Exodus 7:5 | Pastor Burns' Study Notes

The purpose of these judgments is revelation: “the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord.”

This is one of the major themes of the Exodus narrative. The plagues are not merely punitive; they are revelatory. God is making Himself known in Egypt. He is declaring that He alone is God.

This theme is reflected in Isaiah 45:5-6, where the Lord declares there is none beside Him.

It is striking that Egypt will know the truth and yet many will still resist it. Revelation does not automatically produce submission. People may know the truth and still refuse to walk in it.

That tension appears in Proverbs 23:23, which stresses the value of truth, in John 8:32, where truth brings freedom, and in Romans 1:20, where God’s revelation leaves humanity without excuse.

There are two broad categories of revelation today: general revelation in creation and special revelation in God’s Word. Egypt was receiving unmistakable special revelation through signs and judgments, yet Pharaoh still hardened himself against it.