EXODUS 7-11 - GOD’S JUDGEMENTS ON EGYPT
Exodus 7-11
In this devotion the teaching pastors of Calvary Chapel Palos Verdes sit down for a conversation about the judgements that God brought upon Egypt through ten plagues. God sent Moses to tell Pharoah to let God’s people go out of Egypt and back to Israel. Pharoah refused to respond to God’s plans by hardening his heart. God therefore executed a series of judgments on the Egyptians, so that they would know God is the Lord over all. There are many interesting things to learn about God from his judgements on Egypt.
Below are a few things to take notice of in these chapters in Exodus:
Moses and Aaron are sent to perform an initial sign using the miraculous staff. Aaron threw his staff on the ground, and it becomes a serpent. Pharoah then called in his magicians, who replicated the miracle by sorcery. In this we see that there was a spiritual battle of light vs. darkness, good vs. evil, God vs. gods. We see the victory of the Lord already determined from the beginning when the staff of Aaron swallowed up the magicians’ staffs (Exodus 7:1-13) God also prophetically declared from the beginning that he would show his power over the Egyptians by redeeming his people out of slavery. This of course all points to the victorious redemption we have promised to us in Jesus Christ.
The Ten Plagues
Blood (7:14-25)
Frogs (8:1-15)
Gnats (8:16-19)
Flies (8:20-32)
Dead Livestock (9:1-7)
Boils (9:8-12)
Hail (9:13-35)
Locusts (10:1-20)
Darkness (10:21-29)
Death of Firstborn (11:1-10)
Judgement on the Egyptian gods
Each of these plagues have connection to various Egyptian gods.
God was executing judgement against all the gods of Egypt (Exodus 12:12)
For example:
The plague of blood was against Hapi and Osiris, the Egyptian gods of the Nile.
The plague of frogs was against Heqet, the Egyptian god of fertility.
The plague of dead livestock was against Apis, the god of livestock.
The plague of darkness was against Ra, the god the sun.
Three Sets of Judgements That Grow in Severity
Blood, Frogs, Gnats
Flies, Dead Livestock, Boils
Hail, Locusts, Darkness
Final Judgement – The Death of Firstborn
The first two of each set we’re given with warning (i.e., Blood, Frogs, Flies, Livestock, Hail, Locust)
The third plague of each set came without warning (i.e., Gnats, Boils, Darkness)
There was a separation and distinction between God’s people and Pharoah’s people.
Pharoah’s Heart Hardening
One of the most thought-provoking things to see in all the plagues is the condition of Pharaohs heart. God gave plenty of opportunity for Pharoah to respond to the command of letting the Israelites go, yet he refused to listen to God. There is much theological conversation to be had around the hardening of Pharoah’s heart and who was responsible for its hardening. Did God harden Pharaoh’s heart? Or did Pharoah harden his own heart? In this we see God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility being able to coexist.
4 times God gave a prophecy saying, “I will harden Pharoah’s heart” (Ex. 4:21, 7:3, 14:4, 14:17)
6 times God hardened Pharaoh’s heart (Ex. 9:12, 10:1, 10:20, 10:27, 11:10, 14:8)
5 times the agent hardening is not stated (7:13. 7:22, 8:19, 9:7, 9:35)
3 times Pharaoh hardened his own heart (Ex. 8:15, 8:32, 9:34).
God was giving Pharoah over to what he already desired – which was to harden his heart in sin and disobedience to the God over all of Heaven and Earth.
Other Important Notes:
Pharaoh is approached in the morning three times with warnings to let God’s people go – God’s mercies are new each morning (7:15)
The magicians did the same works by their secret arts and made frogs come up on the land of Egypt. The magicians were making the judgement worse for themselves. (8:7)
When Pharoah officials heeded the warning, they were spared from judgement (9:20-21). But they later hardened their hearts again (9:34)
Pharoah said, “Tomorrow” but salvation is for “Today” (7:10)
Pharoah saw that there was a “respite”, and he hardened his heart (8:15)
Pharoah tried to bring compromise when said “Go, sacrifice to your God within the land.” But Moses said, “We will sacrifice to the Lord our God as he tells us.” (8:25-26)
God declares why he brought judgement on Pharoah: “But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth. You are still exalting yourself against my people and will not let them go.” (9:16-17)
Pharoah made numerous false confessions with no change of heart or behavior: Like when he said, “This time I have sinned; the Lord is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong.” (9:27) And again when he said, “But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet again and hardened his heart, he and his servants.” (9:34) And again when he said, “Then Pharaoh hastily called Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you. Now therefore, forgive my sin, please, only this once, and plead with the Lord your God only to remove this death from me.” (10:16-17)
Pharoah tried to separate families from worshipping God together. “But he said to them, “The Lord be with you, if ever I let you and your little ones go! Look, you have some evil purpose in mind. No! Go, the men among you, and serve the Lord, for that is what you are asking.” (10:10-11)
One might be interested to compare the plagues in the book of Exodus with the plagues of the book of Revelation.