Sep. 15, 2021

“THE LIFE OF MOSES”

“THE PLAGUES ON EGYPT”

EXODUS 7-10

1.   Facts To Remember:

As we survey the plagues in chapters 7-10 of Exodus and there effect on Moses as the leader, we will draw your attention to three central facts:

*God Predicted the Plagues

Exodus 3:19-20 “But I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not even by a mighty hand. So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My wonders which I will do in its midst; and after that he will let you go.”

*Pharaoh’s Nature Required the Plagues

Exodus 5:1-2 “Afterward Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Let My people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.’ ” And Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, nor will I let Israel go.”

In fact, just prior to the start of the first plague, God said to Moses:

Exodus 7:14 ““Pharaoh’s heart is hard; he refuses to let the people go.”

*Moses’ Question Prompted the Plagues

Exodus 6:29-30 “That the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “I am the Lord. Speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say to you.”

But Moses said before the Lord, “Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh heed me?”

2.   The Plagues That Reached The Egyptians

*  1.   Blood

The first plague was the turning of the Nile River as well as all other water in Egypt to blood. Exodus 7:14-25

Exodus 7:18 “And the fish that are in the river shall die, the river shall stink, and the Egyptians will loathe to drink the water of the river.”

Exodus 7:21 “The fish that were in the river died, the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink the water of the river. So there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.”

Exodus 7:24 “So all the Egyptians dug all around the river for water to drink, because they could not drink the water of the river.”

But the seven day period of the devastation made no impact on Pharaoh’s unwillingness to let the Hebrews leave his nation.

Exodus 7:22-23 “Then the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments; and Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as the Lord had said. And Pharaoh turned and went into his house. Neither was his heart moved by this.”

*  2.   Frogs

The next plague consisted of a swarm of frogs that came up out of the waters and covered the entire land of Egypt. Exodus 8:1-15

Exodus 8:3 “So the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into your house, into your bedroom, on your bed, into the houses of your servants, on your people, into your ovens, and into your kneading bowls.”

Exodus 8:8-9 “Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, “Entreat the Lord that He may take away the frogs from me and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice to the Lord.” And Moses said to Pharaoh, “Accept the honor of saying when I shall intercede for you, for your servants, and for your people, to destroy the frogs from you and your houses, that they may remain in the river only.”

But once the Lord caused the frogs to die:

Exodus 8:13,15 “So the Lord did according to the word of Moses. And the frogs died out of the houses, out of the courtyards, and out of the fields. But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not heed them, as the Lord had said.”

*  3.   Gnats

Unlike the first two plagues that were preceded by a warning, the plague of gnats came unannounced to Pharaoh. 

Exodus 8:16-19 “So the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your rod, and strike the dust of the land, so that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.’ ” And they did so. For Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod and struck the dust of the earth, and it became lice on man and beast. All the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.

Now the magicians so worked with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not. So there were lice on man and beast. Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, just as the Lord had said.”

*  4.   Insects

Exodus 8:28 “So Pharaoh said, “I will let you go, that you may sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness; only you shall not go very far away. Intercede for me.”

Moses responded by asking the Lord to remove the flies from the land.

Exodus 8:29-30 “Then Moses said, “Indeed I am going out from you, and I will entreat the Lord, that the swarms of flies may depart tomorrow from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people. But let Pharaoh not deal deceitfully anymore in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.” So Moses went out from Pharaoh and entreated the Lord.”

However, after God answered Moses’ request:

Exodus 8:31-32 “And the Lord did according to the word of Moses; He removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people. Not one remained. But Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also; neither would he let the people go.”

*  5.   Livestock

The fifth plague was brought about through a “very severe pestilence.”

Exodus 9:3 “behold, the hand of the Lord will be on your cattle in the field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the oxen, and on the sheep—a very severe pestilence.”

Exodus 9:6 “So the Lord did this thing on the next day, and all the livestock of Egypt died; but of the livestock of the children of Israel, not one died. 

Exodus 9:7 “Then Pharaoh sent, and indeed, not even one of the livestock of the Israelites was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh became hard, and he did not let the people go.”

*  6.   Boils

The sixth plague, like the third one, came without warning.

Exodus 9:10 “Then they took ashes from the furnace and stood before Pharaoh, and Moses scattered them toward heaven. And they caused boils that break out in sores on man and beast.”

Exodus 9:11 “And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were on the magicians and on all the Egyptians.”

And for the very first time, we are told that the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart.

Exodus 9:12 “But the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh; and he did not heed them, just as the Lord had spoken to Moses.”

*  7.   Hail

Exodus 9:24-25 “So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, so very heavy that there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. And the hail struck throughout the whole land of Egypt, all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail struck every herb of the field and broke every tree of the field.”

Only the land of Goshen escaped the vicious hailstorm.

Exodus 9:26 “Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, there was no hail.”

The plague prompted at least a momentary “repentance” and another promise of release from Pharaoh.

Exodus 9:27-28 “And Pharaoh sent and called for Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “I have sinned this time. The Lord is righteous, and my people and I are wicked. Entreat the Lord, that there may be no more mighty thundering and hail, for it is enough. I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer.”

But once the hailstorm ceased, the Egyptian ruler yet again reneged on his word to let the Hebrews go.

Exodus 9:34 “And when Pharaoh saw that the rain, the hail, and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet more; and he hardened his heart, he and his servants.”

*  8.   Locust

Exodus 10:3 “o Moses and Aaron came in to Pharaoh and said to him, “Thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, that they may serve Me.”

But Pharaoh turned his face once more against the Lord. Consequently, God caused a huge number of locust to cover the land.

Exodus 10:13-15 “So Moses stretched out his rod over the land of Egypt, and the Lord brought an east wind on the land all that day and all that night. When it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts. And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt and rested on all the territory of Egypt. They were very severe; previously there had been no such locusts as they, nor shall there be such after them. For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they ate every herb of the land and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left. So there remained nothing green on the trees or on the plants of the field throughout all the land of Egypt.”

Exodus 10:15 “For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they ate every herb of the land and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left. So there remained nothing green on the trees or on the plants of the field throughout all the land of Egypt.”

Again Pharaoh confessed his sin:

Exodus 10:16-17 “Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste, and said, “I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you. Now therefore, please forgive my sin only this once, and entreat the Lord your God, that He may take away from me this death only.” 

But when the locust were removed from Egyptian soil:

Exodus 10:19-20 “And the Lord turned a very strong west wind, which took the locusts away and blew them into the Red Sea. 

There remained not one locust in all the territory of Egypt. But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go.”

*  9.   Darkness

Exodus 10:22-23 “So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. They did not see one another; nor did anyone rise from his place for three days. But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.”

However, “all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.” In response to this oppressive plague Pharaoh tells Moses.

Exodus 10:24 “Then Pharaoh called to Moses and said, “Go, serve the Lord; only let your flocks and your herds be kept back. Let your little ones also go with you.”

Exodus 10:25-27 “But Moses said, “You must also give us sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God. Our livestock also shall go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind. For we must take some of them to serve the Lord our God, and even we do not know with what we must serve the Lord until we arrive there.” But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go.”

At this time Pharaoh delivered his most stringent words to Moses:

Exodus 10:28 “Then Pharaoh said to him, “Get away from me! Take heed to yourself and see my face no more! For in the day you see my face you shall die!”

Exodus 10:29 “So Moses said, “You have spoken well. I will never see your face again.”

3.   Truths To Ponder

1 Corinthians 10:1-11

Romans 15:4 “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.”

So as we contemplate this account in Exodus, two life-changing thoughts stand out:

1.   When God Judges, He Does A Thorough Job

Hebrews 12:5-11

So seek His face and repent of your disobedience. When you do, He will forgive and restore you.

1 John 1:6-9

2.   When God Blesses, He Holds Nothing Back