Warning: Long post ahead with no pictures! :) This is something we discussed in a class recently, which I really enjoyed. The power of God will always swallow up the power of the enemy!
Before the Lord ever sent the plagues to Egypt, He spoke to Moses in Exodus 7:3-5 and said, "And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgements. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them."
The Lord wanted to shew His signs and wonders. He wanted the Egyptians to know that "I am the LORD." He also wanted to show His people what He could do and how He could take care of them. He wanted them to know and remember who He is along with the Egyptians. He wanted them to remember and tell their children about the Mighty works of the Lord.
The Lord went about shewing His signs and wonders in Egypt by seemingly coming against their 'gods.' Each plague came against the 'gods' that the Egyptians served.
Plague # 1 - The waters turned to blood. The first plague came upon the waters, including the great Nile river, which the Egyptians worshipped. Egypt would not be what it was if not for the Nile river giving life to the land. Their main source of 'life' was changed into blood by the Almighty God. Pharaoh's magicians did the same, but they were only trying to mimick the works of what the Almighty God has done first.
Plague # 2 - Frogs. The Egyptian goddess "Heka," worshipped by the Egyptians, was represented by a frog. At Moses' command, ordered by God, frogs came up into the land and covered the land. God Himself showed that He had sent all of those frogs by His word. After this, the frogs died and were gathered up in heaps. The land stank. (Exodus 8:14) The Egyptians saw their 'gods' dead and stinking on the land.
Plague # 3 - Lice. Lice covered both man and beast. Beasts, cattle, especially bulls -- the Egyptians worshipped. They were covered in lice; and this plague, the magicians of Pharaoh could not mimick. They said "This is the finger of God." They did not say, "This is the finger of the gods." They understood who it was that was in control!
Plague # 4 - Flies. Flies in swarms with their loud buzzing covered the land of Egypt. Flies were in their houses and everywhere they went. Yet the Lord said "I will sever 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 the LORD in the midst of the earth." (Exodus 8:22) The Lord's people were protected from the plague; the Egyptians were not.
Plague # 5 - Death of the Cattle. Cattle was a big deal to the Egyptians. "The Bull was their chief god." (Pg. 122 - Halley's Bible Handbook) Their 'gods' were destroyed, but the cattle of the Israelites was not touched by the plague. It was apparent that the hand of God was with them and had dominion over the false deities of Egypt.
Plague # 6 - Boils. Boils, a terribly uncomfortable plague came upon the Egypts; upon the people, the cattle, and the magicians. There was nothing they could do to stop it. It was the hand of God!
Plague # 7 - Hail. Hail came upon man, beast, and also brake every tree of the field. The crops and goods of Egypt were destroyed.
Plague # 8 - Locusts. The remnants of the crops after the plague of hail were eaten by the very grevious locusts. At the warning of the locusts, Pharaoh's servants plead with Pharaoh and asked, "How long shall this man be a snare unto us?" (Exodus 10:7) They continued to tell Pharaoh to let them go and serve their God..."knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed?"
Plague # 9 - Darkness. The Egyptians were known to worship the sun, calling their sun god "Ra." The darkness which the Lord sent dominated over "Ra." The sun could not be seen - there was no light, save but in the land of Goshen where the people of God dwelt. (We are the children of the light!)
Plague # 10 - Death of the First-Born. The death of all the first-born of the land of Egypt, including Pharaoh's first-born, was the last devastating blow to Pharoah and the land of Egypt. Again, this heart-wrenching plague did not come on the Children of Israel because their door post were covered in blood. Even so, we must be covered in the Blood of Jesus at His returning.
Through all of these things, it was shown that the One True God was in control over all of the things that the Egyptians worshipped, and that He was with Moses and the Children of Israel.
Before the Lord ever sent the plagues to Egypt, He spoke to Moses in Exodus 7:3-5 and said, "And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgements. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them."
The Lord wanted to shew His signs and wonders. He wanted the Egyptians to know that "I am the LORD." He also wanted to show His people what He could do and how He could take care of them. He wanted them to know and remember who He is along with the Egyptians. He wanted them to remember and tell their children about the Mighty works of the Lord.
The Lord went about shewing His signs and wonders in Egypt by seemingly coming against their 'gods.' Each plague came against the 'gods' that the Egyptians served.
Plague # 1 - The waters turned to blood. The first plague came upon the waters, including the great Nile river, which the Egyptians worshipped. Egypt would not be what it was if not for the Nile river giving life to the land. Their main source of 'life' was changed into blood by the Almighty God. Pharaoh's magicians did the same, but they were only trying to mimick the works of what the Almighty God has done first.
Plague # 2 - Frogs. The Egyptian goddess "Heka," worshipped by the Egyptians, was represented by a frog. At Moses' command, ordered by God, frogs came up into the land and covered the land. God Himself showed that He had sent all of those frogs by His word. After this, the frogs died and were gathered up in heaps. The land stank. (Exodus 8:14) The Egyptians saw their 'gods' dead and stinking on the land.
Plague # 3 - Lice. Lice covered both man and beast. Beasts, cattle, especially bulls -- the Egyptians worshipped. They were covered in lice; and this plague, the magicians of Pharaoh could not mimick. They said "This is the finger of God." They did not say, "This is the finger of the gods." They understood who it was that was in control!
Plague # 4 - Flies. Flies in swarms with their loud buzzing covered the land of Egypt. Flies were in their houses and everywhere they went. Yet the Lord said "I will sever 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 the LORD in the midst of the earth." (Exodus 8:22) The Lord's people were protected from the plague; the Egyptians were not.
Plague # 5 - Death of the Cattle. Cattle was a big deal to the Egyptians. "The Bull was their chief god." (Pg. 122 - Halley's Bible Handbook) Their 'gods' were destroyed, but the cattle of the Israelites was not touched by the plague. It was apparent that the hand of God was with them and had dominion over the false deities of Egypt.
Plague # 6 - Boils. Boils, a terribly uncomfortable plague came upon the Egypts; upon the people, the cattle, and the magicians. There was nothing they could do to stop it. It was the hand of God!
Plague # 7 - Hail. Hail came upon man, beast, and also brake every tree of the field. The crops and goods of Egypt were destroyed.
Plague # 8 - Locusts. The remnants of the crops after the plague of hail were eaten by the very grevious locusts. At the warning of the locusts, Pharaoh's servants plead with Pharaoh and asked, "How long shall this man be a snare unto us?" (Exodus 10:7) They continued to tell Pharaoh to let them go and serve their God..."knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed?"
Plague # 9 - Darkness. The Egyptians were known to worship the sun, calling their sun god "Ra." The darkness which the Lord sent dominated over "Ra." The sun could not be seen - there was no light, save but in the land of Goshen where the people of God dwelt. (We are the children of the light!)
Plague # 10 - Death of the First-Born. The death of all the first-born of the land of Egypt, including Pharaoh's first-born, was the last devastating blow to Pharoah and the land of Egypt. Again, this heart-wrenching plague did not come on the Children of Israel because their door post were covered in blood. Even so, we must be covered in the Blood of Jesus at His returning.
Through all of these things, it was shown that the One True God was in control over all of the things that the Egyptians worshipped, and that He was with Moses and the Children of Israel.
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