Beware of the Plagues

to us.

So what significance does the number 10 have for us today? Why were there 10 plagues? Why not 7 plagues to show God’s complete judgment against Egypt? Why would God use 10?

Those Ten Plagues were:
1. Waters of the Nile River were turned to blood
2. Swarms of frogs are everywhere
3. Mosquitoes and Gnats covered the land
4. Flies covered the land
5. Cattle got sick and died
6. Boils (sores) broke out on both man and beasts
7. Hail, which destroyed more crops
8. Locusts
9. Thick darkness that covered the land, except the Land of Goshen.
10. First born sons died, where the blood of the Lamb was not placed over the doorposts and lintels.
From the study that I have done there is a double meaning to this number 10. Firstly, it is a number that means the end of one cycle of events and the beginning of another. Secondly, it represents worldly power.

If we examine the plagues and their effect we can easily see that they marked the end of bondage for Israel and the end of Egyptian power as well as a new beginning for Israel. The power of Pharaoh to enslave God’s chosen people is broken forever and Israel is delivered to live for God as a free people, who must daily make their choice to obey God and follow where he leads.

In addition to marking the end of the reign of Pharaoh and the beginning of freedom from bondage of God’s people, each of the 10 plagues was also an attack on one of the false idols of Egypt.

1)The water turned to blood was God’s judgment upon “Hapi” – the God of the Nile. Egypt worshipped the Nile god as their daily source of life and sustenance since it was the waters of the Nile that watered their crops and gave them water that was necessary for drinking, cleaning, and bathing. Now that life-giving water carried nothing but death.
2)The frogs were a judgement against “Heqt” – a frog headed goddess that represented the resurrection of the dead of Egypt. A log of frogs was a blessing to the Egyptians because the frogs would not only carry a symbolism of life after death but the frogs would eat the flies that often troubled the land, but God turned that “blessing” into a curse.
3)The plagues of lice and of flies were judgments against “Kheper” – the god of beetles and flies. God’s plague was to prove to Egypt that he had power over the power of their idol to control the population of flies and lice that brought disease to the land.
4)The murrain or sickness upon all the cattle was God’s judgment against “Apis”, the sacred bull of Egypt. This was God’s way of letting Egypt know that the blood of bulls was not sufficient to cleanse their sin and to show that their animal god was no god at all.
5)The plague of boils (huge running sores) was God’s judgment against the Egyptian gods “Imhotep” the physician god, and “Thoth”, the god of magic and healing. No medicine could relieve the pain and suffering, no magic potion could remove God’s wrath. It is a symbol to the Egyptians that their great sin could not be removed by the power of man or of idol gods. It was only by the power of the God of Israel that Egypt could be delivered from judgment.
6)The plague of hail was directed against “Nut”, the Egyptian sky goddess. God rained fire and brimstone, mixed with hail; upon the Egyptians to show that he had all power in earth and sky.
7)The plague of locusts was directed against