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The 10 Plagues Of Egypt & The False Egyptian gods

 

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The 10 plagues God sent to Egypt are described in detail in Exodus chapters 7 through 12. The obvious reason that God sent the 10 plagues to Egypt was to rescue His chosen people from their slavery. And to fulfill His promise to Abraham in Genesis that his descendants would be God’s chosen people, that they would become a great nation, and that God would give them the promised land.

The greatest reason that God rescued His people from slavery in Egypt was to fulfill another promise He made to Abraham. God promised that God would bless Abraham and the nation of Israel, and that they in turn would bless all other nations. This is a reference to the Messiah Jesus, through which all of mankind can receive salvation for their sins, a restored relationship with God, and eternal life in the ultimate promised land, heaven.

Those are the obvious reasons for God sending the 10 plagues to Egypt. But there is more to it than that.

 

 

The 10 Plagues Of Egypt & The False Egyptian gods

Egypt was a powerful nation before God brought it to it’s knees with the 10 plagues. And with the destruction of their entire army by the Lord’s power at the Red Sea.

One of the big problems that God had with Egypt, and many other nations including Israel for that matter, was the fact that they had rebelled spiritually. And in their hearts they turned away from the Living God to false gods.

Egypt had an abundance of false gods. The Egyptian gods included gods of fertility, of earth, of the Nile River, of creation, of love, of protection… One of the things that happened while God’s people were slaves in Egypt was that they turned from God and started following and worshipping the false gods of Egypt.

This was something that deeply disturbed God, and He needed to try to rescue them from. They could not have a covenant relationship with God and turn to and follow false gods at the same time.

 

 

The 10 Plagues Of Egypt & The False Egyptian gods

Not only did God need to deliver His chosen people from slavery in Egypt. God also needed to deliver them spiritually from the false gods of Egypt.

Some verses in the Bible refer to Israel’s turning from God to the false gods of Egypt. It is a problem that has stricken Israel throught their history, and many modern day Christians as well.

Ezekiel 20 describes what happened with the Israelites in Egypt very well.

Ezekiel 20:5-9 “This is what the Sovereign LORD says: On the day I chose Israel, I swore with uplifted hand to the descendants of Jacob and revealed myself to them in Egypt. With uplifted hand I said to them, “I am the LORD your God.” On that day I swore to them that I would bring them out of Egypt into a land I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands. Each of you, get rid of the vile images you have set your eyes on, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the LORD your God. But they rebelled against me and would not listen to me; they did not get rid of the vile images they had set their eyes on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger against them in Egypt. But for the sake of my name, I brought them out of Egypt. I did it to keep my name from being profaned in the eyes of the nations among whom they lived and in whose sight I had revealed myself to the Israelites.”

Also, there is a revelation of God in Exodus 12 about the last of the 10 plagues, and the reason of the plagues. God reveals that He is bringing judgement upon Egypt and their false gods.

Exodus 12:12 “On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD.”

The following are brief descriptions of the 10 plagues of Egypt. Each of the 10 plagues is paired with a related Egyptian god that the plague symbolically represented and challenged.

The 10 Plagues Of Egypt & The False Egyptian gods

Water Turned to Blood (Exodus 7:14–24)

The first plague sent by God through Moses was the water being turned to blood. The Nile River, a vital waterway in Egypt, was turned to blood. The water was vital for survival. And an important source of food was devastated when all of the fish died.

This plague was a judgement against Hapi, the god of the Nile. Interestingly, the magicians of Egypt were able to do the same thing by their “secret arts”.

Frogs (Exodus 8:1–15)

The 2nd plague sent by God was the plague of frogs. Frogs swarmed the land, and were everywhere. Invading homes and disrupting daily life. When the frogs died their bodies were everywhere. And the land smelled of dead frogs.

God sent judgement against Hequet, the goddess of fertility. Hequet was a frog headed goddess. The Egyptian magicians were also able to reproduce this plague with their secret arts.

The 10 Plagues Of Egypt & The False Egyptian gods

Gnats or Lice (Exodus 8:16–19)

The third plague God sent through Moses was the plague of gnats or lice. Some versions of the Bible say gnats, and others say lice. Moses directed Aaron to touch the ground with his staff, and all of the dust of the ground became gnats (or lice). The gnats or lice covered and tormented the people and the animals.

God sent judgement against Geb, the Egyptian false god of the earth. This time the Egyptian magicians were not able to recreate the plague.

Flies (Exodus 8:20–32)

The fourth plague sent by God was the plague of flies. Swarms of flies covered the houses of the Egyptians, and even covered the ground. The land of Egypt was ruined by the flies. But in Goshen, where the Israelites lived, there were no flies.

God sent judgement this time against Khepri, the Egyptian false god of creation. Khepri had a scarab or fly head.

Things were getting so bad for Egypt that at first Pharaoh promised Moses that his people could go for 3 days to worship God. But he later hardened his heart after Moses prayed and asked God to remove the flies.

The 10 Plagues Of Egypt & The False Egyptian gods

Death of Livestock (Exodus 9:1–7)

The fifth plague was the plague on livestock. God sent a plague to kill all of the Egyptian horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, sheep, and goats. This would have been another devastating plague for the Egyptians. And once again, the plague did not touch the Israelites or their livestock.

God sent judgement against Hathor, the goddess of love and protection. And against the false god Apis, considered a sacred bull. Hathor was depicted as a woman with cow horns, or as a cow.

 

The 10 Plagues Of Egypt & The False Egyptian gods

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Boils (Exodus 9:8–12)

The sixth plague that God sent to Egypt was the plague of boils. God sent boils that covered all of the Egyptians and their animals. Even after all of the plagues that God sent, He hardened Pharaoh’s hearts so that he would still not let the people go.

God sent judgement against several false gods of Egypt with this plague. Isis, the goddess of medicine. Imhotep, a physician god, and Serapis and Thoth, false gods of magic and healing.

The 10 Plagues Of Egypt & The False Egyptian gods

Hail (Exodus 9:13–35)

The 7th plague God sent was the plague of hail. God proclaimed to Pharaoh in Exodus 9:15-16 “ For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth. But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”

Then God sent the worst storm ever in the land of Egypt, and everything left unprotected outside was devastated by the hail.

With the plague of hail God sent judgement against Nut, the false goddess of the sky.

Locusts (Exodus 10:1–20)

The eighth plague that God sent was the plague of locusts. God sent the worst plague of locusts ever known to mankind. It was so bad that God proclaimed that there will never again be a plague of locusts as bad. The locusts consumed and destroyed all of the crops and everything else that the plague of hail did not destroy.

The 10 Plagues Of Egypt & The False Egyptian gods

Darkness (Exodus 10:21–29)

The ninth plague God sent was the plague of darkness. Darkness covered Egypt for 3 days, and no one could see anything or move around. Once again, the darkness did not cover Goshen, where the Israelites lived.

God sent judgement against Ra, the false Egyptian sun god.

The 10 Plagues Of Egypt & The False Egyptian gods

Death of the Firstborn (Exodus 11–12)

The tenth and final plague God sent was the plague of death for all firstborn children and animals in Egypt.

Exodus 12:12 “On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD.”

Before God sent the plague, He instructed Moses and the Israelites to kill a sacrificial goat or sheep lamb. And then they were to cover the tops and sides of the doorposts of their homes. The blood protected the Israelites from the terrible judgement that God brought upon the Egyptians and anyone else not protected by the blood of the Passover lamb.

This is a symbol of the coming Messiah, the Savior Jesus. We as sinners need protection and salvation from the coming judgement and punishment for our sins. In the greatest act of love ever known, God sent His own Son Jesus to be the perfect sacrifice for our sins. And to give us a Way to have a restored relationship with God, peace with God (Romans 5:1), and eternal life in heaven with God.

Every firstborn Egyptian child and animal was killed, even Pharaoh’s firstborn son. And Pharaoh finally relented and let Moses and his people go. And the Egyptians gave the Israelites a great number of articles of silver and gold before they left. Just as God had promised Abraham long before.

With the last plague God sent judgement against Pharaoh, who considered himself a god.

 

 

 

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