The Plagues of Egypt

With the Coronavirus all over the news, there’s been a lot of talk of plagues. It got me thinking about the plagues in the Bible. God sent plagues to correct people. It got their attention. He also provided a means of escape. No plague in the Bible lacked a way out. The devil comes to steal, kill, and destroy, and that includes sickness for sure. I don’t think God creates illnesses, but I do think that God uses these things to bring about a better purpose. Whether or not you believe God sent the Coronavirus as a judgement on the world (personally, I don’t), I think it’s serving a purpose of drawing back people who have fallen away from God, making us all slow down and take time to be quiet, and bringing families back together. God takes what the enemy meant for evil, and He turns it for good. So I decided to take a closer look at the ten plagues of Egypt, the scientific explanations, their significance to the Egyptians themselves, the purpose they served to bring correction, and what we can learn from them.

The Plague of Blood

The first official plague to strike Egypt was the plague of blood. Aaron was commanded to take his staff and to strike the waters of the Nile to turn them to blood. Moses confronted Pharaoh and warned him of this plague before it came. This plague affected both the Egyptians and the Israelites alike. No distinction was made between the groups. This plague could be duplicated by the Egyptian magicians, so Pharaoh hardened his heart against the message of Moses and Aaron.

Scientific Explanation: The waters weren’t really turned to blood. Instead, ancient peoples mistook a red algae bloom for blood. Red tides often occur in both fresh and salt water sources. The algae releases toxins that poison fish and produce a foul smell. An alternative explanation is that the heavy rains in Ethiopia caused a deposit of red clay to enter the Nile, poisoning the fish and turning the water red.

I think this explanation denigrates people who lived in ancient times. We like to think that our modern technology and advances in science make us smarter and wiser than our ancestors, but this isn’t necessarily true. The Bible clearly says that the water was turned to blood not that the water looked red like blood, and I think ancient peoples knew what blood would look, feel, and smell like. After all, they butchered animals, and in some cases carried out ritual sacrifices. In addition, this plague affected water even in storage jars, which can not be explained by simple algae bloom or a deposit of clay.

Egyptian significance: The Egyptians had several gods associated with the Nile: Hapi (the deification of the Nile’s annual inundation), Sodpet/Satet (also associated with the Nile’s flooding), Khnum (creator of water and life), Hatmehit (guardian of fish and fishermen), and Osiris (whose bloodstream was the Nile). The Nile’s flooding was greatly significant to Egyptian life. The annual flooding provided fertile soil for crops to grow. Irrigation of the Nile’s waters watered the crops of the region. Fish provided a primary food source for the Egyptians. Even beyond the Nile itself, water is important to human life.

The plague of blood struck all aspects of the Nile. It turned not only the waters of the Nile itself into blood, but it also affected water in irrigation ditches, in reservoirs, and in vessels throughout the land of Egypt. There was no drinkable water in Egypt for seven days. This was significant because the number seven was considered the number of completion, perfection and effectiveness in Egypt. The number was also associated with the symbol for water, which was represented by seven zigzag lines.

Analysis: The plague of blood proved that some of the most powerful deities of the Egyptian pantheon, including Osiris one of the three most powerful gods, were no match for the God of Israel. Pharaoh had ordered the execution of all male Israelite babies by throwing them into the Nile. By turning the Nile into blood, God showed His judgement and retribution on Egypt for the killing of these babies. The innocent blood of the babies was brought to the surface of the waters and plagued Egypt for seven days. God is a God of justice, and He exposed the sin of Egypt with this first plague.

The Plague of Frogs

The second plague to strike Egypt was a plague of frogs. Frogs began to come out of the Nile in huge amounts. They were everywhere! Again, Pharaoh was warned of this plague before it came, and again Aaron’s staff was stretched out over the waters to produce the frogs. The plague affected both the Egyptians and the Israelites alike. No distinction is made between the peoples. Again, Pharaoh’s magicians are able to duplicate the plague, giving Pharaoh an excuse to harden his heart. This plague, however, prompts Pharaoh to recognize God at some level because he asks Moses to pray to God to take the plague away. God removes the plague at the time set by Pharaoh.

Scientific Explanation: For this one, science points to the fact that the red tide occurred first. They say that the red tide would have depleted food sources for the frogs, prompting them to seek food outside the water sources. A similar incident occurred in Greece as recently in 2010. Likewise, throughout history there are stories of “raining frogs”. Red clay deposited in the Nile would also have caused a migration of frogs by poisoning the fish and depleting the food source.

Many of the plagues of Egypt have natural explanations given Egypt’s location and ecology. However, the plagues were sent in vastly superior numbers to what would normally have occurred. In this case the frogs were in beds and houses, in kneading troughs and ovens. There was not an area where there were not frogs. It’s a little difficult to believe that this kind of frog population naturally occurred in the Nile region and was simply made obvious by a disruption to the Nile.

Egyptian significance: The most likely god/goddess associated with the plague of frogs is Heqet, fertility goddess and goddess of water renewal. This goddess had the head of a frog, and frogs symbolized life-giving power in Egyptian mythology. Heket was the wife of Khnum. She was said to blow life into the bodies that Khnum formed from dust. Frogs were associated with the court of Hapi and with Nun, Kek, and Heh who were depicted as men with frog’s heads. Egyptians considered frogs to be sacred because they lived in two worlds: water and land. Stepping on a frog, even accidentally, was punishable by death.

The plague of frogs attacked the creation myth of Egypt. It also turned the “blessing” of fertility and life in the form of frogs into a curse. With frogs on every surface, the Egyptians could not possibly avoid stepping on them, causing them to violate their own laws and to bring death upon themselves as a result. These sacred animals then died all at once as a result of Moses’ prayer, and now these sacred animals were gathered into putrid piles.

Analysis: God showed Himself to be the true Creator and giver of life. It was God who created the frogs, God who caused them to proliferate in numbers larger than normal, and God who causes them to die in an instant at the time set by Pharaoh. While the magicians could bring the frogs, they could do nothing to remove them. Only God could do that. God proved that He was the one who breathes life into what He creates. He is the one who controls life and birth. What God intends to be a blessing (birth and fertility), He can change into a curse as He did in this plague of frogs. Once again, Egypt’s sin is brought to the forefront. This time it is their sins against their own gods by their own rules in the form of stepping on frogs.

The Plague of Lice

The third plague on Egypt was the plague of lice or, in some translations, gnats. Aaron was told to take his staff and strike the dust of the ground to bring forth the lice. Pharaoh was not warned of this plague before it happened. This plague also struck both the Egyptians and the Israelites. No distinction was made between the people. But this time the magicians could not duplicate the plague. They attributed this plague to the finger of God.

Scientific Explanation: This plague, Hebrew word Keenim, can refer to lice, fleas, or gnats. Working off the earlier algae bloom and subsequent arrival and death of frogs, it makes scientific sense that the next plague would include insects that frogs would have naturally controlled. Again, the issue here is less that the phenomenon can be explained than the fact that the numbers involved seemed to be exponentially more than what can be naturally explained.

Egyptian significance: Here it is less important that the plague was of lice or gnats than it is that these insects came from the dust of the ground. Geb, also called Seb or Keb, was the god of the earth, literally of the dust. Now instead of the earth bringing forth crops and life and abundance, it brings for lice and gnats. Geb is not powerful enough to prevent this plague.

In addition to Geb, this plague also diminished the power of Har-pa-khered (Horus in child form) who was invoked to ward off dangerous creatures and Imhotep, the god of healing, as well as the other healing gods. Even Pharaoh himself was afflicted with the lice, and Pharaoh was considered to be a god in his own right.

Analysis: Once again, God reveals Himself as the only true God. He has used the dust of the ground, a link to creation in Egypt, to bring forth lice. Not only has He shown Geb to be impotent to stop this plague and shown that the various gods of relief and healing are powerless as well, but He has prevented the pagan priests from even approaching their gods to worship them properly. You see, the priests of the various gods of Egypt were required to undergo cleansing rituals specifically designed to prevent lice. Lice were considered to be unclean and to make any priest afflicted by them unclean as well. The plague of lice made all the priesthood of Egypt unclean, preventing them from serving their gods and entering their temples. As a result, the priests and magicians acknowledge that this plague is from the finger of God Himself. Pharaoh knows the solution to these plagues is to let the Israelites go free, but his heart is hard and he refuses to listen, even to the priests.

The Plague of Flies

The fourth plague is a little bit different because we don’t truly know what this plague consisted of. Modern interpretation says that it referred to swarms. Some have added that these were swarms of flies, but it is also likely that they may have been swarms of scarab beetles, which were also sacred to the Egyptians. In this case, the staff of Aaron is no longer involved in causing the plague. Instead, Moses simply proclaims that the plague will come. Pharaoh is warned of the plague before it occurs. As before, the plagues from this point forward cannot be duplicated by the magicians. The other difference here is that God now makes a distinction between the Israelites living in Goshen and the Egyptians. This plague strikes the Egyptians, but does not strike the land of Goshen where the Israelites live.

Scientific Explanation: The Hebrew word for this plague is arov and translates to “mixture.” Interpretations for what this plague consisted of range from hornets and mosquitoes to wolf-like beasts and wild animals. Some scholars consider this to be a plague of venomous snakes or scorpions, but current interpretation says the plague was flies. Just as with the lice, swarms of flies would have been a natural byproduct of climate change that could have started the red tide or from the death of the frogs.

Egyptian significance: So if this plague was a plague of flies it could have been viewed as an attack on Uatchit, the fly god of Egypt. But let’s consider that this plague was a plague of swarms and might involve other flying insects like the scarab beetle. In that case, this plague attacks the power of Khepri. Khepri had the head of a fly and was considered one of the gods of creation. Khepri was associated with the scarab beetle and dung beetle. As such, he was seen as a god of rebirth and resurrection. Khepri was also associated with the sun because dung beetles form dung into balls and roll it along the ground, mimicking the movement of the sun across the sky.

Analysis: God has proved Himself more powerful than Khepri. Khepri could not even control the beetles associated with him. Beyond that, God showed Himself more powerful than the wind god, Amun, who could have blown the swarms away. Here again, only Moses’ prayer on behalf of Pharaoh causes the flies to die all at once so that not a single fly is left. God has also shown Himself to be mindful of His people. From this point forward, God makes a distinction so that none of the plagues that affect Egypt affect any of the Israelites in Goshen. Because of this distinction, the scientific explanations of the plagues fall short. There is no scientific reason for a plague to hit Egypt but avoid Goshen. Now we see the sovereign power of God at work as well as His protective power over His people.

Pharaoh finally acknowledges that God has power over Egyptian deities, but he doesn’t truly understand who God is. He thinks that he can bargain with God and trusts in his own power more than in God’s power. Pharaoh offers to let the people go but for less time than God demanded. He then offers to let the people go but not as far away as God demanded. Pharaoh’s heart is hardened to the point that he cannot see the reality of God and thinks that God can be manipulated and controlled.

Diseased Livestock

The fifth plague was a plague on the livestock of Egypt. Again, this plague came by the word of Moses. Not only was Pharaoh warned of the coming of this plague, but a time was set by God so that Pharaoh had ample opportunity to change his mind and let the people go. This plague wiped out the field animals of the Egyptians, but it did not touch the animals of the Israelites. A plague like this would have affected Egypt on many levels: crippling the economy by affecting food production and transportation as well as by affecting the military of Egypt.

Scientific Explanation: This mysterious and highly contagious plague killed all of the cattle and livestock. Given the previous explanations of the lice and flies, it makes sense scientifically that these plagues would result in infectious disease spread through the bites of these insects. According to researchers, a similar viral illness called rinderpest has had devastating effects on livestock throughout history. The most recent case of this illness was diagnosed in 2001. It is now considered eradicated as of 2010. Rinderpest is spread through contact with infected animals, contaminated water, and possibly by the breath of infected animals. Once again, however, the science fails to explain why the plague would only strike the field animals of the Egyptians and not all the field animals equally.

Egyptian significance: The Egyptians didn’t just value cattle and livestock as property of great monetary value, they also considered certain bulls and cattle to be sacred. The creation god Ptah was depicted as an Apis bull. These bulls were embalmed and entombed just as pharaohs would be. The sun gods Atum and Re were combined into a deity called Mnevis by the Greeks that was depicted as a black bull. Sky and creation goddesses Nut and Neith were depicted as celestial cows that gave birth to other gods. Finally, Hathor the goddess of love and protection, music, dance, foreign lands, and childbirth, is depicted as a cow-headed goddess. She was highly favored among Egyptians and was seen as the mother goddess to pharaoh.

Analysis: God has hit Egypt hard with this plague. Their sacred cattle have been decimated. Their economy is in tatters. Cattle were used in food production, transportation, farming, and military campaigns, and now they are all dead. Pharoah does an investigation to find that the cattle of the Israelites have not been touched, but his heart is still hard. The Egyptians are probably seeking protection from their gods, and yet their gods are powerless to stop the plagues. They are silent and impotent in the face of the God of the Israelites. God has shown that He is in control of the property of the Egyptians.

The Plague of Boils

The sixth plague to hit Egypt is the plague of boils. The plague would affect both animals and people. The plague is brought on by Moses throwing soot from Pharaoh’s furnace into the air. There is no warning given to Pharoah, but the plague is brought on by throwing the soot into the air in his presence. Here again, a distinction is made between Egypt and the Israelites. This plague hits everyone and makes it so that the magicians can not even enter the presence of Pharaoh, Moses, or Aaron due to their affliction.

Scientific Explanation: Boils aren’t all the uncommon. Generally, they are caused by Staph A. infection. Again, the explanation claims that boils would be a natural byproduct of the plagues of lice and flies since they can carry infectious disease. Interestingly enough, Rinderpest was thought to be related to small pox because they have analogous symptoms. While there is no known evidence that humans can get rinderpest, they can absolutely get smallpox, and smallpox was not unknown to Ancient Egypt. There are mummies with smallpox scarring on their skin. Smallpox blisters could be described as boils. Cattle do get cowpox, which is similar enough to smallpox to provide limited immunity in humans when they are exposed to cowpox.

Egyptian significance: This plague was an attack on the goddess Isis. A member of the Egyptian trinity, Isis along with Thoth was believed to have taught the secrets of medicine to the Egyptians. She was the goddess of life as well as the crone of death and was often depicted on coffins. This plague would have also targeted Sekhmet, the goddess of epidemics, and Serapsis and Imhotep, gods of healing. Again, this plague made the priests and magicians unclean before the gods. Likewise, it made Pharaoh himself unclean. Pharaoh was considered to be a god himself, and now he is unclean according to the laws of purity.

In addition, Egyptians often performed human sacrifices to their deities. They would burn the bodies on an altar and scatter the ashes into the wind. Wherever the ashes fell was supposed to bring blessings on the people. Here God has flipped the script. Instead of bringing blessing, God uses the ashes to bring judgement upon the people.

Analysis: Now God has revealed the sin of the people, their uncleanness, on a national level. All of Egypt is covered in boils. All of Egypt is shown to be unclean. All of Egypt, even Pharaoh, is in the same position. None of the gods are answering. None of the gods is doing their job of protecting the nation of Egypt. In the face of God, they are all powerless, but the people of God? They are protected. They are healthy. They are clean. God has covered them with His protection and His provision.

The magicians were the healers of Egypt. They are covered in boils. They are unclean. They can’t heal themselves. They can’t heal others. And these magicians never appear before Pharaoh again. The only people left standing untouched are Moses, Aaron, and God. God’s judgement was against the property of Egypt with the cattle, and now God’s judgement is against the people of Egypt themselves. This is personal.

The Plague of Hail

Now, we come to the seventh plague. Moses goes before Pharaoh and warns him again, but notice this time that God says He will bring the full force of His plagues against Egypt. Up to this point, God hasn’t released His full power. He has shown time and time again that the gods of Egypt are powerless and worthless, but He hasn’t even exhausted His full power yet. He has exposed the sin of Egypt on a national level and on a person level, but still this is not the full extent of His power.

God tells Pharaoh that He could have wiped out all the Egyptians by this point, but He has not because He wants them to know who He is. He tells Pharaoh that the plague coming will be a hailstorm the likes of which has never been seen before. He gives Pharaoh a full day of warning again. Time to repent. Time to save the things that have been left: the remnant. Bring in every animal left alive. Bring in the people. Whoever is not brought in to safety will die.

And now we see another distinction again. Not only does God protect His covenant people, as He has been doing for a while now, but He gives the opportunity for protection to anyone who fears His name. Some of Pharaoh’s officials have learned their lesson. They have seen the power of God. They believe what He says, and they respond in obedience. They bring in their animals and their servants.

Scientific Explanation: Around the alleged time of the exodus, there may have been a volcanic eruption on the island of Santorini. Volcanic ash in the atmosphere would have disrupted the climate of the region as well as its weather patterns. Volcanic eruption has been used not only to explain some of the plagues against Egypt but also the parting of the Red (Reed) Sea. Again, while hail was not unheard of in Egypt, the scope of this storm was to be unlike anything that had ever been seen before or would ever be seen since.

Egyptian significance: Hail would have been seen as an attack on several Egyptian deities. There was Nut, the goddess of the sky; Seth, the god of winds and storms; Shu, the god of air and bearer of heaven; Min, the god of fertility, vegetation, and protector of crops; Neper, god of grain; Horus, the third member of the Egyptian trinity who was a protector of crops; Osiris, ruler of life and vegetation; and Isis, who spins flax, since this storm destroyed only the flax and barley. None of these gods were able to prevent the large scale hailstorm. None were able to prevent the death of the animals left in the fields or of the slaves left in the fields. None could save the crops. At this point, ever member of the Egyptian trinity has been discredited. Only God is God of all.

Analysis: God has shown judgement on Egypt’s sins by striking their water, by striking their property, by striking their bodies, and now by striking their means of providing clothing and drink for themselves. He has destroyed the fish of the Nile. He has taken away their sources of meat and milk. He has stripped the fields of the flax and barley. The wheat and spelt are unharmed at this time, so the Egyptians at this point still have a food source. But here, God shows mercy. He allows those who will demonstrate obedience to avoid the punishment of their sin. The Egyptians who chose to listen to the warning of God are spared as are the Israelites.

The result of this plague is that Pharaoh admits his sin, but once again while he acknowledges God’s power and God’s righteous judgment, he still does not accept God for who He truly is. He begs forgiveness of his sin and asks Moses to pray to God for relief. Moses does so, and once the danger of the hail storm is gone, Pharaoh hardens his heart again. In the midst of crisis, Pharaoh pays lip service to God, but there is no real repentance here. He still believes that he is in control and not God.

The Plague of Locusts

The eighth plague on Egypt was a plague of locusts. Moses and Aaron go to warn Pharaoh of the coming plague, but this time God warns them that He has hardened Pharaoh’s heart and the hearts of his officials. Once again, God gives Pharaoh time to repent and to take a different path and avoid the plague of locusts. This time not only do some of the officials believe the Word of the Lord and give Him proper respect and reverence, but they plead with Pharaoh to do the same.

Scientific Explanation: Increased humidity and precipitation often foster the presence of locusts. So given that some of the plagues may have been the result of abnormal weather patterns, from a scientific perspective, it makes sense that locusts would be drawn to this area. Once locusts swarm they often ravage an area of its plant life. Anything left from the hail would be fair game as a food source for swarming locusts. Even today swarms of locusts pose a problem to farmers in the region. Once again, however, the scope of the plague is far beyond what would naturally occur. This isn’t just a swarm of locusts. It’s a swarm that covers every bit of the ground, turning it black. It’s a plague the likes of which had never been seen before nor would ever be seen again.

Egyptian significance: This plague would have targeted Seth, the god of storms and the wind. This plague would also target Min, since it wiped out what was left of any crop or food source in Egypt. Likewise, it targeted Anubis as guardian of the fields. The same gods targeted by the hail would have also been targeted by the locusts. The little bit of vegetation that was left has now been stripped bare. Serapia, the protector from locusts, was also impotent in the face of God. Not only does God bring locusts, He uses one wind to bring them and another to take them away. Hakhisesui is the Egyptian god of the east wind, while Hutchai was god of the west wind. By using both winds, God asserts that He alone is in control of all of creation.

Analysis: God tells Moses that these remaining plagues are being sent so that everyone will know the might of the Lord. Not only will the Egyptians know and pass these wonders on to their generations, but the Israelites will know as well. God has now shown that He controls the fate of Egypt. He controls their water. He controls their property. He controls their personal health. He controls their clothing. He controls their food. If a repentance does not occur, Egypt will be utterly destroyed.

Pharaoh again acknowledges the power of God but refuses to accept Him. He again tries to bargain and compromise his way out of the situation. He wants the men to go but not the women and children. Pharaoh still has a prideful spirit that leads him to believe that even now he is in control. God proves that He is not a god like Pharaoh has known before. He is not to be manipulated, not to be controlled, not to be bargained with. He is the final authority on what will happen. After the plague, Pharaoh again acknowledges his sin and cries out to Moses to pray on his behalf, but once again as soon as the plague is over and the imminent danger has passed, Pharaoh returns to his sin.

The Plague of Darkness

The ninth plague to strike Egypt is supernatural darkness. According to the Bible, this was darkness that was impenetrable. No one could see their neighbor. No one could move about. It was darkness that could be felt. Unlike the previous plagues, Pharaoh was not warned about the coming darkness.

Scientific Explanation: We’re back to theories of volcanic ash or an eclipse. The issue with the volcanic eruption is that the eruption happened 500 miles away. The issue with the eclipse besides the fact that the darkness lasted three days is that the people of Goshen, the Israelites, had light in their homes. An eclipse doesn’t explain how some people had darkness so thick they couldn’t see people next to them while their neighbors had light.

Egyptian significance: The sun god Ra, Re, Atum, or Aten was seen as the creator of everything. It was believed that he spoke all things into being. The Egyptians believed that day (Ra) and night (Apophis) were locked in battle with Ma’at, god of justice, keeping them in balance. By blocking out the sun for three days, God unseated Ma’at as the ultimate arbiter of justice. Likewise, the sun god Amun-Ra was seen as the supreme god over everything else. Now God has shown that He alone is God. He has defeated the entire pantheon of Egypt. Even the supreme god is no match for God.

Analysis: God plagued Egypt with an unnatural darkness. This was an area of the world where the sun shone all the time. The sun was their supreme deity, but now that deity is powerless. Even the lesser deity governing the moon is silenced. This isn’t basic darkness. It isn’t just an absence of light. It is a palpable darkness. It is a darkness with a presence of its own. Just as the number seven is significant to Egyptian religion, the number three is as well. This plague lasts three days. Three is the number of plurality in Egyptian religion and also symbolized completeness. Egypt had a trinity of Osiris, Isis, and Horus. God has defeated them all.

Once again, Pharaoh is prideful enough to think that he can dictate terms to God. He now offers to let the people go but to have their possessions remain, but this is not God’s plan. God has shown that He is the ultimate judge, the only Creator, and God over life and death, but Pharaoh still will not accept Him. Pharaoh has now expelled Moses and Aaron from his sight, thinking that by doing so he has also gotten rid of God, but God has one more plague for Egypt.

Death of the Firstborn

The final plague on Egypt is the death of the firstborn. It’s a plague that strikes humans as well as animals. Once again warning is given to Pharaoh and the people of Egypt. God uses the favorable disposition of the Egyptians toward the Israelites to enrich Israel before their exodus from Egypt. They obtain valuable possessions, silver, and gold from their Egyptian neighbors. Once again, a way out is given, but this time it is to the Israelites. If they will apply the blood of a lamb to their doorposts, the angel of the Lord will pass over them. We know that the Passover celebration was a symbol and a shadow of the ultimate redemption from death and sin bought for us by Christ. This is God’s redemption story played out in the final plague of Egypt.

Scientific Explanation: One theory is that the red tide released mycotoxins into the grain supply. The first born may have been the first to pick the grain and, therefore, would have succumbed to the mycotoxins first. Another theory goes back to the volcanic eruption. There was a village where all the eldest children died after a volcanic eruption. The researchers found that in that culture the eldest children slept on the floor, while younger children slept on an elevated platform. The eruption released deadly gasses that moved along the ground. The eldest children sleeping on the ground were trapped in these deadly gasses while they slept; whereas, the younger children slept above the level of toxic gas and so survived.

Egyptian significance: Pharaoh himself was considered to be a god. He maintained balance in the universe on behalf of his people. Not only did the people consider Pharaoh a god descended from gods, but Pharaoh considered himself to be a god and his firstborn son would take the throne after his death as a god in human form. Serket, goddess of protection, could not protect the firstborn elite from the judgement of God. Meshkenet, goddess of children and childbirth, could not protect the firstborn. Sobek, who represented the strength of the pharaohs, could not protect Pharaoh’s son. Renenutet, special protector god of Pharaoh himself, could do nothing.

Even the sacrifice of a lamb for the blood to be used for protection would have been aimed at Egyptian worship. Sheep were associated with Amun-Ra and with Khnum. To kill the sheep, roast it, and eat it would have offended the Egyptians indeed, and it would have demonstrated once and for all the superiority of the God of Israel.

Analysis: God has judged all of Egypt’s gods and shown them to be powerless against Him. He has judged the line of Pharaoh, and at the Red Sea, He will finish that judgement by destroying Pharaoh himself. God has made a distinction between His covenant people and any other people in the world. He has protected them from the plagues, and in the last plague He demands their active obedience for their salvation.

The plagues of Egypt weren’t just a show of power to the nation of Egypt to demonstrate that the Lord alone is God. They were also a message to Israel about who God is. God is a God of miracles and wonders. He does impossible things. No one can stand against Him. By remembering the miracles that God performed in Egypt, the Israelites could trust God to handle anything. If they had fully understood God’s nature and character, they would have fully trusted Him in the wilderness on the way to the Promised Land.

Take away Lessons:

1. God will punish sin wherever it occurs. Following another religious system does not make you immune to God’s judgement on sin. God alone is the ultimate judge.
2. God is merciful. He will give ample opportunity for repentance, but eventually those chances will run out. We are only given our lifetime to repent for our sin and to follow God. At some point, our life will run out, and we will face God’s judgement.
3. True repentance involves real and lasting change. It isn’t enough to seek God in times of crisis. That only lasts as long as the crisis lasts. If we do not truly repent, as soon as the danger has passed we will fall back into our old sinful patterns.
4. No matter what we serve, God is God. Idols come in many shapes and forms. Anything in our life that we put in the place of God is an idol, whether we realize it or not. God will do drastic things to draw attention to those idols and remove them from His place when necessary.
5. God is in control. There is nothing that surprises God. There is no crisis He cannot handle. God always has a plan. God always offers protection and provision to those who follow Him.