◄ Exodus 9:13 ►
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Get up early in the morning, stand before Pharaoh, and tell him that this is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: 'Let My people go, so that they may worship Me.
Study Bible
Then the LORD said to Moses
This phrase underscores the direct communication between God and Moses, a central theme in the Exodus narrative. The Hebrew word for "LORD" is "YHWH," the sacred and personal name of God, emphasizing His covenant relationship with Israel. This divine instruction highlights God's sovereignty and His active role in the liberation of His people. The phrase also reflects the continuity of God's plan, as He consistently guides Moses in confronting Pharaoh.

Get up early in the morning
The instruction to rise early signifies urgency and the importance of the task at hand. In ancient Near Eastern culture, early morning was often a time for significant activities, symbolizing readiness and diligence. This command reflects the seriousness of God's message and the need for prompt obedience. It also suggests a strategic approach, as Pharaoh would likely be more accessible in the morning.

present yourself to Pharaoh
Moses is commanded to confront Pharaoh directly, demonstrating courage and faithfulness to God's mission. The Hebrew root "yatsav" implies taking a stand or positioning oneself firmly, indicating Moses' role as God's representative. This encounter is not merely a human confrontation but a divine appointment, where Moses acts as the mouthpiece of God, challenging the earthly authority of Pharaoh with the heavenly authority of YHWH.

and tell him that this is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says
This phrase establishes the authority and identity of the message. "The God of the Hebrews" connects the message to the covenantal relationship between God and His people, emphasizing His commitment to their deliverance. The repetition of "says" underscores the prophetic nature of Moses' role, as he delivers God's authoritative word to Pharaoh. It is a reminder that the power behind the message is divine, not human.

Let My people go
This command is central to the Exodus narrative, encapsulating God's demand for the liberation of the Israelites. The phrase is a declaration of God's ownership and care for His people, asserting their identity as His chosen nation. It challenges Pharaoh's perceived control and highlights the theme of divine deliverance. The imperative "let go" reflects God's determination to free His people from bondage.

so that they may worship Me
The purpose of the Israelites' liberation is not merely physical freedom but spiritual devotion. The Hebrew word "avad" can mean both "serve" and "worship," indicating that true freedom involves serving God. This phrase reveals God's desire for a relationship with His people, where they can worship Him freely. It underscores the ultimate goal of the Exodus: to bring the Israelites into a covenantal relationship with God, where they can fulfill their purpose as His worshipers.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant-keeping God of Israel, who is demonstrating His power and sovereignty over Egypt and its gods.

2. Moses
The chosen leader and prophet of Israel, tasked with delivering God's message to Pharaoh.

3. Pharaoh
The ruler of Egypt, whose heart is hardened against releasing the Israelites.

4. The Hebrews (Israelites)
God's chosen people, enslaved in Egypt, whom God desires to free for worship.

5. Egypt
The land where the Israelites are enslaved, representing a place of bondage and opposition to God's will.
Teaching Points
God's Sovereignty
Recognize that God is in control and His plans will prevail, even over the most powerful earthly rulers.

Obedience to God's Call
Like Moses, we are called to be obedient to God's instructions, even when facing opposition.

Purpose of Deliverance
Understand that God's deliverance is not just for freedom's sake but for the purpose of worship and relationship with Him.

The Hardness of Heart
Be aware of the dangers of a hardened heart and the importance of remaining open to God's voice.

God's Faithfulness
Trust in God's faithfulness to fulfill His promises, as demonstrated in His deliverance of Israel.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does God's command to Moses in Exodus 9:13 reflect His ultimate purpose for the Israelites?

2. In what ways can we see the sovereignty of God in the events leading up to and including Exodus 9:13?

3. How does Moses' obedience to God's command challenge us in our own walk of faith?

4. What are some modern-day "Pharaohs" or obstacles that might harden our hearts against God's will, and how can we overcome them?

5. How can we apply the principle of deliverance for the purpose of worship in our daily lives and spiritual practices?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 3:18
This verse connects to God's initial command to Moses to request Pharaoh to let the Israelites go to worship Him, showing the consistency of God's purpose.

Romans 9:17
Paul references Pharaoh to illustrate God's sovereignty and purpose in raising leaders to demonstrate His power.

Hebrews 11:24-27
Moses' faith is highlighted, showing his obedience to God's call despite the challenges he faced with Pharaoh.

Psalm 105:26-36
This passage recounts the plagues and God's deliverance of Israel, emphasizing His faithfulness and power.

1 Samuel 6:6
The hardening of Pharaoh's heart is compared to the hardening of the Philistines' hearts, showing a pattern of resistance to God's will.
Sermons
Harden not Your HeartsG.A. Goodhart Exodus 9:13
The Plagues of EgyptCharles KingsleyExodus 9:13
The Plague of Boils and BlainsJ. Orr Exodus 9:8-13
God to be Recognized in the Events of LifeChristian AgeExodus 9:13-16
Pharaoh Raised UpC. S. Robinson, D. D.Exodus 9:13-16
ReprobationN. Emmons, D. D.Exodus 9:13-16
The Divine Name as Manifested in the History of a Wicked and Rebellious SoulJ. S. Exell, M. A.Exodus 9:13-16
The Earth is the Lord's and the Fulness of itD. Young Exodus 9:13-16
The Plagues of EgyptJ. C. Gray.Exodus 9:13-16
Why Pharaoh was ExaltedJ. H. Norton, D. D.Exodus 9:13-16
Mercy in JudgmentJ. Urquhart Exodus 9:13-21
The Plague of HailJ. Orr Exodus 9:13-35
People
Aaron, Egyptians, Israelites, Moses, Pharaoh
Places
Egypt, Goshen
Topics
Confront, Early, Hast, Hebrews, Morning, Pharaoh, Rise, Says, Serve, Stand, Station, Thus, Thyself, Worship
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Exodus 9:13

     4954   morning

Exodus 9:13-14

     8833   threats

Exodus 9:13-16

     8332   reputation

Exodus 9:13-18

     6708   predestination

Library
Confession of Sin --A Sermon with Seven Texts
The Hardened Sinner. PHARAOH--"I have sinned."--Exodus 9:27. I. The first case I shall bring before you is that of the HARDENED SINNER, who, when under terror, says, "I have sinned." And you will find the text in the book of Exodus, the 9th chap. and 27th verse: "And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: the Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked." But why this confession from the lips of the haughty tyrant? He was not often wont to …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 3: 1857

The God of the Old Testament is the God of the New
(Palm Sunday.) Exodus ix. 14. I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth. We are now beginning Passion Week, the week of the whole year which ought to teach us most theology; that is, most concerning God, his character and his spirit. For in this Passion Week God did that which utterly and perfectly showed forth his glory, as it never has been shown forth before or since. …
Charles Kingsley—The Gospel of the Pentateuch

The Plagues of Egypt
(Palm Sunday.) EXODUS ix. 13, 14. Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me. For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth. You will understand, I think, the meaning of the ten plagues of Egypt better, if I explain to you in a few words what kind of a country Egypt is, what kind of people the Egyptians were. Some of you, doubtless, …
Charles Kingsley—The Gospel of the Pentateuch

Sign Seekers, and the Enthusiast Reproved.
(Galilee on the Same Day as the Last Section.) ^A Matt. XII. 38-45; ^C Luke XI. 24-36. ^c 29 And when the multitudes were gathering together unto him, ^a 38 Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, Teacher, we would see a sign from thee. [Having been severely rebuked by Jesus, it is likely that the scribes and Pharisees asked for a sign that they might appear to the multitude more fair-minded and open to conviction than Jesus had represented them to be. Jesus had just wrought …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Hardening in the Sacred Scripture.
"He hath hardened their heart."-- John xii. 40. The Scripture teaches positively that the hardening and "darkening of their foolish heart" is a divine, intentional act. This is plainly evident from God's charge to Moses concerning the king of Egypt: "Thou shalt speak all that I command thee; and I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply My signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. But Pharaoh shall not harken unto you, and I will lay My hand upon Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the …
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy Spirit

The Sovereignty of God in Reprobation
"Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God" (Rom. 11:22). In the last chapter when treating of the Sovereignty of God the Father in Salvation, we examined seven passages which represent Him as making a choice from among the children of men, and predestinating certain ones to be conformed to the image of His Son. The thoughtful reader will naturally ask, And what of those who were not "ordained to eternal life?" The answer which is usually returned to this question, even by those who profess …
Arthur W. Pink—The Sovereignty of God

Man's Misery by the Fall
Q-19: WHAT IS THE MISERY OF THAT ESTATE WHEREINTO MAN FELL? A: All mankind by their fall lost communion with God, are under his wrath and curse, and so made liable to all the miseries in this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell for ever. 'And were by nature children of wrath.' Eph 2:2. Adam left an unhappy portion to his posterity, Sin and Misery. Having considered the first of these, original sin, we shall now advert to the misery of that state. In the first, we have seen mankind offending; …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Opposition to Messiah Ruinous
Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel T here is a species of the sublime in writing, which seems peculiar to the Scripture, and of which, properly, no subjects but those of divine revelation are capable, With us, things inconsiderable in themselves are elevated by splendid images, which give them an apparent importance beyond what they can justly claim. Thus the poet, when describing a battle among bees, by a judicious selection of epithets …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2

Exposition of Chap. Iii. (ii. 28-32. )
Ver. 1. "And it shall come to pass, afterwards, I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy; your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions." The communication of the Spirit of God was the constant prerogative of the Covenant-people. Indeed, the very idea of such a people necessarily requires it. For the Spirit of God is the only inward bond betwixt Him and that which is created; a Covenant-people, therefore, without such an inward …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Exodus
The book of Exodus--so named in the Greek version from the march of Israel out of Egypt--opens upon a scene of oppression very different from the prosperity and triumph in which Genesis had closed. Israel is being cruelly crushed by the new dynasty which has arisen in Egypt (i.) and the story of the book is the story of her redemption. Ultimately it is Israel's God that is her redeemer, but He operates largely by human means; and the first step is the preparation of a deliverer, Moses, whose parentage, …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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