In Genesis 7 is the interesting statement: Then the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.” v. 1. In the commentary below it said God made Moses “like God to Pharaoh” – in other words, a powerful person who deserved to be listened to. Pharaoh himself was considered a god, so he recognized Moses as one of his peers. His refusal to give in to Moses shows, however, that he did not feel inferior to Moses. God goes on to tell Moses that He will harden Pharaoh’s heart so that Pharaoh will not listen to Moses. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out my divisions, my people the Israelites. And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it. v. 4-5.

Pharaoh asks for a miracle and Aaron did as Moses told him just as the Lord commanded Moses to tell Aaron. Moses continues to feel inadequate but he tells Aaron what God tells him and Aaron obeys God’s orders. God is constant. He chose Moses and continues to instruct Moses regardless of how inadequate Moses may feel. The miracle Pharaoh asks for becomes Moses’s staff turning into a snake. Pharaoh watched and summoned his wise men and sorcerers. Remember when Joseph was imprisoned and that Pharaoh had dreams that no wise men or sorcerers of Egypt could interpret? These wise men and sorcerers could produce snakes from staffs but their staffs couldn’t do what Moses’s staff did when that staff swallowed up the Egyptian staffs.

With that same staff, the water of the Nile, the streams and canals, ponds and all reservoirs…even the water in the vessels of wood and stone turn to blood v. 17-21. Again, the Egyptian magicians did the same thing, but they couldn’t reverse the process and so all the Egyptians dug along the Nile to get drinking water, because they could not drink the water of the river. v. 24. Pharaoh didn’t take all of this to heart because he hasn’t yet seen anything his own magicians can’t do.

For Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden. Romans 9:17-18. Pharaoh is about to see God’s power that no magician can replicate.

I read this Scripture Sunday and it was so beautiful. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 2 Corinthians 4:6-7.

Moses felt keenly his inadequacy…jars of clay. Pharaoh’s hardened heart…jars of clay. Neither one held back the all-surpassing power that is from God. Pharaoh wanted to see a “miracle”. He wanted to be entertained. God doesn’t do miracles to entertain. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. Psalm 139:7-12.

No matter what age we live in, no matter what power humans may hold over us, even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. We can take such comfort in our Lord who is the Potter. We are clay dearly loved and watched over. Pharaoh had to learn just how strong that Potter’s hand was and that he, Pharaoh, was not a god. His heart was hardened then. Today, if you hear his voice, “Do not harden your hearts”. Hebrews 4:7. We can read these Scriptures and forget all about them. Or, we can look for God and let Him guide our steps. We are the clay. He is the Potter and He said Let there be light in the darkness. He is our light leading us out of the hardness of our hearts. How wonderful is that light that is His love working for us.