How does Exodus 7:2 connect with God's earlier promises to deliver Israel? The Setting Behind Exodus 7:2 - Israel has groaned under slavery for centuries (Exodus 2:23-25). - God has already revealed His plan to Moses: “I have come down to rescue them” (Exodus 3:8). - Pharaoh’s first refusals have hardened the conflict (Exodus 5–6). - Exodus 7 opens the showdown; verse 2 is God’s marching order to Moses and Aaron. What Exodus 7:2 Says “ ‘You are to speak everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to release the Israelites from his land.’ ” How This Command Connects to Earlier Promises 1. Continuity with the Abrahamic Covenant • Genesis 15:13-14—God foretold bondage and deliverance: “they will be enslaved… afterward they will depart with many possessions.” • Exodus 7:2 activates that prophecy; Moses’ words are the instrument God uses to trigger the Exodus. 2. Echo of God’s Name Revelation • Exodus 3:14—“I AM WHO I AM.” • When Moses now speaks “everything I command,” he carries the authority of the self-existent LORD, proving that the same God who promised at the bush is still speaking. 3. Fulfillment of the Promise to the Patriarchs • Exodus 6:4-6—God recalls His covenant “to give them the land of Canaan” and pledges, “I will redeem you with an outstretched arm.” • Exodus 7:2 is the operational step: Pharaoh must hear the command so redemption can move from promise to action. 4. Reinforcement of Moses’ Prophetic Role • Exodus 4:15-16—God earlier told Moses, “You shall speak to him… he will be as your mouth.” • Verse 2 reiterates that arrangement, binding Moses and Aaron to God’s word exactly, ensuring the deliverance plan remains unaltered. 5. Guarantee of Divine Outcome • Numbers 23:19—“Has He spoken, and will He not fulfill it?” • By commanding exact speech, God ties the coming signs and plagues to His unwavering reliability; what He has pledged, He will now perform. Why the Link Matters for Us Today - God’s instructions in 7:2 prove He never forgets a single promise; centuries did not erode His covenant with Abraham. - The deliverance of Israel rests on God’s word, not Israel’s merit or Pharaoh’s mood—assurance that our salvation likewise depends on divine faithfulness (Romans 8:30). - Obedience to the revealed word (Moses and Aaron) becomes the hinge upon which history turns; our own obedience to Scripture is just as vital. Summary Snapshot Exodus 7:2 is the practical hinge between promise and performance. The same God who pledged deliverance to the patriarchs now puts His words in Moses’ mouth, compelling Pharaoh to let Israel go. Every earlier assurance—from Genesis 15 to Exodus 6—funnels into this command, proving the Lord’s promises are literal, precise, and unstoppable. |
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