We often talk about David and Goliath, and we should. It is an amazing story. It has been used in sports, in business, in politics, and in many other arenas to speak of a contest where one of the participants is at a decided disadvantage. For sure, that was the case with David and Goliath. David was a shepherd. Goliath was a soldier. Not only did Goliath think that David had no chance, so did David’s kin and David’s king (1 Sam. 17). Yet, we know how it turned out. We could as readily and as rightly talk about Moses and Pharaoh. Moses and Pharaoh were every bit as much of a mismatch from man’s perspective as David and Goliath. Although Pharoah wasn’t over nine feet tall like Goliath, he was still a formidable foe. He ruled the world. His people thought of him as a god. Moses did not have a sling and five smooth stones like David, but he did have a staff and ten rough plagues. In the end Moses, like David, did the unthinkable. He toppled the giant. Moses and Pharaoh had three great contests. With God’s help, Moses won all three.
Annihilation
Fearing a slave uprising, Pharaoh decreed that all the male babies of the Hebrews were to be killed (Ex. 1:7-14). He first commanded this of the Egyptian midwives (Ex. 1:15-21) and then of all the Egyptians (Ex. 1:22). Boy babies were to be cast into the river. It should come as no surprise that the rivers of Egypt would later run red. God hates hands that shed innocent blood (Pro. 6:16-19). Though Pharaoh commanded the annihilation of all Hebrew baby boys , one got away. Many babies went into the river, but one baby came out. He was drawn out of the water. Hence, he was named Moses (Ex. 2:1-10). Of all people, Pharaoh’s daughter, defied her father’s decree and saved the baby. The one that was drawn out of the water would eventually lead the Hebrews across the water to freedom. Pharaoh and his host would be cast into the sea and drowned much as they had cast the Hebrew babies into the river to be drowned.
Assimilation
As the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, Moses was given the best education Egypt had to offer. He was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was mighty in words and deeds
(Acts 7:22). Egypt was at the cutting edge of science, mathematics, engineering, medicine, military maneuvers and many other things. Moses must have been taught all of these things. However, he must have also been taught the superstitions and polytheism of Egypt. It seems clear that Pharaoh was trying to assimilate Moses into Egypt. You might say that Pharaoh wanted Moses to walk like an Egyptian. He wanted Moses to think, act, and look like an Egyptian. We see much the same process take place many years later with Daniel and his friends in Babylon (Dan. 1). It didn’t work with Daniel and it wasn’t going to work with Moses. It didn’t work with Daniel because he had purposed in his heart not to defile himself (Dan. 1:9). Daniel didn’t cave because the purpose inside of him was greater than the pressure outside of him. The same was true of Moses. In the short time that Moses’ mother had him, she put within his heart the faith that would lead him to refuse the pleasures of Egypt and to choose the pains of God’s people (Heb. 11:23-26; Pro. 22:6).
Accommodation
After several plagues, Pharaoh relented a little and offered Moses a series of compromises. Pharaoh agreed that Moses and the people could go worship as long as it was in the land of Egypt (Ex. 8:25). They could go worship as long as they didn’t go very far (Ex. 8:28). They could go and worship as long as they left the women and children behind (Ex. 10:11). They could go and worship as long as they left their flocks and herds behind (Ex. 10:24). It was always on Pharaoh’s terms. He was only accommodating them. He didn’t want them to go far or to go free. Moses made clear that this was unacceptable. God had said, “Let my people go” (Ex. 8:20). He had not qualified it as Pharaoh tried repeatedly to do. He had not said, “Let some of my people go.” He had not said, “Let my people go for a few days.” He had simply said, “Let my people go.” There would be no compromise. Not a hoof would be left behind (Ex. 10:25-26).
There is a well-known adage in baseball, “Three strikes and you are out.” At midnight, God called strike three. There was no joy in Mudville (Egypt), mighty Pharaoh had struck out.