Exodus 7, The Obedience of Moses

Moses was best known by the title, “Servant of the LORD.”  That is because, as you read the stories in which Moses is involved, you repeatedly hear that he did just what the LORD commanded him to do.  That general phrase, “just as the LORD commanded, so he did,” appears 16 times in Exodus, 14 times in Leviticus and 34 times in Numbers.  Like the first son in Jesus’ parable in Matt. 21:28-32, Moses had told the LORD “no” at the first, but then became the obedient son.  As the writer to Hebrews said, “Moses was indeed faithful in all his house as a servant” (Heb. 3:5).  These words were a quote of what God Himself spoke in Num. 12:7.

Moses’ obedience was “implicit” in the sense of the definition, “Having no doubts or reservations; unquestioning.”  Did you see it in today’s passage (v6,10,20)? 

On the other hand, the obedience of Pharaoh was conditional.  He seemed to humble himself before the God of Israel until the pressure was removed.  Then, when the plague was removed, he reneged on his promise to let the people go. 

Plague	Obedience	Plague Removed	Disobedience
Frogs	8:8	8:13	8:15
Flies	8:28	8:31	8:32
Hail	9:27f	9:33	9:34f
Darkness	10:24		10:27

The obedience of the people of Israel also tended to be conditional.  Throughout the wilderness years Israel would affirm obedience to the LORD.  We will do everything the LORD has said (Ex. 19:8).  But then difficult days would come and they would immediately determine that they should never have left Egypt.  This came to a head when they rebelled and refused to take the land in Num. 14:1-9.

Just how critical is obedience to Christians who live under the New Covenant.  One way to answer this question is to look at the three cardinal virtues: faith, hope and love (1 Cor. 13:13).  Faith without works (obedience) is dead (James 2:17).  Hope that is real will result in the purification of our lives (1 John 3:3).  And Jesus said, If you love Me, keep my commandments (John 14:15).

Another way to see the importance of obedience is to look at the pattern of sanctification in Romans 6.  First, we must know who we are in Christ, having been crucified and raised with Him to walk in newness of life (v3).  Then we must count this to be true in our own lives (v11).  It’s not just a doctrinal truth; it is a personal fact.  We then act in faith and present our bodies to God (v13).  At that point we are ready to engage in our daily lives, living in obedience to our Master (v16).

Read Heb. 11:24-27 and you will note Moses had several things that could have led him to disobey the LORD: loss of status in Egypt, loss of temporal pleasures and so forth.  But he was faithful in his house!  May it be said of us as well.