Exodus Chapter 7 Summary
Contest with Pharaoh. First plague. Water turned to blood.
Discussion Questions for Exodus, Chapter 7
- Exodus 7:1 reads, "And the LORD said to Moses, 'See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet.'" Has God made Moses into a god? What does God mean by this statement if Moses isn't a god? Why is this important to do in front of Pharaoh?
- The Egyptian culture made the Pharaoh a god. God tells Moses that he would be "like" God to Pharaoh, in order to be similar and strong within the culture. How has the church changed to be similar and relevant in today's culture? Is this a good or bad development for the church? Why?
- Exodus 7:7 tells us that Moses is 80 years old and Aaron is 83 years old. Why doesn't God use someone younger to lead His people out of Egypt? How are the elderly viewed in our culture, and are they capable of leading people today?
- Exodus 7:8-13 tells the story of Moses's staff, which turned into a serpent and swallowed the Egyptian sorcerers' staffs, which also turned into serpents. This shows that the world has similar "powers" to God's. In Revelation 20:7, it is said that Satan will deceive many. How can we tell if something is of God when the world can closely imitate it and deceive people?
- God changes the Nile from water to blood through Moses and Aaron in Exodus 7. Why doesn't God do these things Himself?
- There are two fluids essential to life: water and blood. What is the significance of God changing one into another in Exodus 7? Blood kills the fish in the Nile, and we know water is able to kill through flooding and drowning. What is the significance of life-giving fluids also being able to destroy life?
- Exodus 7 even describes the waters that had been drawn previously from the Nile as turning to blood. No one in the land had drinking water, as there was no mention of an exception for the Hebrews. Since it is not recorded in Scripture, how do you think the children of Israel reacted? How would this influence Moses and Aaron as the leaders? How would this affect you if you were Moses and Aaron?
- As the people were suffering, Exodus 7:23 says the Pharaoh turned and went inside his home. How would you describe the Pharaoh's leadership qualities based on the book of Exodus? How do those leadership qualities compare to Moses'? Would either of their qualities be considered Christian according to our traditional beliefs?
- A pattern is established in Exodus 7 when God says, "By this you will know me as God." Are these signs being done to convince the Egyptians, the Hebrews, or both that God is working through Moses? How does this reflect the level of faith in God by both groups?
- It's not stated, but do you think the Hebrews' water in vessels turned to blood also? If not, how did it remain water? The last verse in chapter 7 says that the water remained blood for seven days. How did anyone survive without water for seven days?
Key Words/Phrase
Smitten (waters), vv. 1, 17.
Characters
God, Moses, Aaron, Pharaoh, magician.
Strong Verse(s)
1, 5, 17.
