The Plagues Begin
Open Your Bible
Exodus 6:14-30, Exodus 7:1-25, Deuteronomy 7:6-11
BY Abby Flynn
It’s the early nineties, and I’m sitting in the front row staring at the Sunday school felt board. (Does anyone else remember those?) I’m not sure if the other kids can see around my puffy pigtails, but in that moment, I don’t really care. The teacher booms out in her best Moses voice, “Let my people go!” And all of us kids, playing the part of Pharaoh, shout, “NO!”
At the time, I thought of Moses and Aaron as these powerful guys with booming voices and a magical stick who eventually wear Pharoah down so he sets the Israelites free. But today, as I meditate on our reading in Exodus 7, I’m able to get a little clearer on the details.
It turns out Moses and Aaron were pretty regular guys. They came from a long line of people you’ve probably never heard of (Exodus 6:14–25). Nothing about them or their family would hint at God assigning them to take on this massive task. Not to mention, the fact that these guys were not young birds (Exodus 7:7). On the contrary, they were already in their eighties when God told Moses to deliver the Israelites.
And don’t get me started on Moses. The booming voice from Sunday School? Probably not biblically accurate. In fact, Moses told God, “Since I am such a poor speaker, how will Pharaoh listen to me?” (Exodus 6:30). Moses struggled with his own weakness. He didn’t believe God could use him because he was a terrible speaker, thus, why God allowed Aaron to be a part of the plan.
They knew their mission wouldn’t be easy and over and over, Pharaoh’s heart would be hardened. But the fact that the task seemed impossible made it clear that only God could accomplish it. In Exodus 7, we see God give Aaron and Moses the command of what to say, “Let my people go” (Exodus 7:16). And so begins the story we’ve come to know so well.
Once the plagues begin, Moses and Aaron are simply conduits of God moving on behalf of His people. The Israelites had been enslaved and without hope for so long. Now, God had chosen two unlikely men to lead them to freedom.
Today’s reading reminds us that God doesn’t need superheroes or perfect people to carry out His will. In fact, He has often chosen the weak, the foolish, the rejected, and the unpopular to accomplish His purposes. He just wants us to be willing to trust and follow Him.
It’s those of us who are weak that need a mighty hand. So trust Him today, follow His commands, and see how He can use you.
57 thoughts on "The Plagues Begin"
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Praying for the requests shared. Thank you ladies for your transparency – it helps to know I’m not alone. I’ve been going through bouts of deep worry, anxiety and depression for the past few weeks and two sentences in my Jesus Calling devotional the other day really wiped out the worry and anxiety: “Do not worry about tomorrow! This is not a suggestion, but a command.” It goes on to say: “I divided time into days and nights so that you would have manageable portions of life to handle. My grace is sufficient for you, but its sufficiency is for only one day at a time. When you worry about the future, you heap day upon day of troubles onto your flimsy frame. You stagger under this heavy load, which I never intended for you to carry.”
I hope this can help someone who is struggling with worry, fear, doubt, and anxiety. Learn to trust God. I’m learning and often failing at it but He is so patient and steadfast, as shown in these Exodus passages! He has chosen us to do great things for His glory, and can use us in spite of our weaknesses. That gives me so much hope. This week’s podcast was so good as well. Our Bible study group is looking for a devotional and I may suggest this one.
Have a blessed day!
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Amen
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It’s so easy for me to tell other people that God does not need us to be perfect or strong to carry out his will – in fact he often chooses those who are weak. Again, it’s easy for me to tell other people, but it is so hard for me to live that truth in my own life.
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I agree I don’t always trust God’s will for me. I know the word of God is true but sometimes I struggle to really feel it deep in my soul and it seems like I’m rolling through the motions. It is comforting for me to realize God truly does give the weak and the ordinary trials but his love for us is so much bigger then we can even imagine.
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Abraham and Sarah were brother and sister. What is significant about Moses and Aaron’s parents being related?
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❤️
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In today’s reading I realized that I haven’t been putting my trust and faith in God as much as I thought I was. The wonderful thing about reading the scriptures is that the words of our Lord and Savior open your heart and mind.
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A thought occured as I read the comments about Moses and Aaron’s parents being related, it could easily be a sister by another mother as women did die and men remarried. If she was an aunt ( his fathers sister) she would have to be alot younger than his fathers contemporary siblings I’m thinking. When you look back at how many sons and daughters and possibly offspring by handmaids ( like Jacob’s brood) it may seem less strange.
Secondly, while I remember the magicians copying the staff turning to a serpent, I do not ever recall knowing about the magicians making the waters blood. Gives me the creeps that satan has that kind of power albeit limited by God’s hand. I love that God uses the foolish and weak to shame the wise and display His power.
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