• Read Exodus 7

MORNING— So That They May Know

• Focal Passage: Exodus 7:5

“The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out My hand on Egypt and bring out the sons of Israel from their midst.”

The confrontation between Moses and Pharaoh is not primarily about winning an argument or forcing a decision. God tells us plainly why this encounter is unfolding:

So that they may know.

Egypt had many gods. Pharaoh himself was regarded as divine. Power was measured by spectacle, control, and fear. Israel, meanwhile, had lived so long under oppression that they were unsure whether their God still acted at all.

Into that confusion, God steps forward—not to negotiate, but to reveal Himself.

The signs Moses performs are not parlor tricks. They are disclosures. Each word spoken, each act performed, is meant to answer a single question: Who is the Lord?

God’s purpose reaches beyond Pharaoh’s throne room. Israel must know. Egypt must know. And history must know. The Lord is not one god among many. He is the Lord.

• Reflection:  Where might God be working in your life—not merely to change circumstances, but to make Himself known more clearly?

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EVENING— Who Really Holds the Power?

• Focal Passage: Exodus 7:12

“But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs.”

Pharaoh’s magicians are able to imitate the first sign. Their staffs become serpents too. For a moment, it appears as though power is evenly matched.

But then Aaron’s staff swallows theirs.

It is a quiet but decisive moment. God demonstrates the limits of manmade religion. What Egypt claims as strength is absorbed. What Pharaoh trusts is exposed as fragile.

This moment previews what is coming next.

The plagues that follow are not random acts of judgment. Each one confronts an Egyptian god directly:

• The Nile turned to blood challenged Hapi, god of the river.
• Frogs filled the land, mocking Heqet, goddess of fertility.
• Darkness fell, humiliating Ra, the sun god.
• Even Pharaoh’s authority collapsed when his firstborn died.

Again and again, God answers the same question: Who really holds the power?

By the time Israel walks out of Egypt, it is no longer in doubt. The Lord alone rules over nature, nations, life, and death.

• Reflection: Where are you tempted to fear competing powers—when God has already shown that He alone prevails?
• Closing Prayer:  Lord, Open our eyes to see who You truly are. When false powers appear strong, remind us that You alone endure. Teach us to trust not what impresses the world, but what reveals Your glory. So that we may know—and live accordingly.
  Amen.