The Legacy of Pharaoh (Exodus)

Who Was Pharaoh (Exodus) in the Bible?

Pharaoh, the Egyptian ruler central to the Exodus narrative, emerges as a figure of resistance against Moses' divine mission to liberate the Israelites.

Exodus 1:8-14 establishes Pharaoh as the sovereign who enslaved the Israelites, fearing their growing numbers despite Joseph’s legacy. A new king, unfamiliar with Joseph’s contributions, imposed harsh labor on the Israelites to suppress their population growth, setting the stage for Moses’ later confrontation. This context explains Pharaoh’s opposition to Moses’ request to free the Israelites, framing their conflict as one between divine authority and human power.

Pharaoh’s refusal to yield to God’s commands through Moses triggered the plagues, escalating tensions that would define the Exodus. This dynamic invites further exploration of how divine judgment and deliverance unfold in the subsequent chapters of the book.

Pharaoh's Defiance in Exodus 5:2

Pharaoh's blunt rejection of Moses' request in Exodus 5:2 crystallizes his resistance to divine authority and underscores the central conflict of the Exodus narrative.

Exodus 5:2 records Pharaoh's defiant question: 'Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover, I will not let Israel go.' This response reveals both his ignorance of God's sovereignty and his pride in claiming authority over Israel's fate. Pharaoh framed his refusal as a dismissal of God's existence, positioning himself as Egypt's ultimate authority and rejecting Moses as a human intermediary. This act of defiance directly triggers the escalation of God's judgment through the plagues, demonstrating how human arrogance invites divine intervention to restore justice.

Pharaoh's Role in God's Plan

The hardening of Pharaoh’s heart, as declared in Exodus 4:21 and reiterated in Exodus 14:4, served as a divine mechanism to showcase God’s sovereignty and orchestrate the plagues that would ultimately secure Israel’s liberation.

In Exodus 4:21, God instructs Moses that He will harden Pharaoh’s heart, ensuring his refusal to release the Israelites - a deliberate act underscoring that the conflict unfolds according to God’s design. This hardening persists through the plagues (Exodus 14:4), each one escalating to reveal God’s unmatched power over Egypt’s gods and Pharaoh’s authority. The plagues are strategic demonstrations of divine supremacy, not just punishments. They culminate in a crisis that forces Pharaoh’s hand.

After the final plague - the death of the firstborn (implied by the context of the plagues leading to Exodus 12:29-30) - Pharaoh abruptly commands the Israelites to leave Egypt (Exodus 12:31-32). The text does not explicitly detail Pharaoh’s fate post-Exodus, but his initial defiance and eventual compliance highlight God’s control over human will and history. This narrative arc reinforces that Israel’s deliverance was not a product of Pharaoh’s benevolence but of God’s unwavering commitment to His covenantal promises.

What We Can Learn From Pharaoh (Exodus)

Pharaoh’s story in Exodus warns us about the dangers of pride and resistance to divine authority.

Pharaoh’s defiant question in Exodus 5:2 - ‘Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go?’ - reveals a heart hardened by arrogance, a trait God had declared He would harden further (Exodus 4:21, 14:4). This resistance triggered escalating plagues, demonstrating that stubbornness against God’s will invites progressively severe consequences. Modern believers can avoid Pharaoh’s mistakes by cultivating humility, recognizing that self-reliance and spiritual complacency risk blinding us to God’s guidance. Just as Pharaoh’s eventual compliance (Exodus 12:31-32) came only after catastrophic judgment, our willingness to yield to Scripture and prayer can prevent costly delays in obedience.