How does Exodus 11:9 connect to God's promises in earlier chapters of Exodus? Setting the Scene in Exodus 11:9 “The LORD said to Moses, ‘Pharaoh will not listen to you, so that My wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.’” (Exodus 11:9) • This statement comes moments before the tenth and final plague, the death of the firstborn (Exodus 11:1–10). • God Himself explains why Pharaoh’s heart has stayed hard: to showcase an explosion of divine wonders. God’s Earlier Promises About Pharaoh’s Resistance • Exodus 3:19–20 — “I know that the king of Egypt will not allow you to go, except under compulsion. So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My wonders…” • Exodus 4:21 — “I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.” • Exodus 7:3–5 — “I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and I will multiply My signs and wonders in the land of Egypt.” Every word spoken at the burning bush and repeated in Midian is echoed verbatim in Exodus 11:9. The verse is God’s reminder: “I told you this was coming, and we are right on schedule.” Patterns Fulfilled in Exodus 11:9 1. Promise: Pharaoh’s refusal. Fulfillment: Nine plagues in, Pharaoh still resists. 2. Promise: Hardening of heart. Fulfillment: Exodus 7 through 10 highlight Pharaoh’s stubbornness after each plague. 3. Promise: Multiplication of wonders. Fulfillment: Water to blood, frogs, gnats, flies, livestock disease, boils, hail, locusts, darkness—now the climactic plague looms. Purpose: Wonders That Reveal God’s Glory • Exodus 9:16 — “I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power in you and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” • Exodus 6:1 — “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh; because of a mighty hand he will let them go.” God’s aim is bigger than Israel’s freedom; He intends global recognition of His sovereignty. Each plague dismantles an Egyptian deity, proving the LORD alone is God. Assurance for Israel’s Deliverance • Exodus 6:6–8 lays out seven “I will” promises—redeem, deliver, bring out, etc.—that hinge on God’s power, not Pharaoh’s permission. • Exodus 11:9 signals that the final promise is imminent. The hardened heart is not a detour; it is the very path by which Israel will witness God’s saving hand and leave Egypt “with great possessions” (Exodus 3:21; 12:35–36). Takeaways for Today • When God makes a promise, delays and opposition only serve to magnify His eventual fulfillment. • Repetition in Scripture is never redundant; Exodus 11:9 ties the narrative thread from the burning bush to the brink of the Passover. • The same God who kept every detail then remains faithful now—a truth as literal and reliable as His word recorded in Exodus. |