Moses and Aaron plead with Pharaoh to let their people go to the desert to worship God, but as we'll see many times in this event, Pharaoh won't ablige until the death of his firstborn son. There is some great typology going on here:
~ Egypt is a type of the world...of the flesh and bondage to sin
~ Moses is like Christ, taking His people away from sin and into peace
~ Pharaoh is like Satan...fighting God and trying to compromise
~ The Red Sea is a type of water baptism
~ The Promised Land is a type for heaven
NOTE: The Promised Land has been compared to heaven, and the time of believers on earth. Good scholars on both opinions are valid. The important thing to teach our kids, is that God provided the way of salvation...all we need to do is believe and obey.
(v.19) The magicians don't say that another god did this like theirs (Satan), but they give credit where credit is due...they tell Pharaoh that God brought the lice forth. Again, Satan can imitate God very well up to a point, so we must be careful to know our Bible and His warnings (Lk 21:8, 1 Cor 6:9, Gal 6:7 and James 1:16) so we aren't led astray by the enemy.
One thing, Doug. If Canaan is a type of heaven, why is there fighting? Could it be that Canaan is what it is like to be a believer, in the church? God has your back, will provide and protect you, yet you will still be persecuted and have to fight, and you have to be always keeping in his ways. In heaven, I hope, there won't be the temptations from Satan at all sides.
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Good point Brian...there are two schools of thought on this subject, and the typology fits both. I think I need to show both points of view here, and let y'all decide which one fits best (Acts 17:11).
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