The Ten Plagues – Part II
Introduction:
Egypt was a polytheistic society – they worshipped over eighty
gods. “For beneath and above everything in Egypt was religion.
We find it there in literature, in government, in art, in
everything except morality. And it is not only varied, it is
tropically abundant; only in Rome and India shall we find so
plentiful a pantheon. We cannot understand the Egyptian – or
man – until we study his gods.” (Durant, p.197)
Recall that
the ten plagues were not against just Pharoah and Egyptians, but
against the gods of Egypt. (Exodus
12:12)
The first
plague, water being turned into blood, showed Jehovah’s
superiority over Khnum, Hapi, Osiris and others. Now we turn to
the second plague.
II. The
Second Plague – Frogs (Exodus
8:1-15)
-
The
immense number of frogs was an attack on the goddess Heqt –
goddess of childbirth. She was depicted with the head and
body of a frog. Egyptian women often wore jewelry with the
image of Heqt for protection during childbirth.
-
Frogs
were found almost everywhere – even in their ovens and
bedrooms!
-
Pharaoh
asks Moses to plead with Jehovah to take away the frogs. He
knew God was behind the plague. It wasn’t a natural event.
-
Frogs
were sacred to the Egyptians. Imagine how they must have
felt to gather up the dead frogs and pile them in a heap.
-
He was
powerless to do anything about it!
III. The
Third Plague – Lice (Exodus
8:16-19)
-
Lice:
sand flies, fleas, gnats, or mosquitoes It is impossible to
know for sure exactly what insect it was.
-
They
came from the dust of the ground. This plague would be
against Geb, god of the earth. This plague came from his
territory.
-
This
plague was especially loathsome to Egyptian priests. They
shaved their hair off everyday so that no lice would be
allowed on their bodies.
-
Pharaoh
did not repent. (Revelation
9:20-21)
IV. The
Fourth Plague – Flies (Exodus
8:20-31)
-
“Swarms” is the original translated word. The word “flies”
is not in the original. This was possibly the scarab beetle
or dung beetle, an insect that feeds on dung. This insect
laid its eggs in dung.
-
This
beetle was worshipped and still is. Khepri was the scarab
god. Egyptian priests wore scarabs as charms.
-
Swarms
stayed away from the land of Goshen, where God’s people
lived.
-
Scarab
beetles were very destructive.
-
Pharaoh
deceived the people.
V. The
Fifth Plague – Livestock Diseased (Exodus
9:1-7)
-
Livestock provided food, clothing, and transportation. The
disease was possible anthrax.
-
This
plague was against several gods. Apis: the sacred bull
god Cemeteries of embalmed cattle have been excavated.
Some were given funeral rites and placed in a sarcophagus.
-
Another
god was Hathar, the cow-headed goddess. She was the
symbolic mother of Pharaoh.
-
Others
included Khaum, the ram god.
-
Pharaoh
still wouldn’t obey.
Invitation:
Read
Revelation22:18-19.
Bobby
Stafford
November
28, 2011
