I travelled during the modern-day outbreak of the Bubonic plague. Today we have antibiotics. This is the prevention and cure of the bubonic plague. It was so simple. The doctor gave me a prescription for antibiotics, and I took one pill every day for prevention.
Too bad they did not have antibiotics during the black death of the 14th century. Too bad also Pharaoh did not have a prevention or cure for the plagues of Egypt. Or did he? If only Pharaoh would soften his heart. Pharaoh hardened his heart. It is mentioned that he hardened his heart in all ten plagues. It is part of the untold damage cause by the hard heartedness.
The Plagues of Egypt had a specific purpose. To show the power of God. There is only one God and that is God almighty. The plagues send a message of God’s power. They make clear to Pharaoh that he is no god. Pharaoh is a mere mortal. He is helpless compared to God Almighty.
Because of the plagues Pharaoh will have to submit to God in humility. Up until now he has been prideful and brutally cruel to the Israelite slaves. No one could tell Pharaoh what to do before the plagues. The plagues humble Pharaoh. God is sovereign and He can definitely tell Pharaoh what to do.
These plagues were not simply dazzling wonders to capture the imagination of the people. These demonstrations of God’s power were for the purpose of softening the hard heart of Pharaoh.
Ultimately is will take the tenth and final plague, the plague of death to soften Pharaoh heart enough to let the Hebrew slaves go free. The death of every firstborn in each Egyptian home will buckle Pharaoh. He lets them go but actually he remained hard hearted.
Pharaoh was a hard-hearted king. God was doing miracles to indicate He was in charge of this deliverance. The matter of Pharaoh’s heart runs through the series of plagues. His heart condition is mentioned in relation to all ten plagues.
This final plague led to the Exodus. Pharaoh changed his mind and the Egyptians pursued Israelites. Exodus 14:21 tells of Moses holding the staff stretched out his hand over the sea and the waters divided and the Israelites went across on dry ground with a wall of water on their right and left.
The Bible says Israel was shown these signs to know the Lord is God. “You were shown these things so that you might know that the LORD is God; besides him there is no other.” (Deuteronomy 4:35) But Pharaoh did not get this message. He refused to get this message.
Pharaoh’s magicians did some amazing demonstrations of power. They were able to mimic some of the manifestations of power. Aaron’s staff turned to a snake. Then by their secret arts Pharaoh’s magicians made their staff turn to a snake. Moses and Aaron turned water of the Nile to blood and then the magicians did the same.
Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts: (Exodus 7:11,22)
In a few instances the wise men and sorcerers could copy what Moses and Aaron did by the power of God, but they could never give Pharaoh the relief he sought from the plagues.
What the plagues were:
This first was Aaron’s staff turning to a snake (Exodus 7:8-13). This was not a plague, but it was a demonstration of God’s power. The magicians did the same and Aarons, yet Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. Pharaoh’s heart became hard.
1. Plague of blood (Exodus 7:14-14). The first plague their sacred Nile River turned to blood. Even water stored in wooden buckets and stone jars the water turned to blood. Somehow through their secret arts, presumably demonic powers, the magicians of Pharaoh did something similar. Pharaoh’s heart became hard.
2. Plague of frogs (Exodus 8:1-15). Again, God sent Moses to Pharaoh. Let my people go or you will have a plague of frogs. They will be in your homes, your bedrooms, your beds, your kitchen, hopping out of your ovens. The magicians copied this plague also. This time Pharaoh asked Moses to pray to God Almighty for relief of this plague. Moses prayed and the frogs died and the plague was over. Then Pharaoh hardened his heart and did not let the people go and worship as he had promised.
3. Plague of gnats (Exodus 8:16-19). The next plague the gnats became like the dust of the ground. All the dust became gnats. Some versions translate this as lice. The magicians could not copy this and even said this is from the finger of God. But pharaoh’s heart was hard. He would not listen.
4. Plague of flies (Exodus 8:20-32). This time flies covered the Egyptians. There was a distinction to the Israelites living in Goshen. There were no flies in their houses or troubling them. Pharaoh agreed to let the people go on a three-day journey to worship God. This time he would not deceive them and refuse once Moses prayed for, he plagues to end. But again, as soon as the plague subsided Pharaoh refused to let them go and worship. He hardened his heart.
5. Plague on livestock (Exodus 9:1-7). The plague of livestock killed all the livestock of the Egyptians. It spared all the livestock of the Israelites. Pharaoh investigated this to confirm the distinction between the Egyptians and the Israelites to confirm this. Still Pharaoh hardened his heart.
6. Plague of boils (Exodus 9:8-12). At the sixth plague, the plague of boils something changes. In all the other plagues so far, it is recorded that Pharaoh hardened his own heart. Previously it said Pharaoh hardened his own heart. It seems that he has reached such a point of continued hardening of his own heart that now it says that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart.
7. Plague of hail (Exodus 9:13-35). Moses is to let Pharaoh know that if He so chose to do so he could have wiped Pharaoh and his people from the face of the earth. God has a purpose in these plagues that his power be known, and name be proclaimed (Exodus 9:16). Egypt received a warning that they could protect their livestock in shelter in advance and have protection form the severe hailstorm that way. There were those who took this warning the Lord gave and others who ignored it. This time Moses stretched out his staff, the other times it was Aaron’s staff. In the suffering Pharaoh admitted Egypt was in the wrong and Israel in the right. Once the storm stopped Pharaoh and his officials became hard again and changed their position on letting Israel go to worship God.
8. Plague of locusts (Exodus 10:1-20). Not only are these plagues for Israel and Egypt, but they are for the children and grandchildren of Israel too. That they may know that their God is the Lord. How long pharaoh will you refuse to humble yourself. Let the people go. By now even the officials of pharaoh was telling him to let the Israelites go. Pharaoh was giving in only partially. He would let the men go not everyone like Moses and Aaron requested. The locusts invaded. Pharaoh relented, the plague and the locusts were blown into the Red Sea. Then God hardened Pharaoh’s heart.
9. Plague of darkness (Exodus 10:21-29). Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky and darkness covered Egypt for three days. The Israelites had light in their place. Pharaoh gave in more but not completely. He said let your women and children go but leave your flocks behind. The Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart. Pharaoh told Moses he never wanted to see his face again.
10. Plague of death (Exodus 11:1-10). The Lord said he will bring one more plague on Egypt. The plague of death. The firstborn in Egypt will die. For Israel we know this as the Passover. The Egyptians were favourably disposed to give valuables to the Israelites. There will be loud wailing in Egypt and not a sound in Israel. This will become the breaking point for hard hearted Pharaoh.
Here we find that when someone intentionally and persistently hardens their own heart, like Pharaoh it becomes permanently fixed in this state. The New Testament speaks of casting pearls before swine (Matthew 7:6). You can tell someone the good news, but their heart is hardened toward God. They do nothing but trample this eternal treasure under their feet.
Pharaoh chose the condition of his heart. He hardened his heart. God fixed it in the position Pharaoh chose. You know when you work in the garden after a long time your hands get blisters. Soon the blisters become callouses on your hands. Do not let your heart become calloused. Do not harden your heart but humble yourself before God.
Some people have ignored every opportunity to receive God’s grace and mercy. At some point the refusing to humble yourself before God could so harden your heart that you will never respond to God’s invitation to experience His grace.
Paul speaks of those whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. (1 Timothy 4:2) There is warning after warning, sign after sign, opportunity after opportunity but Pharaoh hardened his heart. Humble yourself before the mighty hand of God,
