INTRODUCTION

A. Signs and wonders

Exodus 7-11 are the telling of what we call the 10 plagues.

In sixteenth-century English the word “plague” had the meaning “blow” or “strike” (derived from the Latin noun plaga, which means a “blow” or “strike”).

The concept of “strikes” reflects more closely the Hebrew terminology used throughout these chapters and is linked to how the staff or hand of Moses or Aaron is used to initiate the supernatural happenings. In Jewish tradition these events are the “ten strikes.”

B.Exodus 7:3 introduces the expression “signs and wonders” to describe the miraculous events that will occur in Egypt.

These words occur separately in chapters 8–12 to denote different events.

Elsewhere in the Old Testament, the expression “signs and wonders” is the most commonly used label for God’s miraculous actions in Egypt (Deut. 4:34; 6:22; 7:19; 26:8; 29:3; 34:11; Neh. 9:10; Pss. 105:27; 135:9; Jer. 32:20).

Thinking of them as signs rather than plagues makes it easier to see how they are linked to the signs performed by Jesus that are recorded in John’s Gospel.

I. Cosmic Showdown.

A. Miracles

Miracles are possible. We should not automatically deny the possibility of miracles.

The Bible is witness to the reality of supernatural events taking place.

God may on occasion do something of an unexpected nature to demonstrate his extraordinary power.

Some miracles may fall into the category of “signs” that are intended to point to the reality of God’s existence.

B. Spiritual powers

Not all miracles originate with God. The initial episodes involving supernatural signs in Egypt reveal that the ability to perform miracles is not unique to God.

I believe the god’s of Egypt were represented by demons. The word for demons that the old testament uses is is the word intelligences.

Their existence is never proven; it is simply assumed. The Old Testament focus is not on demons and their schemes but on God and his sovereignty.

This should be a reminder that those hostile to God may have spiritual powers that go beyond the ordinary. Jesus warns his followers about “false prophets” who might even cast out demons in his name and do many mighty works in his name (Matt. 7:15–22).

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens. —Ephesians 6:12 CSB

We pick up the story right after Moses’ staff turns into a snake or crocodile (As Ryan taught us last week) and it eats the sorcerers’ staffs that also turned into snakes.

II. The 10 Strikes

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is hard: He refuses to let the people go. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning. When you see him walking out to the water, stand ready to meet him by the bank of the Nile. Take in your hand the staff that turned into a snake. 16 Tell him: The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to tell you: Let my people go, so that they may worship me in the wilderness. But so far you have not listened. 17 This is what the Lord says: Here is how you will know that I am the Lord. Watch. I am about to strike the water in the Nile with the staff in my hand, and it will turn to blood. 18 The fish in the Nile will die, the river will stink, and the Egyptians will be unable to drink water from it.” 19 So the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron: Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt—over their rivers, canals, ponds, and all their water reservoirs—and they will become blood. There will be blood throughout the land of Egypt, even in wooden and stone containers.” —Exodus 7:14–19 CSB

A. The Egyptians had up to eighty Gods

They were all in battle with each other for dominance or allying themselves together to win against each other.

There is no honor among Demons. Spiritual intelligences that are in rebellion to God.

Bible scholars tract these 10 strikes toward the specific gods but this demonstration of God’s sovereignty covers all of them.

B. Naturalistic explanations.

The things that happen here and the things that happen when the Israelites leave Egypt are a manifestation of Gods power.

No matter how you try to jam it into a naturalistic frame work there will be things that will not fit in the box.

We believe in a God that was born as a human baby, lived a perfect, sinless life, died on a cruel cross and rose from the dead to pay our sin debt. We believe He is coming again so that we will live with Him forever! What is a few frogs and flies against that?

1) Water Turned to Blood

• Hapi, the Egyptian god of the Nile.
• The first plague that was given to the Egyptians from God was that of turning the water to blood.
• Partially able to duplicate this miracle, the magicians of Pharaoh also turn water into blood, leaving Pharaoh unimpressed with this great wonder from God.

2) Frogs Coming From the Nile

• Heket, the Egyptian goddess of fertility, water, and renewal.
• The second plague that was extended upon Egypt was that of frogs. The frogs came up from the river and were in their houses, in their food, in their clothing, in every place possible.
• If we are to understand the full significance of this plague, we must recognize that a goddess of Egypt who was always pictured with the head and often the head and body of a frog.
• Since Heket was embodied in the frog, the frog was sacred in Egypt. It could not be killed, and consequently there was nothing the Egyptians could do about this horrible and ironic proliferation of the goddess.

3) Lice From the Earth’s Dust

• Geb, the Egyptian god of the Earth.
• At the command of the Lord to Moses, Aaron was told to stretch forth his rod and smite the dust of the earth. When he did the dust became lice throughout all the land, on both people and beasts.
• The magicians of Pharaoh, being unable to compete with this power that was so much greater than themselves and the powers that they had from their Egyptian gods and goddesses, and they profess, “this is the finger of God.”
• To their credit, Pharaoh’s magicians realized that they were dealing with a higher power. When they were unable to turn dust into bugs, “The magicians said to Pharaoh, ‘This is the finger of God’ ” (Exod. 8:19a)

4) Swarms of Flies

• Khepri, the Egyptian god of creation, movement of the sun, and rebirth.
• With the fourth Egyptian plague, which consisted of flies, begins the great miracle of separation or differentiation.
• This time only the Egyptians are affected by the judgement, or plague, and the children of Israel remain unscathed.
• This wonder also moves the Egyptian plagues to a different level, adding destruction as well as discomfort to the consequence of their decisions.

But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also and did not let the people go. —Exodus 8:32 CSB

5) Death of Cattle and Livestock

• Hathor, the Egyptian goddess of love and protection.
• “Tomorrow” the hand of the Lord would be felt upon all the cattle and livestock, of only the Egyptians.
• This plague affected the Egyptian by creating a huge economic disaster, in areas of food, transportation, military supplies, farming, and economic goods that were produced by these livestock.
• God separated the Israelites again.

Pharaoh sent messengers who saw that not a single one of the Israelite livestock was dead. But Pharaoh’s heart was hard, and he did not let the people go. —Exodus 9:7 CSB

6) Ashes Turned to Boils and Sores

• Isis, the Egyptian goddess of medicine and peace.
• Unannounced the sixth Egyptian plague is given, for the first time, directly attacking the Egyptian people themselves.

Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of furnace soot, and Moses is to throw it toward heaven in the sight of Pharaoh. —Exodus 9:8 CSB

• As with the previous two, throughout the remaining Egyptian plagues the division is drawn between the Egyptians and the children of Israel, as God gives protection to his covenant people.
• Cleanliness being paramount in the Egyptian society, this plague pronounces the people “unclean.”
• The magicians who have been seen throughout the previous plagues are unable to perform ceremonially rituals to their Egyptian Gods and Goddesses in this unclean state, not allowing them to even stand before Pharaoh; they are seen in the scriptural account no more.

7) Hail in the Form of Fire

• Nut, the Egyptian goddess of the sky.

15 By now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with a plague, and you would have been obliterated from the earth. 16 However, I have let you live for this purpose: to show you my power and to make my name known on the whole earth. —Exodus 9:15–16 CSB

• Hail of unspeakable size and ability to destroy, would rain down from the sky and turn to fire as it hit the ground.
• The Lord, in showing Pharaoh that “there is none like Him in the Earth”, allows those who are willing to hear His word, and do as He commands, to be saved.
• A division is now felt between the Egyptians.

19 Therefore give orders to bring your livestock and all that you have in the field into shelters. Every person and animal that is in the field and not brought inside will die when the hail falls on them.” 20 Those among Pharaoh’s officials who feared the word of the Lord made their servants and livestock flee to shelters, 21 but those who didn’t take to heart the Lord’s word left their servants and livestock in the field. —Exodus 9:19–21 CSB

• The crops that were destroyed by the hail consisted of flax and barley, which were ripening in the fields. These two particular crops were not the mainstay of their diet, but were used more specifically for their clothing and libations.

27 Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron. “I have sinned this time,” he said to them. “The Lord is the righteous one, and I and my people are the guilty ones. 28 Make an appeal to the Lord. There has been enough of God’s thunder and hail. I will let you go; you don’t need to stay any longer.” —Exodus 9:27–28 CSB

• When the Hail stopped he would not let them go.

8) Locusts Sent From the Sky

• Seth, the Egyptian god of storms and disorder.

1 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I may do these miraculous signs of mine among them, 2 and so that you may tell your son and grandson how severely I dealt with the Egyptians and performed miraculous signs among them, and you will know that I am the Lord.” —Exodus 10:1–2 CSB

• Moses and Aaron approached Pharaoh with the same request, “Let my people go so that they may serve me”, and pronounced the judgment of locusts if not heeded.
• This is the second wave of destruction to follow the hail, and whatever crops were left in tact after that display, were now completely consumed by the swarms of locusts that were unleashed from the sky.
• Pharoah has begun a negotiation with God. Believing his heart was hidden from him. But when he again repents God is gracious and takes away the locust knowing Pharaoh’s repentance was false.

For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly grief produces death. —2 Corinthians 7:10 CSB

9) Three Days of Complete Darkness

• Ra, the Egyptian sun god.
• Darkness now fell upon Egypt, Three days of palpable darkness, that was so immense it could be physically felt, covered the land of Egypt. For three days they did not move.
• The sun, the most worshipped God in Egypt other than Pharaoh himself, gave no light.
• Darkness was a representation of death, judgment and hopelessness. Darkness was a complete absence of light.
• Strike 9. After this Pharoah threatens Moses saying If I see you again I will kill you. Ryan will take up the last strike next week.

III. FIVE LESSONS FROM THE 10 STRIKES

1) First, we learn the meaning of salvation. In its most basic sense, salvation means deliverance.

God commanded Pharaoh to let his people go—is a further reminder that God had come to set his people free.

What was true for Israel under Moses is true for the believer in Jesus Christ.

In the book of Exodus salvation is displayed as deliverance from bondage. The exodus from Egypt prepared the way for the coming of Jesus Christ, the true exodus.

2) Second, we learn the purpose of life, which is to glorify God.

When God said, “Let my people go,” he went on to say, “so that they may worship me.” The Israelites were saved for God’s glory.

Since the Hebrew word for “worship” is also the word for “service,” God was claiming his right to both their work and their worship.

He is both our Savior and our Lord. We turn to him not only to deliver us from our slavery to sin, but also for everything that follows—a whole life of fruitful work and worship for God. Like the Israelites, we are saved for God’s glory.

3) Third, we learn the superiority of faith.

The Israelites lived in the preeminence of civilization. Everything that could be had was in Egypt. They lived in the shadow of Khufu’s pyramid for 1000 years.

The Nile delta fed millions of people.

God was going to teach them to depend on only Him.

Just as protection from pestilence was only for those who trusted in the Lord God of Israel, so now the free gift of eternal life is only for those who trust in his Son, Jesus Christ.

4) Fourth The consequence of rebellion.

Pharaoh was given every opportunity to meet God’s demand. Yet he deliberately refused to let God’s people go, choosing instead to keep Israel in bondage, thus rebelling against God’s revealed will.

Such defiance always brings divine judgment. Eventually everyone who rebels against God will suffer his holy wrath.

The wrath of God is a reality that cannot be ignored forever. One day every human being will stand before God for judgment.

5) Saying no, one to many times.

It is unmistakable that God was doing something special for His people and the people of Egypt.

He was showing himself in a way that we are still talking about 3500 years later.

Even though this story is about two nations it can be boiled down to two men. Both said no at first, but one said no, one to many times.

Summary

God demolished the gods of Egypt not just for the Israelites. He did it for you! So that you would know who He is. That you would know His name. Yahweh! That he is your great I am. Do not say no to Him one to many times. Is it time to say yes to Him. Yes to whatever he is calling you to do?