Chico Alliance Church
Pastor David Welch
”The Great Deliverance”
I. CONFRONTATION #1 “Let my people go!” 5:2-6:13
A. Moses communicated God’s demand 5:1-3
God said to let my people go! Pharaoh, “Who is this God? The God of the Hebrews said, “Obey or else.”
B. Pharaoh hardened his heart and increased the people’s labor 4-14
C. People appealed to Pharaoh 6:15-19
D. The People blamed Moses 6:20-21
E. Moses blames and questions God 22-23
Moses allowed the immediate to obscure the imminent. Moses ignored the call and questioned God’s faithfulness. Moses forgot about God’s plan. God always has more going than what I can ever see or discern.
F. God reaffirmed the promise 6:1-8
G. The people refused to listen 6:9
II. CONFRONTATION #2 “staffs and serpents 6:10-7:13
A. God renewed the commission 6:10-13; 28-30
B. Moses renewed his objections
C. God reaffirmed the plan 7:1-5
D. Pharaoh’s sorcerers duplicate the sign 7:11-13
God a series of natural disasters of epic proportion intended to completely humiliate and discredit all of the so-called gods venerated by the Egyptians. These plagues were supernatural in their prediction, intensity and discrimination.
III. CONFRONTATION #3 Plague 1 “Nile to Blood” 7:14-25
A. Moses warned Pharaoh 14-18
The Nile River was considered a god. It was the source of life for the land. Pharaoh would have probably gone to its shores each morning to worship. At God’s hand, the great source of life would become a source of death. This was more than a land slide into the upper Nile that colored the water. Such an explanation does not explain how the water in the containers became colored. Whether or not this was literal blood or not is up for debate. Whatever it was, destroyed all the fish.
B. Nile turned to blood 7:19-21
C. Pharaoh ignores the plague 7:22-25
IV. CONFRONTATION#4 Plague 2 “Frogs” 8:1-15
A. Moses warned Pharaoh 8:1-6
In ancient Egypt the frog was associated with the Goddess Heka (and a frog-headed deity has been discovered on monuments in Egypt). The Goddess Heka was thought to assist women at childbirth, and so was a symbol of life-giving power to the Egyptians.
So you like frogs? Frogs you shall have. It is Yahweh who controls the coming and going of frogs, not Heka. You wondered who Yahweh is, by the time we are done, you will know without a doubt.
B. Sorcerers duplicated the sign but can’t reverse it 8:7
C. Pharaoh cried for relief 8:8-9
He is getting to know Yahweh now! He even asked Moses to intercede for him. Moses even allowed Pharaoh to set the time.
D. Moses promised Pharaoh relief and prayed to God 8:10-14
What a phenomenal statement. The LORD did according to the word of Moses. It wouldn’t be the first time or the last time God acted through the prayers of His saints.
E. The plague lessened Pharaoh’s heart hardened 8:15
God knew how Pharaoh was going to respond all through this encounter. As soon as Pharaoh “he got air” from the plague of the frogs, he hardened his heart.
V. CONFRONTATION #6 Plague 3 “Gnats” 8:16-19
A. Moses struck the dust and produced gnats/lice 8:20-24
The exact identity of the insect which the New King James Version translates as “lice” is uncertain. The word has been translated as gnats, mosquitoes, fleas, sand flies, maggots, and gadflies. Whatever the precise identity of the insect, it filled the land. The frogs had invaded the homes of the Egyptians; the lice now invaded their bodies.1
This plague was initiated by the striking of the dust. The River god turned foul. Now “Seb” the earth god was totally unable to protect them. They would not be able to worship because the presence of lice was a sign of uncleanness. Out of his territory came a most terrible plague of a personal nature.
B. Sorcerers could not duplicate the plague and acknowledge a god 18
They did not use the name Yahweh but the common name for a god here. They are willing to admit that some deity was at work here who was outside of their influence, but not that the supreme deity Yahweh was in charge.
C. Pharaoh did not listen 19
VI. CONFRONTATION #7 Plague 4 “Biting Flies” 8:20-30
A. Moses warned Pharaoh again 8:20-24
God is teaching that he is the Ruler over all people and over all the earth and over all the gods of Egypt by inflicting plagues on everyone up to this point. He also wanted them to know that there was a difference between them and His covenant people.
There are different ways of looking at particular aspects of this plague. Some scholars believe that this plague was designed to destroy the trust of the people in Beelzebub. Beelzebub was the fly God—reverenced as the protector of Egypt from visitation by the swarms of flies which commonly infested the land. The people had depended upon Beelzebub to be their guard against ravenous flies, but this plague convinced them of the impotence of Beelzebub, causing them to look elsewhere for relief.
Others believe that the “swarms” are not of flies, but of the sacred scarab, a beetle which was an emblem of the sun and of the abiding life of the soul. Innumerable monuments, mummy chests, amulets, and charms in ancient Egypt bore the effigy of this revered symbol. But now it became a symbol of death rather than a symbol of life. And so, another “God” in the army of Gods was laid low.
What ever this was, it was awful. The fact that this plague did not affect the Hebrew’s territory reinforced the truth of Yahweh’s superiority and power over all the gods of Egypt.
B. Pharaoh offered a compromise for relief 8:25
This was the first two of four compromises.
“worship here” and “Don’t go too far away”
The enemy will do everything he can to keep us enslaved. The truth is that nothing but a total break form the enemy will do. Pharaoh offers to let them worship God but they must do it in the land.
Satan really doesn’t care if we worship God as long as we are still deeply entrenched in his world. He wants us to forget that this world is not our final home. He wants to keep us close.
Moses flat out refused the compromises and reaffirms God’s instructions. Resisting the enemy has not changed. Refuse compliance and reaffirm God’s instructions (it is written / God said).
C. Moses prayed for relief 29-31
D. Pharaoh reneges again 32
Remember, Satan will promise anything but produce nothing!
VII. CONFRONTATION #7 Plague 5 “Livestock Destruction” 9:1-7
A. Moses warned Pharaoh 9:1-6
Each time Moses made it clear who demanded the release of the Hebrews. It was not Moses, it was the LORD. The disease attacked the cattle which were sacred to the Egyptians; Hathor was the “cow-goddess” and Apis was the sacred bull. Another fertility protector fell to Yahweh. One of the greatest temples was unearthed dedicated to Apis.
B. Pharaoh hardened his heart 9:7
VIII. CONFRONTATION #8 Plague 6 “Boils” 9:8-12
A. Moses initiated the plague by throwing soot in the air 9:8-10
This plague would have eroded confidence in any number of venerated deities.
Sekhmet – goddess with power over disease
Sunu and Neit – god and goddess to protect from disease
Isis – goddess of healing
B. Sorcerers were humbled before Moses
C. God hardened Pharaoh’s heart 12
IX. CONFRONTATION #9 Plague 7 “Hail and Fire” 9:13-35
A. Moses warned Pharaoh 9:13-21
What a declaration! There is no other God but Yahweh. The only reason God allows some to live is to demonstrate His power.
This plague decimates several gods of Egypt.
Nut – the goddess of the sky
Shu – the god of the atmosphere
Osirus – god of crops and fertility
Set – god of storms
B. God struck the land with fury 9:22-26
C. Pharaoh cried for relief 9:27-32
Pharaoh began to get a clearer picture and acknowledges the supremacy of God but refuses to fear Him. Moses knew Pharaoh’s true motivation. There are those who only turn to God to get relief from suffering rather than to actually enter into relationship with Him and honor Him as God.
D. Moses interceded, Pharaoh relented 9:33-45
By now the country is being decimated because of Pharaoh’s stubborn pride.
X. CONFRONTATION #10 Plague 8 “Locust” 10:1-20
A. God reaffirmed the purpose of the plagues 10:1-2
B. Moses confronted and warned Pharaoh 10:3-6
C. Pharaoh’s servants pled for action 10:7
D. Pharaoh offered compromise #3 10:8-11
Pharaoh offered to let them go but not the children. Satan wants our children. He will let us go as long as he can keep our children into slavery.
E. God sent the locust 10:12-15
Serapia was to protect the crops from locust
Osirus was supposed to protect crops
Not when Yahweh had other plans. The enemy is helpless against the power of Almighty God.
F. Pharaoh cried for mercy 10:16-17
G. Moses interceded again 10:18-19
H. Moses relented again 10:20
XI. CONFRONTATION #11 Plague 9 “Darkness” 10:21-29
A. God sent darkness 10:21-23
This was not just a dark day. This was a supernatural darkness at every level. This plague flew right in the face of the sun god Ra and Horus along with the sky gods.
B. Pharaoh offered 4th Compromise 10:24-26
Go, but leave your stuff.
C. Pharaoh refused and threatened Moses with death 10:27-29
XII. CONFRONTATION #12 Plague 10 11:1-12:32
A. Passover preparations 11:1-12:27
B. Passover Israel, pound Egypt 12:29-30
C. The Exodus 12:31-41
Summary of Plagues
With ten powerful blows, Yahweh demonstrates His power over all the gods of Egypt.
This was more than a belief system held by a nation that God decimated.
Each of these gods represented a demonic stronghold over the people themselves.
By defeating their powers, God demonstrated His absolute ability to rescue His people form the clutches of Satan.
The ten plagues of Egypt accomplished several things: (1) they were signs to Israel, assuring them of God’s power and care, 7:3; (2) they were plagues of judgment to Egypt, punishing the people for persecuting Israel and revealing the vanity of their gods, 9:14; and (3) they were prophecies of judgments to come, as revealed in the Book of Revelation
We may trace these same plagues in the Book of Revelation, when God describes His final conflict with the god of this world, Satan: water to blood (Rev. 8:8 and 16:4–6); frogs (16:13); disease and afflictions (16:2); hail and fire (8:7), locusts (9:1ff); and darkness (16:10). Finally all the offspring of Satan and Satan himself will be destroyed in the lake of fire (20:10)
Lessons to Ponder
1 Realize how devastating bondage to Satan can be and cry out for deliverance.
2 Refuse to compromise with the enemy and make a complete break.
Refuse the compromise and reaffirm the promise.
3 Realize that our God is greater so trust and obey HIM!
Greater is He that is in you.
I will build My church and the gates of hell will NOT prevail.
Jesus came to deliver the final blow to the serpent’s head.
4 Realize God often allows greater gloom to achieve greater glory.
Don’t lose sight of the imminent purpose due to the immediate pain.
Don’t quit.
Keep your eye on the promise.
5 Jesus is our Passover Lamb
Jesus is the only provision to escape the visit of the angel of death.
Jesus rendered powerless him who had the power of death that is the devil.
Jesus promises deliverance from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light.
Jesus not only wants to delver us completely but to bless us abundantly.
