Exodus 6:27, commentary and pictures

Exodus 6:27 belongs to the first, mainly historical division of Exodus in chapters 1-18, and to the section in chapters 5-10 that records the interviews with Pharaoh king of Egypt to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt, the contest with his magicians, and the infliction of the plagues culminating in the tenth plague, the death of the firstborn, and the hurried departure of the Israelites. It is included in the reading of Exodus 5-7, within the account of God calling Moses to deliver Israel from Egypt, whose mission succeeded after he had felt insufficient when God called him. This going out, the departure of Israel from Egypt, gives the book of Exodus its name. The verse stands in the history part of the book, chapters 1 to 18, which relates in detail the story of the great deliverance and shows how Israel became a nation with thorough organization, efficient leadership, a complete code of laws, and an established form of worship.

The events in the first fourteen chapters to which the verse belongs would not be expected to appear in Egyptian public records, because those records celebrated successes and triumphs. The verse identifies Moses and Aaron as those who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt. Their first appearance before Pharaoh began a confrontation that brought harsher oppression and was followed by God's repeated promises and the plagues. That confrontation was over Israel's release and worship.

Pharaoh was the ruler of Egypt about three and one-half millenniums ago when Egypt ruled the world as the greatest of all kingdoms of earth, acknowledged for might and power and skill and wisdom in statecraft. There the river that fertilized the land by its annual overflow was deified as a god and the sun that joined with the river in producing food was worshiped, with the kings receiving their title as the representative of the sun-god upon the throne of men. The children of Israel were the few descendants of the nomadic patriarch Abraham who had sought supplies from Egypt's granaries. One of their people, the captive slave Joseph, as prime minister had taught Pharaoh how to store grain in plenteous years to become rich in famine and had instituted a land-law with easy rental and taxes, during whose time and as long as his memory was honored Egypt prospered and the people in Egypt knew no oppression.

Moses is the chosen leader of Israel, whose life from his romantic rescue from Egyptian malice in infancy through all the thrilling years of his wonderful experiences is of absorbing interest. Though he felt insufficient when God called him to deliver Israel, his mission succeeded. The verse stands at the opening of the deliverance when Israel was in oppression and bondage with the whole power of Egypt set against them. Their deliverance from slavery is the setting for God's command to build a sanctuary where He would dwell among them.

The wonderful deliverance recorded in the verse, together with the deliverance at the Red Sea, demonstrated God's wisdom, love, and power, His ability and right to rule, and Israel's obligation to obey. That mighty saving work brought Israel in triumph beyond the Red Sea with the host of Egypt overthrown, showing God's creative power over again as never done in saving any other nation. The chapter shows God was known to Abraham as God Almighty and made the name Jehovah known to Moses, these names expressing the different relations God has with people. It marks the point after which distinctions based on the use of divine names were said to fail. As God's call to the kingdoms of earth, the speaking to Pharaoh to bring out Israel is God's call to the kingdoms of earth.