The Clash Between Faith and Pride
When pride resists Yehovah’s truth, it collapses—but when faith listens and obeys, deliverance follows.
A Brief Insight
Parashah Va’era describes how Yehovah begins to reveal His power and faithfulness to Israel through decisive action in Egypt. He reaffirms His covenant with Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya’akov, promising to redeem their descendants with an outstretched arm. Moshe confronts Pharaoh with Yehovah’s demand to release His people, but Pharaoh’s heart grows hard. In response, Yehovah sends a series of plagues that expose the weakness of Egypt’s gods and the emptiness of human authority. Each plague is both a judgment and a call to repentance, showing that no ruler can resist the will of the Creator. Through these events, Yehovah demonstrates that true freedom comes only through submission to His word and trust in His promises.
Read the Story as Told in Scripture
2And God spake unto Moshe, and said unto him, I am Yehovah: 3and I appeared unto Avraham, unto Yitzchak, and unto Ya’akov, as God Almighty; but by my name Yehovah I was not known to them. 4And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Kena’an, the land of their sojournings, wherein they sojourned. 5And moreover I have heard the groaning of the children of Isra’el, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant. 6Wherefore say unto the children of Isra’el, I am Yehovah, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments: 7and I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God; and ye shall know that I am Yehovah your God, who bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8And I will bring you in unto the land which I sware to give to Avraham, to Yitzchak, and to Ya’akov; and I will give it you for a heritage: I am Yehovah. 9And Moshe spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moshe for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.
10And Yehovah spake unto Moshe, saying, 11Go in, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let the children of Isra’el go out of his land. 12And Moshe spake before Yehovah, saying, Behold, the children of Isra’el have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips? 13And Yehovah spake unto Moshe and unto Aharon, and gave them a charge unto the children of Israel, and unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.
14These are the heads of their fathers’ houses. The sons of Re’uven the first-born of Israel: Hanok, and Pallu, Heztron, and Karmi; these are the families of Re’uven. 15And the sons of Shim’on: Y’emu’el, and Yamin, and Ohad, and Yakhin, and Tzochar, and Sha’ul the son of a Kena’ani woman; these are the families of Shim’on. 16And these are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, and K’hat, and M’rari; and the years of the life of Levi were a hundred thirty and seven years. 17The sons of Gershon: Livni and Shim’i, according to their families. 18And the sons of K’hat: ‘Amram, and Yitz’har, and Hevron, and ‘Uzi’el; and the years of the life of K’hath were a hundred thirty and three years. 19And the sons of M’rari: Machli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their generations. 20And ‘Amram took him Yokheved his father’s sister to wife; and she bare him Aharon and Moshe: and the years of the life of ‘Amram were a hundred and thirty and seven years. 21And the sons of Yitz’har: Korach, and Nefeg, and Zikhri. 22And the sons of ‘Uzi’el: Misha’el, and Eltzafan, and Sitri. 23And Aharon took him Elisheva, the daughter of ‘Amminadav, the sister of Nachshon, to wife; and she bare him Nadav and Avihu, El’azar and Itamar. 24And the sons of Korach: Asir, and Elkanah, and Avi’asaf; these are the families of the Korchi. 25And El’azar Aharon’s son took him one of the daughters of Puti’el to wife; and she bare him Phinchas. These are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites according to their families. 26These are that Aharon and Moshe, to whom Yehovah said, Bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their hosts. 27These are they that spake to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt: these are that Moshe and Aharon.
28And it came to pass on the day when Yehovah spake unto Moshe in the land of Egypt, 29that Yehovah spake unto Moshe, saying, I am Yehovah: speak thou unto Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I speak unto thee. 30And Moshe said before Yehovah, Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me?
7 And Yehovah said unto Moshe, See, I have made thee as God to Pharaoh; and Aharon thy brother shall be thy prophet. 2Thou shalt speak all that I command thee; and Aharon thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land. 3And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. 4But Pharaoh will not hearken unto you, and I will lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth my hosts, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. 5And the Egyptians shall know that I am Yehovah, when I stretch forth my hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Isra’el from among them. 6And Moshe and Aharon did so; as Yehovah commanded them, so did they. 7And Moshe was fourscore years old, and Aharon fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh.
8And Yehovah spake unto Moshe and unto Aharon, saying, 9When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Show a wonder for you; then thou shalt say unto Aharon, Take thy rod, and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it become a serpent. 10And Moshe and Aharon went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so, as Yehovah had commanded: and Aharon cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent. 11Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers: and they also, the magicians of Egypt, did in like manner with their enchantments. 12For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aharon’s rod swallowed up their rods. 13And Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as Yehovah had spoken.
14And Yehovah said unto Moshe, Pharaoh’s heart is stubborn, he refuseth to let the people go. 15Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water; and thou shalt stand by the river’s brink to meet him; and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in thy hand. 16And thou shalt say unto him, Yehovah, the God of the Hebrews, hath sent me unto thee, saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness: and, behold, hitherto thou hast not hearkened. 17Thus saith Yehovah, In this thou shalt know that I am Yehovah: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in my hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood. 18And the fish that are in the river shall die, and the river shall become foul; and the Egyptians shall loathe to drink water from the river. 19And Yehovah said unto Moshe, Say unto Aharon, Take thy rod, and stretch out thy 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.
20And Moshe and Aharon did so, as Jehovah commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote 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. 21And the fish that were in the river died; and the river became foul, and the Egyptians could not drink water from the river; and the blood was throughout all the land of Egypt. 22And the magicians of Egypt did in like manner with their enchantments: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as Yehovah had spoken. 23And Pharaoh turned and went into his house, neither did he lay even this to heart. 24And all the Egyptians digged round about the river for water to drink; for they could not drink of the water of the river. 25And seven days were fulfilled, after that Yehovah had smitten the river.
8 And Yehovah spake unto Moshe, Go in unto Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith Yehovah, Let my people go, that they may serve me. 2And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs: 3and the river shall swarm with frogs, which shall go up and come into thy house, and into thy bedchamber, and upon thy bed, and into the house of thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thine ovens, and into thy kneading-troughs: 4and the frogs shall come up both upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants. 5And Yehovah said unto Moshe, Say unto Aharon, Stretch forth thy hand with thy rod over the rivers, over the streams, and over the pools, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt. 6And Aharon stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt. 7And the magicians did in like manner with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt.
8Then Pharaoh called for Moshe and Aharon, and said, Entreat Yehovah, that he take away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice unto Yehovah. 9And Moshe said unto Pharaoh, Have thou this glory over me: against what time shall I entreat for thee, and for thy servants, and for thy people, that the frogs be destroyed from thee and thy houses, and remain in the river only? 10And he said, Against to-morrow. And he said, Be it according to thy word; that thou mayest know that there is none like unto Yehovah our God. 11And the frogs shall depart from thee, and from thy houses, and from thy servants, and from thy people; they shall remain in the river only. 12And Moshe and Aharon went out from Pharaoh: and Moshe cried unto Yehovah concerning the frogs which he had brought upon Pharaoh. 13And Yehovah did according to the word of Moshe; and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the courts, and out of the fields. 14And they gathered them together in heaps; and the land stank. 15But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them, as Yehovah had spoken.
16And Yehovah said unto Moshe, Say unto Aharon, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the earth, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt. 17And they did so; and Aharon stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and there were lice upon man, and upon beast; all the dust of the earth became lice throughout all the land of Egypt. 18And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: and there were lice upon man, and upon beast. 19Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as Yehovah had spoken.
20And Yehovah said unto Moshe, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh; lo, he cometh forth to the water; and say unto him, Thus saith Yehovah, Let my people go, that they may serve me. 21Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are. 22And I will set apart in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there; to the end thou mayest know that I am Yehovah in the midst of the earth. 23And I will put a division between my people and thy people: by to-morrow shall this sign be. 24And Yehovah did so; and there came grievous swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants’ houses: and in all the land of Egypt the land was corrupted by reason of the swarms of flies.
25And Pharaoh called for Moshe and for Aharon, and said, Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land. 26And Moshe said, It is not meet so to do; for we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to Yehovah our God: lo, shall we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, and will they not stone us? 27We will go three days’ journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to Yehovah our God, as he shall command us. 28And Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice to Jehovah your God in the wilderness; only ye shall not go very far away: entreat for me. 29And Moshe said, Behold, I go out from thee, and I will entreat Yehovah that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, to-morrow: only let not Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more in not letting the people go to sacrifice to Yehovah. 30And Moshe went out from Pharaoh, and entreated Yehovah. 31And Yehovah did according to the word of Moshe; and he removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; there remained not one. 32And Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and he did not let the people go.
9 Then Yehovah said unto Moshe, Go in unto Pharaoh, and tell him, Thus saith Yehovah, the God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me. 2For if thou refuse to let them go, and wilt hold them still, 3behold, the hand of Yehovah is upon thy cattle which are in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the herds, and upon the flocks: there shall be a very grievous murrain. 4And Yehovah shall make a distinction between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt; and there shall nothing die of all that belongeth to the children of Israel. 5And Yehovah appointed a set time, saying, To-morrow Yehovah shall do this thing in the land. 6And Yehovah did that thing on the morrow; and all the cattle of Egypt died; but of the cattle of the children of Israel died not one. 7And Pharaoh sent, and, behold, there was not so much as one of the cattle of the Israelites dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was stubborn, and he did not let the people go.
8And Yehovah said unto Moshe and unto Aharon, Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moshe sprinkle it toward heaven in the sight of Pharaoh. 9And it shall become small dust over all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking forth with blains upon man and upon beast, throughout all the land of Egypt. 10And they took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moshe sprinkled it up toward heaven; and it became a boil breaking forth with blains upon man and upon beast. 11And the magicians could not stand before Moshe because of the boils; for the boils were upon the magicians, and upon all the Egyptians. 12And Yehovah hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not unto them, as Yehovah had spoken unto Moshe.
13And Yehovah said unto Moshe, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith Yehovah, the God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me. 14For I will this time send all my plagues upon thy heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth. 15For now I had put forth my hand, and smitten thee and thy people with pestilence, and thou hadst been cut off from the earth: 16but in very deed for this cause have I made thee to stand, to show thee my power, and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth. 17As yet exaltest thou thyself against my people, that thou wilt not let them go? 18Behold, to-morrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the day it was founded even until now. 19Now therefore send, hasten in thy cattle and all that thou hast in the field; for every man and beast that shall be found in the field, and shall not be brought home, the hail shall come down upon them, and they shall die. 20He that feared the word of Jehovah among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses: 21and he that regarded not the word of Yehovah left his servants and his cattle in the field.
22And Yehovah said unto Moshe, Stretch forth thy hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt. 23And Moshe stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and Yehovah sent thunder and hail, and fire ran down unto the earth; and Yehovah rained hail upon the land of Egypt. 24So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as had not been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. 25And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field. 26Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, was there no hail.
27And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moshe and Aharon, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: Jehovah is righteous, and I and my people are wicked. 28Entreat Yehovah; for there hath been enough of these mighty thunderings and hail; and I will let you go, and ye shall stay no longer. 29And Moshe said unto him, As soon as I am gone out of the city, I will spread abroad my hands unto Yehovah; the thunders shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail; that thou mayest know that the earth is Yehovah’s. 30But as for thee and thy servants, I know that ye will not yet fear Yehovah God. 31And the flax and the barley were smitten: for the barley was in the ear, and the flax was in bloom. 32But the wheat and the spelt were not smitten: for they were not grown up. 33And Moshe went out of the city from Pharaoh, and spread abroad his hands unto Jehovah: and the thunders and hail ceased, and the rain was not poured upon the earth. 34And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants. 35And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the children of Israel go, as Yehovah had spoken by Moshe.
25Thus saith Adonai Yehovah: When I shall have gathered the house of Isra’el from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the nations, then shall they dwell in their own land which I gave to my servant Ya’akov. 26And they shall dwell securely therein; yea, they shall build houses, and plant vineyards, and shall dwell securely, when I have executed judgments upon all those that do them despite round about them; and they shall know that I am Yehovah their God.
29 In the tenth year, in the tenth month, in the twelfth day of the month, the word of Yehovah came unto me, saying, 2Son of man, set thy face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him, and against all Egypt; 3speak, and say, Thus saith Adonai Yehovah: Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great monster that lieth in the midst of his rivers, that hath said, My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself. 4And I will put hooks in thy jaws, and I will cause the fish of thy rivers to stick unto thy scales; and I will bring thee up out of the midst of thy rivers, with all the fish of thy rivers which stick unto thy scales. 5And I will cast thee forth into the wilderness, thee and all the fish of thy rivers: thou shalt fall upon the open field; thou shalt not be brought together, nor gathered; I have given thee for food to the beasts of the earth and to the birds of the heavens. 6And all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am Yehovah, because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel. 7When they took hold of thee by thy hand, thou didst break, and didst rend all their shoulders; and when they leaned upon thee, thou brakest, and madest all their loins to be at a stand.
8Therefore thus saith Adonai Yehovah: Behold, I will bring a sword upon thee, and will cut off from thee man and beast. 9And the land of Egypt shall be a desolation and a waste; and they shall know that I am Jehovah. Because he hath said, The river is mine, and I have made it; 10therefore, behold, I am against thee, and against thy rivers, and I will make the land of Egypt an utter waste and desolation, from the tower of Seveneh even unto the border of Ethiopia. 11No foot of man shall pass through it, nor foot of beast shall pass through it, neither shall it be inhabited forty years. 12And I will make the land of Egypt a desolation in the midst of the countries that are desolate; and her cities among the cities that are laid waste shall be a desolation forty years; and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries.
13For thus saith Adonai Yehovah: At the end of forty years will I gather the Egyptians from the peoples whither they were scattered; 14and I will bring back the captivity of Egypt, and will cause them to return into the land of Pathros, into the land of their birth; and they shall be there a base kingdom. 15It shall be the basest of the kingdoms; neither shall it any more lift itself up above the nations: and I will diminish them, that they shall no more rule over the nations. 16And it shall be no more the confidence of the house of Israel, bringing iniquity to remembrance, when they turn to look after them: and they shall know that I am Adonai Yehovah.
17And it came to pass in the seven and twentieth year, in the first month, in the first day of the month, the word of Yehovah came unto me, saying, 18Son of man, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon caused his army to serve a great service against Tyre: every head was made bald, and every shoulder was worn; yet had he no wages, nor his army, from Tyre, for the service that he had served against it. 19Therefore thus saith Adonai Yehovah: Behold, I will give the land of Egypt unto Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall carry off her multitude, and take her spoil, and take her prey; and it shall be the wages for his army. 20I have given him the land of Egypt as his recompense for which he served, because they wrought for me, saith Adonai Yehovah.
21In that day will I cause a horn to bud forth unto the house of Isra’el, and I will give thee the opening of the mouth in the midst of them; and they shall know that I am Yehovah.
14And he [Yeshua] was casting out a demon that was dumb. And it came to pass, when the demon was gone out, the dumb man spake; and the multitudes marvelled. 15But some of them said, By Ba‘al-Zibbul the prince of the demons casteth he out demons. 16And others, trying him, sought of him a sign from heaven. 17But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth. 18And if Satan also is divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out demons by Ba‘al-Zibbul. 19And if I by Ba‘al-Zibbul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges. 20But if I by the finger of God cast out demons, then is the kingdom of God come upon you. 21When the strong man fully armed guardeth his own court, his goods are in peace: 22but when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him his whole armor wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils
Infographics
Explore Related Topics
The Pharaoh Syndrome: We Promise and We Fall Again
It’s striking how Pharaoh, on repeated occasions, changed his decision about letting the Hebrews go. Yet we do exactly the same.
Exodus - Claiming our Freedom
Human beings have such short memories that even after we’ve been freed, within a year we fall again into the habits and vices from which we were delivered.
Add a Comment