Plagues that Preach
Ronnie Norman - 2/22/2012
The ten plagues are divine blows directed against Pharaoh and the gods of Egypt. Each plague was an attack on a particular god. The plagues are miraculous ecological disasters that serve as warnings to the hard-hearted.
Exodus 7 - 11
The first nine plagues gradually build in intensity. They are structured into 3 triads.
Plague - Warning - Timing
1. Blood - Yes - Morning
2. Frogs - Yes - Go to Pharaoh
3. Gnats - No - None
Message: The living God of Israel has more power than the gods of Egypt.
4. Flies - Yes - Morning
5. Livestock - Yes - Go to Pharaoh
6. Boils - No - None
Message: The living God knows who belongs to Him. These plagues did not touch the Israelites.
7. Hail - Yes - Morning
8. Locusts - Yes - Go to Pharaoh
9. Darkness - No - None
Message: The living God is incomparable in His mighty works.
10. First-Born - yes - one
Notice the symmetry of the plagues narrative. The plagues are ordered into three series of three disasters each. The tenth plague stands alone and is the climax. The symmetrical structure is established by repititions within the narrative. Notice that a time indication is provided for only the first, fourth, and seventh plagues. No forwarning is given for the third, sixth, and ninth plagues.
Why was God so dramatic in this situation when he could have simply moved Pharaoh to let the Israelites go? One reason may be to create stories.
Joshua 9:8-10 (NIV)
"We are your servants, " they said to Joshua. But Joshua asked, "Who are you and where do you come from?" [9] They answered: "Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the fame of the Lord your God. For we have heard reports of him: all that he did in Egypt, [10] and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan---Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth.
Take Home: Keep the "glory of God" on the front burner of your life and your prayers. Your motive in all prayer needs to be "God let your glory shine through in this situation", whatever it is that you are praying for.
Daniel 9:15-19 (NIV)
"Now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. [16] O Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our fathers have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us. [17] "Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, O Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. [18] Give ear, O God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. [19] O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For your sake, O my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name."
1 Samuel 17:45-46 (NIV)
David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. [46] This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.
Isaiah 45:5 (NIV)
I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me,