James Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary
Exodus 7:6
AUTHORITY AND OBEDIENCE
‘As the Lord commanded them, so did they.’
Note the two outstanding facts of this Lesson—(a) the absolute obedience of Moses and Aaron; (b) the Divine credentials that attested their message. They spoke their weak words as God bade them, and He made those words authoritative by the miracles that followed.
I. The absolute obedience.—The R.V. carefully emphasises this: ‘And Moses and Aaron did so; as the Lord commanded them, so did they.’ While Jehovah was everything to them, He was nothing to Pharaoh; less, indeed, than the very least of Egypt’s gods. To the natural man how futile it would seem to summon a monarch so great and proud to a humbling and distasteful task, and that only in a name he despised! Every Gospel preacher probably feels this, especially in heathen lands. How often are we tempted to alter our message; for Paul’s saying, ‘to the Greeks foolishness,’ is still true. But no! Moses and Aaron spoke their feeble words boldly, and God attested them by miracles.
II. Authority.—It is for God, not us, to establish the authority of His own message, and He will whenever we speak it in the full obedience of faith. The bold utterance of weak words, at His command and in quiet faith, commits Him to supporting acts of power; and when, as in this case, the opposition intensifies unexpectedly, the magician’s rod also turning into serpents, His power increases in proportion. ‘ Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.’ The brave preaching of the seemingly feeble Gospel is God’s way of power.
Illustration
(1) ‘God’s warnings will not continue for ever. To me, as to Pharaoh, will come a final message. How do I know when it will come? How did Pharaoh know? He did not know, nor do I. He was gratified, like a fool, by the removal of each plague, and went on in his folly. Let me not scorn him till I am sure I am not doing the same.’
(2) ‘One of the prime objects of the plagues was to establish the superiority and supremacy of the God of the Hebrews, so that Pharaoh might be led to acquiesce in them, and to obey his behests. To a certain extent Satan may by his messengers mimic the Divine working, but Aaron’s rod swallows up their rods. Who can stand when He appeareth? The Nile was one of their chief deities, and seemed all necessary, but our dearest idols must be smitten to bring us to God.’