Grace Before Judgment / Exodus 7:1-10:29
Amen. If you have your Bibles, we have got a long road together today. Turn to Exodus chapter 5. We are continuing our series through the book of Exodus, cruising through the narrative. Just to set up where we have been and get ready for where we are heading today: we are looking at the people of God, who have been in captivity in Egypt for over four hundred years. In that process, throughout the first five chapters of this book, they have repeatedly been told, “Be patient, God will deliver you. Be patient, God will deliver you.”
Moses, the reluctant leader, is understandably nervous. We have this shadowboxing taking place as Moses and his brother Aaron begin to confront Pharaoh, the most powerful man on the planet at that time, attempting to convince him to let his entire slave labor force walk out free.
In this process, Moses is dealing with a group of people who, after four centuries, had grown very accustomed to the small-g gods of Egypt. There were a multitude of them. In fact, the book of Joshua reminds us that when Joshua called the people of God to be faithful to the Word of the Lord, he challenged them to put away the false gods their fathers served in Egypt. I would love to tell you that for four hundred years the people of God stayed completely faithful to the Lord and never wavered, but they were wired much more like us than we might want to admit. They deviated throughout those years. And now, Moses shows up to confront Pharaoh.
The Clash of Two Kingdoms
The contrast here is fascinating. The people of God had seen the gods of Egypt and had been enticed to pursue them. They also saw Pharaoh: a big, strong, powerhouse political and military ruler. Pharaoh literally claimed to be a manifestation of the sun god, Ra. He claimed to be a god himself. The Israelites saw him, and here comes Moses saying, “I promise you, I saw a burning bush, an angel appeared, and God said He is going to deliver you from that guy.”
Naturally, the people were asking a very real question: “Who is this God who is going to deliver us from the most powerful empire the world has ever seen?”
The economic power of Egypt was unsurpassed. Nobody had trade networks like theirs. They controlled not just the Sinai Peninsula, but the land of Canaan—modern-day Israel—which meant they held the entire land bridge connecting Africa, Asia, and Europe. They had toll booths on every road. They were an economic juggernaut. They had mastered agriculture in the northern Nile Delta region, constructing sophisticated aqueducts and dams until the desert literally came to life. They were dominating. Militarily, nobody could touch them. Their borders extended all the way across the Sinai to Syria. Nobody messed with Egypt.
And here comes a runaway felon named Moses, a man with a speech impediment, stepping before Pharaoh with a bold declaration.
Exodus 5:1-2 (NASB)
And afterward Moses and Aaron came and said to Pharaoh, ’Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Let My people go that they may celebrate a feast to Me in the wilderness.’’ But Pharaoh said, ‘Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and besides, I will not let Israel go.’
Pharaoh says, “Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice? I do not know the Lord, and I will not let Israel go.” And so, the showdown begins.
If we believe Scripture is true—which we do—we know that no authority exists except that which is appointed by God. God is the one who raised Pharaoh up. Pharaoh did not get to where he was simply because he was strong or could out-bench-press his opponents. God raised him up, much like in the book of Habakkuk, where God used the Babylonians as chess pieces to accomplish His divine purposes. God placed Pharaoh on the highest stage possible so that all the known world could see, and for generations recount, the incredible power of Almighty God completely decimating the most powerful ruler on earth.
Proverbs 16:4 (NASB)
The LORD has made everything for its own purpose, Even the wicked for the day of evil.
When we reach chapter 7, the shadowboxing is over. The stage is set. Like a crowd gathering when a fight breaks out on a high school campus, God assembles the audience because His glory is about to be put on full display.
Exodus 7:3-5 (NASB)
’But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart that I may multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. ’When Pharaoh does not listen to you, then I will lay My hand on Egypt and bring out My hosts, My people the sons of Israel, from the land of Egypt by great judgments. ‘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.’
Pharaoh asked in chapter 5, “Who is the Lord?” In chapter 7, God replies, “I am about to show you who I am. I will go toe-to-toe with you, so-called manifestation of god, and reveal who the real God is.”
The Systematic Judgment on False Gods
Back in chapter 3, God gave Moses three authenticating signs: a staff turning into a serpent, a hand becoming leprous and restored, and water turning into blood. In Exodus 7:8–13, Aaron throws down his staff before Pharaoh, and it becomes a serpent. Pharaoh summons his magicians—his wise men—and through their secret arts, they mimic the miracle.
As we walk through these plagues, you will notice they mirror the judgments in the book of Revelation. Revelation moves from seven seals to seven trumpets to seven bowls, increasing in severity and impact. The plagues of Egypt do the exact same thing.
Furthermore, these plagues were not random displays of power; they were highly strategic. God chose ten specific plagues to systematically dismantle and judge the false pantheon of Egypt. Every single plague struck a direct blow against an Egyptian deity.
The first plague strikes the water of Egypt, turning the Nile into blood.
Exodus 7:14-17 (NASB)
Then the LORD said to Moses, ’Pharaoh’s heart is stubborn; he refuses to let the people go. ’Go to Pharaoh in the morning as he is going out to the water, and station yourself to meet him on the bank of the Nile; and you shall take in your hand the staff that was turned into a serpent. ’You shall say to him, ’The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying, ‘Let My people go, that they may serve Me in the wilderness. But behold, you have not listened until now.’ ’Thus says the LORD, ’By this you shall know that I am the LORD: behold, I will strike the water that is in the Nile with the staff that is in my hand, and it will be turned to blood.
God reminds Moses of Pharaoh’s stubbornness. When Aaron strikes the water, the Nile turns to blood. Yet Pharaoh’s magicians duplicate the sign with their secret arts, and Pharaoh hardens his heart. In verse 23, Pharaoh simply turns around, goes into his palace, and does not take even this to heart. The Egyptians worshiped three separate deities connected to the Nile: one was the lord of the Nile, another the guardian of the Nile, and another whose bloodstream was believed to be the Nile itself. With one strike, God dismantled all three.
The second plague brings a swarm of frogs over the entire land.
Exodus 8:1-2 (NASB)
Then the LORD said to Moses, ’Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ’Thus says the LORD, ’Let My people go, that they may serve Me. ’But if you refuse to let [them] go, behold, I will smite your whole territory with frogs.
The Egyptians worshiped two deities associated with frogs. When frogs covered everything, Pharaoh finally cried out to Moses in verse 8, asking him to entreat the Lord to remove the frogs, promising he would let the people go. But the moment relief came, Pharaoh hardened his heart and reneged on his word.
Next came the third plague: gnats, or lice.
Exodus 8:16-19 (NASB)
Then the LORD said to Moses, ’Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, that it may become gnats through all the land of Egypt.’’ They did so; and Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff, and struck the dust of the earth, and there were gnats on man and beast. All the dust of the earth became gnats through all the land of Egypt. The magicians tried with their secret arts to bring forth gnats, but they could not; so there were gnats on man and beast. Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, ‘This is the finger of God.’ But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the LORD had said.
If your kids have ever had lice, you know it is an absolute nightmare. The entire dust of the earth became gnats throughout Egypt. The magicians tried to replicate it with their secret arts, but they failed completely. They went to Pharaoh and said, “This is the finger of God.” They recognized that this was no longer a parlor trick or a card game; this was the power of the Almighty. Yet Pharaoh’s heart remained hard.
With the fourth plague, God sends swarms of flies, but introduces a remarkable distinction.
Exodus 8:20-23 (NASB)
Now the LORD said to Moses, ’Rise early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh, as he comes out to the water, and say to him, ’Thus says the LORD, ’Let My people go, that they may serve Me. ’For if you do not let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of insects on you and on your servants and on your people and into your houses; and the houses of the Egyptians will be full of swarms of insects, and also the ground on which they [dwell]. ’But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where My people are living, so that no swarms of insects will be there, in order that you may know that I, the LORD, am in the midst of the land. ‘I will put a division between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign will occur.’‘’
Imagine an infestation of flies so thick and heavy that it covers everything across the city, yet if you step onto the campus of Fresno State, there is not a single fly to be found. That is what happened in Goshen, where God’s people lived. God put a division between His people and Egypt. Pharaoh attempted to negotiate, telling Moses they could sacrifice, but only nearby. Moses refused, insisting on full obedience to God’s command. Yet when the flies were removed, Pharaoh hardened his heart once again.
The fifth plague struck the livestock of Egypt.
Exodus 9:1-4 (NASB)
Then the LORD said to Moses, ’Go to Pharaoh and speak to him, ’Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, ’Let My people go, that they may serve Me. ’For if you refuse to let [them] go and continue to hold them, behold, the hand of the LORD will come [with] a very severe pestilence on your livestock which are in the field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the herds, and on the flocks. ‘But the LORD will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that nothing will die of all that belongs to the sons of Israel.’‘’
There were four Egyptian deities connected to cattle and livestock. God sent a severe pestilence that wiped out the horses, donkeys, camels, herds, and flocks of the Egyptians. Yet once again, God drew a line of protection around Goshen. Pharaoh even sent scouts to verify it, and discovered that not a single animal belonging to Israel had died. Still, Pharaoh’s heart remained unyielding.
The sixth plague brought festering boils on man and beast.
Exodus 9:8-11 (NASB)
Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, ’Take for yourselves handfuls of soot from a kiln, and let Moses throw it toward the sky in the sight of Pharaoh. ‘It will become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and will become boils breaking out with sores on man and beast through all the land of Egypt.’ So they took soot from a kiln, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses threw it toward the sky, and it became boils breaking out with sores on man and beast. The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were on the magicians as well as on all the Egyptians.
Egypt had three prominent gods of medicine and healing. Moses threw soot into the air, and painful boils broke out across the land. It became so severe that the magicians could not even stand before Moses because of the sores covering their bodies. Yet verse 12 tells us that the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he refused to listen.
God then warned Pharaoh of the catastrophic judgment still to come.
Exodus 9:13-16 (NASB)
Then the LORD said to Moses, ’Rise up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh and say to him, ’Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, ’Let My people go, that they may serve Me. ’For this time I will send all My plagues on you and your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is no one like Me in all the earth. ’For [if by] now I had put forth My hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, you would then have been cut off from the earth. ’But, indeed, for this reason I have allowed you to remain, in order to show you My power and in order to proclaim My name through all the earth.
God makes it clear: “I could have wiped you off the face of the earth instantly, but I have allowed you to stand to demonstrate My power and proclaim My name throughout all the earth.”
The seventh plague was devastating hail mixed with fire.
Exodus 9:18-21 (NASB)
’Behold, about this time tomorrow, I will send a very heavy hail, such as has not been [seen] in Egypt from the day it was founded until now. ‘Now therefore send, bring your livestock and whatever you have in the field to safety. Every man and beast that is found in the field and is not brought home, when the hail comes down on them, will die.’‘’ The one among the servants of Pharaoh who feared the word of the LORD made his servants and his livestock flee into the houses; but he who paid no regard to the word of the LORD left his servants and his livestock in the field.
When we get hail in Fresno, it is usually just a mild nuisance. But in other parts of the country, hail can be the size of softballs. What fell on Egypt was catastrophic—destructive hail that beat to death any person or animal left out in the open. Notice verses 20 and 21: some of Pharaoh’s own servants feared the word of the Lord and brought their livestock inside, while those who disregarded God’s word suffered total loss. The people were beginning to see that the God of Israel was supreme. Pharaoh offered a shallow confession of sin in verse 27, but as soon as the storm stopped, he returned to his stubborn rebellion.
The eighth plague brought an unprecedented invasion of locusts.
Exodus 10:1-6 (NASB)
Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may perform these signs of Mine among them, and that you may tell in the hearing of your son, and of your grandson, how I made a mockery of the Egyptians and how I performed My signs among them, that you may know that I am the LORD.’ Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, ’Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, ’How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, that they may serve Me. ’For if you refuse to let My people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your territory. ’They shall cover the surface of the land, so that no one will be able to see the land. They will also eat the rest of what has escaped– what is left to you from the hail– and they will eat every tree which sprouts for you out of the field. ‘Then your houses shall be filled and the houses of all your servants and the houses of all the Egyptians, [something] which neither your fathers nor your grandfathers have seen, from the day that they came upon the earth until this day.’’ And he turned and went out from Pharaoh.
God explained to Moses that these signs were being performed so that generations of sons and grandsons would know that He is the Lord. When the locusts arrived, they darkened the sky and consumed every single green leaf, plant, and tree left behind by the hail. For an agrarian society, this meant total economic collapse. Pharaoh’s own servants pleaded with him, saying, “Do you not realize that Egypt is destroyed?” Pharaoh attempted yet another partial compromise, but Moses stood firm on complete obedience.
The ninth plague struck at the very heart of Egyptian religion: three days of thick, oppressive darkness.
Exodus 10:21-23 (NASB)
Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even a darkness which may be felt.’ So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days. They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the sons of Israel had light in their dwellings.
Ra, the sun god, was the chief deity of Egypt, and Pharaoh claimed to be his earthly manifestation. God blanketed Egypt in a darkness so dense it could be felt. I went spelunking once in a cave—a big guy in a tight cave is never a good idea. My friend Jesse Pinner, who moves like a tree-climbing hobbit, guided me into a passage called “the birth canal.” When we got inside and turned off our headlamps, the darkness was absolute. You could feel the weight of the blackness. That is what covered Egypt, while the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.
Pharaoh tried one last time to negotiate, telling Moses they could go but must leave their flocks behind. Moses refused to compromise even a hoof. Furious, Pharaoh drove Moses out, declaring, “Do not see my face again, for in the day you see my face you will die.” Moses replied, “You are right; I will never see your face again.”
The Pattern of Grace Before Judgment
The destruction of Egypt was total. Psalm 78 captures the magnitude of what took place during these plagues.
Psalms 78:43-50 (NASB)
When He performed His signs in Egypt And His marvels in the field of Zoan, And turned their rivers to blood, And their streams, they could not drink. He sent among them swarms of flies which devoured them, And frogs which destroyed them. He gave also their crops to the grasshopper And the product of their labor to the locust. He destroyed their vines with hailstones And their sycamore trees with frost. He gave over their cattle also to the hailstones And their herds to bolts of lightning. He sent upon them His burning anger, Fury and indignation and trouble, A band of destroying angels. He leveled a path for His anger; He did not spare their soul from death, But gave over their life to the plague,
There is no greater historical demonstration of God’s destructive judgment in Scripture than the crushing of Egypt. Yet right in the middle of this calamity, grace shines through. Six distinct times, God warned Pharaoh, offering him an opportunity to humble himself, repent, and obey. Six times, Pharaoh hardened his heart in stubborn arrogance.
Pharaoh had moments of religious sentimentality where he said, “I have sinned.” But he was never genuinely seeking God; he was merely trying to escape the painful consequences of his sin. The moment the pressure was relieved, he returned straight to his pride.
Thankfully, not everyone followed Pharaoh’s path. In Exodus 9, several Egyptian servants feared the Word of the Lord and obeyed it. And when Israel finally marched out of Egypt in chapter 12, Scripture notes that a “mixed multitude” went with them.
Exodus 12:38 (NASB)
A mixed multitude also went up with them, along with flocks and herds, a very large number of livestock.
Many Egyptians witnessed the undeniable power of God and said, “Wherever you are going, we are coming with you. Our gods are nothing; your God is the true Lord.”
This reveals a vital biblical principle: grace before judgment. Before wrath falls, God consistently extends an offer of deliverance. We see it with Noah and his family before the flood. We see it with Lot being pulled out of Sodom. We see it in Jonah preaching repentance to Nineveh. And we see it here in Exodus, where God offers mercy and invites people into safety before judgment falls.
Learning the Lesson of Pharaoh
How does this ancient narrative apply to us today? We might not be facing swarms of locusts or rivers turning to blood, but the spiritual reality is identical.
Pharaoh was a self-reliant man who thought he had everything under control. He elevated himself, entangled his life with false gods, hardened his heart against the Lord, and treated God like a temporary get-out-of-jail-free card when trouble hit. In the end, judgment fell and cost him everything.
The challenge for us is to learn the lesson of Pharaoh without paying Pharaoh’s price.
It is easy to read about Pharaoh and shake our heads at his stubbornness, until we look in the mirror and realize we are wired just like him. We say by our actions, “I don’t need God right now. I’m doing fine on my own. If things get really bad, I’ll pray and ask Him to fix it, but once the crisis passes, I’m going back to living my way.”
We easily forget the eternal reality of our condition.
Matthew 10:28 (NASB)
’Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Scripture reminds us that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and that the wages of sin is death. Judgment is coming. People often sit back with a cup of tea and ask philosophical questions like, “If God is good, how could He judge anyone?” That misses the point entirely. The real question is: How can a holy, righteous God extend patience and mercy to broken, rebellious people like us who act just like Pharaoh?
John 3:16-17 (NASB)
’For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. ’For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
God provided a rescue before the judgment we deserve. Some might ask, “If judgment is coming later, why the rush today?”
Romans 2:4 (NASB)
Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?
2 Corinthians 6:2 (NASB)
for He says, ‘AT THE ACCEPTABLE TIME I LISTENED TO YOU, AND ON THE DAY OF SALVATION I HELPED YOU.’ Behold, now is ‘THE ACCEPTABLE TIME,’ behold, now is ’THE DAY OF SALVATION ’–
Do not mistake God’s patience for indifference. Today is the day of salvation. You cannot balance out your bad deeds with good deeds; Scripture tells us our best efforts are like filthy rags. Jesus alone provides righteousness.
John 14:6 (NASB)
Jesus said to him, ’I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
Finally, notice that God chose to deliver His message through Moses and Aaron. God could have written His warnings in the clouds or spoken from the heavens with an audible voice, but He chose human messengers.
Romans 10:17 (NASB)
So faith [comes] from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
If you know Christ, you are called to be a mouthpiece. You are called to speak the Word of God, warn people of the judgment to come, and point them toward the incredible grace found in Jesus Christ.
Learn the lesson of Pharaoh without paying his price. Pharaoh paid everything and lost his soul. Jesus paid everything so that you might have life.
Pastoral Prayer
Father, thank You for Your Word. It reminds us of who You are—not a mere friend or a religious trinket, but the Almighty Sovereign of the universe. You are the Alpha and the Omega, the righteous Judge, holding all things together. Thank You for providing deliverance through Jesus Christ, who took the full wrath our sins deserved upon Himself on the cross.
By Your grace, break our stubbornness and free us from the Pharaoh of sin in our lives. May we never take Your kindness for granted. For anyone hearing this message who has not yet bowed their knee to Jesus, grant them the humility to repent and trust in the Savior today, receiving grace before judgment. In Jesus’ name, Amen.