Pharaoh and the Egyptians didn’t want to meet Israel’s God in such a life-changing way, but He insisted. When our God wants to make his presence felt, you can’t ignore Him.
Plague #7:
The plague of Hail: Several things make this plague unusual. First, Egypt is a desert country. Very little rain falls there. Annual rainfall is between 2-8 inches with some areas received no rain at all for several years. Secondly, hail is made of ice. But Egypt lies near the equator; most of the country is subtropical. In 2013, Egyptians experienced a snowstorm and It was the first snowfall in 100 years. So when Moses proclaimed a hailstorm tomorrow, it’s likely most of Pharaoh’s wise men had no idea what “hail” was. The next day, everyone found out, when every beast and slave left out in the fields died.- Humiliated Egyptian Deity: Nut the sky goddess and her son Set the god of storms.
Interestingly enough, for the 1st time God offered grace to the Egyptians and advised them to bring their slaves and livestock under shelter before the storm.
20 Those officials of Pharaoh who feared the word of the Lord hurried to bring their slaves and their livestock inside. 21 But those who ignored the word of the Lord left their slaves and livestock in the field. (Exodus 9:20-21 NIV)
Verse 21 stuns me. Because this was the 7th plague. So all the officials knew the hail would fall the next day. They even knew the hour. Yet some still defied Moses’ God, when He offered them mercy. It was stubborn defiance to the point of insanity.
Plague #8:
- The plague of Locusts: Locusts are a special type of grasshopper, because they can exist in two radically different forms. For years, generations of these insects may lead
solitary lives. But when conditions are right, the local population starts to multiply and triggers a behavioral change. “Loner” grasshoppers become gregarious and start clumping together in tight groups. Touches by nearby grasshoppers causes a surge of serotonin. This brain chemical alters the individual locust physically and they begin to swarm. A single locust swarm can number into the millions and fly over 130 km (81 miles) in a day. The swarm is ravenous and will consume all the green vegetation wherever they are, causing widespread famine. - Humiliated Egyptian Deity: Osiris the god of vegetation, fertility and agriculture. Egyptians worshipped over 1000 gods and goddesses, but Osiris ranks in the top ten.
Plague #9:
The plague of Darkness: God blocked the sun from shining on Egypt, along with the moon and stars. For 72 hours, the Egyptians stayed in their houses, terrified. What if it stayed dark forever? Only a small percentage of Egyptian families saw any sunlight. But for those who lived close to the Hebrew slaves. It must have been both a relief and a torment.- Humiliated Egyptian Deity: Amon-Ra the sun god, considered to be the most powerful deity in Egypt. The Egyptians were mainly sun worshippers. The people identified Amon-Ra as the creator and life-giver.
Pharaoh’s Journey
Throughout the plagues, you can see Pharaoh’s response evolving. He realized early that Moses was the only man who could ask the Hebrew God for mercy. As ruler of Egypt, he had ultimate power over his people, who considered him a god. But this man was powerless before Yahweh.
Here are some of Pharaoh’s responses to Moses, in chronological order:
- “Who is the Lord that I should obey him?” (Exodus 5:2)
- “Pray to the Lord to take the frogs away from me and my people, and I will let your people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord.” (Exodus 8:8)
- Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. “This time I have sinned,” he said to them. “The Lord is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong. (Exodus 9:27, hailstorm)
- Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you. (Exodus 10:16 locusts).
During the plague of darkness, Pharaoh said the Israelites could go into the wilderness to worship God, but they had to leave their flocks and herds behind. The ruler of Egypt didn’t want to lose his slave labor force. Moses immediately said no and Pharaoh lost it.
28 Pharaoh said to Moses, “Get out of my sight! Make sure you do not appear before me again! The day you see my face you will die.”
29 “Just as you say,” Moses replied. “I will never appear before you again.” (Exodus 10:28-29)
Resources:
In comparison to Egypt, the United States annual average rainfall is 38 inches.
The Deadliest Hailstorm in Modern Times
India experienced the deadliest hailstorm on record on April 30, 1888. Caught out on the open, 246 people died when hailstones the size of oranges, cricket balls and goose eggs fell from the sky.
Today’s Current Locust Plague
Modern day locust swarms hit the world hard last year. The BBC called it “The Biblical Locust Plagues of 2020.” Here are a few of the countries battling these ravenous insect swarms: Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, India and Pakistan.
