The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them. Moses and Aaron did so; they did just as the Lord commanded them.
Exodus 7:5-6
God pretty much sketched out the process of the Exodus to Moses and Aaron before it all happened. He explained to them that they would make multiple appeals to Pharaoh. They would deliver God's demands to the Egyptian king. But Pharaoh would respond with a hard heart, unwilling to let Israel go even though God's miraculous power would be demonstrated throughout the land of Egypt. Eventually God's monumental judgment on Egypt would lead Israel out of their slavery.
The reason that God told Moses this in advance was to demonstrate His sovereign purposes. This is the encouragement Moses and Aaron needed just before they entered Pharaoh's court for the first time. And even though the king refused them, he knew they were talking for God. And even though Pharaoh did not know or acknowledge God, he could not deny that supernatural events were occurring right before his eyes... events over which he had no control.
Two things stand out here. First, God did exactly as He said. The events of the book play out exactly as we expect given this prophetic outline. And God is shown to be true not only in the events themselves, but in His exact statement of them beforehand. Secondly, Moses and Aaron did just as God commanded them. They were leaders who were obedient to the command and the demand of God. Yes, it was a process for them and God was patient with their struggle. But they obeyed God and God used that obedience to deliver many.
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