In this chapter we begin to see the miracles and plagues that God performed through Moses on Pharaoh and the Egyptian people. God ordains Moses as a god (little g) to Pharaoh and Aaron as his prophet. We first see Aaron’s rod turning into a serpent and then turning the waters of Egypt into blood.

God said he would harden the heart of Pharaoh, and every time Aaron or Moses performs a miracle, his magicians and mystics are able to copy it. I’ve always heard that the magician’s and mystic’s miracles were counterfeited or faked by illusion or some other trickery, but based on the wording of the scripture, I’m wondering if God could have given them the powers to do the same miracles of Moses and Aaron so that Pharaoh’s heart would be hardened.

Nevertheless, like Pharaoh, people who’s hearts are set against God will tend to believe what they want to be true. In this case, it was that Pharaoh’s entourage was as powerful as Moses and Aaron and ultimately God.