Exodus 7

Plague #1 – Water turned to blood (14-25)

Exodus 8

Plague #2 – Frogs (1-15)

Plague #3 – Lice or gnats (16-19)

Plague #4 – Flies (20-32)

Exodus 9

Plague #5 – Murrain, or diseased animals (1-7)

Plague #6 – Boils (8-12)

Plague #7 – Hail (13-35)

Exodus 10

Plague #8 – Locusts or grasshoppers (1-20)

Plague #9 – Darkness (21-29)

Exodus 11

Plague #10 – Death of the firstborn sons (1-10)

Meditation Points:

1. That God hardened Pharaoh’s heart is clear. Too often we miss that God hardened the hearts of Pharaoh’s servants, too (Ex 10:1).

2. God intended three results from this hardening of hearts (Ex 10:1-2):

• opportunity to show God’s power to Pharaoh
• perpetual witness to God’s wonder-working power
• knowledge among men that God is the LORD

3. How long…

• will you refuse to humble yourself before God (Ex 10:3)?
• will this man be a snare unto us (Ex 10:7)?

4. God controls the wind

• east wind brought the locusts (Ex 10:13)
• west wind took them away (Ex 10:19)

5. I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you (Ex 10:16). This sounds good; but, sadly, Pharaoh’s true heart is not so repentant. Consider his next statement:

Exodus 10:17  Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and intreat the LORD your God, that he may take away from me this death only.

6. When darkness fell on Egypt for three days, the children of Israel were not without light (Ex 10:23).

7. On worship and sacrifice:

• Pharaoh was willing to allow Moses and the people to go and perform their religious rituals as long as they didn’t take anything for the offering (Ex 10:24).
• Moses, on the other hand, wouldn’t attempt to worship without being prepared to give God an offering (Ex 10:25).
• We never know what sacrifices God may ask us to make (Ex 10:26).

8. Pharaoh never wanted to see Moses again (Ex 10:28).  Be careful what you ask for  (Ex 10:29).

[print_link]

Exodus 7

Plague #1 – Water turned to blood (14-25)

Exodus 8

Plague #2 – Frogs (1-15)

Plague #3 – Lice or gnats (16-19)

Plague #4 – Flies (20-32)

Exodus 9

Plague #5 – Murrain, or diseased animals (1-7)

Plague #6 – Boils (8-12)

Plague #7 – Hail (13-35)

Exodus 10

Plague #8 – Locusts or grasshoppers (1-20)

Plague #9 – Darkness (21-29)

Exodus 11

Plague #10 – Death of the firstborn sons (1-33)

Meditation Points:

I.  Many unbelievers, “freethinkers”, and pseudo-scientists have attempted to provide non-miraculous explanations for the plagues of Egypt.

One such explanation:

• a “red tide” of diseased algae struck the Nile River, turning it both red in color and deadly for fish
• frogs left the water to seek safety
• when the frogs dried out, they died, leaving fertile grounds for lice/gnats
• barn flies moved in to help devour the frog corpses
• carrying both disease to the animals
• and boils to the humans
• a natural hail storm destroyed the crops
• and locust ate what was left after the hail storm
• an extended dust storm blew by
• with a shortage of food, of course the oldest son would be given preference; but sadly the food was poisonous

Another explanation begins with a reference to the destruction of Santorini by volcano in the 5th century before Christ, and suggests that such a cataclysm has wide-reaching ill effects.  Perhaps a similar incident caused the upheaval in nature in Moses’ Egypt.

Or, maybe you would find it easier to believe that He who created this world reprogrammed it one day.

II.  Another point that you should not miss is that God had said He would harden Pharaoh’s heart (Exodus 7:3); and after the initial signs and each of the plagues we read that this is exactly what happened (7:13; 7:22; 8:15; 8:19; 8:32; 9:7; 9:12; 9:34-35; 10:20; 10:27; 14:4,8). There can be no controversy about this: the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart; and Pharaoh hardened his own heart.

III.  See how God preserved His people. Not one of their cattle died of the disease (9:7); and no hail fell in Goshen where they lived (9:26). Is this particular redemption of Israel and bypassing of Egypt to be denied?  Of course not.  Then why would anyone consider God unfair if he would choose to save an individual here or there and not save all men?

[print_link]

Moses, who objected at God’s first call to lead Israel, having heard the complaints of the people he was supposed to lead, now becomes more vocal in his objections to God.

Exodus 6

I.  God asserts His authority (1-9)

3: To Abraham, Isaac and Jacob God was known as El-Shaddai, the Almighty God; but to Moses a new name of God is revealed: Jehovah.

5-8: Moses is to declare to his people that they are God’s people, and that God will fulfill His covenant with their forefathers through them.

[Read more…]

Moses argues with God about the new leadership role

Exodus 4

I.  They won’t believe me (1-9)

2: What is in your hand?

3-9: Signs and wonders to prove that God has called Moses to the task

• rod becomes a serpent (3-5)
• hand becomes leprous (6-7)
• river water becomes blood (8-9)

II. I am not eloquent (10-17)

11: Who has made Man’s mouth

[Read more…]