Today’s Scripture comes from Exodus 7:8-13.
“8 Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 9 “When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, ‘Work a miracle,’ then you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent.’” 10 So Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, and thus they did just as the Lord had commanded; and Aaron threw his staff down before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent. 11 Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers, and they also, the magicians of Egypt, did the same with their secret arts. 12 For each one threw down his staff and they turned into serpents. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. 13 Yet Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had said.” Exodus 7:8-13.
——————-
When we take time and study (listen) to this first miracle, we come across some amazing Scriptures about other people and things who were swallowed up.
We start with Pharoah himself. He could have remembered, from a study of Egyptian history, the dream of a prior Pharoah and its warning: “The thin ears swallowed up the seven plump and full ears. Then Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream.” Genesis 41:7. But, Pharoah’s heart was hardened, and he did not listen to Moses and Aaron nor reasonably appreciate this first miracle.
Just a short time later, Moses and the sons of Israel sang this following song to the Lord after the LORD delivered Israel through the Red Sea but then caused the Red Sea to swallow up Pharaoh and his entire army of chariots and horsemen who were pursuing Israel.
“11 “Who is like You among the gods, O Lord?
Who is like You, majestic in holiness,
Awesome in praises, working wonders?
12 “You stretched out Your right hand,
The earth swallowed them.” Exodus 15:11-12.
More generally, all of us should fear the LORD and His awesome power to swallow up the unrighteous in His wrath.
“8 Your hand will find out all your enemies;
Your right hand will find out those who hate you.
9 You will make them as a fiery oven in the time of your anger;
The Lord will swallow them up in His wrath,
And fire will devour them.” Psalm 21:7-8.
But, there is hope!
For the righteous, there is an entirely different meaning and application of being “swallowed up”.
When Jonah was drowning, God saved him. “And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights.” Jonah 1:17.
More generally, for the righteous, “He will swallow up death for all time, And the Lord God will wipe tears away from all faces, And He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; For the Lord has spoken.” Isaiah 25:8.
“But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 1 Corinthians 15:54.
“For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life.” 2 Corinthians 5:4.
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 