What does Pharaoh's question reveal about his understanding of the LORD's authority? Setting the scene “Pharaoh replied, ‘Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and I will not let Israel go.’” (Exodus 5:2) What the question shows immediately • Ignorance: Pharaoh admits, “I do not know the LORD,” revealing zero recognition of Yahweh’s identity or claims. • Arrogance: He measures every deity by his own throne; if a god is unknown to him, that god can make no demands. • Defiance: “Why should I obey?” frames obedience as optional, as though God’s word were just another diplomatic request. Pharaoh’s worldview unmasked 1. Self-deification • Egyptian kings were considered “sons of the gods”; Pharaoh saw himself as divine or semi-divine. • A divine king does not bow to another deity, especially one associated with a slave nation. 2. Polytheistic relativism • Egypt honored a pantheon—Ra, Hapi, Hathor, etc.—each limited to a domain (sun, Nile, fertility). • By asking “Who is the LORD?” Pharaoh treats Yahweh as a regional, powerless god of foreigners. 3. Political calculus • Releasing Israel meant losing labor and wealth. Pharaoh masks economic fear with religious contempt. Scripture’s commentary on Pharaoh’s heart • Exodus 7:5 “Then the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I stretch out My hand against Egypt.” • Exodus 9:16 “I have raised you up to display My power in you, and My name will be proclaimed in all the earth.” • Romans 9:17 quotes the verse above, underscoring that God sovereignly uses Pharaoh’s pride to magnify divine glory. • Psalm 14:1 “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” Pharaoh’s stance embodies this folly. God’s answer to Pharaoh’s challenge Plague by plague, Yahweh dismantles every assumed power in Egypt: 1. Nile to blood—judgment on Hapi. 2. Frogs—Heket nullified. … 10. Death of firstborn—Pharaoh’s own “divine” line struck. Each sign shouts, “The LORD alone rules heaven and earth.” By Exodus 12:12, God declares, “I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt.” Why this matters today • No one can plead ignorance forever; God makes Himself known (Acts 17:30-31). • Authority is not negotiated; it is recognized. Rejecting it invites judgment, just as with Pharaoh. • Deliverance for God’s people often arrives through the very events that humble the proud (Exodus 14:31). Summary Pharaoh’s question exposes a heart that neither knows nor respects the LORD’s absolute sovereignty. Viewing himself as a god and Yahweh as irrelevant, he refuses obedience. God responds by revealing His unrivaled power, ensuring that both Egypt and Israel unmistakably “know that I am the LORD.” |
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