The ten plagues of Egypt recorded in Exodus chapters 7-12 were ten catastrophic judgments God unleashed against Egypt to accomplish His purposes in delivering Israel from bondage. The plagues were part of God’s plan to judge Pharaoh and the gods of Egypt, free the Israelites, and demonstrate His power before Egypt and the world.
Here is a brief overview of the ten plagues:
- Water Turned to Blood (Exodus 7:14-25)
- Frogs (Exodus 8:1-15)
- Lice (Exodus 8:16-19)
- Flies (Exodus 8:20-32)
- Livestock Diseased (Exodus 9:1-7)
- Boils (Exodus 9:8-12)
- Hail (Exodus 9:13-35)
- Locusts (Exodus 10:1-20)
- Darkness (Exodus 10:21-29)
- Death of the Firstborn (Exodus 11:1-10)
God had many purposes in unleashing these specific plagues upon Egypt. Here are some of the key reasons and meanings behind the ten plagues:
To Judge the Gods of Egypt
The plagues were directed against the false Egyptian gods, exposing them as powerless and worthless before the true and living God, Yahweh. God specifically tailored the plagues to confront and discredit the various gods the Egyptians worshiped (Exodus 12:12). For example:
- The Nile River was turned to blood as a judgment against Apis, the bull god who represented the fertility of the Nile.
- Frogs were sacred to the goddess Heqet, deity of birth and fertility.
- The plague of flies came against the god Uatchit, protector from flies.
- The plague on the cattle struck at the goddess Hathor and the bull god Apis.
- The plague of boils exposed the impotence of Imhotep, the god of medicine.
- The plague of hail came against Nut, Osiris, and Set, Egyptian gods associated with sky, crops, and weather.
- The plague of locusts targeted Serapis, protector of crops.
- The plague of darkness showed the impotence of Ra, Aten, Atum, and Horus, all solar deities.
- Pharaoh himself was considered a god, yet he was shown to be powerless against Yahweh, the one true God.
The plagues demonstrated that the gods of Egypt were nothing and that the God of Israel alone is Lord and supreme over all.
To Free the Israelites from Bondage
A primary purpose of the plagues was to force Pharaoh’s hand to let Israel go free from their slavery and bondage (Exodus 3:20; 6:1; 11:1). God promised to show His wonders and multiply His signs in Egypt so that Pharaoh would finally release the Israelites from captivity (Exodus 7:3-5). The mounting intensity of the plagues eventually caused Pharaoh to relent and let Israel go.
To Judge Pharaoh and Egypt
The plagues were an act of divine judgment against Pharaoh and the nation of Egypt for oppressing God’s people. God promised to judge Egypt for enslaving Israel, striking it with wonders as a display of vengeance (Exodus 3:19-20). The severity of the plagues showed God’s mighty hand of judgment against the rebellion, idolatry, and wickedness of Pharaoh and Egypt. They were judgments for refusing to obey God’s command to let His people go.
To Display God’s Power to Egypt
A major purpose of the plagues was to put God’s power on full display before Egypt and the surrounding nations (Exodus 9:16). God hardened Pharaoh’s heart in order to multiply His miraculous signs and wonders in the land, that Egypt might know He is the Lord (Exodus 7:3-5). The magnitude of the plagues showed the world that Yahweh, not the gods of Egypt, is all-powerful.
To Teach Israel Reverence for God
The plagues served to instill awe and fear of God in the hearts of the Israelites. They saw firsthand the tremendous power God wields against those who rebel against Him. This gave Israel incentives to obey and revere God once they became His covenant nation (Exodus 19:9). The plagues taught Israel God’s authority and that He is not to be trifled with.
To Foreshadow the Coming Messiah
The plagues symbolically foreshadowed the ministry of Jesus Christ in various ways. For example, Moses’ staff turning into a snake and back prefigured Christ’s being lifted up on the cross. The Nile turning to blood pointed to Christ’s blood poured out to cleanse from sin. The Passover lamb sacrificed for Israel paralleled Christ as the ultimate Passover Lamb who takes away sin (1 Corinthians 5:7). Just as the darkness covered Egypt, Christ endured darkness on the cross as He bore God’s judgment.
To Encourage Faith in God’s Word
The plagues served to build faith in God’s Word. They confirmed that Moses was God’s spokesman and that all he spoke came true (Exodus 4:30). Each plague happened exactly as God said it would, validating Moses as God’s prophet and demonstrating that it pays to believe God’s Word.
In summary, the ten plagues of Egypt were acts of divine judgment intended to display God’s power, crush the rebellion of Pharaoh, overthrow Egypt’s gods, free Israel from slavery, foreshadow Christ, and engender faith in God’s Word. The plagues revealed Yahweh as sovereign Lord over all and set the stage for establishing His covenant nation of Israel.
Looking more closely at each of the ten plagues:
1. Water Turned to Blood
The first plague was directed against the Nile River itself, the very lifeblood of Egypt. Moses struck the river with his staff, and it turned to blood. The fish died, the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink the foul water (Exodus 7:14-25). This plague was a powerful attack on Apis, the bull god who represented the fertility of the Nile, as well as Khnum, guardian of the Nile. It demonstrated that God has power over the waters of Egypt in a way its gods did not.
2. Frogs
The second plague brought a plague of frogs that overran Egypt from the Nile. They invaded homes, bedrooms, ovens, kneading bowls – everywhere the Egyptians turned, frogs appeared in overwhelming numbers (Exodus 8:1-15). The frog was the sacred animal of the goddess Heqet, a deity of birth and fertility symbolized by frogs. But God showed He could summon hordes of frogs to show judgment and not prosperity. Pharaoh pleaded with Moses to end the plague and promised to let Israel go.
3. Lice
The third plague was an infestation of lice throughout Egypt, covering people and beasts (Exodus 8:16-19). The priests of Egypt’s pagan gods wore white robes, signifying ritual purity. But lice made them impure. The plague demonstrated their fake gods could not protect them from such affliction and ruin. Pharaoh’s magicians could not reproduce this plague with their secret arts.
4. Flies
The fourth plague was a swarm of flies that tormented the Egyptians (Exodus 8:20-32). This judgment struck at the very heart of Egyptian religion by showing their gods were unable to protect them from a plague of flies. Kheper, a scarab beetle, represented regeneration and was sacred to Egyptian religion. But the fly, a similar creature, showed judgment.
5. Livestock Disease
The fifth plague struck down the cattle in Egypt with a pestilence (Exodus 9:1-7). This plague targeted Apis and Hathor, Egyptian gods pictured as cows. It also attacked the livelihood of the Egyptian farmers and struck at the pride of Pharaoh himself, who worshiped the bull. Many of the cattle of Israel also died, even though God made a distinction between Israel and Egypt.
6. Boils
The sixth plague caused festering boils to break out on man and beast throughout Egypt (Exodus 9:8-12). Imhotep was the god of medicine and healing. Now God afflicted the entire nation with painful skin boils, demonstrating the impotence and inferiority of Egypt’s god. The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, indicating their inability to resist the power of God.
7. Hail
The seventh plague brought a devastating hailstorm over Egypt (Exodus 9:13-35). Rarely does it hail in Egypt. But God summoned thunder, lightning, and heavy hail that hammered crops, livestock, and people. This exposed the impotence of Nut, the sky goddess. Osiris and Set, gods over crops and weather, were proven false. The hail affirmed that Yahweh has complete power over the weather and the elements.
8. Locusts
The eighth plague covered Egypt with swarms of locusts that consumed the remaining plants and trees, ravaging the land (Exodus 10:1-20). A locust goddess named Serapia had failed miserably to protect Egypt from devastation. Nut and Osiris also proved unable to deliver Egypt from this plague. The stark contrast showed God’s authority over the insects and agriculture.
9. Darkness
The ninth plague covered Egypt in total darkness for three days, while giving light to the Israelites (Exodus 10:21-29). This exposed the impotence of the sun god Ra and struck fear into the heart of all Egypt. Yet the Israelites had light, showing God’s care for His people amid the darkness of judgment.
10. Death of the Firstborn
The final plague was death of all the firstborn in Egypt (Exodus 11:1-10). God executed judgment against Pharaoh and all the gods of Egypt, showing His sovereignty over life and death. The Passover was also instituted, pointing to Christ as the Lamb of God who alone can deliver from sin and death.
The ten plagues revealed God’s absolute power over the forces of nature, His authority over all false gods, and foreshadowed the salvation to come through the sacrifice of Christ. They set the stage for God’s mighty deliverance of Israel from bondage, that they might know He alone is Lord and serve Him as His covenant people.