hapi, the spirit of the river, was defeated in his own domain. Osiris, whose bloodstream was believed to flow through the Nile, was mocked in divine irony—his “blood” literally flowed through the land. The Nile itself, often worshiped in hymns recorded in Egyptian papyri, became a symbol of decay and death rather than fertility.

Archaeological evidence lends remarkable support to this event. The Ipuwer Papyrus, dating from this general period, describes a calamity in Egypt with striking parallels: “The river is blood. Men shrink from tasting, and thirst after water.” (Ipuwer 2.10). The same text also describes widespread social upheaval, noting that servants had fled from their masters—consistent with the conditions during the Exodus.

Thus, the LORD’s strike against the Nile was both theological and practical. Egypt’s gods were silenced, its people defiled, and its king humbled. The water that sustained life now bore witness to judgment.

5. (Exodus 7:22–25) The Magicians of Egypt Copy the Miracle

“Then the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments; and Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as the LORD had said. And Pharaoh turned and went into his house. Neither was his heart moved by this. So all the Egyptians dug all around the river for water to drink, because they could not drink the water of the river. And seven days passed after the LORD had struck the river.”

Even after this unmistakable act of divine judgment, Pharaoh still sought comfort in counterfeit power. “The magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments.” By using demonic power or deceptive artifice, they were somehow able to imitate the miracle, turning small amounts of water into blood. Some scholars suggest they found pockets of fresh water by digging around the riverbanks, as verse 24 mentions, and then corrupted that water to mimic the sign. Regardless of method, the result provided Pharaoh with another excuse to resist the truth.

Whether these imitations were sleight of hand or genuine acts of demonic power is debated. The biblical text leans toward the latter, given that the same word for “enchantments” is used elsewhere for occult practices. These acts fit Paul’s warning in 2 Thessalonians 2:9–10 concerning “power, signs, and lying wonders” produced by Satan to deceive the rebellious.

However, as many have pointed out, if these magicians truly possessed divine power, they would have cleansed the Nile rather than made the situation worse. Their “miracle” added to Egypt’s misery, not its relief. This fact exposes the nature of Satan’s work—he can imitate and destroy, but he cannot restore or purify. As F. B. Meyer rightly said, “Alleviation of human suffering is no part of the program of the devil or his agents. That can only come from Jehovah, through the believing cry of His servants.”

Despite the undeniable devastation, “Pharaoh’s heart grew hard… neither was his heart moved by this.” Pharaoh once again turned away, retreating into his palace and into deeper rebellion. God’s patience was extended, but Pharaoh’s pride persisted. The people, desperate for survival, “dug all around the river for water to drink,” symbolizing humanity’s futile attempt to find satisfaction apart from God’s provision.

Finally, Scripture notes, “seven days passed after the LORD had struck the river.” The first plague lasted a full week—seven days of national humiliation. Yet Pharaoh’s heart remained unmoved. God’s judgment had begun, and Egypt’s long defiance was now being repaid in measured blows.