Exodus 5-9: The Great Plagues

Exodus 5-9: The Great Plagues

by | Feb 11, 2019 | Bible Studies, Deep Bible Studies, Deep Study Series, Exodus Series

Exodus 5-9 covers the beginning of the great plagues of Egypt. Moses and Aaron have been appointed by God, and they have been pleading with Pharaoh to release the Israelites and give them their freedom. Exodus 5-9 is a grim record of the beginning of disaster, death, and heartbreak for the Egyptians due to Pharoah's hard heart.

The book of Exodus is filled with important information about the history of God's people and the world. It is not only important, but so many of the lessons we can learn are relevant to each one of us as children of God. Dive in as we explore Exodus chapter by chapter.

Exodus 5

'Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the Lord , the God of Israel, says: ‘Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the wilderness.’ ” Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord , that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go.” '

Exodus 5:1-2

Pharaoh immediately rejects God. He tells Moses and Aaron to go work and denies them the right to go worship. Moses and Aaron are giving Pharaoh a chance to do the right thing before God forces Pharaoh to release His people.

In that time it was actually not uncommon for Hebrews to leave on pilgrimage to worship. The fact that Pharaoh will not let them go shows he had no intention of easing the Israelites and that he has no regard for God.

Pharaoh gives the Israelites more work and makes life much more difficult for them because Moses requested to let them go worship.

'Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Why, Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Is this why you sent me? Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and you have not rescued your people at all.”'

Exodus 5:22-23

One of the most important lessons throughout scripture is that we will suffer. We suffer so that we will come closer to God.

Exodus 6

'God also said to Moses, “I am the Lord . '

Exodus 6:2

'“Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord , and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord .’ ” '

Exodus 6:6-8

Moses is not immediately obedient to God and keeps complaining and giving excuses when God tells him to do things for Him. Moses brings another problem to God, and God again responds telling Moses about Himself. God is reminding Moses that He is God, He will keep His promises, and that He is all powerful.

'It was this Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said, “Bring the Israelites out of Egypt by their divisions.” They were the ones who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt about bringing the Israelites out of Egypt—this same Moses and Aaron. '

Exodus 6:26-27

Moses and Aaron were not well received by either the Egyptians or the Israelites, no one listened to or believed them, and they really didn't even believe in themselves, but God chose to use them of all people to completely alter history and save the Israelites from enslavement.

Exodus 7

'You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country. '

Exodus 7:2

God was more concerned with obedience than skill. He provided them with the skills they needed, God just needed Moses and Aaron to obey Him. He prepared Aaron and Moses for many years and now expected them to do as they were bid.

'“When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Perform a miracle,’ then say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,’ and it will become a snake.” '

Exodus 7:9

Aaron did as God instructed, turned his staff into a snake, and Pharaoh summoned his "magicians" and they mimicked the miracles with their "secret arts", but then Aaron's snake staff ate the magician's staves. Pharaoh still would not listen.

The First Plague

'This is what the Lord says: By this you will know that I am the Lord : With the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood. The fish in the Nile will die, and the river will stink; the Egyptians will not be able to drink its water.’ ” '

Exodus 7:17-18

Moses and Aaron turn the Nile into blood as the Pharaoh is bathing, which kills all the fish and makes the river stink and makes the water undrinkable. Moses turns all the water in Egypt to blood. When they did this, the magicians mimicked this and made some water red and the Pharaoh hardened his heart even more.

Exodus 8

The Second Plague

'The Nile will teem with frogs. They will come up into your palace and your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and on your people, and into your ovens and kneading troughs. The frogs will come up on you and your people and all your officials.’ ” '

Exodus 8:3-4

The Pharaoh's magicians again mimicked the frog plague with demonic "arts", but the Pharaoh told Moses and Aaron to pray to "their God" to get rid of the frogs. In the Egyptian culture, their "gods" were not expected to fix or undo what another god had done. So Pharaoh telling them to pray to God was simply because he knew that his "gods" could not do it themselves.

'Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Pray to the Lord to take the frogs away from me and my people, and I will let your people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord .” Moses said to Pharaoh, “I leave to you the honor of setting the time for me to pray for you and your officials and your people that you and your houses may be rid of the frogs, except for those that remain in the Nile.” '

Exodus 8:8-9

Moses and Aaron asked God to get rid of the frogs, and God did as they asked and all of the frogs died. When Pharaoh saw this, he hardened his heart again.

The Plague of Gnats

'Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the ground,’ and throughout the land of Egypt the dust will become gnats.” '

Exodus 8:16

Just as God created man from dust, He created gnats from the dust. This was the first plague to force the magicians to acknowledge God. The demonic tricks the magicians had been using could not duplicate God bringing life from the dust.

Even though the magicians told Pharaoh it had to be by the hand of God, Pharaoh still hardened his heart more and refused to listen.

The Plague of Flies

'If you do not let my people go, I will send swarms of flies on you and your officials, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians will be full of flies; even the ground will be covered with them. “ ‘But on that day I will deal differently with the land of Goshen, where my people live; no swarms of flies will be there, so that you will know that I, the Lord , am in this land. I will make a distinction between my people and your people. This sign will occur tomorrow.’

Exodus 8:21-23

In the Egyptian culture it was normal for an entire society to be held accountable for one person's sins. The whole of Egypt being punished for Pharaoh's hard heart would have been expected. Also, as we learned in Job, often innocent people will suffer because of someone else's sins. The consequences do not always fall directly or only on the sinner.

Pharaoh demanded that Moses and Aaron go pray for God to get rid of the flies. They did, and God listened, but again Pharaoh hardened his heart all the more and refused to let them go worship as he said they could.

Exodus 9

The Plague on Livestock

'the hand of the Lord will bring a terrible plague on your livestock in the field—on your horses, donkeys and camels and on your cattle, sheep and goats. But the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and that of Egypt, so that no animal belonging to the Israelites will die.’ ” '

Exodus 9:3-4

This plague was to show the Egyptians that only God was in control of their entire lives, wealth, well-being, and all that they had. Pharaoh still hardened his heart and would not release the Israelites.

The Plague of Boils

'So they took soot from a furnace and stood before Pharaoh. Moses tossed it into the air, and festering boils broke out on people and animals. '

Exodus 9:10

It is said that the soot here was representative of the soot that covered Israelite laborers. Pharaoh again refused to let them go. The soot now inflicted disease on the Egyptians.

The Plague of Hail

'Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning, confront Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord , the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me, or this time I will send the full force of my plagues against you and against your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth. For by now 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 and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. '

Exodus 9:13-16

God is giving Moses, Aaron, and Pharaoh a very important warning about the next plague. Some Egyptians feared the Lord and brought in their slaves and livestock to protect them, but Pharaoh did not and many slaves and livestock, and anyone else who was outside was killed by the hail storm. The fields were destroyed, and all their crops.

Pharaoh then admits he has sinned and that he was wrong, and most importantly that the Lord is in the right - but when Moses and Aaron prayed and God halted the storm, Pharaoh again hardened his heart and refused to release the Israelites.

Exodus 1-4: Moses & Aaron

Exodus 1-4: Moses & Aaron

by | Feb 11, 2019 | Bible Studies, Deep Bible Studies, Deep Study Series, Exodus Series

Exodus begins after Joseph had died. The second book of the Pentateuch begins with Exodus 1-4 introducing us to Moses and Aaron, who would lead the Israelites out of slavery and into the wilderness in search of the Promised Land.

Exodus 1

'Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died, but the Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numbers and became so numerous that the land was filled with them. Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt. “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become far too numerous for us. Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.” So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites and worked them ruthlessly. They made their lives bitter with harsh labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly. '

Exodus 1:6-14

When Joseph died his people were enslaved by a new Pharaoh, and the new Pharaoh feared the Hebrews would revolt against him with his enemies. Pharaoh told the Hebrew midwives to kill all baby boys born to the Hebrew women. To Pharaoh, killing the sons would have eliminated a military threat. The daughters could have been implemented into the Egyptian culture as servants and wives.

The midwives lied and told Pharaoh they were unable to kill the baby boys. They saved the Hebrew boys because they feared God and were blessed for their fear of Him.

Pharaoh then dictated that every baby boy born to the Israelites will be slaughtered.

Exodus 2

'And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it. And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children. Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee? And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child's mother. And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it. And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water. ' Exodus 2:5-10

A husband and wife from the tribe of Levi had a baby boy, Moses, and to save his life the mother put him in a basket at the river where the daughter of Pharaoh found him.

Daughter of Pharaoh told Moses' sister, who was watching nearby, to find a wet nurse for the child. Moses' sister got Moses' mother, and Pharaoh's daughter hired Moses' mother to nurse Moses and raise him for her, then Pharaoh's daughter took Moses as her own son.

In that culture, higher status women did not nurse their own children. They would hire wet nurses to breastfeed their infants for them. Part of this may be because breastfeeding has long been said to be a successful form of birth control. Royal families needed to produce as many heirs as possible, so they would not want the royal mothers to be on any form of birth control - they would want them to produce more children asap.

When Moses was about 40 years old, he witnessed an injustice of the Hebrews and killed an Egyptian to save a Hebrew. When Pharaoh found out he tried to kill Moses, so Moses ran away.

It is speculated that this Pharaoh, Thutmose III, hated Moses because he hated his adoptive mother, who may have been the daughter of Hatshepsut. Hatshepsut was the Pharaoh's mother-in-law, and she dominated the first 20 years of Thutmose III's reign after his father's death.

Moses goes to Midian, who were the descendants of Abraham through his wife, Keturah. He saves some women from some cruel shepherds and the father of the women brings him to their home and marries him to his daughter, Zipporah.

Zipporah gives Moses a son. Moses names his son Gershom, which means "stranger" because he has been a stranger in foreign land; in Egypt and now in Midian.

'And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.'

Exodus 2:24-25

God remembered His covenant that He made with Abraham and his descendants that they would become a great nation and possess the land of Canaan. "He remembered" means that He acted upon this covenant.

Exodus 3

Moses went up to the Mountain of God (Mount Sinai) with his father-in-law's flock. There, an angel of God appeared to Moses in a burning bush. When God saw Moses come to look at the bush and find out why the flames were not consuming the bush, God spoke to Moses.

'And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.” Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God said to Moses, “ I am who I am . This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘ I am has sent me to you.’ ” '

Exodus 3:9-14

Moses displays so many typical human reactions. Here we see his first complaint and asking why he is to go and do God's work and save His people, and God responds with who HE is - God was sending Moses, and providing him with the wisdom and instructions he needed to accomplish God's will.

We don't always need to know how or why, we just need to obey and trust God.

God calls Himself "I AM". Moses is not sure how or why the Israelites would listen to him telling them God spoke to him, especially when Moses' identity was uncertain; he was born a Hebrew and raised an Egyptian, and Egyptians worship Pharaohs as gods. If Moses said "God spoke to me" it may be interpreted as if he were referring to Pharaoh. God gave Moses a different name for Himself to tell the Pharaoh and the Israelites about His instructions.

God tells Moses to go speak with the Elders of Israel and tell them that God has promised to save them. He wants Moses and the Elders to spend 3 days in the wilderness worshiping God and offering sacrifices.

God knows Pharaoh won't let the Israelites go without a fight, so God says He will force Pharaoh to let His people go. Pharaoh and Moses both seem to understand that this will not merely be a 3 day journey to worship, but will actually be the beginning of the end of Pharaoh's rule over the Israelites.

Exodus 4

'Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?” '

Exodus 4:1

Moses does not think that anyone will listen to him, so God tells Moses to take his staff and God turned it into a serpent, then gave his hand a disease and then took it away again. This is to show God's power over life itself, and of all things on the earth; animal and human lives, and inanimate objects.

Moses was still afraid, and God assures Him that He, who created people, created our mouths, our words, and the ability to speak or not speak, will be with Moses all the way and tell him what to say. Moses still resisted God's instruction and God grew angry with him, but he had Moses' brother, Aaron, go with him as well to help him.

'The Lord said to Moses, “When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. '

Exodus 4:21

Why does God harden Pharaoh's heart?

God wants to show that He is all powerful, He is in control, and He uses this as an opportunity to convince His people that He is worthy of worship and Pharaoh is not. If Pharaoh easily let the Israelites go, the people would likely just give credit to the Pharaoh and not come closer to God. God uses this time to prove that He has power over everything and bring His people close to Him.

'At a lodging place on the way, the Lord met Moses and was about to kill him. But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son’s foreskin and touched Moses’ feet with it. “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me,” she said. '

Exodus 4:24-25

Moses had not had his son circumcised, which was a very important part of the covenant that God had made with Abraham's descendants. In order to save Moses' life, his wife Zipporah circumcised their son - but was very bitter about it.

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