This page gives you ready-to-use study questions for Exodus 7, with a leader’s note under each one. It works for a small group, a Sunday class, or personal study. The questions move from what the text says, to what it means, to how it shapes the way you live.
Exodus 7 at a Glance
God tells Moses that he will stand before Pharaoh as a kind of god, with Aaron as his spokesman. The two brothers go to the king and perform a sign: Aaron’s rod becomes a serpent, and it swallows the rods of Pharaoh’s magicians. Pharaoh’s heart stays hard, and the chapter then turns to the first plague, in which the Nile is struck and turned to blood.
The rhythm of the chapter is worth noticing. Repeated phrases such as “as the LORD commanded” and “as the LORD had spoken” make the reader watch for obedience on one side and hardness on the other. Use these repetitions as a thread through every question below.
Observation Questions
Use these questions first, before anyone offers an opinion. Ask the group to point to the verse that supports each answer, and read the passage aloud if people have not heard it recently. Keep the discussion anchored in the text.
Exodus 7:1-2
1 The LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I have made you as God to Pharaoh; and Aaron your brother shall be your prophet. 2 You shall speak all that I command you; and Aaron your brother shall speak to Pharaoh, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land.
(WEB)
Read these verses at the start to establish the commission of Moses and Aaron. They set the framework for everything that follows and remind the group that the mission belongs to God.
Exodus 7:5
The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out my hand on Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.”
(WEB)
This verse states the purpose behind the signs: that the Egyptians will know the LORD. Reading it aloud helps the group see the bigger aim beyond the dramatic events.
Exodus 7:10-12
10 Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did so, as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent. 11 Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers. They also, the magicians of Egypt, did the same thing with their enchantments. 12 For they each cast down their rods, and they became serpents: but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.
(WEB)
The contest between the rods is vivid and easy to picture. Reading it slowly allows the group to feel the tension of the scene and notice how the outcome is described.
Exodus 7:13
Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he didn’t listen to them; as the LORD had spoken.
(WEB)
This verse introduces the theme of Pharaoh’s hardened heart, which runs through the chapter. Read it aloud to prompt the discussion questions on responsibility and divine purpose.
Exodus 7:19-21
19 The LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your rod, and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, over their streams, and over their pools, and over all their ponds of water, that they may become blood; and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.’” 20 Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and struck the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. 21 The fish that were in the river died; and the river became foul, and the Egyptians couldn’t drink water from the river; and the blood was throughout all the land of Egypt.
(WEB)
The first plague is described in concrete detail, and reading it together lets the group grasp how far the judgment reached. It also prepares them for the rest of the plague narrative.
Memory Verse for Exodus 7
A Closing Prayer for the Group
Father, we come to you having read about Moses and Aaron standing before a king who would not listen. Help us to hear your word as they did, and to obey it even when the path seems costly or slow. Show us where our hearts have grown hard, and soften them by your Spirit. Give us patience in the seasons of waiting, and make us people through whom others can come to know you. Thank you for your faithfulness, which does not depend on our readiness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
