Exodus 6:28-7:7

²⁸ And it was on the day when the LORD spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, ²⁹ the LORD spoke to Moses, saying “I am the LORD; tell to Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I tell to you.” ³⁰ But Moses said to the LORD, “See, I am of uncircumcised lips. So why would Pharaoh listen to me?” 7:1 And the LORD said to Moses, “See, I have given you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet. ² You will tell all that I command you, and your brother Aaron will tell Pharaoh to send the sons of Israel out of his land. ³ But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and although I will multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, ⁴ Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will give my hand to Egypt and bring my armies, my people the sons of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment. ⁵ The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and expel the sons of Israel from among them.” ⁶ Moses and Aaron did this; they did just as the LORD commanded them. ⁷ And Moses was already eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh.

every good gift

God’s good gifts to Pharaoh were two old prophets that he would ignore, and great acts of judgment that he would be forced to concede to. They certainly were good gifts, but they were not much appreciated by the recipient. But that is the point. As Stuart puts it, “It is one thing when people acknowledge the greatness of their own God. It is yet another when grudgingly yet inescapably a pagan people acknowledges the supremacy of a god they previously had never even heard of.”[1]

What kinds of gifts are you getting from the LORD? Is he challenging you with a calling and commission to fulfill, or is he challenging you with plagues from his hand? He is sovereign, and he has the right to do either. We cannot control the gifts he brings into our lives, but we can respond appropriately to them. If he exalts us with opportunities to serve him, we can respond appropriately by answering his call and commission. If he humbles us by difficulties meant to get our attention and change us, we can respond appropriately by surrendering to his sovereignty.

LORD soften our hearts to your will. Give us the wisdom to listen to your voice, and the courage to be your voice for others who need to hear it.

[1] Douglas K. Stuart, New American Commentary, vol. 2 – Exodus. (Nashville: B&H Publishing Group), 2006.