One of the most popular Biblical stories is Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt. I have been studying this recently in my devotions and God revealed something new to me. Bare with me, it take some history first.
The Pharaoh on the throne made the Jewish people slaves. Moses had run away to Midian and married there forty years previously. God appeared to him in the burning bush and told him to go back to Egypt, to Pharaoh, and tell Pharaoh to let the Jews return to Palestine. Pharaoh was resistant and stubborn. He continued to make the Jew's lives even more difficult.
In an effort to convince Pharaoh to let the people go, God brought plagues upon the Egyptians. There are ten plagues listed and described in the book of the Exodus. After the first five plagues, Pharaoh hardened his heart, firm in his resolve not to let them go. After the next five plagues, it was God who hardened his heart.
Plague #1: Nile Turned to Blood
Moses and Aaron: Aaron held his stick over the river and the water turned into blood. The fish all died and there was blood everywhere in Egypt where there should have been water.
Plague #2: Frogs
God told Moses: "Go to the king and tell him that the Lord says, "˜Let my people go, so that they can worship me. If you refuse, I will punish your country by covering it with frogs.'" (Ex.8: 1,2) So Aaron held his walking stick over the river and an abundance of frogs came out onto the land. They were everywhere, even in the palace.
Plague #3: Gnats
Aaron struck the ground with his stick and all the dust of Egypt was turned into gnats.
Plague #4: Flies
Moses and Aaron approached the king again to let the Israelites go and worship in the desert. He threatened the Pharaoh with an infestation of flies if he didn't comply. This time a distinction was made between the Egyptians and the Jews. The flies would not bother the Jews. The next day God sent flies everywhere in Egypt except Goshen, where the Israelites were.
Plague #5: Plague on Cattle
The next disaster was the death of all of the Egyptian's livestock, horses, sheep, camels, goats, donkeys and cattle. None of the Israelite's animals were touched. The king remained steadfast and would not let them go.
Plague #6: Boils
The Lord told Moses to take a handful of ashes from a furnace and throw the ashes up into the air. The ash spread all over Egypt and everyone had boils and open sores. The king remained adamant because now God was making him stubborn.
Plague #7: Hail
A massive hailstorm was next on the agenda. The king was warned that everyone should stay inside to avoid being killed by hailstones. The hail destroyed the crops in the field and killed the people who didn't heed the warning. It hailed everywhere in Egypt except Goshen.
Plague #8: Locusts
Moses and Aaron went to see Pharaoh again. Pharaoh was willing to let the Jewish men go into the desert to worship, but not the women and children. Moses refused and the king denied his request. So God sent a cloud of locusts that covered the land and ate everything that the hail had not destroyed. "Not a green thing was left on any tree or plant in all the land of Egypt." (Ex. 10: 15) God continued to harden Pharaoh's heart and he would not let the people go.
Plague #9: Darkness
God told Moses to raise his hand toward the sky and darkness would fall on Egypt. There was total darkness in all of Egypt for three days. Only the children of Israel had light. Pharaoh offered to let the people go but not their animals. Moses refused that offer and the king told him that he never wanted to see him again.
Plague #10: Death of the Firstborn
Moses told the king that every firstborn would be killed. Everyone from the Pharaoh's son to the slave woman's son would die. God instructed Moses to tell his people to make sure every household had a lamb or goat, a one-year-old male without any defects. On the given day, they were to slaughter, cook and eat the animal and put its blood on their doorposts. The angel of death would see the blood when he came to kill the firstborn and would "pass over" when he saw the blood. All of the firstborn of people and animals of the Egyptians died that night and Pharaoh sent the Israelites away.
Sorry that was long but I'm sure a good refresher of history. Ancient Egyptians worshipped predominately 114 Gods and Goddesses. Here is a list of those that our GREAT GOD offended during these plagues:
Hapi/Anuket: God and Godness of the nile
Hatmehyt: Fish Goddness
Heget: Frog Goddess
Sepa: God of insects and centipedes
Bat/Mhet-Weret: Cow Goddesses
Hike: God of Medicine and well being
Baal: God of thunder Shu: God of air and sky
Kek/Kauket: Deities of Darkness and night Re: God of the sun Khonsu: God of the moon
Ihy/Panebtawy: The child God
Nun-Naunet: God of Chaos and water Yamm: God of the sea (God would really offend these when He parts the red sea!)
And my favorite: Maat: Goddess of truth and order
God used the very thing they worshipped to destroy them. They bowed down to meaningless idols that couldn't protect them.
In the same way, when we covet and worship things that are not of God, He will use them to break down our selfishness and our pride in order to bring us closer to Him. Follow the trail of your time and your money and your eyes will be open to what you worship....greed, love of money, TV, facebook, self, possessions, keeping up with the Jones', addictions, pride...anything that is between you and the Living God. It has happened to me. God will use those to turn your face back towards Him.
Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
Look full in HIs wonderful face
and the things of earth will grow strangely dim
in the sight of His Glory and Grace
The Pharaoh on the throne made the Jewish people slaves. Moses had run away to Midian and married there forty years previously. God appeared to him in the burning bush and told him to go back to Egypt, to Pharaoh, and tell Pharaoh to let the Jews return to Palestine. Pharaoh was resistant and stubborn. He continued to make the Jew's lives even more difficult.
In an effort to convince Pharaoh to let the people go, God brought plagues upon the Egyptians. There are ten plagues listed and described in the book of the Exodus. After the first five plagues, Pharaoh hardened his heart, firm in his resolve not to let them go. After the next five plagues, it was God who hardened his heart.
Plague #1: Nile Turned to Blood
Moses and Aaron: Aaron held his stick over the river and the water turned into blood. The fish all died and there was blood everywhere in Egypt where there should have been water.
Plague #2: Frogs
God told Moses: "Go to the king and tell him that the Lord says, "˜Let my people go, so that they can worship me. If you refuse, I will punish your country by covering it with frogs.'" (Ex.8: 1,2) So Aaron held his walking stick over the river and an abundance of frogs came out onto the land. They were everywhere, even in the palace.
Plague #3: Gnats
Aaron struck the ground with his stick and all the dust of Egypt was turned into gnats.
Plague #4: Flies
Moses and Aaron approached the king again to let the Israelites go and worship in the desert. He threatened the Pharaoh with an infestation of flies if he didn't comply. This time a distinction was made between the Egyptians and the Jews. The flies would not bother the Jews. The next day God sent flies everywhere in Egypt except Goshen, where the Israelites were.
Plague #5: Plague on Cattle
The next disaster was the death of all of the Egyptian's livestock, horses, sheep, camels, goats, donkeys and cattle. None of the Israelite's animals were touched. The king remained steadfast and would not let them go.
Plague #6: Boils
The Lord told Moses to take a handful of ashes from a furnace and throw the ashes up into the air. The ash spread all over Egypt and everyone had boils and open sores. The king remained adamant because now God was making him stubborn.
Plague #7: Hail
A massive hailstorm was next on the agenda. The king was warned that everyone should stay inside to avoid being killed by hailstones. The hail destroyed the crops in the field and killed the people who didn't heed the warning. It hailed everywhere in Egypt except Goshen.
Plague #8: Locusts
Moses and Aaron went to see Pharaoh again. Pharaoh was willing to let the Jewish men go into the desert to worship, but not the women and children. Moses refused and the king denied his request. So God sent a cloud of locusts that covered the land and ate everything that the hail had not destroyed. "Not a green thing was left on any tree or plant in all the land of Egypt." (Ex. 10: 15) God continued to harden Pharaoh's heart and he would not let the people go.
Plague #9: Darkness
God told Moses to raise his hand toward the sky and darkness would fall on Egypt. There was total darkness in all of Egypt for three days. Only the children of Israel had light. Pharaoh offered to let the people go but not their animals. Moses refused that offer and the king told him that he never wanted to see him again.
Plague #10: Death of the Firstborn
Moses told the king that every firstborn would be killed. Everyone from the Pharaoh's son to the slave woman's son would die. God instructed Moses to tell his people to make sure every household had a lamb or goat, a one-year-old male without any defects. On the given day, they were to slaughter, cook and eat the animal and put its blood on their doorposts. The angel of death would see the blood when he came to kill the firstborn and would "pass over" when he saw the blood. All of the firstborn of people and animals of the Egyptians died that night and Pharaoh sent the Israelites away.
Sorry that was long but I'm sure a good refresher of history. Ancient Egyptians worshipped predominately 114 Gods and Goddesses. Here is a list of those that our GREAT GOD offended during these plagues:
Hapi/Anuket: God and Godness of the nile
Hatmehyt: Fish Goddness
Heget: Frog Goddess
Sepa: God of insects and centipedes
Bat/Mhet-Weret: Cow Goddesses
Hike: God of Medicine and well being
Baal: God of thunder Shu: God of air and sky
Kek/Kauket: Deities of Darkness and night Re: God of the sun Khonsu: God of the moon
Ihy/Panebtawy: The child God
Nun-Naunet: God of Chaos and water Yamm: God of the sea (God would really offend these when He parts the red sea!)
And my favorite: Maat: Goddess of truth and order
God used the very thing they worshipped to destroy them. They bowed down to meaningless idols that couldn't protect them.
In the same way, when we covet and worship things that are not of God, He will use them to break down our selfishness and our pride in order to bring us closer to Him. Follow the trail of your time and your money and your eyes will be open to what you worship....greed, love of money, TV, facebook, self, possessions, keeping up with the Jones', addictions, pride...anything that is between you and the Living God. It has happened to me. God will use those to turn your face back towards Him.
Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
Look full in HIs wonderful face
and the things of earth will grow strangely dim
in the sight of His Glory and Grace
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