Exodus 7:14-17 "And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh's heart is hardened, he refuseth to let the people go. Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water; and thou shalt stand by the river's brink against he come; and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in thine hand. And thou shalt say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee, saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness: and, behold, hitherto thou wouldest not hear. Thus saith the LORD, In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood."
It is obvious from our scriptures today that God knows the heart of man. Pharaoh’s heart was hardened against Israel. He had no intention of letting God’s people go. Remember that it was not only their freedom from bondage that was at stake, but also their liberty to worship and sacrifice to I AM.
It is equally obvious that God knows the habits of man. God knew that Pharaoh went out to the water every morning. Scholars tell us that the river Nile was a god by the Egyptian people. So, Pharaoh was going out to worship an idol while refusing to let Israel go to worship the LORD.
God told Moses and Aaron where to meet Pharaoh. He also told them exactly what they were to do and say. Moses was not told to use his own words. Everything that was said and done was to be according to what God commanded.
Moses began by reminding Pharaoh that the LORD God of the Hebrews was the one commanding that Israel be set free. They were to be allowed to go and worship God in the wilderness. Pharaoh was told this on multiple occasions to that he had no room to accuse God when the LORD’s judgement fell upon him. Also of note is the fact that this time God did not set a three-day limit on their going as had been done previously (Exodus 5:3).
At this point, Moses is speaking unto Pharaoh as God. God had told Pharaoh to let Israel go, and now He says to him “Up to this point (hitherto), you refused to listen.” The promise of judgement is clear in the language that God used here. Pharaoh had ignored God up to this point, but things were about to change.
Even though God spoke to Moses and Aaron spoke the words that Moses gave him, the words belonged to God. In the same fashion, what was about to be done in the waters of Egypt was an act that belonged to God. Notice the language at this point. God said “I will smite with the rod that is in my hand. I will turn the waters of Egypt into blood.” The result of God’s will as spoken to Pharaoh was “You will know that I am God.”
Dear ones, the perfect and holy will of God is brought about only by the hand of God. Even when He uses men as instruments, the saying and the doing belong to Him. The honor of it and the power in it are His. God will do His works in order that men will know that He is God!