Last weekend’s blog, we covered the first five plague, and we noticed just how useless those magicians were to the cause. We also saw how “tomorrow” was the preferred day to remove whatever plague was present. Personally, I’d want the gnats, the flies and the frogs gone immediately, but maybe the Egyptians had more tolerance for that kind of thing.
Today, let’s be curious about the sixth through the eighth plagues. We say farewell to the magicians, and we see some of God’s purposes for these plagues. Are you curious?
Sixth Plague: Boils
- After Moses threw soot from the furnace into the air and boils appeared on man and beast in Egypt. Guess who was called! The magicians. Does anyone want a double ration of painful, oozing, stinking boils?
- But the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils. If they had been able to stand, would they have tried to duplicate the plague again?
- In Exodus 9:8-12, it does not say the boils ever ended. Maybe God struck them with boils only once, and the endurance of the plague was however long it took for the boils to heal. Could that be it? Let’s just put it this way, tomorrow came, and they still had boils. Not all plagues are here today and gone tomorrow.
Seventh Plague: Hail
- God’s message to Pharaoh was, “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 earth.” Exodus 9:15 There was a purpose, God’s purpose, for these plagues. There was a purpose for Pharaoh and his people, and there was a purpose for God’s people. Are you curious about the purpose for Pharaoh? Read verse 16
- Tomorrow the plagues comes, and guess who was never called. The magicians. Could magicians not change an event before it happened? Do they not control the future?
- Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, and the Lord sent thunder, hail and lightning. How loud was that storm knowing God’s wrath was being poured out?
- Once again, it didn’t hail in Goshen. Did the Hebrews watch the hail and lightning hit the Egyptians? There was a clear division of where the hail fell and where it did not. They had to have heard the thunder and seen the lightning. Right?
- Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron. People in the fields had been killed by the hail. How did Pharaoh get the message to Moses and Aaron?
- Then when Moses and Aaron went to see Pharaoh, did the hail not fall on them but all around them? That would be pretty impressive too.
- This time not only did Pharaoh harden his heart, but his officials hardened their hearts. Hardening of the heart appears infectious, doesn’t it?
- Did you notice the magicians weren’t called?
Eighth Plague: Locusts
- God’s purpose for the plagues for the Hebrews is found in Exodus 10:2. You think you probably know, but do you really?
- Pharaoh and his officials try negotiating terms with God again. What tactic did they use this time? Was it different from the first?
- Moses stretched his hand over the land, and locusts came up eating everything that was not destroyed by hail. God is systematically removing everything the Egyptians hold dear, value and need to get their attention and the Hebrew people’s attention. How far does God have to go to get your attention?
- Pharaoh admits he’s sinned, but does he ask for forgiveness? Are these two different things?
- God sends a west wind to blow the locust into the Red Sea. Not a single locust was left. Pharaoh does not let the Hebrew people go. How hard does a heart have to get before it shatters?
It’s good to step into the shoes of the Hebrews from time to time. Think about going to the edge of your city or your state, and right across the line all of these plagues are taking place. There is a visible clear line that the plagues do not cross. Wouldn’t that be impressive?
Also, if you were living on the side where the plagues were occurring, wouldn’t you try to get your family to the side where there were no plagues? What kept the Egyptians where they were? My guess is pride. It didn’t matter where they lived so long as they didn’t have to live in the same neighborhood as the Hebrews. That’s just my speculation, mind you. The Egyptians probably felt they had the best houses, best schools, and best land.
What does it take for God to get our attention? Does He have to strip away our food, our supplies, our income/jobs, what?
Eventually, God strips away part of the Egyptian families. God has a purpose for all He does and all He allows. Sometimes He spells it out like He did in these verses. Other times, we have to trust.
Next weekend, the Are You Curious blog will wrap up the plagues. Maybe you should read ahead and see what questions you can come up with AND if you come up with the answers.