Clipart + Pharaoh Tells Moses

God, Pharaoh and Moses

07/07/2020

A God who sends plagues and hardens hearts?i

Arguably the greatest act of conservancy in the Old Testament is the exodus from Egypt, recounted in the first fifteen capacity of the book of Exodus. Still, the ways by which God brings well-nigh this deliverance seem securely problematic. Not but does he inflict violence upon a whole nation (ten increasingly destructive plagues), only he also hardens the middle of Pharaoh, seemingly preventing him from releasing Israel which would stop the violence. How can we understand this portrayal of God? Why does he human activity this way and not another?

First, nosotros need to acknowledge that stopping this violence as quickly equally possible is not God's main purpose. During the whole of the encounters with Pharaoh, Israel are notwithstanding presumably labouring in the brick pits. Indeed, Israel fade into the background for much of Exodus v-11, where the focus is on the encounters betwixt 3 figures: God, Pharaoh and Moses. By examining these encounters and the explanations inside them, we can gain a greater understanding of why God acts as he does. We will look at 1 explanation to Pharaoh in particular (9:13-nineteen). Then nosotros will await at the hardening as a split explanation to Moses. The fact that these explanations are given to dissimilar people is crucial in helping united states as readers to understand this narrative.

Exodus ix:13-19 – an caption to Pharaoh

Exodus 9:13-19 is the get-go of the seventh plague (hail). This plague starts, as do almost of them, with a message from God to Pharaoh. Pharaoh is commanded to 'permit my people get so that they may serve me' (9:13). This need has been fabricated from the kickoff (5:i-five) and Pharaoh' initial response was that he does not 'know' (or acknowledge) the LORD, god of the Hebrews (five:two). Why should he admit a god of a grouping of slaves when Egypt had thousands of gods and he is semi-divine himself?

God's respond to this question are the signs or plagues that follow, which show Pharaoh exactly who this god of slaves is: a god who tin can do things that no Egyptian god could do. Their purpose is that Pharaoh will acknowledge this god (a constant refrain throughout the plagues encounters – 7:17; 8:10 [6]2, 22 [18]; 9:14, 29, 30; ten:2, seven; 11:7) and thus obey his control to release his people.

Every bit Pharaoh continually refuses to respond to God, the signs/plagues go increasingly more than powerful. They are structured in a 3x3+i design, with 3 triads of increasingly violent plagues before the final terrible plague on the firstborn:

              1st plague  2nd plague   tertiary plague      Features of triad

1st triad   ane. Blood    2. Frogs         3. Lice           Temporary furnishings

second triad  4. Swarm   five. Livestock   6. Boils          'Heavy', ongoing effects

3rd triad   seven. Tempest    8. Locusts      9. Darkness    Unparalleled furnishings

                                                    10. Firstborn

The start triad are insufficiently pocket-size and tin can be copied by the Egyptian wise men. Their admission that they cannot copy the third plague (8:nineteen [15]) leads to the adjacent triad of plagues which are described as heavy with lasting damage (8:24 [20]; 9:3). Our explanation in 9:13-18 comes at the beginning of the final triad of uniquely destructive plagues (9:24; 10:vi). God tells Pharaoh that because he has non listened he will at present receive the total ability of God's plagues – signs that he

cannot ignore (9:14). So God does something unusual. Unremarkably in the Bible, we practice not get to hear what 'would take happened' (to use Aslan'due south phrase). Here, however, God tells Pharaoh of an alternative approach that he could take used (9:15). He could have sent just one plague upon Egypt – a plague of pestilence that would have wiped them from the face up of the world, presumably exempting the Israelites as he has done earlier (8:22 [18]; 9:4). In terms of ending the suffering of Israel quickly, this would have been far more than efficient. God has the power and presumably the correct to do it. So why didn't he?

The reply comes in poetry 16. He has sustained Pharaoh and Egypt to show them his ability and so that his name will be proclaimed throughout the earth. This may seem odd. Wouldn't wiping out Pharaoh and his people in one plague seem to bear witness God'southward power at least as effectively as starting with signs that the Egyptian wise men tin can re-create? However, this verse and the previous plagues show that God and Pharaoh understand power very differently. For Pharaoh, power is nigh dominating people by whatever fell means necessary. His fear that Israel is getting as well powerful leads to repression (ane:9-14). His response to State of israel's request for a break is deliberately to worsen their working conditions (v:4-eighteen). God's power is different. Although it is far greater than Pharaoh'due south power, it is not a power based on vicious dominion.

What Pharaoh is to learn from the plagues is not but that God tin send them, but that he removes them completely when asked (8:14-15 [10-xi]; 9:29) and that he exempts his people from them (8:22-23 [18-19]; xi:7). Combining this with the fact that God starts with lesser plagues (or signs) and but moves to more than destructive plagues shows a God who uses power far more carefully than Pharaoh does. He has sustained Pharaoh and Egypt to show them (and the earth) that he is a unlike principal to Pharaoh. This is even clearer for Israel. The exodus is non freedom in the sense of autonomy only rather a modify of masters ('Let my people become so that they may serve me'). Pharaoh's mastery leads to suffering and death. God's mastery leads to life in all its fullness (6:6-viii).

Nevertheless, poetry 17 shows us that there is a problem. God comments (in seeming exasperation) that Pharaoh hasn't responded accordingly to the previous signs. He hasn't acknowledged God's power as he is still refusing to release God's people. He hasn't understood that God was sustaining him, perchance seeing this equally a limitation in God's ability, rather than an explanation of the character of that ability. This leads us to poesy eighteen and the annunciation of a hailstorm of a ferocity never earlier seen. Verses fifteen-17 are an extended caption of why this change is taking place. Considering Pharaoh has not been convinced by these lesser signs, it seems that the only way to become through to him is to ship signs of truly terrifying power.

Nevertheless, to differentiate in one case over again his employ of ability, God gives Pharaoh and his people a mode to avoid the worst of the plague (verse 19). They are warned to bring indoors anything moveable to avoid information technology being destroyed in the hailstorm. Pharaoh does not listen to God, but some Egyptians do (nine:20-21).

What can we learn from 9:13-19 and the explanation to Pharaoh? We learn that God is a responsive God seeking a response from Pharaoh. He does not ignore Pharaoh but wants him to release his people. When Pharaoh refuses to respond correctly, God responds in turn by increasing the plagues, all the same seeking response. (We tin meet similar patterns in his relationship with Israel in Amos 4:6-12 and Ezekiel xx.)

The hardening – an explanation to Moses

At this point ane may raise an objection. If God is so interested in Pharaoh's response and then how do we empathize the repeated comment that God hardened Pharaoh'due south heart? Wouldn't this prevent Pharaoh from responding correctly?

Ane mutual mode to address the issue of the hardening is to notation that Pharaoh starts hardening his heart and that God only starts hardening later on. The first example of this is simply before the previous explanation and the starting time of the truly terrifying plagues (9:12). The argument then goes that God is simply doing to Pharaoh what Pharaoh has already done to himself. There is something in this. The concept of God hardening people elsewhere in the Bible tends to refer to those who are already opposed to his will. The hardening thus reinforces their already stubborn position.

Nevertheless, in this case there is an issue. Before the initial run across with Pharaoh, God tells Moses that he, God, will harden Pharaoh'southward heart (four:21). This theme is repeated in farther explanations to Moses (7:3; 10:one). How do nosotros make sense of these explanations? I way to do is to note that they are explanations to Moses, and to contrast them with the explanations to Pharaoh, such as 9:xiii-19.

In i sense, Moses and Pharaoh are very similar in that they do not want to do what God is commanding them to do. Before the encounters with Pharaoh, God has an extended encounter with Moses (3:1-4:17). God tells Moses to exist his messenger to Israel and Pharaoh. In response, Moses raises four objections to this, finally asking God to send someone else. God patiently works through Moses' reasons, but Moses is non allowed to decline. In both cases God is determined that these men will do something that they really don't desire to do (Moses: become to Pharaoh; Pharaoh: release Israel), and is prepared to do whatever is necessary to convince them to practise it.

In another sense, still, the two men are very different. Whereas Pharaoh'south refusal is based on his attitude of superiority (v:2), Moses' refusal is based on his attitude of inferiority (3:11). He is the spokesman for the god of a group of slaves, who is meant to go to the about powerful man in the known world and tell him to practice something that he will non want to practise. If he had any hopes that Pharaoh would listen, they are dashed by the 'bricks without straw' edict and his subsequent rejection by the Israelites (5:21). Still God tells him to go back to Pharaoh again and once again and make the same demand, which Pharaoh keeps refusing. To Moses it must seem that Pharaoh is in accuse, and that he is simply playing with Moses (and God). How is Moses expected to go on going back to Pharaoh and go along bringing the same (seemingly ineffectual) message?

This is where the hardening comes in. Before Moses goes to Pharaoh, God warns him that it will non be like shooting fish in a barrel, that Pharaoh will merely be swayed by power (3:nineteen). Yet, fifty-fifty though Pharaoh may seem to be in control, and frustrating God'southward plans, he isn't. God is in control. The hardening of the heart is a way to explicate to Moses that God is sovereign even over Pharaoh'south stubbornness. Moses may feel that Pharaoh is playing with him, but God reminds him of the greater picture that God is (in one sense) playing with Pharaoh (10:2). Moses simply has to his part (bring God'south message to Pharaoh). How Pharaoh responds is God'due south responsibility, not his.

However, this hardening does not remove Pharaoh's power to reply. He receives his longest caption (9:xiii-19) just after God hardens him for the offset time (nine:12). If Pharaoh could not respond accordingly, God's comment in 9:17 is meaningless (compare also ten:i and 10:3).

The key point is that there are two different types of explanation here, based on the different relationships between God and the two men. The relationship between God and Pharaoh is adversative: 'do this (release my people) or I will practise this (send a more than powerful sign).' The focus is on Pharaoh, his decision and the consequences. In contrast, God's relationship with Moses is

collaborative: 'practise this (speak to Pharaoh), and I will do this (the sign/Pharaoh's response). The focus is on God's sovereignty.

Neither caption would work if given to the other man. Pharaoh is never told: 'God is hardening your heart'. If he was, so he could shrug his shoulders and say 'then information technology doesn't matter what I do, does it?' If Moses was told: 'it is up to Pharaoh to make up one's mind' then he could shrug his shoulders and say 'so it doesn't matter what I do, does it?' God tells to each man an aspect of the truth, which in its wholeness is non attainable to anyone. For each man, this aspect is what he needs to hear in order to motivate him to do what God wants him to do. As readers, we see both explanations, only we need to avoid collapsing them into each other, or allowing either explanation to dominate in our understanding.

Moving beyond the Exodus story into wider situations of violence, where there oft is no like shooting fish in a barrel answer, both explanations accept their place for different people. Nosotros live with the paradox that people's choices are supremely important to God (even if they lead to more violence), and yet that God is ultimately sovereign (and that one day violence will end).

1 For more details meet Ford, W. A. (2007) God, Pharaoh and Moses: Explaining the Lord's Actions in the Exodus Plagues Narrative. Milton Keynes: Paternoster.
2 The number in square brackets is the Hebrew, where it differs from the English.

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Source: https://www.belfastbiblecollege.com/god-pharaoh-and-moses

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