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Lutheran Lens Commentary: Exodus 8:1-15

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Lutheran Lens Reading of Exodus 8:1-15

Tradition-Specific Interpretation

We read this passage, Exodus 8:1-15, as a profound display of the Law — God's demands and judgments made manifest through the plagues, which expose Pharaoh's hardened heart and human inability to comply with God's will. Here, we see the tension between God's righteous judgment and the mercy that points forward to Christ, as the plagues highlight human sinfulness and the need for a Redeemer. This text is a stark reminder that, apart from divine intervention, humanity remains in bondage, just as Egypt was, necessitating deliverance through Christ, the true Passover Lamb.

Key Language Decisions

The Hebrew word for 'harden' (כָּבֵד, kaved) is significant, as it underscores Pharaoh's resistance to God's command and highlights human stubbornness under the Law. The term for 'frogs' (צְפַרְדֵּעַ, tsephardea) is used to demonstrate the overwhelming nature of the plague, emphasizing how God's Law exposes the disorder of sin. This tradition pays careful attention to how these words illustrate the Law's severity and God's sovereignty over creation.

Where Traditions Diverge

Lutheran Lens theology diverges from Reformed interpretations that might emphasize God's sovereignty in a deterministic manner, focusing instead on how the Law serves to reveal sin and prepare for the Gospel's proclamation. Unlike Roman Catholic interpretations that could read this as a call to cooperative grace, we emphasize the totality of human inability apart from divine grace, highlighting the necessity of Christ's redemptive work.

Pastoral Application

In preaching this passage, we emphasize how God's Law reveals our own 'Pharaoh-like' hearts, stubborn and resistant to God's will. The congregation should be led to see their own sinfulness reflected in Pharaoh's hard heart, driving them to repentance. Yet, we also proclaim the Gospel's assurance: just as God delivered His people from Egypt, He delivers us from sin and death through Christ. The congregation expects to hear the promise that, despite our bondage to sin, we are set free by grace through faith alone, pointing to the ultimate deliverance found in the cross and resurrection of Christ.

Cross-References: Romans 9:17-18; Psalm 105:29-30; Hebrews 3:12-15; 1 Corinthians 10:1-5; 2 Corinthians 3:14-16

Doctrinal Connections: Law and Gospel; the theology of the cross; original sin; God's sovereignty; Christ as the new Moses; justification by faith alone

Topics & Themes

Law and Gospelthe theology of the crossoriginal sinGod's sovereigntyChrist as the new Moses

Scripture References

Exodus 8:1-15

Best Used In

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