X
info

Bible: YouVersion
Loading...
Sermon Outline

Exodus

Rough Start

Lesson #3 for July 19, 2025

Scriptures: Exodus 5; 6:1-13; 6:28-7:7;Revelation 11:8; Psalm 73:23-26; 2 Corinthians 6:16.

  1. This lesson will introduce us to the encounters prior to one of the most amazing series of events in human and Israelite history.

[From the Bible study guide=BSG:] Many believers think that when one decides to follow God, he or she will experience only happiness, prosperity, and success. That’s not necessarily the case, however, as the Bible itself often shows [like the experience of Job]. Sometimes many obstacles appear, as well as new difficulties. This can be very frustrating, and it prompts hard questions that don’t always have easy answers or, it seems, any answers at all.

Those who trust in God will face numerous trials. When we persevere, however, God brings solutions that come on His terms and in His time. His ways may conflict with our expectations for quick and instantaneous solutions, but we must learn to trust Him regardless.―Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* for Sabbath Afternoon, July 12.†‡

  1. Moses was sent by God to Egypt to rescue His people from slavery.
  2. Who was the king or pharaoh when Moses returned to Egypt?

[BSG:] King Thutmose III was 2 years old when he was placed by a priest on the Egyptian throne, following his father Thutmose II’s death, in 1504 b.c. Thutmose’s ascension to the throne was most probably inaugurated in order to prevent Moses from becoming the king. At the time, Moses, an adopted son of Pharaoh Hatshepsut, was 26 years old. Thutmose III was co-regent with his stepmother Hatshepsut until 1482 b.c., when she died. At the time of her death, Moses was in Midian. Thutmose III was 24 when he began his solo reign. He destroyed almost all monuments and statues with Hatshepsut’s name or picture and is also known for his successful military campaigns. He is considered to be the greatest military ruler in ancient Egypt. He was also an exceptional builder. In 1450 b.c., at the time of the Exodus, he was 56 years old.―Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* 41.†‡

  1. God had given Moses a clear and decisive mission. We must remember that the Devil is alive and well here on this earth! Among his greatest goals are to make us not trust God and to misinform, confuse, or destroy God’s faithful people.

[BSG:] The command to lead God’s people out of Egypt—[was] about as clear a call from God as anyone could have. Indeed, it included miracles, as well as God Himself speaking directly to Moses and letting him know exactly what He wanted Moses to do.

How much easier, then, could it have been for Moses, knowing that he had been called by God and even given a specific task?

It should have been simple then, right?

Read on.―Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* for Sabbath Afternoon, July 12.‡

  1. Moses had good reasons for not wanting to take on the task that God had given him. He was already 80 years old. And he knew how things were in Egypt!
  2. During their oppressive slavery in Egypt, the Hebrews became so far separated from YAHWEH that they did not know Him or even who He was.

[BSG:] God begins with the solemn statement of self-identification: “ ‘I am the Lord.’ ” By this recognition formula, which is repeated 15 times in Exodus, especially in the section dealing with the plagues (Exod. 6:2, 6, 7, 8, 29; Exod. 7:5, 17; Exod. 10:2; Exod. 12:12; Exod. 14:4, 18; Exod. 15:26; Exod. 16:12; Exod. 29:46; Exod. 31:13), the Lord proclaims His intimate closeness with, and loving care for, His people. Such closeness and care will be recognized by the Israelites and also by the Egyptians. He will deliver His people as promised and liberate them from Egyptian bondage.―Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* 41.†‡§

[BSG:] Before God brings the Israelites out of Egypt, He assures them that He will fulfill the covenant He established with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He promised their forefathers that He would “ ‘give them the land of Canaan’ ” (Exod. 6:4, NKJV), as mentioned inGenesis 12:7 and Genesis 17:[7,] 8. God remembers this covenant, and because the fullness of time has come, things will now move forward. He will intervene for His people. The Lord encourages Moses to firmly declare to His people that His promise will certainly occur. His word will be fulfilled. This fresh assurance is recorded in the crucial passage ofExodus 6:6–8 [as quoted after Item #15 below].―Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* 41.‡§

Genesis 12:7: The Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “This is the country that I am going to give to your descendants.” Then Abram built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.—American Bible Society. (©1992). The Holy Bible: The Good News Translation®* [GNT] (Today’s English Version) [TEV], Second Edition,Genesis 12:7). Philadelphia: American Bible Society [abbreviated as Good News Bible-TEV* or GNB-TEV*].‡

Genesis 17:7-8: 7 “I will keep my promise to you [Abraham] and to your descendants in future generations as an everlasting covenant. I will be your God and the God of your descendants. 8I will give to you and to your descendants this land in which you are now a foreigner. The whole land of Canaan will belong to your descendants forever, and I will be their God.”—Good News Bible-TEV.*‡

  1. We have already seen that the Devil tried to destroy Moses at his birth! If possible, he would have destroyed the entire Hebrew nation to try to prevent the Israelites from being set free and especially keep Christ from coming!

Moses and Aaron Meet with the Leaders of Israel

  1. Before approaching Pharaoh, Moses and Aaron went to the leaders of the Hebrew people. They showed the miraculous signs which the Lord had given them. Surely, the Israelites must have felt that God was finally going to do something for them!

Exodus 4:29-31: 29 So Moses and Aaron went to Egypt and gathered all the Israelite leaders together. 30Aaron told them everything that the Lord had said to Moses, and then Moses performed all the miracles in front of the people. 31They believed, and when they heard that the Lord had come to them and had seen how they were being treated cruelly, they bowed down and worshiped.—Good News Bible-TEV.*†

Moses and Aaron Meet with Pharaoh and Have “Special Requests”

Exodus 5:1-2: 1 Then Moses and Aaron went to the king of Egypt and said, “The Lord, the God of Israel, says, ‘Let my people go, so that they can hold a festival in the desert to honor me.’ ” [Pharaoh believed that he was a god!]

2 “Who is the Lord?” the king demanded. “Why should I listen to him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord; and I will not let Israel go.”—Good News Bible-TEV.*†‡

[BSG:] “Who is the Lord?” Pharaoh declares, not in any desire to know Him but, instead, as an act of defiance or even denial of this God, whom he admits that he does not know. “ ‘I do not know the Lord’ ” (NKJV), he says, almost as a boast.

How many people throughout history have uttered the same thing? How tragic, because, as Jesus Himself said, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3).―Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* for Sunday, July 13.†‡§

John 17:3: “And eternal life means knowing you, the only true God, and to know Jesus Christ, whom you sent.”—Good News Bible-TEV.*

[BSG:] After 40 years of absence from Egypt, [Moses] again enters Pharaoh’s palace (in the year 1450 b.c.). Moses and Aaron visit Pharaoh Thutmose III and confront him with God’s command: “ ‘Let my people go, so that they may worship me’ ” (Exod. 7:16, NIV). Pharaoh refuses to acknowledge the Lord’s existence or His authority. He considers himself a god, worships a plethora of human-fabricated gods, and does not want to accept the request of the living God of the Hebrews. His arrogant reply defines Egypt’s power as a materialistic pagan culture that worships its own gods in the form of idols. Pharaoh denies God’s sovereignty and defies His very existence: “ ‘Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, nor will I let Israel go’ ”; “ ‘Why do you take [literally, let go free] the people from their work? . . . and . . . make them rest [Hebrew: shabat] from their labor’ ” (Exod. 5:2, 4, 5, NKJV)? The Hebrew word for Egypt is mitsrayim, which means a land of “double grip,” referring to severe enslavement and the grasping of authority in order to command, rule, and tell others what to do.―Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* 40.†‡Ω§

[BSG:] Egypt, with the pharaoh as king, is symbolic of a power that denies God’s presence and authority. It is an entity [like the Devil, Babylon, etc.!] that stands in opposition to God, His Word, and His people.

Pharaoh’s next declaration that “I will not let Israel go” reveals even more this rebellion against the living God, further making Egypt a symbol, not only for the denial of God but [also] for a system that fights against Him.―Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* for Sunday, July 13.†‡

  1. The Egyptians felt that Pharaoh was a god. He was worshiped either as a god or as the son of a god. Pharaoh thought his power was supreme. He thought his strength and intelligence were incomparable. Are there other examples of that kind of thinking described in Scripture?

Isaiah 30:1-3: 1 The Lord has spoken: “Those who rule Judah are doomed because they rebel against me. They follow plans that I did not make, and sign treaties against my will, piling one sin on another. 2They go to Egypt for help without asking for my advice. They want Egypt to protect them, so they put their trust in Egypt’s king. 3But the king will be powerless to help them, and Egypt’s protection will end in disaster.”—Good News Bible-TEV.*

Revelation 11:8: Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, where their Lord was crucified. The symbolic name of that city is Sodom, or Egypt.—Good News Bible-TEV.*†

[SDA Bible Commentary:] Sodom. Sodom is symbolic of moral degradation (Eze. 16:46-55). Such was the condition of France during the Revolution.

Egypt. This country was known for its denial of the existence of the true God and for its defiance of the commands of God. Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice . . . ? I know not the Lord” (Ex. 5:2). These attitudes were characteristic of the leaders of the Revolution in France.—Nichol, F. D. (Ed.). (1957). The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, (Vol. 7, p. 803). Review and Herald Publishing Association.‡

  1. Could that apply to any group today? What about evolutionists who believe in the Big Bang theory of origins and deny any role for God? See “abiogenesis.”

[From the writings of Ellen G. White=EGW:] “The great city” in whose streets the witnesses are slain, and where their dead bodies lie, is “spiritually” Egypt. Of all nations presented in Bible history, Egypt most boldly denied the existence of the living God and resisted His commands. No monarch ever ventured upon more open and highhanded rebellion against the authority of Heaven than did the king of Egypt. When the message was brought him by Moses, in the name of the Lord, Pharaoh proudly answered: “Who is Jehovah, that I should hearken unto His voice to let Israel go? I know not Jehovah, and moreover I will not let Israel go.”Exodus 5:2, A.R.V. [sic] This is atheism, and the nation represented by Egypt would give voice to a similar denial of the claims of the living God and would manifest a like spirit of unbelief and defiance. “The great city” is also compared, “spiritually,” to Sodom. The corruption of Sodom in breaking the law of God was especially manifested in licentiousness. And this sin was also to be a pre-eminent characteristic of the nation that should fulfill the specifications of this scripture.—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy* 269.2.†‡

[https://egwwritings.org/read?panels=p132.1235&index=0]‡

  1. If someone asked you what you know about the Lord, what would you say?

Exodus 5:3: Moses and Aaron replied, “The God of the Hebrews has revealed himself to us. Allow us to travel for three days into the desert to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God. If we don’t do so, he will kill us with disease or by war.”—Good News Bible-TEV.*

Pharaoh’s Response

Exodus 5:4-5: 4 The king said to Moses and Aaron, “What do you mean by making the people neglect their work? Get those slaves back to work! 5You people have become more numerous than the Egyptians. And now you want to stop working!”—Good News Bible-TEV.*†

  1. How would one anticipate that Pharaoh would respond to the requests of Moses and Aaron?

Exodus 5:6-14: 6 That same day the king commanded the Egyptian slave drivers and the Israelite foremen: 7 “Stop giving the people straw for making bricks. Make them go and find it for themselves. 8But still require them to make the same number of bricks as before, not one brick less. They don’t have enough work to do, and that is why they keep asking me to let them go and offer sacrifices to their God! 9Make these people work harder and keep them busy, so that they won’t have time to listen to a pack of lies.”

10 The slave drivers and the Israelite foremen went out and said to the Israelites, “The king has said that he will not supply you with any more straw. 11He says that you must go and get it for yourselves wherever you can find it, but you must still make the same number of bricks.” 12 So the people went all over Egypt looking for straw. 13The slave drivers kept trying to force them to make the same number of bricks every day as they had made when they were given straw. 14The Egyptian slave drivers beat the Israelite foremen, whom they had put in charge of the work. They demanded, “Why aren’t you people making the same number of bricks as you made before?”—Good News Bible-TEV.*†

[EGW:] The king, thoroughly roused, suspected the Israelites of a design to revolt from his service. Disaffection was the result of idleness; he would see that no time was left them for dangerous scheming. And he at once adopted measures to tighten their bonds and crush out their independent spirit. The same day orders were issued that rendered their labor still more cruel and oppressive. The most common building material of that country was sun-dried brick; the walls of the finest edifices were made of this, and then faced with stone; and the manufacture of brick employed great numbers of the bondmen. Cut straw being intermixed with the clay, to hold it together, large quantities of straw were required for the work; the king now directed that no more straw be furnished; the laborers must find it for themselves, while the same amount of brick should be exacted.

This order produced great distress among the Israelites throughout the land. The Egyptian taskmasters had appointed Hebrew officers to oversee the work of the people, and these officers were responsible for the labor performed by those under their charge. When the requirement of the king was put in force, the people scattered themselves throughout the land, to gather stubble instead of straw; but they found it impossible to accomplish the usual amount of labor. For this failure the Hebrew officers were cruelly beaten.—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets* 258.2-3.†‡

[https://egwwritings.org/read?panels=p84.1127&index=0]‡

The Foremen Talk to Pharaoh

  1. What were the immediate results after the first recorded encounter by Moses and Aaron with Pharaoh? And what was the result of Moses’s approach to Pharaoh? Things became even worse for the Israelites. Pharaoh demanded that they not only produce the same number of bricks that they had been producing but also that they must find their own straw.

Exodus 5:15-19: 15 Then the foremen went to the king and complained, “Why do you do this to us, Your Majesty? 16We are given no straw, but we are still ordered to make bricks! And now we are being beaten. It is your people that are at fault.”

17 The king answered, “You are lazy and don’t want to work, and that is why you ask me to let you go and offer sacrifices to the Lord. 18Now get back to work! You will not be given any straw, but you must still make the same number of bricks.” 19The foremen realized that they were in trouble when they were told that they had to make the same number of bricks every day as they had made before.—Good News Bible-TEV.*†

The Foremen Complain to Moses and Aaron Who Complain to the Lord

Exodus 5:20-23: 20 As they [the Israelite leaders] were leaving, they met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting for them. 21They said to Moses and Aaron, “The Lord has seen what you have done and will punish you for making the king and his officers hate us. You have given them an excuse to kill us.”

[Moses Complains to the Lord]

22 Then Moses turned to the Lord again and said, “Lord [sic], why do you mistreat your people? Why did you send me here? 23Ever since I went to the king to speak for you, he has treated them cruelly. And you have done nothing to help them!”—Good News Bible-TEV.*†‡

  1. So, Moses and Aaron then had two parties to deal with: Pharaoh and the Israelites.

[BSG:] What are some better ways you and others might be able to deal with local church [and political] leaders when disagreements arise, as they inevitably do?―Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* for Monday, July 14.‡

  1. Clearly, things went from bad to worse for the Israelites! And how did God respond?

God Responds and Promises to Rescue Israel

Exodus 6:1-8: 1 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you are going to see what I will do to the king. I will force him to let my people go. In fact, I will force him to drive them out of his land.”

[God Calls Moses]

2God spoke to Moses and said, “I am the Lord. 3I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as Almighty God, but I did not make myself known to them by my holy name, the Lord. 4I also made my covenant with them, promising to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they had lived as foreigners. 5Now I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians have enslaved, and I have remembered my covenant. 6So tell the Israelites that I say to them, ‘I am the Lord; I will rescue you and set you free from your slavery to the Egyptians. I will raise my mighty arm to bring terrible punishment upon them, and I will save you. 7I will make you my own people, and I will be your God. You will know that I am the Lord your God when I set you free from slavery in Egypt. 8I will bring you to the land that I solemnly promised to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will give it to you as your own possession. I am the Lord.’ ”—Good News Bible-TEV.*†‡ [God is ready to take action!]‡

  1. As recorded inExodus 6:6-7 as quoted just above, God promised that He would rescue Israel, and He would be their God.

[BSG:] Then, for the first time in the book of Exodus, the Lord proclaims that “you,” meaning the Israelites, will “ ‘ “know that I am the Lord your God” ’ ” (Exod. 6:7, NKJV). Before, it was always the Lord who knew the oppression, suffering, and affliction of His people, but now His people will “know” their God.―Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* 42.†‡§

[BSG:] God will no longer only speak; He will now mightily intervene in favor of His people. He reminds Moses of a few pertinent facts: (1) “I am the Lord”; (2) I appeared to the patriarchs; (3) I established My covenant with them; (4) I have promised to give them the land of Canaan; (5) I have heard the groaning of the children of Israel; and (6) I have remembered My covenant to give you the Promised Land.

Notice the repetition of the divine “I.” I, “the Lord your God,” I have done such and such, and so you can trust that I will do for you what I have promised.

The Lord now solemnly proclaims that He will do four great things for Israel because He is their living Lord: (1) “ ‘I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians;’ ” (2) “ ‘I will free you from being slaves to them;’ ” (3) “ ‘I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment;’ ” and (4) “ ‘I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God’ ” (Exod. 6:6, 7, NIV).―Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* for Tuesday, July 15.†‡§

[BSG:] These four divine actions secure and reestablish His relationship with His people. God is the subject of all these activities, and the Israelites are the recipients of all these benefits and grace. God offers these gifts for free, out of love; He did it then, to them, and He does it now, for us, as well.

What other Bible characters have cried out in complaint before God—and with good reasons? Why is it OK, at times, to pour out your soul to God and even complain about your situation? Why, though, must you always do it in faith and in trust?―Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* for Tuesday, July 15.‡

  1. How do you think you would have responded when you realized that the efforts of Moses and Aaron had only led to greater persecution from Pharaoh and the other Egyptians?

Exodus 6:9-13: 9 Moses told this to the Israelites, but they would not listen to him, because their spirit had been broken by their cruel slavery.

10 Then the Lord said to Moses, 11 “Go and tell the king of Egypt that he must let the Israelites leave his land.”

12 But Moses replied, “Even the Israelites will not listen to me, so why should the king? I am such a poor speaker.”

13 The Lord commanded Moses and Aaron: “Tell the Israelites and the king of Egypt that I have ordered you to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.”—Good News Bible-TEV.*†

  1. Moses must have become somewhat disheartened.

[BSG:] God presents Himself to Moses as Yahweh [sic], which means that He is the personal and close God, the God of His people, and the God who entered a covenantal relationship with them [from the days of Abraham].

This immanent God again commands Moses to go and speak with Pharaoh. With a lack of self-confidence, Moses again objects: “Why would Pharaoh listen to me?” Here again we can see not just Moses’ humility but, again, his desire to get out of the task, which so far has not gone too well.―Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* for Thursday, July 17.†‡

[Andrews Bible Commentary as quoted in BSG:] “When God ordered Moses to go back to Pharaoh, Moses showed self-distrust. The term ‘aral sepatayim—literally ‘uncircumcised lips,’ which is used here to express Moses’ lack of speaking ability (6:12, 30)—is similar to that found inExodus 4:10: ‘slow of speech.’ ”—Andrews Bible Commentary: Old Testament, “Exodus” (Berrien Springs, MI: Andrews University Press, 2020), p. 205.―[as quoted in Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* for Thursday, July 17].†‡§

Exodus 6:12,30: 12 But Moses replied, “Even the Israelites will not listen to me, so why should the king? I am such a poor speaker.”…

30 But Moses answered, “You know that I am such a poor speaker; why should the king listen to me?”—Good News Bible-TEV.*†

  1. One would be hard-pressed to blame the Hebrews for their discouragement at that time.

[BSG:] The Hebrews are so disheartened by their grief, suffering, and hard labor that they do not listen to Moses’ words of reassurance that God will act to fulfill what He promised. They have waited so long for it, and their expectations have not been met. Why should it be different now? They were losing heart and hope, which must have been even more bitter because, perhaps for the first [time] in all their lifetimes, they saw real hope of deliverance.

And yet, who hasn’t been in a similar place? Who hasn’t at some point felt depressed, disappointed, dissatisfied—even abandoned by God?―Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* for Wednesday, July 16.‡

  1. This story should probably be compared to the story of Job! And to the psalmist, Asaph.

[BSG:] What about Asaph, a psalmist who struggled with his questions regarding the prosperity of the wicked and the suffering of the righteous? Yet, regardless of his struggles, Asaph has one of the most beautiful confessions of faith: “Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Ps. 73:23–26, NIV).―Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* for Wednesday, July 16.‡§

Psalm 73:23-26: 23 Yet I always stay close to you,

and you hold me by the hand.

24 You guide me with your instruction

and at the end you will receive me with honor.

25 What else do I have in heaven but you?

Since I have you, what else could I want on earth?

26 My mind and my body may grow weak,

but God is my strength;

he is all I ever need.—Good News Bible-TEV.*

  1. Have you ever been tempted to become discouraged or disheartened because of the way that you feel the Lord is treating you?

Isaiah 41:13: “I am the Lord your God;

I strengthen you and tell you,

‘Do not be afraid; I will help you.’ ”—Good News Bible-TEV.*

  1. Making similar statements, Jesus promised that He would be with us as did Paul.

Matthew 28:20: “And teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And I will be with you always, to the end of the age.”—Good News Bible-TEV.*

John 14:27: “Peace is what I leave with you; it is my own peace that I give you. I do not give it as the world does. Do not be worried and upset; do not be afraid.”—Good News Bible-TEV.*

John 16:33: “I have told you this so that you will have peace by being united to me. The world will make you suffer. But be brave [even though all of you will end up being martyrs]! I have defeated the world!”—Good News Bible-TEV.*‡

Philippians 4:6-7: 6 Don’t worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart. 7And God’s peace, which is far beyond human understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with Christ Jesus.—Good News Bible-TEV.*

  1. Despite all this trouble the Israelites were having, God was still trying to say to His people that He loved them and that He wanted to make them His people! (SeeExodus 6:7.)
  2. Has God not said the same thing on behalf of those who will live through the seven last plagues? At that time in history, the Devil will be desperate. He knows that if God can maintain a faithful group of people, he, Satan, is doomed. We are a death sentence for the Devil! So, Satan will do everything that he can to confuse, misinform, even destroy God’s faithful people. But, God has promised to protect them. It will be a face-to-face battle in the great controversy, fighting over the minds of you and me!
  3. How do you suppose Moses responded when God told him that he was to be like a god to Pharaoh? Remember that Pharaoh thought that he himself was a god!

“Let My People Go!”

Exodus 6:28-7:7: 28 When the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, 29he said, “I am the Lord. Tell the king of Egypt everything I tell you.”

30 But Moses answered, “You know that I am such a poor speaker; why should the king listen to me?”

7:1 The Lord said, “I am going to make you like God to the king, and your brother Aaron will speak to him as your prophet. 2Tell Aaron everything I command you, and he will tell the king to let the Israelites leave his country. 3–4But I will make the king stubborn, and he will not listen to you, no matter how many terrifying things I do in Egypt. Then I will bring severe punishment on Egypt and lead the tribes of my people out of the land. 5The Egyptians will then know that I am the Lord, when I raise my hand against them and bring the Israelites out of their country.” 6Moses and Aaron did what the Lord commanded. 7At the time when they spoke to the king, Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron was eighty-three.—Good News Bible-TEV.*†

Prophet? Or, Spokesperson? Or, Messenger?

  1. We do not have many details about the relationship between Aaron and Moses other than that they were brothers. But, God has given us this example of the role of a prophet to God. Moses was to receive the messages from God, and Moses was to speak to Aaron who would speak on his behalf to whomever needed to receive the message.

[BSG:] God in His mercy gives Aaron to help Moses. Moses will speak to Aaron, who will then speak publicly to Pharaoh; thus, Moses will play the role of God before the Egyptian king, and Aaron will be his prophet.

This account provides an excellent definition for the role of a prophet. A prophet is a spokesperson for God; he or she is His mouthpiece to transmit and to interpret God’s word to the people. As Moses spoke to Aaron, and then Aaron announced it to Pharaoh, so God communicates with a prophet, who then proclaims God’s teaching to the people. This can happen verbally, in person; or, as was most commonly done, the prophet received the message from God and then wrote it down.―Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* for Thursday, July 17.†‡

  1. Was that the role which Ellen White played for the advent movement and then the Seventh-day Adventist Church? Should we call her a prophet? She asked us to call her God’s messenger. What is the difference?
  2. Moses suspected and God confirmed that Pharaoh would not be a ready listener.
  3. Why has the second coming of Jesus been delayed so long? Is it because we have not done what God has asked us to do? See Evangelism 694-697.

(https://egwwritings.org/read?panels=p30.3848&index=0) We are not ready!

  1. Moses had been asked to approach the most powerful king living on earth in those days. That king, Pharaoh, thought he himself was a god. Was it any surprise that Moses did not get a kind reception?
  2. ReadExodus 12:12 again. After sweeping up the dead frogs into a stinking pile, imagine bowing down with your family, holding your noses, and praying: “Dear god frog, please bless Mommy and Daddy, and help us to be more like you!”
  3. The children of Israel and the Egyptians were about to see the most amazing actions by God. The Devil will try to imitate those actions at the time of the seven last plagues as described in Revelation 15 and 16. Are we ready?

©2025, Kenneth Hart, MD, MA, MPH. Permission is hereby granted for any noncommercial use of these materials. Free distribution of all or of a portion of this material such as to a Bible study class is encouraged. *Electronic version. †Bold type is added. ‡Brackets and content in brackets are added. ΩBrackets and the content in brackets within the paragraph are in the Bible study guide or source. §Italic type is in the source.

Last Modified: June 7, 2025                                                                                            Email: Info@theox.org