2019-3-28

Exodus 9:1-35

In chapter 9 we see plagues five, six and seven.  The fifth plague was against the domestic animals of Egypt; while the Hebrews’ livestock was spared.  The Egyptians worshiped many animals, and the bull god was very popular as was the cow goddess of fertility.  This bull god worship profoundly affected the Israelites and we will see them return to this idol worship when they thought Moses was lost on Mount Sinai while meeting with God and, again, in 1 Kings 12:26-30.

Clearly, we can see from this fifth plague that the animal gods of Egypt could not save the Egyptian livestock.  The death of these domestic animals now moved the plagues from irritation to seriously affecting the people’s livelihood.  But Pharaoh’s heart was unyielding and he would not let the Hebrews leave.

The sixth plague advanced from affliction of animals to the affliction of people.  When Moses threw soot from a furnace into the air, it became dust that caused boils to break out on the Egyptians.  It is very interesting to know that the Egyptian priests would sprinkle the ashes from idol sacrifices into the air above the worshippers.  When the ashes fell on the people, they counted it a blessing.  NOW – ashes were bringing a curse.  These boils defied the Egyptian priests.  The boils on their bodies prevented them from even standing before Moses and they could definitely not offer deity sacrifices for the Egyptians and sprinkle ashes.  And the idol ‘healing’ gods of the Egyptians were powerless as well.  WOW – the one true GOD continued to reveal the uselessness and fallaciousness of Egypt’s idols  Yet, Pharaoh refused to release the Israelites.

The seventh plague of thunder,  hail and lighting was the first of four directed against the Egyptian gods and goddesses of the sky.  It does not hail in Egypt and there is very little rain.  The Bible says this storm was the worst in all the land of Egypt since it had become a nation.  But, it did not hail in Goshen, where the Israelites were.  The hail stuck down everything in the fields – people, animals that had been acquired since the 5th plague and plant and tree growth.

It seems that some of Pharaoh’s officials began to fear the Word of the Lord and hurried to put the slaves and animals inside before the storm.  Even Pharaoh seemed to grasp this and admitted he and the people had sinned and that the LORD was right.  But after Moses left Pharaoh and the Lord stopped the plague, Pharaoh did not let the Hebrews go.

Pharaoh and the most of the Egyptian people refused to believe in the one true God.  We too, have false gods to fight today.  When we ask Jesus to be the Lord of our life and our Savior from any thought, word or deed that is contrary to His will, we come to know Him.  We find Him all-powerful, all-wise and full of goodness and grace.  He gives us the strength and desire to fight the idols that tempt us in our life.            —- Mary Mauderer