The First Sign
Exodus 7:8–10 (NASB95)
8Now the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 9“When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, ‘Work a miracle,’ then you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent.’ ” 10So Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, and thus they did just as the LORD had commanded; and Aaron threw his staff down before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent.
Commentary – The First Sign
The confrontation between God and Pharaoh begins here. This is the first of the eleven signs of God’s sovereignty, and it sets the tone for everything that will follow. God directs Moses and Aaron with specific instructions: when Pharaoh demands a sign as proof of their authority, Aaron is to throw down his staff, which will become a serpent. What happens in these verses is much more than a simple miracle. It is an escalation, a declaration that the God of Israel is about to challenge and dismantle the false gods of Egypt.
Let’s begin with the role of Aaron. The text emphasizes that it is Aaron, not Moses, who performs the action here. This aligns with the Hebrew concept of a navi, or prophet. A navi is a messenger, someone who delivers God’s words and acts on His behalf. Aaron is functioning in this role, faithfully carrying out God’s command as Moses directs him. This is not a display of Aaron’s power or skill. It is an act of obedience that points to God’s sovereignty.
The sign itself is rich with symbolism. When Aaron’s staff transforms into a serpent, it directly challenges one of Egypt’s most sacred symbols. The serpent, particularly the cobra, was a representation of Pharaoh’s divine authority. It was depicted on his crown and tied to the goddess Wadjet, the protector of Egypt. In other words, the serpent was a symbol of Egypt’s gods and Pharaoh’s supposed power. By turning Aaron’s staff into a serpent, God was declaring His authority over Pharaoh and the gods of Egypt. This sign wasn’t just a display of power. It was a direct challenge to Egypt’s spiritual and political foundation.
This first sign also introduces a pattern that will repeat throughout the plagues. Pharaoh will demand proof, God will provide a miraculous sign, and Pharaoh’s magicians will attempt to replicate it. We will talk more about the importance of replication in the next set of verses. Our sermon this Sunday will talk about this as well.
This event is much more than a parlor trick. It is a foreshadowing of what is to come. The ten plagues that follow will systematically dismantle the gods of Egypt. Each plague will target a specific aspect of Egyptian life and the deities associated with it. For example, the Nile, considered sacred and tied to multiple gods, will be turned to blood. The sun god Ra will be challenged by the plague of darkness. Pharaoh himself, worshipped as divine, will be proven powerless. These plagues are not random acts of destruction. They are a coordinated demonstration of God’s sovereignty over the natural world, over Egypt’s gods, and over Pharaoh.
This first sign is only a demonstration, not a plague. No one is harmed. The only casualties are a few staffs and snakes. But it serves to introduce the larger purpose of what God is doing. The plagues that follow will escalate in intensity, leading to the final and ultimate judgment: the death of the firstborn. This entire series of signs points to one truth: Yahweh is the One True God, sovereign over all creation, and no false god or human power can stand against Him.
For us today, this passage reminds us that the powers of this world, whether political, spiritual, or personal, are ultimately subject to God’s authority. Like Pharaoh, we may be tempted to trust in things that seem powerful or secure. But the Lord is not just another power among many. He is supreme. This story also challenges us to consider our own faithfulness as God’s messengers. Like Aaron, we are called to obedience, even when the task seems impossible or the opposition feels overwhelming. God does not ask us to act in our own strength. He asks us to trust Him and carry out His commands, knowing that He will reveal His power in His time.
In His Service,
Ryan Goodnight