What was the meaning and purpose of the ten plagues of Egypt?

Question: "What was the meaning and purpose of the ten plagues of Egypt?"

Answer: The Ten Plagues of Egypt—also known as the Ten Plagues, the Plagues of Egypt, or the Biblical Plagues—are described in Exodus 7–12. The plagues were ten disasters sent upon Egypt by God to convince Pharaoh to free the Israelite slaves from the bondage and oppression they had endured in Egypt for 200 years. When God sent Moses to deliver the children of Israel from bondage in Egypt, He promised to show His wonders as confirmation of Moses' authority (Exodus 3:20). This confirmation was to serve at least two purposes: to show the Israelites that the God of their fathers was alive and worthy of their worship and to show the Egyptians that their gods were nothing.

The Israelites had been enslaved in Egypt for about 200 years, and in that time, had lost faith in the God of their fathers. They believed He existed and worshiped Him, but they doubted that He could, or would, break the yoke of their bondage. The Egyptians, like many pagan cultures, worshiped a wide variety of nature-gods, and attributed to their powers the natural phenomena they saw in the world around them. There was a god of the sun, of the river, of childbirth, of crops, etc. Events like the annual flooding of the Nile, which fertilized their croplands, were evidences of their gods' powers and good will. When Moses approached Pharaoh, demanding that he let the people go, Pharaoh responded by saying, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go” (Exodus 5:2). Thus began the challenge to show whose God was more powerful.

The first plague, turning the Nile to blood, was a judgment against Apis, the god of the Nile, Isis, goddess of the Nile, and Khnum, guardian of the Nile. The Nile was also believed to be the bloodstream of Osiris, who was reborn each year when the river flooded. The river, which formed the basis of daily life and the national economy, was devastated, as millions of fish died in the river and the water was unusable. Pharaoh was told “By this you will know that I am the LORD...” (Exodus 7:17).

The second plague, bringing frogs from the Nile, was a judgment against Heqet, the frog-headed goddess of birth. Frogs were thought to be sacred and not to be killed. God had the frogs invade every part of the homes of the Egyptians, and when they died, their stinking bodies were heaped up in offensive piles all through the land (Exodus 8:13-14).

The third plague, gnats, was a judgment on Set, the god of the desert. Unlike the previous plagues, the magicians were unable to duplicate this one, and declared to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God” (Exodus 8:19).

The fourth plague, flies, was a judgment on either Re or Uatchit, who were both depicted as flies. In this plague, God clearly distinguished between the Israelites and the Egyptians, as no swarms of flies bothered the areas where the Israelites lived (Exodus 8:21-24).

The fifth plague, the death of livestock, was a judgment on the goddess Hathor and the god Apis, who were both depicted as cattle. As with the previous plague, God protected His people from the plague, while the cattle of the Egyptians all died. God was steadily destroying the economy of Egypt, while showing His ability to protect and provide for those who obeyed Him. Pharaoh even sent investigators (Exodus 9:7) to find out if the Israelites were suffering along with the Egyptians, but the result was a hardening of his heart against them.

The sixth plague, boils, was a judgment against several gods over health and disease (Sekhmet, Sunu, and Isis). This time, the Bible says that the magicians “could not stand before Moses because of the boils.” Clearly, these religious leaders were powerless against the God of Israel.

Before God sent the last three plagues, Pharaoh was given a special message from God. These plagues would be more severe than the others, and they were designed to convince Pharaoh and all the people “that there is none like me in all the earth” (Exodus 9:14). Pharaoh was even told that he was placed in his position by God, so that God could show His power and declare His name through all the earth (v. 16). As an example of His grace, God warned Pharaoh to gather whatever cattle and crops remained from the previous plagues and shelter them from the coming storm. Some of Pharaoh's servants heeded the warning (v. 20), while others did not. The seventh plague, hail, attacked Nut, the sky goddess, Osiris, the crop fertility god, and Set, the storm god. This hail was unlike any that had been seen before. It was accompanied by a fire which ran along the ground, and everything left out in the open was devastated by the hail and fire. Again, the children of Israel were miraculously protected, and no hail damaged anything in their lands.

Before God brought the next plague, He told Moses that the Israelites would be able to tell their children of the things they had seen God do in Egypt and how it showed them God's power. The eighth plague, locusts, again focused on Nut, Osiris, and Set. The later crops, wheat and rye, which had survived the hail, were now devoured by the swarms of locusts. There would be no harvest in Egypt that year.

The ninth plague, darkness, was aimed at the sun god, Re, who was symbolized by Pharaoh himself. For three days, the land of Egypt was smothered with an unearthly darkness, but the homes of the Israelites had light.

The tenth and last plague, the death of the firstborn males, was a judgment on Isis, the protector of children. In this plague, God was teaching the Israelites a deep spiritual lesson which pointed to Christ. Unlike the other plagues, which the Israelites survived by virtue of their identity as God's people, this plague required an act of faith by them. God commanded each family to take an unblemished male lamb and kill it. The blood of the lamb was to be smeared on the top and sides of their doorways, and the lamb was to be roasted and eaten that night. Any family that did not follow God's instructions would suffer in the last plague. God described how He would send the death angel through the land of Egypt, with orders to slay the firstborn male in every household, whether human or animal. The only protection was the blood of the lamb on the door. When the angel saw the blood, he would pass over that house and leave it untouched (Exodus 12:23). This is where the term “Passover” comes from. It is a memorial of that night in ancient Egypt when God delivered His people from bondage. First Corinthians 5:7 teaches that Jesus became our Passover when He died to deliver us from the bondage of sin. While the Israelites found God's protection in their homes, every other home in the land of Egypt experienced God's wrath as their loved ones died. This grievous event caused Pharaoh to finally release the Israelites.

By the time the Israelites left Egypt, they had a clear picture of God's power, God's protection, and God's plan for them. For those who were willing to believe, they had convincing evidence that they served the true and living God. Sadly, many still failed to believe, which led to other trials and lessons by God. The result for the Egyptians and the other ancient people of the region was a dread of the God of Israel. Pharaoh once again hardened his heart and sent his chariots after the Israelites. When God opened a way through the Red Sea for the Israelites, then drowned all of Pharaoh's armies there, the power of Egypt was crushed, and the fear of God spread through the surrounding nations (Joshua 2:9-11). This was the very purpose that God declared at the beginning. We can still look back on these events today to confirm our faith in, and our fear of, this true and living God, the judge of all the earth.

Recommended Resource: Bible Answers for Almost all Your Questions by Elmer Towns.

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Hal Lindsey Report (july 8, 2011): Let's Be Friends, Dangerous Liaisons, It Gets Crazy...and Crazier!, P.A. Concession? & 50,000 Missiles

This week on 'The Hal Lindsey Report'

We all knew it was coming. When the US Administration joined the call for Hosni Mubarak's ouster last winter, everyone who warned about the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood was told that it was so weak and small that its influence on the Egyptian political landscape would be inconsequential. Both the President and the Secretary of State scoffed at the idea that the Brotherhood was anything to worry about.

Remember all those "shovel ready" projects the President promised to fund with his stimulus package? Later, he admitted that there really wasn't any such thing as a "shovel ready" project. But the money was already spent. Well, as Yogi Berra once said, "it's deja vu all over again."

Last week, the Secretary of State tacitly acknowledged that the Muslim Brotherhood is, indeed, a force to be reckoned with. In fact, the Brotherhood is the only organization she specifically named when she invited "all "[Egyptian] parties that are peaceful, and committed to non-violence... to talk with us." This Administration backtracks so much the "moonwalk" should be its official dance.

Of course, the Secretary's invitation to the Muslim Brotherhood makes the President's friend and mentor, George Soros, happy. He's a supporter of Mohamed ElBaradei, the former recalcitrant head of the International Atomic Energy Agency. ElBaradei sits on the boards of several Soros foundations and organizations. He also seems to have the Brotherhood's backing in his run for the presidency of Egypt. And Soros and the Muslim Brotherhood share similar views of America, the Great Satan, and Israel, the Little Satan -- both of which must be destroyed for their world visions to be realized.

Iran has announced that it is normalizing relations with Egypt. The late Egyptian President Anwar Sadat broke off diplomatic relations with Iran when the Iranian students occupied the US embassy in Tehran. He also welcomed the deposed Shah of Iran to exile in Egypt. The acts of supporting the United States during that crisis, befriending the Shah, and signing a peace treaty with Israel were more than the Muslim Brotherhood could bear, so they arranged Sadat's assassination in 1981.

Unfortunately for the Brotherhood, Mubarak survived and succeeded Sadat. He outlawed the Brotherhood and refused to restore relations with Iran. Finally, after 30 years and the help of the United States, the Muslim Brotherhood has gotten its revenge. Both Sadat and Mubarak are gone, Iran is a friend again, and Egypt is well on its way to becoming a theocracy like Iran. By the way, another American President helped Iranian Muslims achieve their goals back in 1979. That hasn't turned out too good for the world, either.

What's up with the United Nations? Just when you think those buffoons over on the East River can't get any wackier, they get wackier! You'll never believe the choices they've made to fill some of the more important offices in the UN's pantheon of organizations. Well, maybe YOU'LL believe it because if you're reading this e-mail, chances are you're a bit more informed and skeptical than the average American. But trust me, it's hard for me to discuss this story with a straight face!

Here's something else you may have a hard time believing. This week, the Palestinian Authority announced that it is willing to make a concession! Mark this date because it may be a historical first. I can't seem to remember the PA ever making a concession. The only concessions I can recall are Israeli ones.

Apparently, the PA is willing to suspend its efforts to coerce the United Nations into recognizing it as an independent nation. Wow, that's a relief. Just think of all the nasty sovereignty issues that will be avoided. There is, however, one minor condition. All the Palestinians want is for Israel to withdraw from the territories captured in 1967 (and later) and return control of east Jerusalem to them. Once that has been done, then the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks can begin in earnest.

That's a little like a prize fight that begins with one boxer face down on the mat and the referee halfway to ten in his count.

So, to put this into perspective, the Quartet is trying to bring Hamas and Fatah together into one, giant, globally-dependent terrorist state dedicated to eradicating Israel. And then, in total defiance of all logic and history, having granted them independent statehood, the UN hopes that they will suddenly and inexplicably change natures, abandon terror, and create a peaceful, industrious and prosperous society living side by side with Israel.

That's pure madness, but it's exactly the madness the prophets predicted for the final days before the return of Christ for His church.

The Israeli military has issued a report that says that Hezbollah now has more than 50,000 missiles for use in its coming attack on Israel. Scattered and hidden throughout Lebanon, the arsenal is larger than that of many nations. This represents an unbelievable threat to the Jewish nation.

So what has America decided to do upon learning about this threat that looms over our Middle East ally? The logical thing of course. (Well, logical for the Obama Administration.) The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has placed Israel on a special watch list of 36 nations that have "a tendency to promote, produce, or protect terrorist organizations or their members." That means that visitors from these countries, including Israel, will be subjected to "special treatment" by US authorities. If detained by Immigration and Customs personnel, they will undergo a special security screening called a "Third Agency check."

To be fair, DHS explains that Israel is on that list because Muslim terror groups like Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and others are located inside the nation's boundaries. On the surface, that may seem logical. In reality, though, Israel has suffered more than anyone else because of those terrorist organizations and the thousands of terror attacks perpetrated by these groups. And now, Israelis are suffering again because of them.

As things wind down and the prophetic scenario for the final days of this Age comes into sharper relief, it's good to know there is a way of escape. Jesus Christ provided it through His atoning sacrifice on the Cross. All we have to do is accept the gift of free pardon His death and resurrection provided. Do it today.

Don't miss this week's Report on TBN, Daystar, Inspiration (on Sundays now!), CPM Network, various local stations, www.hallindsey.com or www.hischannel.com. Check your local listings.

God Bless,
Hal Lindsey

mail: HLMM, P.O. Box 470470, Tulsa, OK 74147
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