Exodus 7:1

_AND THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES, SEE, I HAVE MADE THEE A GOD TO PHARAOH: AND AARON THY BROTHER SHALL BE THY PROPHET._ The Lord said unto Moses. He is here encouraged to wait again on the king-not, however, as formerly in the attitude of a humble suppliant, but now armed with credentials as God's ambassador, and to make his demand in a tone and manner which no earthly monarch or court ever witnessed. I HAVE MADE THEE A GOD - made, i:e., set, appointed; "a god" - i:e., he was to act in this business as God's representative, to act and speak in his name, and to perform things beyond the ordinary course of nature. х_ 'ªLOHIYM_ (H430) gods, is evidently used only in a figurative sense; and nothing more is meant than that Moses should appear to Pharaoh as possessed of powers more than human-conferring blessings and inflicting plagues, both supernatural, at his own pleasure.] And Aaron thy br...

1._And the Lord said unto Moses. _Moses again repeats, that consolation was afforded him in his anxiety, and a remedy given for his want of faith; since he was both armed himself with divine authority, and Aaron was appointed as his companion and assistant. For that he was “made a god to Pharaoh,” means that he was furnished with supreme authority and power, whereby he should cast down the tyrant’s pride. (77) Nor did God take away anything from Himself in order to transfer it to Moses; since He so communicates to His servants what is peculiar to Himself as to remain Himself in His completeness. Nay, whenever He seems to resign a part of His glory to His ministers, He only teaches that the virtue and efficacy of His Spirit will be joined with their labors, that they may not be fruitless. Moses, therefore, was a god to Pharaoh; because in him God exerted His power, that he should be super...

1-7 God glorifies himself. He makes people know that he is Jehovah. Israel is made to know it by the performance of his promises to them, and the Egyptians by the pouring out of his wrath upon them. Moses, as the ambassador of Jehovah, speaking in his name, laid commands upon Pharaoh, denounced threatenings against him, and called for judgments upon him. Pharaoh, proud and great as he was, could not resist. Moses stood not in awe of Pharaoh, but made him tremble. This seems to be meant in the words, Thou shalt be a god unto Pharaoh. At length Moses is delivered from his fears. He makes no more objections, but, being strengthened in faith, goes about his work with courage, and proceeds in it with perseverance....

CHAPTER VII _The dignified mission of Moses and Aaron to Pharaoh-the one to be_ _as God, the other as a prophet of the Most High_, 1, 2. _The prediction that Pharaoh's heart should be hardened, that God_ _might multiply his signs and wonders in Egypt, that the inhabitants_ _might know he alone was the true God_, 3-4. _The age of Moses and Aaron_, 7. _God gives them directions how they should act before Pharaoh_, 5, 9. _Moses turns his rod into a serpent_, 10. _The magicians imitate this miracle, and Pharaoh's heart is hardened_, 11

With this chapter begins the series of miracles performed in Egypt. They are progressive. The first miracle is performed to accredit the mission of the brothers; it is simply credential, and unaccompanied by any infliction. Then come signs which show that the powers of nature are subject to the will of Yahweh, each plague being attended with grave consequences to the Egyptians, yet not inflicting severe loss or suffering; then in rapid succession come ruinous and devastating plagues, murrain, boils, hail and lightning, locusts, darkness, and lastly, the death of the firstborn. Each of the inflictions has a demonstrable connection with Egyptian customs and phenomena; each is directly aimed at some Egyptian superstition; all are marvelous, not, for the most part, as reversing, but as developing forces inherent in nature, and directing them to a special end. The effects correspond with thes...

EXPOSITION EXODUS 7:1 Once more God made allowance for the weakness and self-distrust of Moses, severely tried as he had been by his former failure to persuade Pharaoh (Exodus 5:1) and his recent rejection by the people of Israel (Exodus 6:9). He made allowance, and raised his courage and his spirits by fresh promises, and by a call upon him for immediate action. The process of deliverance, God assured him, was just about to begin. Miracles would be wrought until Pharaoh's stubbornness was overcome. He was himself to begin the series at once by casting his rod upon the ground, that it might become a serpent (Exodus 7:9). Fr

AND THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES,.... In answer to his objection, taken from his own meanness, and the majesty of Pharaoh, and from his want of readiness and freedom of expression: SEE; take notice of, observe what I am about to say: I HAVE MADE THEE A GOD TO PHARAOH; not a god by nature, but made so; he was so by commission and office, clothed with power and authority from God to act under him in all things he should direct; not for ever, as angels are gods, but for a time; not in an ordinary way, as magistrates are gods, but in an extraordinary manner; and not to any other but to Pharaoh, being an ambassador of God to him, and as in his room and stead to, rule over him, though so great a monarch; to command him what he should do, and control him when he did wrong, and punish him for his disobedience, and inflict such plagues upon him, and do such miracles before him, as no mere man of hi...

CHAPTER S 6:28-7:13 THE RENEWED COMMISSION AND BEFORE PHARAOH AGAIN _ 1. Renewed commission and renewed hesitation (Exodus 6:28)_ 2. Jehovah's instructions (Exodus 7:1) 3. Before Pharaoh and the sign of the rod (Exodus 7:10) Once more Moses received his commission, and again he hesitated on account of his poor speech. After all the gracious words Jehovah had spoken he pleads again his weakness. It shows what the unbelieving heart is. Twice Jehovah said that Moses should be a god. A god to Aaron (4:16) and a god to Pharaoh (7:1). He received divine authority and power over Pharaoh, while he was to his spokesman Aaron a god, because the word he uttered to him to communicate to Pharaoh was the word of

THE LORD (Hebrew. _Jehovah._ said. See note on Exodus 3:7, and compare note on Exodus 6:10. MADE. given (as in Ephesians 4:11) as such. GOD. i.e. in God's stead. _Elohim. one_ appointed by oath. _Elohim_ is thus used of those so given and appointed. Psalms 82:1; Psalms 82:6; John 10:34; John 10:35. PROPHET. See on...

I HAVE MADE THEE A GOD— See the note on ch. Exodus 4:16.; see also John 10:34....