Exodus 9: God's Plagues on Egypt
Exodus 9 details three significant plagues that God inflicts upon Egypt in an attempt to compel Pharaoh to release the Israelites from slavery. The plagues demonstrate God's power and sovereignty while highlighting Pharaoh's stubborn refusal to acknowledge God and his continued oppression of the Israelites. The narrative also reveals a distinction made between the Israelites and Egyptians in their experience of the plagues.
Key Themes and Ideas:
- Divine Power and Sovereignty: The plagues are presented as direct acts of God, showcasing his immense power over nature and human affairs. This is evident in the descriptions of the livestock disease, boils, and devastating hailstorm. The text consistently uses phrases like "the Lord said," "the Lord did it," and "the Lord sent" emphasizing God's agency.
- Pharaoh's Hardened Heart: Despite witnessing the devastating plagues, Pharaoh repeatedly refuses to let the Israelites go. The text emphasizes the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart: “Yet his heart was unyielding and he would not let the people go” (v. 7) and later, “But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron” (v. 12). This resistance is a recurring motif, demonstrating Pharaoh's defiance of God's will.
- The Distinction Between Israel and Egypt: God makes a clear distinction between the Israelites and the Egyptians throughout the plagues. Specifically, during the plague on livestock, it is stated that "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” (v. 4). Similarly, the hail does not fall on Goshen, where the Israelites reside: “The only place it did not hail was the land of Goshen, where the Israelites were.” (v. 26). This distinction highlights God's protection of his chosen people.
- The Purpose of the Plagues: The plagues serve a dual purpose: to force Pharaoh to release the Israelites and to demonstrate God’s unmatched power. God himself says he raised Pharaoh up "for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth" (v.16). The plagues are not arbitrary acts of violence, but rather displays of divine judgment and manifestations of his plan.
- The Importance of Heeding God's Word: Those who fear the word of the Lord are spared some of the worst consequences of the hailstorm: "Those officials of Pharaoh who feared the word of the Lord hurried to bring their slaves and their livestock inside." (v. 20). This shows that obedience to God's word, even in the face of overwhelming authority like Pharaoh's, is crucial.
- Repentance and Relapse: After each devastating plague, Pharaoh makes a superficial acknowledgment of his wrongdoing and promises to let the Israelites go: "This time I have sinned...The Lord is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong. … I will let you go; you don’t have to stay any longer." (v. 27-28). However, as soon as the immediate crisis passes, he retracts his promise and hardens his heart once more: "When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had stopped, he sinned again: He and his officials hardened their hearts." (v.34) This illustrates a cycle of false repentance and continued disobedience.
Specific Plagues Detailed:
- Plague on Livestock: All the livestock of the Egyptians die, while none of the Israelites' animals are harmed: “All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one animal belonging to the Israelites died.” (v. 6).
- Plague of Boils: Painful boils break out on people and animals throughout Egypt. "festering boils broke out on people and animals." (v. 10) This plague was so severe that even the magicians could not stand before Moses. “The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils that were on them and on all the Egyptians.” (v. 11).
- Plague of Hail: A devastating hailstorm, accompanied by thunder and lightning, destroys crops, animals, and people in the open. "Throughout Egypt hail struck everything in the fields—both people and animals; it beat down everything growing in the fields and stripped every tree." (v. 25). Only Goshen is spared.
