“Lesson 48: Exodus 7–11,” Old Testament Seminary Student Material (2018)
“Lesson 48: Exodus 7–11”
Lesson 48
Exodus 7–11
Prepare to Learn
Prepare your mind and heart to be taught by the Holy Ghost. Diligently seek knowledge and understanding through careful study, reflection, and prayer. Then follow the impressions you receive through the Spirit.
Begin your study with prayer.
Think of a time when you felt guided by the Spirit of the Lord. How did you respond?
Watch this video, looking for how a champion horseback rider relates her sport to responding to the guidance of the Spirit of the Lord.
True or False
As you prepare to study the events recorded in Exodus 7, review the previous lessons by taking this quiz.
Quiz 1
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Pharaoh said he was willing to let the children of Israel go free because he respected the Lord’s power. (See Exodus 5:1–2.)
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True
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False
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After Moses and Aaron asked Pharaoh to let the children of Israel go, the Israelites were eager to listen to Moses and follow his leadership. (See Exodus 5:19–21.)
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True
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False
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Moses was confident in his abilities and excited about his responsibility to free the children of Israel from bondage. (See Exodus 3:11.)
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True
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False
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Moses was “slow of speech” and wondered why the Lord had sent him to free the children of Israel. (See Exodus 4:10; 5:22–23; 6:12, 30.)
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True
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False
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The Lord’s Command
As recorded in Exodus 7:1–5, the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron to return to Pharaoh and tell him to free the children of Israel. You might remember that Moses and Aaron had already asked Pharaoh to let the children of Israel go. Pharaoh had responded by increasing the Israelites’ labors. Because of Pharaoh’s actions after Moses and Aaron spoke with him, some of the children of Israel would not listen to Moses and Aaron.
If you had been in Moses’s position, how might you have felt about the Lord’s command to return to speak to Pharaoh?
Obedience
Read Exodus 7:6, looking for what Moses and Aaron did in response to the Lord’s direction to return to speak with Pharaoh.
As you consider the challenges Moses and Aaron faced, what stands out to you about their obedience to the Lord’s direction?
Aaron’s Rod
Following the Lord’s command recorded in Exodus 7:8–10, Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and his rod turned into a serpent.
Read Exodus 7:11–12, looking for how Pharaoh responded after Aaron’s rod turned into a serpent.
What truth can we learn from this account?
The Lord’s Power
According to Exodus 7:11–12, Aaron’s rod swallowed the rods of the magicians. From this account, we can learn that the Lord’s power is greater than the power of mankind, the devil, and the false gods mankind worships.
As noted by Elder Bruce R. McConkie, the “magicians of Pharaoh’s court had power given them from Satan to duplicate many of the miracles wrought by Moses” (Mormon Doctrine, 2nd ed. [1966], 462).
Read Exodus 7:13, looking for Pharaoh’s response after Aaron’s rod swallowed the magicians’ rods.
Inspired Translation
Notice that Exodus 7:13, footnote a, includes an important clarification from the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible. It explains that the Lord did not harden Pharaoh’s heart but that Pharaoh hardened his own heart. Having a hard heart in this context means not being willing to hear the word of the Lord or to respond to the Holy Spirit.
As the Prophet Joseph Smith was working on his inspired translation of the King James Version of the Bible, he corrected each indication that the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart because in each case, Pharaoh had hardened his own heart (see the Joseph Smith Translation in footnotes to Exodus 7:3; 9:12; 10:1, 20, 27; 11:10).
Why do you think it is important to know that Pharaoh, not the Lord, hardened Pharaoh’s heart?
The 10 Plagues
When Moses first approached Pharaoh and told him of the Lord’s command to free the Israelites, Pharaoh asked, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go?” (Exodus 5:2).
The Lord answered Pharaoh’s question by sending a series of 10 plagues. Each plague demonstrated the Lord’s power over the Egyptians and their false gods.
Look for the 10 plagues by reading the scripture references in the following quiz. You may want to mark what you find.
Quiz 2
1. Match the following scripture references with the plagues described in each passage.
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God Is More Powerful
Think about how the account of the 10 plagues shows the Lord’s power over mankind, the devil, and the false gods that mankind worships.
1. Answer the following questions:
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Why do you think it is important to understand that God is more powerful than man and the devil?
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When have you or someone you know seen or felt that God’s power is greater than any other power?
Pharaoh’s Disobedience
The Lord gave Pharaoh many opportunities to soften his heart. If Pharaoh had softened his heart, he would have repented and obeyed the command to let the children of Israel go instead of being forced to let them go.
What principle can we identify from the consequences that came because Pharaoh refused to soften his heart?
Consequences of Decisions
You may have identified a variety of principles from the consequences of Pharaoh’s decision to not soften his heart. One principle we can identify is that if we refuse to soften our hearts and repent of our sins, then we will bring negative consequences upon ourselves and others.
Pharaoh could have chosen to soften his heart at any point. If he had done so earlier, much of the suffering that he and his people experienced could have been prevented. Similarly, if we refuse to soften our hearts, we or others can continue to experience negative consequences.
2. Answer one of the following questions:
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What are some negative consequences that could result from a person’s decision to harden his or her heart and not repent?
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What are some ways in which a person could soften his or her heart?
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How might we be blessed by choosing to repent and follow the Lord sooner rather than later?
Delaying Repentance
Read the following statement, looking for how we might be blessed by choosing to repent and follow the Lord sooner rather than later:
“If you have sinned, the sooner you repent, the sooner you begin to make your way back and find the peace and joy that come with forgiveness. If you delay repentance, you may lose blessings, opportunities, and spiritual guidance. You may also become further entangled in sinful behavior, making it more difficult to find your way back” (For the Strength of Youth [booklet, 2011], 28).
3. Answer one of the following questions:
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When have you experienced a softening of your heart? How were you blessed by that experience?
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If you feel that you need to soften your heart in some way, what is something you could do to begin that process?
Commitment to Repent
The following truths were identified in this lesson:
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The Lord’s power is greater than the power of mankind, the devil, and the false gods mankind worships.
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If we refuse to soften our hearts and repent of our sins, then we will bring negative consequences upon ourselves and others.
If you are feeling guilty about something you have done wrong, determine to resolve it through repentance. Think about what you can do to avoid future mistakes.
Doctrinal Mastery Review: Isaiah 53:3–5
Take a moment to write down a list of what Jesus Christ suffered during His atoning sacrifice.
When you are done writing this list, read the first sentence of paragraph 3.4 in the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document to see if there is anything you missed.
The Atonement of Jesus Christ
Read Isaiah 53:3–5, and answer the following question:
4. How does this scripture passage help teach the key statement of doctrine that as part of His Atonement, Jesus Christ not only suffered for our sins, but He also took upon Himself the pains, temptations, sicknesses, and infirmities of all mankind?
Answer Key
Quiz 1: (1) b; (2) b; (3) b; (4) a
Quiz 2: (1) 1-j, 2-f, 3-h, 4-e, 5-b, 6-a, 7-g, 8-i, 9-c, 10-d