Pharaoh’s oppression of the Israelites is part of the devil’s battle against the woman’s seed in Genesis 3:15. In the Old Testament we read that the devil tries to prevent the coming of the Redeemer, who was promised by God. The rebellion against God is mentioned in Psalm 2:1–12: the nations conspire against the Lord and his Anointed (= Messiah = Christ). But God laughs and scoffs at them. Then he rebukes them in his anger.

God’s irony is shown here. He laughs at the Pharaoh:

Pharaoh seems to be omnipotent in Egypt, but five women undermine his authority—the two midwives (Exodus 1:17), the mother and sister of Moses, and even Pharaoh’s own daughter.

Pharaoh’s order to kill all the male Israelite infants leads to his own daughter’s adoption of Moses. Moses is educated and will be the well-equipped leader of the Israelites. Their deliverance through the water (Exodus 14:1 – 15:27) will be the end of Pharaoh.

God uses the aggression of sinful people, especially authorities who rage against God and his Anointed (Psalm 2:1–12) to fulfill his plan. The highlight was the crucifixion of Jesus: he was killed by the people, but for God’s purpose—his plan to redeem (see Acts 2:23).

Moses was saved through the water like Noah; 1 Peter 3:20 reads: Baptism, which corresponds to this (the flood), now saves you. Moses is saved through the water, like the Israelites after the deliverance from Egypt are saved through the water of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:1 – 15:27), so they were baptized in the sea (1 Corinthians 10:2). We are saved through the water of baptism thanks to Jesus, our Redeemer.