Story 15
The Plagues of Egypt
Exodus 2:23-11:10
The Bridge: Moses departed Median to return to Egypt. God instructed Moses not to fear or hesitate using the powers He had given him. He was also instructed to tell the Pharaoh to let His people go that they might worship Him (Exodus 4:21-23).
The Story:
- Moses came to Pharaoh and told him, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Let My people go that they may celebrate a feast to Me in the wilderness” (Exodus 5:1).
- But Pharaoh was not going to let his huge army of slaves leave. He said “Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and besides, I will not let Israel go” (Exodus 5:2)
- The request made the Pharaoh mad. So, he instructed the slave-leaders to increase the work-load of the slaves. He told them that they were not to provide the materials required, but to make them look for the ingredients themselves (Exodus 5:20-23).
- Ten times Moses came to Pharaoh and said, “Let my people go!” And ten times when Pharaoh refused, God sent plagues on the land and possessions of Egypt. The purposes of these plagues were “that the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord” (Exodus 7:4-5). The Egyptians had many gods.
- The first six plagues were the water turned to blood, frogs, gnats; flies, the Egyptian cattle died, and boils. After these plagues, God told Moses to return to the Pharaoh and say, “”For this time I will send all My plagues on you and your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is no one like Me in all the earth” (Exodus 9:14)
- He then visited plagues of hail, locusts, and darkness all of which personally affected them (Exodus 9:13-10:28).
- Nine times Pharaoh agreed to let the people go if God would just get rid of the plagues. Nevertheless, on every occasion, when the plagues stopped, the Pharaoh changed his mind. At the finish of the ninth plague event, Pharaoh told Moses to depart and that he never wanted to see his face again, and Moses answered, “As you say” (Exodus 10:29).
What can happen to us when we refuse to listen to God?
