God's Plan, the First Step to Freedom

By Mary Vee
Exodus 7:8-13

Aaron glanced at the guard then back at Moses.  "Well, here we are again, Moses. Do you think Pharaoh will listen this time?"

Moses rolled his eyes. "There's only one way we could have seen Pharaoh. It certainly wasn't anything we did.  God is with us. Now, do you remember everything I told you?"

Aaron nodded.

The door suddenly opened. A servant stepped into the hall. "Pharaoh will see them now, although I can't understand why."

The guard laughed.  "Pharaoh is playing with them.  He knows they can't do anything." He pushed Moses and Aaron into the room then toward the front.

Pharaoh nodded to the brothers, giving them permission to speak.

Moses gave his brother a signal to go ahead. Aaron stood straight and looked into Pharaoh's eyes. "God has commanded you to send the children of Israel out of this land." 

Pharaoh's laugh echoed in the room. "Who is this God who thinks He can order me?  And who are you to deliver such a message?" He folded his arms and walked a few steps toward an advisor, whispered a few words then walked back. "Show me a miracle."

Moses turned to Aaron, "Take your rod and throw it on the ground before Pharaoh and let it become a serpent."

Aaron leaned over toward his brother. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. This is what God said to do."

Aaron threw his rod on the ground before Pharaoh.  It bounced once then slithered to the left then slid to the right. Servants from all around the room jumped back and huddled near the wall.  A guard leaped in front of Pharaoh as the serpent raised itself.  The serpant slid it's head side to side.

"Move aside, guard." Pharaoh clapped his hand twice.  "Magicians, sorcerers turn your rods into serpents."

A group of men moved toward the front of the room. They smiled at one another and said a few strange words then threw their rods on the ground before Pharaoh.  A moment later each rod turned into a serpent slithering to the left and right.

Pharaoh laughed.  "My magicians can do what you do?  I'm not im-"

Before he finished his sentence, the serpent from Aaron's rod swallowed the serpents from the magician's rods. Pharaoh squinted his eyes and glared at his magicians.  "You have disappointed me."

Moses told Aaron to pick the serpent up by the tail.  Aaron blinked twice. "Really?" 

"Yes, this is what God said to do."

Aaron scooped up the serpent's tail and found his rod stiff in his hand.  The guards, servants, and magicians burst into chatter. 

Pharaoh paced before the crowd.  "Silence!"  He raised his hands. "You--Moses and Aaron--will leave my presence.  I will not let the children of Israel go."

Once outside Pharaoh's palace Aaron turned to Moses. "Well, that didn't go very well."

Moses smiled and slapped his brother on the back.  "True, but God knew this would happen.  He has a  plan to show everyone in Egypt who He really is. The next step in his plan will take place tomorrow morning."

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Moses understands now that God's plan to help the children of Israel will take time.

Find the answers to these questions in today's story:

1. Who visited Pharaoh?
2. What did Pharaoh ask them to do?
3. What miracle did Moses and Aaron do in God's name?
4. Who else did this same miracle?
5. What did Aaron's serpent do to the other serpents?
6. Did Pharaoh listen to Moses and Aaron?
7. What lesson did Moses learn?