{"id":271,"date":"2018-01-01T12:56:45","date_gmt":"2018-01-01T11:56:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/buch.jehovah-shammah.de\/?p=271"},"modified":"2018-01-01T12:56:45","modified_gmt":"2018-01-01T11:56:45","slug":"the-ten-plagues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/buch.jehovah-shammah.de\/index.php\/2018\/01\/01\/the-ten-plagues\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ten Plagues"},"content":{"rendered":"
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And Jehovah said unto Moses, Pharaoh\u2019s heart is stubborn, he refuses to let the people go.<\/em><\/p>\n

Exodus 7:14<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Ten plagues were inflicted upon the land of Egypt by God because of Egypt\u2019s enslavement of God\u2019s <\/span>people, the Hebrews. The term Hebrews is the means by which Jews Identify themselves to Gentiles.<\/p>\n

This Messianic Bible Study will be a study of each of the plagues, what they did to Egypt, and in what<\/span> way they affected Egypt\u2019s theology. When God sent these plagues, He did not only do it to punish the Egyptians, but also to show the superiority of the God of Israel to anything that the Egyptians had to worship. In <\/span>Exodus 12:12<\/a>, Moses wrote that God would execute judgments against all of the gods of Egypt.<\/em> Each of these plagues affected one or more of the Egyptian gods.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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I. Introduction<\/p>\n

Before dealing with these plagues one by one, four things should be noted by way of introduction: their purposes, their characteristics, their order, and their timing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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A. The Purposes of the Plagues<\/p>\n

There are three specific purposes why God brought these ten plagues upon Egypt.<\/p>\n

The first purpose was to punish Egypt. God stated the principle of the Abrahamic Covenant<\/span> in Genesis 12:3<\/a>: I will bless them that bless you, but him that curses you will I curse<\/em>. Since the Egyptians cursed the Jews by putting them into slavery and by trying to kill the sons of Israel, God<\/span> sent these ten plagues to punish Egypt in keeping with the Abrahamic Covenant.<\/p>\n

The second purpose for these plagues was to bring about Israel\u2019s freedom in a unique and miraculous way that could only <\/span>be accomplished by God. No one would be able to say that the Jews were freed because of a slaves\u2019 revolt or a slaves\u2019 escape. Since Israel would be freed by means of these ten plagues, this would mean that it was indeed God who brought Israel out of Egypt<\/span> in a very unique way; therefore, He has the right to be Israel\u2019s God.<\/p>\n

The third reason for these ten plagues is to show the foolishness of idola<\/span>try. Moses wrote that the plagues were specifically against the gods of Egypt in Exodus 12:12<\/a> and Numbers 33:4<\/a>. Exodus 12:12<\/a> states: against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments.<\/em><\/p>\n

There were <\/span>approximately eighty different gods worshipped in the Egyptian Pantheon. Moses wrote that judgment was against all the gods of Egypt<\/em>, which meant that all eighty gods were affected in some way by the <\/span>time the ten plagues had run their courses. Unfortunately, because of the lack of information available from archeology so far, it is not known how all eighty of these gods were affected; the function of many of these gods is not yet known. However, it is known how qu<\/span>ite a few of these gods were affected and this manuscript will specify which gods each particular plague affected.<\/p>\n

Because they went<\/span> against the gods of Egypt, these plagues showed the foolishness of idolatry in two ways. First, Pharaoh was considered to be a god in human form and some of the plagues had a direct effect on Pharaoh himself, proving<\/span> that he was not much of a god after all. Secondly, one of the most important and controlling castes in Egyptian society was the priesthood and some of the plagues affected the priests themselves.<\/p>\n

B. The Characteristics of the Plagues<\/p>\n

There are five specific characteristics of the ten plagues. Not all five characteristics are true of each individual plague, but, as a unit, the ten plagues did h<\/span>ave these five characteristics.<\/p>\n

The first characteristic is that of intensification of natural phenomena; that which was normal and natural in Egypt suddenly intensified to a miraculous degree. For ex<\/span>ample, as the Nile River recedes after its banks overflow on a yearly basis, it is not unusual for frogs to be seen in the land of Egypt, but suddenly the number of frogs was tremendously intensified. Nor is it unusual for Egypt to go dark for twelve hours just as the rest of the world does, but suddenly the darkness was intensified. Furthermore, it is not unusual f<\/span>or Egypt to have flies, but suddenly the number of flies was intensified to a miraculous degree.<\/span><\/p>\n

The second characteristic is that of prediction. A number of these plagues were predicted to come in advance; this shows that they were<\/span> produced by God, not merely natural phenomena.<\/p>\n

The third characteristic of the plagues is that of discrimination. There were plagues that affected the Egyptians, but did not affect the Hebrews.<\/p>\n

The f<\/span>ourth characteristic is orderliness in that there was a gradual rise in severity, as the plagues got worse and worse.<\/p>\n

The fifth characteristic is that of morality; the plagues were moral in that they <\/span>taught certain spiritual lessons and precepts.<\/p>\n

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C. The Order of the Plagues<\/p>\n

The plagues followed a specific order, and their orderliness can be seen in four ways.<\/p>\n

First, there were three sets of three plagues, and one grand finale. For the first tw<\/span>o plagues of each set, Moses stood before Pharaoh. In the first plague of each set, he stood before Pharaoh in the morning. In the second plague of each set, Moses simply came before Pharaoh without any specification as to the time of day. Thus the first two plagues of each set came w<\/span>ith a warning. However, the third plague of each set came without warning.<\/p>\n

The second way that order is seen is tha<\/span>t the first three plagues received opposition from the magicians. The next six plagues discriminated between Egypt and Israel in that the Egyptians suffered from the plagues, but the Jews did not.<\/p>\n

The<\/span> third way that order is seen is that there was a threefold division in severity: the first set of plagues was classified to as being \u201cloathsome\u201d; the second set of plagues was classified as being \u201cpainf<\/span>ul\u201d; and the third set of plagues was classified as being \u201cgrievous.\u201d<\/p>\n

The fourth way that order is seen is that there was a threefold division of infliction: the first set of plagues was by the han<\/span>d of Aaron; the second set of plagues was by the hand of God; and the third set of plagues was by the hand of Moses.<\/p>\n

One thing that is very clear is that these ten plagues did not just come haphazardl<\/span>y. They followed a specific order that makes sense. After all, God was inflicting these ten plagues and He is a God of order, not a God of confusion.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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D. The Timing of the Plagues<\/p>\n

From the first plague until the tenth plague, a period of six months transpired; they did not come in rapid succession.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

E. The Historical Background of the Plagues<\/p>\n

The historical background to the ten plagues is found in Exodus 2:1\u20137:13<\/a>. In Exodus 2<\/a>, after Moses was born, he became the son of the daughter of Pharaoh (v<\/span>v. 1\u201310<\/a>); he fled after killing an Egyptian, who was smiting a Hebrew (vv. 11\u201315<\/a>); and he lived in the land of Midian (vv. 16\u201322<\/a>). After the death of Pharaoh, God heard the cry of the children of Isra<\/span>el (vv. 23\u201325<\/a>).<\/p>\n

In chapter 3<\/a>, God called to Moses from the midst of the burning bush (vv. 1\u201322<\/a>) and commissioned him to deliver the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage. God told Moses that He had<\/span> heard the cry of the people and would deliver them from the hand of the Egyptians and bring them into a land flowing with milk and honey.<\/em> Moses was told to ask Pharaoh to let the people go three day\u2019<\/em><\/span>s journey into the wilderness<\/em> so they could sacrifice to Jehovah<\/em>.<\/p>\n

In chapter 4<\/a>, God identifies Himself as I AM<\/em> and Moses receives three signs to convince the people that God had sent him (vv. 1\u20139<\/a>). Mo<\/span>ses protests that he is of a slow tongue<\/em> and God tells him that his brother, Aaron, will become his spokesman unto the people<\/em> (vv. 10\u201326<\/a>). By using the signs God had given Moses, Aaron was able to con<\/span>vince the people that Jehovah had spoken to Moses (vv. 28\u201331<\/a>).<\/p>\n

In Exodus 5:1\u20136:1<\/a>, Moses and Aaron appeared before Pharaoh and said: Thus says Jehovah, the God of Israel, Let my people go, that they ma<\/em><\/span>y hold a feast unto me in the wilderness<\/em> (5:1<\/a>). Instead, Pharaoh increased the burden of the people (vv. 2\u201321<\/a>), but God renewed His promise to Moses and Aaron that Pharaoh would let them go (vv. 22\u20136:<\/span>1<\/a>).<\/p>\n

In chapter 6:2\u20137:13<\/a>, God then charged Moses and Aaron to lead the people back to the land of the Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (vv. 2\u201313<\/a>); the genealogy of Moses and Aaron is given (vv. 14<\/span>\u201327<\/a>); Moses and Aaron were told to speak to Pharaoh all that they have been told, but that he would not listen to them because his heart was hardened (vv. 28\u20137:6<\/a>). At this point, Moses was 80 years ol<\/span>d and Aaron was 83 years old (v. 7<\/a>). When Pharaoh asked for a wonder, they were to use the signs God had given them (vv. 8\u201313<\/a>).<\/p>\n

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II. The Ten Plagues\u2014Exodus 7:14\u201311:10<\/a>; 12:29\u201336<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/span><\/span>A. The First Plague: The Plague of Blood\u2014Exodus 7:14\u201325<\/a><\/p>\n

The first plague of the first set came with a warning in the morning; it received opposition from the magicians; and it came by the hand of Aaro<\/span>n.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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1. The Warning\u2014Exodus 7:14\u201318<\/a><\/p>\n

And Jehovah said unto Moses, Pharaoh\u2019s heart is stubborn, he refuses to let the people go. Get you unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goes out unto the water; and you shall stand by the river\u2019s brink to meet him; and the rod which was turned to a serpent shall you take in your hand. And you shall say unto him, Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me unto you, saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness: and, behold, hitherto you have not hearkened. Thus says Jehovah, In this you shall know that I am Jehovah: 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. And 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.<\/p>\n

Verse 14<\/a> states that the reason for this plague was Pharaoh\u2019s refusal to let the people go. In verse 15<\/a>, Moses was commanded to meet Pharaoh for this warning in the morning by the river\u2019s brink<\/em>. Furthermore, Moses was to take the rod which was turned to a serpent in his hand<\/em>. The message to Pharaoh was stated in verse 16<\/a>: Let my people go, that they may se<\/em>rve me in the wilderness<\/em>. In verse 17<\/a>, Jehovah states: in this you shall know that I am Jehovah<\/em>; since he had refused to let Israel go previously, the waters of Egypt and the waters of the Nile River would be turned into blood and all the fish would die. In verse 18<\/a>, as a result, the river would stink and the water would become undrinkable.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

2. The Command and the Onset of the Plague\u2014Exodus 7:19\u201321<\/a><\/p>\n

And Jehovah said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take your rod, and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, over their <\/span>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. And Moses and Aaron did so, as Jehovah commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pha<\/span>raoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. And 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.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In verse 19<\/a>, after Moses gave this warning, the command was for Aaron to stretch out the rod over all the waters of Egypt. This included the waters found in their rivers, their <\/em><\/span>streams, their pools<\/em>, and their ponds<\/em>. The result was that there was blood throughout the land of Egypt<\/em>, including the water that was already in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone<\/em>. The expression<\/span> vessels of wood and vessels of stone<\/em> was a common idiom for idolatry. It may indicate that these vessels were used for the purpose of drink offerings to the gods of Egypt. Even the water in these rel<\/span>igious, idolatrous vessels suffered from the plague of blood. In keeping with what God commanded, the rod was stretched out before Pharaoh and his servants, resulting in five things: first, the water <\/em><\/span>of the river turned into blood; secondly<\/em>, the fish died<\/em>; thirdly, the river became foul<\/em>; fourthly, the Egyptians could not drink<\/em> of this water; and fifth, there was blood throughout the land of Egypt<\/em>.<\/span> The Egyptians had shed Jewish blood, now blood was given for them to drink.<\/p>\n

3. The Opposition from the Magicians\u2014Exodus 7:22\u201323<\/a><\/p>\n

And the magicians of Egypt did in like manner with their enchantments: and Pharaoh\u2019s heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as Jehovah <\/em><\/span>had spoken. And Pharaoh turned and went into his house, neither did he lay even this to heart.<\/em><\/p>\n

The first three plagues received opposition from the Egyptian magicians; in verse 22a<\/a>, they were able to <\/span>duplicate this miracle and turn water into blood. Satan does have the ability to duplicate the miracles of God, but Satan does not have the power to undo a miracle that God has performed. Of course, the last thing the Eg<\/span>yptians needed was more water to be turned into blood. Since the Egyptian magicians were using the power of Satan and were not able to do away with one of the miracles of God, the <\/span>best they could do was to duplicate it. But by duplicating the miracle, all they did was make matters worse for Egypt. Because they were able to duplicate the miracle, the response in verse 22b<\/a> was: P<\/em><\/span>haraoh\u2019s heart was hardened<\/em>. In verse 23<\/a>, he enclosed himself in his house and would not let Israel go.<\/p>\n

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4. The Response of the People\u2014Exodus 7:24\u201325<\/a><\/p>\n

And all the Egyptians dug round about the river for water to drink; for they could not drink of the water of the river. And seven days were fulfilled, afte<\/em><\/span>r that Jehovah had smitten the river.<\/em><\/p>\n

In verse 24<\/a>, the Egyptian population\u2019s response to this plague was to dig for water. Apparently the plague did not effect underground water that had not yet been <\/span>exposed to the air; they dug for water and were able to stay alive. This explains where the Egyptian magicians found the fresh water to turn into blood. Verse 25<\/a> gives the duration of the plague: seve<\/em><\/span>n days<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/span><\/span>5. The Egyptian Gods Affected<\/p>\n

Each of these plagues affected one or more of the gods of Egypt and this plague affected seven Egyptian gods. First, the Nile River, which was considered sacred by the Eg<\/span>yptians, was turned into blood. Secondly, the god Khnum, who was the guardian of the Nile source, was unable to protect his own river. Thirdly, the god Hapi, the spirit of the Nile, was affected, but the Nile turned into blood anyway. Fourthly, the god Osiris was affected because the Nile River was considered his bloodstream. Divine humor is seen here in that the bloo<\/span>dstream of the god Osiris was turned into real blood. The fifth god Sepek, the crocodile god, was affected. He had the body of a man and the head of a crocodile, yet his river was turned into blood. The sixth god affected was Neith. He was the protector of the lates, the largest fish of the Nile, and yet this fish died. The seventh god affected was Hathor, the protector of the chromis, a major fish of the Nile, now this fish also died because it could not be protected.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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B. The Second Plague: The Plague of the Frogs\u2014Exodus 8:1\u201315<\/a><\/p>\n

The second plague of the first set came with a warning, but the time of day was not specified; there was opposition from the magicians; and it came by the hand of Aaron.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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1. The Warning\u2014Exodus 8:1\u20134<\/a><\/p>\n

And Jehovah spoke unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus says Jehovah, Let my people go, that they may serve me. And if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all your borders with frogs: and the river shall swarm with frogs, which shall go up and come into your house, and into your bedchamber, and upon your bed, and into the house of your servants, and upon your people, and into your ovens, and into your kneading-troughs: and the frogs shall come up both upon you, and upon your people, and upon all your servants.<\/p>\n

In verse 1<\/a>, the second plague came because of Pharaoh\u2019s refusal to let the people go. Verses 2\u20134<\/a> describe the plague: swarms of frogs that would be everywhere; they would be in the river, Pharaoh\u2019s house, his bedchamber, on his bed, in the houses of his servants, the ovens, the kneading-troughs, upon Pharaoh, his people, and all his servants.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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2. The Command and the Onset of the Plague\u2014Exodus 8:5\u20136<\/a><\/p>\n

And Jehovah said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch forth your hand with your rod over the rivers, over the streams, and over the pools, and ca<\/em><\/span>use frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt. And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt.<\/em><\/p>\n

The warning became reality as the plague h<\/span>it with the stretching out of the rod by Aaron over the rivers, over the streams, and over the pools<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/span><\/span>3. The Opposition of the Magicians\u2014Exodus 8:7<\/a><\/p>\n

And the magicians did in like manner with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt.<\/em><\/p>\n

There was opposition again from the Egyptian ma<\/span>gicians, and again they were able to duplicate the miracle, but they could not remove the miracle of God. What they should have done to show that they had superior power was to remove the plague brought about by Moses. But Satan does not have the <\/span>power to remove a divine miracle, he only has the power to duplicate the miracle. Once again, the irony is that the last thing the Egyptians needed was more frogs.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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4. The Encounter with Pharaoh\u2014Exodus 8:8\u201315<\/a><\/p>\n

Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, Entreat Jehovah, that he take away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice unto Jehovah. And Moses said unto Pharaoh, Have you this glory over me: against what time shall I entreat for you, and for your servants, and for your people, that the frogs be destroyed from you and your houses, and remain in the river only? And he said, Against to-morrow. And he said, Be it according to your word; that you may know that there is none like unto Jehovah our God. And the frogs shall depart from you, and from your houses, and from your servants, and from your people; they shall remain in the river only. And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh: and Moses cried unto Jehovah concerning the frogs which he had brought upon Pharaoh. And Jehovah did according to the word of Moses; and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the courts, and out of the fields. And they gathered them together in heaps; and the land stank. But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as Jehovah had spoken.<\/p>\n

In verses 8\u201311<\/a>, Pharaoh made the request to remove the frogs, and he promised that he would let Israel go that they may sacrifice to Jehovah. Pharaoh was allowed to pick the exact time of day for the frogs to be removed and, if the frogs were removed at that time, he should recognize that the God of Israel is the only true God. Pharaoh\u2019s choice was the next day. Having to live with frogs another twenty-four hours probably did not make the Egyptians happy. Moses then promised that the frogs would be removed according to Pharaoh\u2019s word so that Pharaoh would know that there is indeed none like Jehovah, God of Israel.<\/p>\n

Verses 12\u201314<\/a> record the removal of the plague of frogs. It was Moses who prayed on Pharaoh\u2019s behalf. God answered and the frogs died. They had to be gathered into heaps so that the land itself stank because of all the dead frogs. In verse 15<\/a>, Pharaoh\u2019s response was that he hardened his heart and would not let Israel go.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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5. The Egyptian Gods Affected<\/p>\n

Two gods were affected by this plague. The first one was again Hapi. He was the god that controlled the alluvial deposits of the Nile that made the land fertile, but he d<\/span>id not prove anything here. Normally, the sound of frogs was a time of rejoicing, because it meant that the Nile had receded and the land was fertile, but it was not so on this occasion. The second god that was affected was the goddess Heqt. She had the body of a woman with the head of a frog; she was a symbol of resurrection and an emblem of fertility, neither of whi<\/span>ch worked in this case. This goddess of the frogs could do nothing to stay the plague.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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C. The Third Plague: The Plague of Mixture\u2014Exodus 8:16\u201319<\/a><\/p>\n

The third plague of the first set came without a warning; there was opposition from the magicians; and it came by the hand of Aaron.<\/p>\n

The third plague is called by various names, but the correct translation of the Hebrew word is the term \u201cmixture.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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1. The Command and the Onset of the Plague\u2014Exodus 8:16\u201317<\/a><\/p>\n

And Jehovah said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out your rod, and smite the dust of the earth, that it may become lice throughout all the<\/em><\/span> land of Egypt. And they did so; and Aaron 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.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

In verse 16<\/a>, the command came to Moses to tell Aaron to stretch out the rod and smite the dust so that it might become a mixture. This mixture contained several elements<\/span>: dog flies, vermin, gnats, and swarms of insects. In verse 17<\/a>, God\u2019s command was obeyed, and the result was that the mixture came.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/span><\/span>2. The Opposition of the Magicians\u2014Exodus 8:18\u201319<\/a><\/p>\n

And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: and there were lice upon man, and upon beast. Then the magic<\/em><\/span>ians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh\u2019s heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as Jehovah had spoken.<\/em><\/p>\n

In verse 18<\/a>, there was opposition from the magicians for the<\/span> third time, but this time they could not duplicate the plague. Henceforth, they would not be able to duplicate any of the remaining plagues through Satanic power. The conclusion they reached in verse<\/span> 19<\/a> was: This is the finger of God<\/em>. Yet the response was: Pharaoh\u2019s heart was hardened<\/em>, and he would not let Israel go.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/span><\/span>3. The Egyptian Gods Affected<\/p>\n

There were two gods of Egypt affected by this plague. One was the god Uatchit, the god of insects. The second god was Seb, the god of the earth. He was supposed to be the<\/span> one responsible for protection from lice, but he could not do so during this plague. Furthermore, the priesthood of Egypt, which was noted for its purity and cleanliness, was also affected by this particular plague. In fact, the Egyptian priests totally shaved their bodies of all hair, including eyebrows, in order to avoid any lice or insects. But this time, the swar<\/span>ms of a mixture of insects were also found on the bodies of the priests, and there was no way that the shaving of all their hair was able to save them.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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1. The Warning\u2014Exodus 8:20\u201323<\/a><\/p>\n

And Jehovah said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh; lo, he comes forth to the water; and say unto him, Thus says Jehovah, Let my people go, that they may serve me. Else, if you will not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies upon you, and upon your servants, and upon your people, and into your houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are. And 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 you may know that I am Jehovah in the midst of the earth. And I will put a division between my people and your people: by to-morrow shall this sign be.<\/p>\n

The message came to Pharaoh in verse 20<\/a>: Let my people go<\/em>. The warning, in verse 21<\/a>, was that otherwise he would be hit with the fourth plague: swarms of flies<\/em> upon Pharaoh, his servants, the people, in their houses, and on the ground.<\/p>\n

According to verses 22\u201323<\/a>, there was to be a division<\/em> between Egyptians and God\u2019s people, the Hebrews. Therefore, there would be no flies in Goshen where the Hebrews were living so that Pharaoh would know who was God indeed. Beginning the next day, God consistently made this distinction between the people of God and the people of Pharaoh.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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2. The Onset of the Plague\u2014Exodus 8:24<\/a><\/p>\n

And Jehovah did so; and there came grievous swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants\u2019 houses: and in all the land of Egypt the land was c<\/em>orrupted by reason of the swarms of flies.<\/em><\/p>\n

When the plague hit, swarms of flies<\/em>, which were tremendously hideous, corrupted the entire land of Egypt.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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3. The Encounter with Pharaoh\u2014Exodus 8:25\u201332<\/a><\/p>\n

And Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron, and said, Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land. And Moses said, It is not meet so to do; for we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to Jehovah our God: lo, shall we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, and will they not stone us? We will go three days\u2019 journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to Jehovah our God, as he shall command us. And 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. And Moses said, Behold, I go out from you, and I will entreat Jehovah 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 Jehovah. And Moses went out from Pharaoh, and entreated Jehovah. And Jehovah did according to the word of Moses; and he removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; there remained not one. And Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and he did not let the people go.<\/p>\n

Beginning in verse 25<\/a>, Pharaoh made several compromises, the first of which was that the people could go ahead and sacrifice, but they must sacrifice within the land of Egypt. This compromise offer was rejected by Moses in verses 26\u201327<\/a>, because to sacrifice in the land would be an abomination to the Egyptians, and they would be stoned. According to Genesis 46:34<\/a>, the sacrifice of sheep was considered detestable by the Egyptians. Moses stated that they must make a three-day journey into the wilderness, as commanded by Jehovah.<\/p>\n

Pharaoh\u2019s response was a second compromise in verse 28<\/a>, \u201cYou may go into the wilderness, but you will not go very far.\u201d In other words, they were not to go a full three days\u2019 journey<\/em>. Then he said: entreat for me<\/em>. The answer of Moses in verse 29<\/a> was a promise that the plague would be removed in one day, but he warned Pharaoh not to deal deceitfully<\/em> as he had done in the removal of the frogs.<\/p>\n

In verse 30<\/a>, Moses prayed for the removal of the plague. In verse 31<\/a>, God answered and the plague was removed; but in verse 32<\/a>, the response was: Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also<\/em>, and refused to let Israel go.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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4. The Egyptian God Affected<\/p>\n

There was one god of Egypt that was affected by this plague, and that was the god Baalzebub. Baalzebub was the lord of the flies, who controlled the fly population, but this god could do nothing for the Egyptians on this occasion.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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E. The Fifth Plague: The Plague of Murrain\u2014Exodus 9:1\u20137<\/a><\/p>\n

The second plague of the second set came with a warning, without the particular time of day being stated; there was discrimination between Egypt and Israel; and it came by the hand of God.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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1. The Warning\u2014Exodus 9:1\u20135<\/a><\/p>\n

Then Jehovah said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh, and tell him, Thus says Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me. For if you refuse to le<\/span>t them go, and will hold them still, behold, the hand of Jehovah is upon your 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. And Jehovah shall make a distinction between the cattle of Isr<\/span>ael and the cattle of Egypt; and there shall nothing die of all that belongs to the children of Israel. And Jehovah appointed a set time, saying, To-morrow Jehovah shall do this thing in the land.<\/span><\/p>\n

Once again the message was: Let my people go<\/em>. Furthermore, refusal to do so would bring on the fifth plag<\/span>ue. This time, Moses warned that it would come against the possessions of the Egyptians by affecting the livestock. At this point, the judgment was tempered by mercy in that this plague of murrain was limited to the animals that were out <\/span>in the field<\/em>, while those inside buildings were spared. Again, a distinction was made between possessions of the Egyptians and those of the children of Israel in <\/span>that whatever died in this plague of murrain would be owned by Egyptians only. Anything owned by the Israelites would not die. In this warning, the exact appointed time of the plague was clearly stated: <\/span>To-morrow<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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2. The Onset of the Plague\u2014Exodus 9:6<\/a><\/p>\n

And Jehovah 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.<\/em><\/p>\n

Following the warning, the plague came. Verse 6<\/a> stated: all the cattle of Egypt died<\/em>, meaning all the cattle that were out in the field. But all of the cattle of the children of Israel survived<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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3. The Response of Pharaoh\u2014Exodus 9:7<\/a><\/p>\n

And 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 pe<\/em>ople go.<\/em><\/p>\n

Pharaoh\u2019s response was to send men to investigate the situation to see if there really was a distinction between Egypt\u2019s cattle and Israel\u2019s cattle. They found that not so much as one of the <\/em>cattle of the Israelites<\/em> was dead, but still Pharaoh refused to let Israel go.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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4. The Egyptian Gods Affected<\/p>\n

This plague affected four of the gods of Egypt. The first god was the Apis Bull, the sacred animal of the god Ptah. This was a first born bull, one that was always kept out in the open, so it would have died in this plague. The second god was Mnevis, the sacred bull of the god Ra, the god of the city of Heliopolis. This was also a first born bull and also kept out in the open. It, too, would have died of this plague of murrain. The third god was the goddess Hathor, who had the body of a woman and the head of a cow. She was the protectress of the cows and the goddess of love, beauty, and joy, but she could not spare the cows out in the field. The fourth god was the god Knom, the ram god, who had the body of a man and the head of a ram. Since the rams were affected during this plague, it meant his rams would have died as well.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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F. The Sixth Plague: The Plague of Boils\u2014Exodus 9:8\u201312<\/a><\/p>\n

This was the third plague of the second set, and it came without a warning; there was discrimination between Egypt and Israel; and it came by the<\/span> hand of God.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/span><\/span>1. The Command and the Onset of the Plague\u2014Exodus 9:8\u20139<\/a><\/p>\n

And Jehovah said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward heaven in the sight o<\/em><\/span>f Pharaoh. And 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.<\/em><\/p>\n

In verse 8<\/a>, God again is<\/span>sued a command: take handfuls of ashes of the furnace<\/em> and sprinkle them toward heaven in the sight of Pharaoh<\/em> so he could see what Moses and Aaron were doing. This refers to the furnace<\/em> that was used <\/span>to bake the bricks to build the city of Pharaoh. Thus it stood as the symbol of the oppression of the Hebrews. And now, from the very symbol of oppression, ashes were taken that resulted in oppression upon the Egypt<\/span>ians.<\/p>\n

In verse 9<\/a>, the prediction was that the plague of boils would break out upon both man and animal as the ashes of the furnace were sprinkled into the air.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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2. The Affects of the Plague\u2014Exodus 9:10\u201311<\/a><\/p>\n

And they took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward heaven; and it became a boil breaking forth with blains upon <\/em>man and upon beast. And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boils were upon the magicians, and upon all the Egyptians.<\/em><\/p>\n

Moses followed the command to sprinkle the ashes and the plague affected the entire nation of Egypt, including the magicians. There were three things they could not do: first, they could not duplicate this miracle; secondly, they could not remove it; and thirdly, they could not escape it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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3. The Response of Pharaoh\u2014Exodus 9:12<\/a><\/p>\n

And Jehovah hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not unto them; as Jehovah had spoken unto Moses.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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4. The Egyptian Gods Affected<\/p>\n

There were three gods of Egypt that were affected by the sixth plague. First, the goddess Sekhmet was affected. She had the body of a woman and the head of a lioness with power over epidemics, both to cause them and to stop them. In this case, she could neither cause the boils nor stop the boils. The second god affected was Seraphis, the god of healing, and yet he brought no healing to the Egyptians. The third god was Imhotep, the god of medicine, yet he could not produce medicine that would alleviate the suffering from the boils.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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G. The Seventh Plague: The Plague of Hail and Fire\u2014Exodus 9:13\u201335<\/a><\/p>\n

This was the first plague of the third set, so this one came with a warning in the morning; there was discrimination between Egypt and<\/span> Israel; and it came by the hand of Moses.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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1. The Warning\u2014Exodus 9:13\u201319<\/a><\/p>\n

And Jehovah said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus says Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me. For I will this time send all my plagues upon your heart, and upon your servants, and upon your people; that you may know that there is none like me in all the earth. For now I had put forth my hand, and smitten you and your people with pestilence, and you have been cut off from the earth: but in very deed for this cause have I made you to stand, to show you my power, and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth. As yet exalts you yourself against my people, that you will not let them go? Behold, to-morrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as has not been in Egypt since the day it was founded even until now. Now therefore send, hasten in your cattle and all that you have 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.<\/p>\n

In verse 13<\/a>, Moses was told by God to go before Pharaoh and warn him again to let the people go. Verse 14a<\/a> states that refusal to do so would bring on the seventh plague.<\/p>\n

God then spelled out two purposes for the seventh plague in verses 14b\u201316<\/a>. The first purpose, in verses 14b<\/a>, was to show the uniqueness of the God of Israel and that none of the eighty-some gods of the Egyptian Pantheon could possibly compete with this God. The second purpose, in verses 15\u201316<\/a>, was to demonstrate the power of God.<\/p>\n

Verse 17<\/a> states a reason for the seventh plague was that Pharaoh had exalted himself against the Hebrews, the people of God. He showed his self-exaltation over Israel by refusing to let them go.<\/p>\n

In verse 18<\/a>, the plague that was going to come the next morning would be a plague of hail mixed with fire. In verse 19<\/a>, judgment was once again tempered with mercy in that the Egyptians were warned to take their cattle and their slaves into their houses. Otherwise, they would lose valuable property.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

2. The Response of the People\u2014Exodus 9:20\u201321<\/a><\/p>\n

He that feared the word of Jehovah among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses: and he that regarded not the word o<\/em><\/span>f Jehovah left his servants and his cattle in the field.<\/em><\/p>\n

In keeping with Moses\u2019 warning, the Egyptians responded in two ways. First, after six plagues, many of the Egyptians had learned to fear Jehova<\/span>h, the God of Israel, and they followed Moses\u2019 advice. But secondly, other Egyptians had learned nothing from the first six plagues and did not follow the advice of Moses.<\/p>\n

3. The Onset of the Plague\u2014Exodus 9:22\u201326<\/a><\/p>\n

And Jehovah said unto Moses, Stretch forth your hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every <\/span>herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt. And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and Jehovah sent thunder and hail, and fire ran down unto the earth; and Jehovah rained hail upon the land of Egypt. So 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. And t<\/span>he 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 broke every tree of the field. Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, was there no hail.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The plague itself came following the warning. In verse 22<\/a>, God commanded Moses to stretch out the rod once again. In verses 23\u201324<\/a>, what followed was thunder, hail, and fire. The hail that<\/span> came down had within it flashes of fire, which required something supernatural. The passage emphasizes that nothing like this had been seen since Egypt became a nation. This is a significant statement in light of the fact that Egypt was among the oldest nat<\/span>ions of the world. Verse 25<\/a> gives the fourfold results of the plague: first, it killed every man in the field; secondly, it killed every beast<\/span> in the field; thirdly, it smote every herb of the field; and fourthly, it broke every tree of the field.<\/p>\n

But again, in verse 26<\/a>, a distinction was made in that there was no hail in the land of Goshen<\/em><\/span>, where the children of Israel were.<\/em><\/p>\n

4. The Encounter with Pharaoh\u2014Exodus 9:27\u201335<\/a><\/p>\n

And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: Jehovah is righteous, and I and my people are wicked. Entrea<\/span>t Jehovah; for there has been enough of these mighty thunderings and hail; and I will let you go, and ye shall stay no longer. And Moses said unto him, As soon as I am gone out of the city, I will spread abroad my hands unto Jehovah; the thunders shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail; that you may know that the earth is Jehovah\u2019s. But as for<\/span> you and your servants, I know that ye will not yet fear Jehovah God. And the flax and the barley were smitten: for the barley was in the ear, and the flax was in bloom. But the wheat and the spelt were not smitten: for they were not grown up. And Moses 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. And 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. And<\/span> the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the children of Israel go; as Jehovah had spoken by Moses.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

This brought on yet another encounter with Pharaoh. In verses 27\u201328<\/a>, Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and made a confession: I have sinned this time: Jehovah is righteous, an<\/em><\/span>d I and my people are wicked<\/em>. He then made a plea: Entreat Jehovah<\/em> to cause this plague to cease and I will let Israel go.<\/p>\n

In verses 29\u201330<\/a>, the response of Moses was to promise that there would be a c<\/span>essation of this plague as soon as he left the city. Moses then warned Pharaoh to learn from this: that the earth is Jehovah\u2019s<\/em>, but Moses knew Egypt would not fear Jehovah.<\/p>\n

Verses 31\u201332<\/a> show the resul<\/span>t of this plague: the flax<\/em> and the barley<\/em> were destroyed. Those crops come in during the months of January and February, so somewhere within those two months this plague hit. The wheat<\/em> and the spelt<\/em> w<\/span>ere spared, since they had not yet grown up. The wheat and the spelt come in between March and April. The point is that eight weeks transpired between the seventh plague and the tenth plague. The next t<\/span>hree plagues came during the next eight weeks.<\/p>\n

In verse 33<\/a>, the plague of hail stopped as Moses promised. But once again, when he saw that the plague was stopped, Pharaoh\u2019s response in verses 34\u201335<\/a> <\/span>was: the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the children of Israel go.<\/em><\/p>\n

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5. The Egyptian Gods Affected<\/p>\n

All together, there were four gods affected by this particular plague. The first god affected was Shu, the sky god, the son of Ra, the sun god. In spite of this, he could<\/span> not keep this plague from occurring and the hail fell from the sky. Second, the goddess Nut, the sky goddess, was affected; she could do nothing to stop the hail. The third god affected was Seth, the god of agriculture; yet he could not save the flax and the barley crops that had started to grow by this time. And fourth, Isis, the goddess of agriculture, was affected<\/span>; she could not help the Egyptians here, either.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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H. The Eighth Plague: The Plague of Locusts\u2014Exodus 10:1\u201320<\/a><\/p>\n

This is the second plague of the third set, and this came with a warning without the time of day specified; there was discrimination between Egypt and Israel; and it came by the hand of Moses.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

1. The Warning\u2014Exodus 10:1\u201311<\/a><\/p>\n

And Jehovah said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I may show these my signs in the midst of them, and th<\/em><\/span>at you may tell in the ears of your son, and of your son\u2019s son, what things I have wrought upon Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that ye may know that I am Jehovah.<\/em><\/p>\n

Verses 1\u20132<\/a> explain<\/span> why God not only allowed, but also hardened the hearts of Pharaoh and his servants. First, so that God could show His signs to the people of Israel in the midst of the Egyptians. Secondly, so that they could<\/span> tell succeeding generations exactly what God had done in Egypt. Thirdly, that they would know that God is indeed the covenant-keeper.<\/p>\n

A message came again to Pharaoh in verses 3\u20136<\/a>: And Moses <\/em><\/span>and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus says Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews, How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? let my people go, that they may serve me. Else, if you refuse<\/em><\/span> to let my people go, behold, to-morrow will I bring locusts into your border: and they shall cover the face of the earth, so that one shall not be able to see the earth: and they shall eat the residue of that which is escaped, which remains unto you from the hail, and shall eat every tree <\/em><\/span>which grows for you out of the field: and your houses shall be filled, and the houses of all your s<\/em><\/span>ervants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; as neither your fathers nor your fathers\u2019 fathers have seen, since the day that they were upon the earth unto this day. And he turned, and went out from Pharaoh.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

In verse 3<\/a>, the message begins with a question: How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me?<\/em> The command was: let my people go, that they may serve me.<\/em> He was then warned of the comi<\/span>ng plague and the timing was spelled out in verses 4\u20136<\/a>. This time it would be a plague of locusts that would destroy everything still left in the field. This time the locusts would not remain in the f<\/span>ield, but they would also enter into the houses. There would be a massive intensification of the locust population that neither their fathers<\/em> nor their fathers\u2019 fathers<\/em> had ever seen.<\/p>\n

This time the se<\/span>rvants of Pharaoh responded in verse 7<\/a>: And Pharaoh\u2019s servants said unto him, How long shall this man be a snare unto us? let the men go, that they may serve Jehovah their God: know you not yet that E<\/em><\/span>gypt is destroyed?<\/em><\/p>\n

The servants themselves now asked Pharaoh to let the men<\/em> of Israel go. They asked, \u201cDo you not realize that Egypt is destroyed?\u201d As a result of the first seven plagues, Pharaoh\u2019s au<\/span>thority, wisdom, and deity were brought into question.<\/p>\n

Pharaoh then made a third compromise offer in verses 8\u201311<\/a>: And Moses and Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh: and he said unto them, Go, serve <\/em><\/span>Jehovah your God; but who are they that shall go? And Moses said, We will go with our young and with our old; with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go; for we must hold a feast unto Jehovah. And he said unto them, So be Jehovah with you, as I <\/em><\/span>will let you go, and your little ones: look to it; for evil is before you. Not so: go now ye that are men, and serve Jehovah; for that is what ye desire. And they were driven out from Pharaoh\u2019s presence.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

In verse 8<\/a>, Pharaoh asked Moses the question: who are they that shall go?<\/em> In verse 9<\/a>, Moses\u2019 answer was, \u201cThe <\/span>entire nation and their possessions.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Pharaoh\u2019s response was to show contempt for God in verses 10\u201311<\/a>. The Hebrew word for evil<\/em> is the word ra<\/span>, which is also the name of the key Egyptian god, Ra<\/span>. <\/span>Rather than saying: evil is before you<\/em>, Pharaoh said, \u201cMy god, Ra, is before you.\u201d In other words, Pharaoh said, \u201cNow listen, I have been patient with you up until now. But from now on, I am going to <\/span>invoke my god, Ra, who is stronger than your God Jehovah, so do not press me any further. This is my final compromise offer!\u201d The compromise was that only the grown men could go.<\/p>\n

Pharaoh was so sure t<\/span>hat he had won this time, and won the confidence of his servants back, that he showed his contempt for Moses and Aaron by driving them from his presence without even waiting for an answer from Moses. Because Ra had been i<\/span>nvoked, he assumed that this third compromise offer would work! But it did not.<\/p>\n

2. The Onset of the Plague\u2014Exodus 10:12\u201315<\/a><\/p>\n

And Jehovah said unto Moses, Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb o<\/span>f the land, even all that the hail has left. And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and Jehovah brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all the night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts. And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the borders of Egypt; very grievous were the<\/span>y; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such. For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained not any green thing, either tree or herb of the field, through all the land of Egypt.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In keeping with the warning, the plague hit. Moses was told again to stretch ou<\/span>t the rod and the locusts came. They were brought in by an east wind<\/em> after blowing all that day and all the night<\/em>. Their numbers were so intensified that the entire land was darkened because the swarm<\/span>s of locust had blocked out the sun. All the vegetation that had started coming up after the previous plague was eaten up.<\/p>\n

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3. The Response of Pharaoh\u2014Exodus 10:16\u201320<\/a><\/p>\n

Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste; and he said, I have sinned against Jehovah your God, and against you. Now therefore forgive, I pray you, my<\/span> sin only this once, and entreat Jehovah your God, that he may take away from me this death only. And he went out from Pharaoh, and entreated Jehovah. And Jehovah turned an exceeding strong west wind, which took up the locusts, and drove them into the Red Sea; there remained not one locust in all the border of Egypt. But Jehovah hardened Pharaoh\u2019s heart, <\/span>and he did not let the children of Israel go.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pharaoh\u2019s response was another plea. His confession was: I have sinned against Jehovah your God, and against you<\/em>. He then pleaded: \u201cForgive my sin only this once, and ask God to remove the plague.\u201d<\/span> In keeping with his request, Moses prayed again and the locusts were removed by means of the west wind<\/em> that drove them into the Red Sea<\/em>, where the locusts were drowned. Once again, Pharaoh\u2019s response<\/span> was that he would not let Israel go.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/span><\/span>4. The Egyptian Gods Affected<\/p>\n

Two gods were affected by this plague. The first affected was Seth, the god of agriculture, but he could not save what was left of the crops. Secondly, Isis, the goddess <\/span>of agriculture, was affected, but she could not save what was growing from the locusts.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/span><\/span>I. The Ninth Plague: The Plague of Darkness\u2014Exodus 10:21\u201329<\/a><\/p>\n

This was the third plague of the third set, and it came without a warning; it discriminated between Egypt and Israel; and it came by the han<\/span>d of Moses.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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1. The Command and the Onset of the Plague\u2014Exodus 10:21\u201323<\/a><\/p>\n

And Jehovah said unto Moses, Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt. And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days; they saw not one another, neither rose any one from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.<\/p>\n

Moses was again commanded to stretch out the hand so that darkness which may be felt<\/em> would come over the whole land of Egypt. Indeed, the plague that came was a thick darkness<\/em> that lasted for a period of three days. Again, a distinction was made between Israelites and Egyptians in that there was light in the land of Goshen.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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2. The Encounter with Pharaoh\u2014Exodus 10:24\u201329<\/a><\/p>\n

And Pharaoh called unto Moses, and said, Go ye, serve Jehovah; only let your flocks and your herds be stayed: let your little ones also go with you. And M<\/span>oses said, You must also give into our hand sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice unto Jehovah our God. Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not a hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to serve Jehovah our God; and we know not with what we must serve Jehovah, until we come thither. But Jehovah hardened Pharaoh\u2019s heart, <\/span>and he would not let them go. And Pharaoh said unto him, Get you from me, take heed to yourself, see my face no more; for in the day you see my face you shall die. And Moses said, You have spoken well. I will see your face again no more.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pharaoh <\/span>then made his fourth compromise in verse 24<\/a>. He said, \u201cOnly you go, but the flocks and the herds must remain behind.\u201d It is obvious why he asked this. All of the Egyptian flocks and herds were destroy<\/span>ed in the previous plagues, and now he wanted to confiscate Israel\u2019s flocks. Moses again refused in verses 25\u201326<\/a>. After all, these animals were needed for sacrifice. Furthermore, because they would no<\/span>t know which sacrifices God wanted until they arrived in the wilderness, it was necessary that every animal go along with them. Indeed, the specifics about sacrifices would only be given at Mt. Sinai.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pharaoh responded with a threat in verses 27\u201328<\/a>: see my face no more<\/em>. Then he added, \u201cThe next time you see me, you will die.\u201d Moses responded in verse 29<\/a>, \u201cYou have spoken well. You will see me no m<\/span>ore.\u201d Moses and Pharaoh did see each other at least one more time. The point here was that they would not see each other insofar as any bargaining was concerned. There would be no more compromise discussions.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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3. The Egyptian Gods Affected<\/p>\n

All together, nine gods of Egypt were affected by this ninth plague. First, Ra, the sun god, was affected. He had two forms: sometimes he had the body of a man and the head of a ram; at other times, he had the body of a man and the head of a goose. Yet the sun darkened. The second god affected was Khepre, also a sun god, with the body of a man and the head of a beetle. The third god affected was Harakhte, the sun god with the body of a man and the head of a hawk. Fourth, Aton, the sun disk god, was affected. Fifth, Horus, the winged sun disk god. Sixth, Atum, the god of the setting sun, was affected. Seventh, Thoth, the moon god, was affected. Eighth, Nut, the sky goddess, was affected; and ninth, Shu, the sky god, was affected.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

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J. The Tenth Plague: The Death of the First born Sons\u2014Exodus 11:1\u201310<\/a>, 12:29\u201336<\/a><\/p>\n

The tenth plague came with a warning and there was no distinction between Egypt and Israel.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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1. The Warning\u2014Exodus 11:1\u20132<\/a><\/p>\n

And Jehovah said unto Moses, Yet one plague more will I bring upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; afterwards he will let you go hence: when he shall let you go, he shall surely <\/em>thrust you out hence altogether. Speak now in the ears of the people, and let them ask every man of his neighbor, and every woman of her neighbor, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The result of t<\/span>he final plague would be that Pharaoh would not only let Israel go, he would thrust them out.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/span><\/span>2. The Response of the People\u2014Exodus 11:3<\/a><\/p>\n

And Jehovah gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh\u2019s servant<\/em><\/span>s, and in the sight of the people.<\/em><\/p>\n

The status of the Jews among the Egyptians had changed radically in the course of the first nine plagues in that Israel found grace and favor in the sight of the Egy<\/span>ptians, and Moses himself became a great man in the sight of Pharaoh\u2019s servants and all of the people. In spite of Moses\u2019 own statements of inferiority, he was considered highly by the Egyptians, who no longer held Moses or the people in contempt.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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3. The Message to Pharaoh\u2014Exodus 11:4\u20138<\/a><\/p>\n

And Moses said, Thus says Jehovah, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt: and all the first-born in the land of Egypt shall die, from the first-born of Pharaoh that sits upon his throne, even unto the first-born of the maid-servant that is behind the mill; and all the first-born of cattle. And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there has not been, nor shall be any more. But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how that Jehovah does make a distinction between the Egyptians and Israel. And all these your servants shall come down unto me, and bow down themselves unto me, saying, Get you out, and all the people that follow you: and after that I will go out. And he went out from Pharaoh in hot anger.<\/p>\n

The message to Pharaoh was that the tenth plague, the death of the first born son, would arrive About midnight<\/em>. By the time this plague had run its course, there would be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt<\/em>. Again, there was such high respect for the Israelites that against any of the children of Israel a dog would not mov<\/em>e his tongue<\/em> for the purpose of doing any harm to man or beast<\/em>. God would again show how He made a distinction between the Egyptians and Israel<\/em>. This time the servants of Pharaoh would come begging Israel to leave.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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4. Summary of the First Nine Plagues\u2014Exodus 11:9\u201310<\/a><\/p>\n

And Jehovah said unto Moses, Pharaoh will not hearken unto you; that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt. And Moses and Aaron did all <\/span>these wonders before Pharaoh: and Jehovah hardened Pharaoh\u2019s heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go out of his land.<\/p>\n

This passage ends with a summary of the first nine plagues and five th<\/span>ings are stated: first, Pharaoh would not listen; secondly, the result was that God\u2019s wonders were multiplied in the land; thirdly, it was Moses and Aaron who performed all these wonders; fourthly, God hardened Pharaoh\u2019s heart; and fifth, Pharaoh would not let Israel go<\/span>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/span><\/span>5. The Onset of the Plague\u2014Exodus 12:29\u201336<\/a><\/p>\n

In the fourth through the ninth plagues, a distinction was made between the children of Israel and the Egyptians. The tenth plague would also make a distinct<\/span>ion, but not automatically. In Exodus 12:1\u201328<\/a>, the Jews were warned to protect themselves from the final plague by sprinkling blood upon the lintel and doorposts. While the fourth through the ninth pl<\/span>agues automatically distinguished between Israelites and Egyptians, the tenth one would not unless the blood of the lamb was applied. This the Hebrew people did: And it came to pass at midnight, that <\/em><\/span>Jehovah smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt, from the first-born of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the first-born of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the first-born of cattle. And Pharaoh rose up in the night, h<\/em><\/span>e, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead. And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve Jehovah, as ye have said. Take both your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also. And the Egyptians were urgent upon t<\/em><\/span>he people, to send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We are all dead men. And the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading-troughs being bound up in their clothes upon their shoulders. And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they asked of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and Jehovah gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. And they despoiled the Egyptians.<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

When the tenth p<\/span>lague, the slaying of the first born<\/em>, hit, it created a great cry in Egypt<\/em>; there was not a single family in Egypt that did not suffer at least one death. Finally, Pharaoh capitulated and allowed the <\/span>children of Israel to leave.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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6. The Egyptian Gods Affected<\/p>\n

Four gods were affected by the final plague. First, Min, the god of procreation and reproduction, was affected, but the first-born<\/em> died anyway. Secondly, Isis, the goddess of procreation and reproduction, was affected, but the first-born<\/em> died anyway. Thirdly, Hathor, the goddess who was present at the birth of a child, was affected, but she could not protect the first<\/em>-born<\/em>. Fourthly, the Apis Bull, a sacred, first-born<\/em> bull, was affected, and yet he died; this was the second Apis Bull to die within these ten plagues.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

And Jehovah said unto Moses, Pharaoh\u2019s heart is stubborn, he refuses to let the people go. Exodus 7:14 Ten plagues were inflicted upon the land of Egypt by God because of Egypt\u2019s enslavement of God\u2019s people, the Hebrews. The term Hebrews is the means by which Jews Identify themselves to Gentiles. This Messianic Bible Study … <\/p>\n

\u201eThe Ten Plagues\u201c <\/span>weiterlesen<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-271","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-allgemein"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/buch.jehovah-shammah.de\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/271","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/buch.jehovah-shammah.de\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/buch.jehovah-shammah.de\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/buch.jehovah-shammah.de\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/buch.jehovah-shammah.de\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=271"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/buch.jehovah-shammah.de\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/271\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":272,"href":"http:\/\/buch.jehovah-shammah.de\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/271\/revisions\/272"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/buch.jehovah-shammah.de\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=271"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/buch.jehovah-shammah.de\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=271"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/buch.jehovah-shammah.de\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=271"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}