Finishing up with the Plagues today

We start off with plague number 6 and boy is it a messy one.

Plague #6 - Boils

Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron "Take handfuls of soot from a furnace and have Moses toss it into the air in the presence of Pharaoh. It will become fine dust over the whole land of Egypt and festering boils will break out on people and animals throughout the land."

Something that has started to stick out from reading the plagues in more details is the who is doing the actual sign, where the sign is taking place and who is it is affecting is standing out more and more the further we dig in. Here's a handy cheat guide I had to make myself:

Plague 1 – Blood

Location: River

Who does it: Aaron strikes the water it turns to blood

Magicians are able to replicate
Both Hebrews and Egyptians suffer

Plague 2 – Frogs

Location: Palace

Who does it: Aaron with Moses’ staff

Magicians are able to replicate
Both Hebrews and Egyptians suffer
Moses is the one who prays for it to stop

Plague 3 – Gnats

Location: Palace ?

Who does it: Aaron by striking the dust

Magicians are not able to replicate it!
Both Hebrews and Egyptians suffer

Plague 4 – Flies

Location: River

Who does it: The Lord

Magicians aren’t able to replicate
Only Egyptians affected
Moses is the one who prays for it to stop

Plague 5 – Livestock

Location:

Who does it: the Lord

Magicians are unable to replicate
Only affects Egyptians

Plague 6 – Boils

Location: Palace

Who does it: Moses

Magicians can not replicate due to boils on feet
Only Egyptians affected

Plague 7 – Hail

Location: mountain

Who does it: Moses

No replication
Only Egyptians suffer and those who did not fear the Lord or take precaution
Moses is the one who prays for it to stop

Plague 8 – Locust

Location:

Who does it: Moses

No replication
Only affects Egyptians
Moses prays for it stop

Plague 9 – Darkness

Location: Palace

Who does it: Moses

Affects only Egyptians
No replication
No prayers last only 3 days

Plague 10 – Death of 1^st born

Location: All of Egypt

Who does it: The Lord

No replication
Only affects those in Egypt who do not celebrate Passover or follow instructions given by Moses
No prayer for relief

What is cool is seeing how it starts off with Aaron needing to do the signs and as Moses grows in confidence and knowledge it is he who begins to do the talking more and the signs more and the praying for things to end more. And Aaron becomes more of the second fiddle. I like it! It shows me how God is working. As he builds my confidence in what He is teaching me he is going to cut the cords a little and slowly give me the reigns. The bigger things He will handle himself yet he will still allow me to do the work I am suppose to do! Man I love Moses and Exodus. Gets the blood pumping

Anyway back to the plagues So with the boils and all the nasty that this brings once again the Hebrews are not affected. Magicians can not stand in front of Moses to attempt to replicate (because they can't stand due to boils see the irony there if you say God doesn't have a sense of humor read Exodus cause he does) Yet Pharaoh still doesn't give up on letting God's people go. 

Plague 7 - Hail

This one is just scary. It is scary for lots of reason but one is God stresses to Pharaoh in v. 15 of Chapter 9 that "I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth. But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." YIKES I don't know about you but that is not something I would ever want to hear from the Lord. 

The Lord then proceeds to warn Pharaoh that a hailstorm is coming one worst then anything that has ever fallen on Egypt so be prepared. 

What I do love is in v. 20 "Those officials of Pharaoh who feared the word of the Lord hurried to bring their slaves and their livestock inside." They were like nope not playing around here this Lord who every he is isn't playing and I'm not falling for it again. The others ignored the word and well we all know what happened. Cause Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky and the Lord sent thunder and hail and lightening flashed down to the ground. It was the worst storm in the all the land of Egypt since it had become a nation. The beautiful part of this chapter is v. 26 "The only place it did not hail was the land of Goshen, where the Israelites were. 

Now what follows as it is hailing is awesome Pharaoh summons Moses to him and says "This time I have sinned The Lord is right and i and my people are wrong"

It took me some time to think on this. This means the first  plagues Pharaoh was under the misconception that either this was happening to him because God was being 1) mean, 2)cruel, 3)unfair, 4) picking on him or 5) being a bully to prove a point and didn't really need to in Pharaoh's eyes. Which is weird to me. So to Pharaoh he was thinking what have I done wrong to deserve all this punishment? I have done nothing wrong the Hebrews are fine they are happy why should this random man and this random God attack me? Or he was just thinking Moses was  really really good Magician. 

Until this plague where he realized that it is by his actions that have brought his people to this point of destruction. Because according to v. 25 Throughout Egypt hail struck everything in the fields - both people and animals; it beat down everything growing in the fields and stripped every tree. This would have devastated crops and fruit.

Another thing I like about this chapter is Moses agrees to pray for Pharaoh and the people to stop the hail and destruction but, "When I have gone out of the city I will spread out my hands in prayer to the Lord. The thunder will stop and there will be no more hail, so you may know that the earth is the Lord's. But I know that you and your officials still do not fear the Lord God." Moses isn't fooled by Pharaoh's realization and he knows that this isn't over. I think Moses feels bad for what is happening. He realizes that Egypt has lost everything trees, fruit, barley and people as well as animals that hadn't been brought in. Yet he also knew that Pharaoh wasn't going to let the people go. This wasn't over yet and he was right.

Plague #8 - Locusts

This time the Lord let's Moses know I have harden not only Pharaoh's heart but his officials sot hat I may perform these signs of mine among them that you may tell your children and grandchildren how I dealt harshly with the Egyptians and how I performed my signs among them and that you may know that I AM THE LORD. 

Moses does as he is told and warns Pharaoh if you don't let my people go Locust will be a coming the worst you have ever seen they will devour what little you h ave left after the hail. This caused the officials to be like "Dude let them go why are we putting up with this crap from them who cares?"

Pharaoh then begins negotiations about who can go where and with what" it doesn't fly with Moses who gets annoyed and annoys Pharaoh who drives them out of his presence so Moses stretches out his staff over Egypt and by morning the east wind had brought the locust. They invaded all of Egypt and settled down in every area of the country in great numbers Never before had there been such a plague. (and here is another promise we get from God) nor will there ever be again. They devoured all that was left after the hail everything growing in the fields and the fruit on the trees. Nothing green remained on tree or plant in all the land. 

Pharaoh quickly pulls out the I have sinned against the Lord and your God card again. Moses does the praying thing again and everything is fixed thing again. Yet Pharaoh's heart is hardened again.

So thus we being 

Plague #9 - Darkness

There was no warning it just happens Moses stretches out his hand and total darkness covers all of Egypt for 3 days no one could see anyone else or move about for 3 days except for the Israelites who had light in the places where they lived. Pharaoh tells Moses he can go again but he has to leave behind the herds and cattle. Moses says no they need them to make offerings so that won't work. Pharaoh gets made and says Get out of my sight! Make sure you do not appear before me again@ the Day you see my face yo will die. 

Plague #10 - Firstborns

This is how we get to the Passover my favorite story and holiday. 

I will start in Chapter 11 v. 4 "About midnight I will go throughout Egypt Every firstborn son in Egypt will die, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, to the firstborn son of the female slave, who is at there hand mill, and all the firstborn of the cattle as well. There will be loud wailing throughout Egypt - worse than there has ever been (if you recall Chapter 1 v 16-22 when the Egyptians were killing Hebrew babies) or will be again (promise #3) But among the Israelites not a dog will bark at any person or animal. Then you will know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel. All these officials of your swill come to me, bowing down before me and saying Go you and all the people who follow you!" 

This is hands down the scariest of the plagues and one I think if I had been Pharaoh not a plague I would have tested but the Lord harden his heart and he didn't have a choice. 

Next week will go into Passover and what the rules are, why we celebrate, what it did how the Jewish people still celebrate and what it is for. It should get us up to Chapter 14 Crossing the Sea and we might even be able to get pass that!

Let me know your thoughts on the plagues! Would love to hear feedback