What is the meaning of Exodus 7:15? Go to Pharaoh in the morning - God directs Moses to confront Pharaoh at the start of the day, underscoring divine initiative (Exodus 5:1; 8:1). - Morning encounters leave Pharaoh no excuse of ignorance; he hears God’s demand before any business or ritual begins (cf. Job 38:12–13 where God speaks of commanding the dawn). - The timing shows God’s persistent mercy—another chance to obey before judgment escalates (2 Peter 3:9). as you see him walking out to the water - Pharaoh’s early walk to the Nile reflects his daily devotion and dependence on the river, which Egypt revered as a god (Isaiah 19:5–6 hints at its vulnerability). - By meeting him there, the Lord exposes the impotence of Egypt’s deities in their own domain (Numbers 33:4). - The personal encounter strips away intermediaries; Pharaoh must face the living God directly (Exodus 9:13). Wait on the bank of the Nile to meet him - “Wait” emphasizes obedience and readiness; Moses stands where God tells him until Pharaoh arrives (Psalm 40:1). - The Nile, source of Egypt’s life, will soon become the stage for its first plague (Exodus 7:17–18), demonstrating that only the LORD sustains life (Colossians 1:17). - Public confrontation on Egypt’s sacred shoreline magnifies God’s power before citizens and court officials alike (Exodus 8:20). and take in your hand the staff that was changed into a snake - The staff, already proven in Exodus 4:3 and 7:10–12, is a visible reminder of God’s supremacy over Egypt’s magicians. - Holding it affirms Moses’ authority as God’s representative; the staff is not magic but an instrument of divine judgment (Hebrews 11:23–29). - The transformation from staff to serpent and back highlights God’s control over creation (Jeremiah 32:17) and previews the Nile turning to blood—life turning to death apart from obedience. summary Exodus 7:15 instructs Moses to intercept Pharaoh during his morning ritual at the Nile, confront him on Egypt’s most sacred ground, and wield the staff that already displayed God’s power. The verse showcases God’s initiative, exposes Egypt’s false security in the Nile, and reaffirms Moses’ divinely granted authority. It sets the stage for the first plague, declaring that the LORD—not Pharaoh, not the Nile—rules creation and history. |
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