Ten Plagues, Same Purpose

<Ex 7> 14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding; he refuses to let the people go. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning as he goes out to the river. Confront him on the bank of the Nile, and take in your hand the staff that was changed into a snake. 16 Then say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you: Let my people go, so that they may worship me in the wilderness. But until now you have not listened.

17 This is what the Lord says: By this you will know that I am the Lord: With the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood. 

18 The fish in the Nile will die, and the river will stink; the Egyptians will not be able to drink its water.’” 19 The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt—over the streams and canals, over the ponds and all the reservoirs—and they will turn to blood.’ Blood will be everywhere in Egypt, even in vessels of wood and stone.”

20 Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded. He raised his staff in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials and struck the water of the Nile, and all the water was changed into blood. 21 The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. Blood was everywhere in Egypt.

22 But the Egyptian magicians did the same things by their secret arts, and Pharaoh’s heart became hard; he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said. 23 Instead, he turned and went into his palace, and did not take even this to heart. 

24 And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile to get drinking water, because they could not drink the water of the river.

Why did God send the plagues?

• 10 Plagues, 1 Purpose:
  • “By this you will know that I am the Lord” <Ex 7:17>, and serious consequences await those who disobey God.
• False gods of Egypt successively shamed; God’s power increasingly undeniable.
• Judgment to the Egyptians; warning to the Israelites.
• Plagues in progressive severity: Continual hardening leads to worse consequences.
• Do not persist in our stubborn ways when God warns us.
• Pharaoh was stubborn, but God was more persistent.
• God’s terms are non-negotiable.
• God’s criteria of salvation never change: Only through Christ.
• Can we be more stubborn than God? >>> Yield to Him.

Plague of the blood.

• God struck the most important icon of Egypt – Nile.
• Egyptians could not find security even in what they were most proud of.
• Nile (“Nile god”) was utterly impotent before the God who created Nile.
• God strikes what we depend on most, to remind that only He is dependable!
• Nile was a good resource, but when we turn something good into an idol, that becomes the problem.

Plague of the frogs.

<Ex 7:25> Seven days passed after the Lord struck the Nile.

<Ex 8>

2 If you refuse to let them go, I will send a plague of frogs on your whole country. 

3 The Nile will teem with frogs. They will come up into your palace and your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and on your people, and into your ovens and kneading troughs.

8 Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Pray to the Lord to take the frogs away from me and my people, and I will let your people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord.”

9 Moses said to Pharaoh, “I leave to you the honor of setting the time for me to pray for you and your officials and your people that you and your houses may be rid of the frogs, except for those that remain in the Nile.” 10 “Tomorrow,” Pharaoh said. Moses replied, “It will be as you say, so that you may know there is no one like the Lord our God.

15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said.

• What’s wrong with Pharaoh’s request for prayer?
  • No confession of his sin.
  • Still wanted to set his own terms.
  • Not wrong to pray, “Take away the frogs”, but it cannot be the sole interest.
• Many today also pray like Pharaoh, “Take my problems (plagues) away”, but stop at that.
• When a person’s heart is not turned to God, one problem goes, another comes.
• After deceiving and disobeying God once, will find it easier to repeat again and again.
• Problem out of sight, God out of mind.
• We have every potential to act like Pharaoh, so guard our hearts.

Reflection

1. What was your usual response when God warns you with His words and certain signs? How can you still guard your heart of obedience after warning signs/problems are removed?
2. What were certain things you had depended on more than God, and how had God shown you that those are not dependable but only He is?