The Plagues Continue Series

The Story of Moses : Exodus 8

The Plagues Begin (Part 2)

Pastor Jefferson M. Williams

Chenoa Baptist Church

05-11–2025

Ten Commandments

A lot of people, even people who do not consider themselves religious, know the story of Moses. How?

In 1956, Cecile B. DeMile produced, directed and narrated a film based on the first five books of the Bible. Charlton Heston played Moses and Yul Brynner was casted as Rameses.

In 1957, the film was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and winning for best visual effects.

In 1999, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.

?In 2008, the American Film Institute revealed their top ten movies of all time and this movie was ranked at number ten.

Since 1973, this film has aired in prime time during the Passover/Easter season.

What’s the name of the movie I’m talking about? That’s right, “The Ten Commandments.”

Last week, the showdown between Yahweh and Pharaoh began with the first plague - blood.

Video Clip: Ten Commandments YouTube- stop at 1:15

The Nile was blood, the streams and ponds were blood, even full water jars turned to blood.

Their food source was gone - all the fish died. Their drinking water was gone. Their ability to bathe was gone. The river, once a source of life and beauty, now smelled absolutely terrible.

This would have disrupted life in Egypt as they knew it. Everything would have come to a standstill.

The plague of blood was directed at the gods of the Nile - Hopi, Isis, Osris, Khnum. The very source of life in Egypt was now blood and Egyptians hated blood!

Egyptian Religion

The Egyptians were a polytheistic religion, meaning they worship many gods. There were about 3,000 gods in their pantheon, with 80 major gods and goddesses.

They were also pantheistic, meaning they attributed divinity to the land, the sky, the sea.

In this showdown between Yahweh and Pharaoh, God will take on the Egyptian gods one by one and show that they are absolutely powerless before Him.

The Plagues

Why did God use plagues to make his point?

To reveal His omnipotence and Pharaoh’s helplessness

To demonstrate His protective power in shielding His people from the effects of the plagues.

To punish the Egyptians of their cruel treatment of His people

To show judgment against the false gods of the Egyptians.

To show other nations what happens when you mistreat His people

To test the Israelites and to get them ready to leave Egypt.

To strengthen the faith of Moses and Aaron

The plagues were God’s answer to Pharaoh’s taunting question:

“Who is the Lord, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go.” (Exodus 5:1-2)

Pharaoh is about to find out who the Lord is and the wheels are set in motion for the Israelites to leave Egypt for good.

The first three plagues (blood, frogs, gnats) harassed the people; the second three caused them pain, and the last three terrified them. The last plague destroyed any resistance and caused mourning and wailing from the palace to the peasants.

The magicians were able to turn water into blood, more blood!

But Pharaoh shrugged, thinking this was amusing, and just turned and walked back to his throne.

This would last for seven days. But this was just the beginning.

Please turn with me to Exodus 8.

Prayer.

Plague Two: Frogs

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me. If you refuse to let them go, I will send a plague of frogs on your whole country. The Nile will teem with frogs. They will come up into your palace and your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and on your people, and into your ovens and kneading troughs. The frogs will come up on you and your people and all your officials.’” (Exodus 8:1-4)

God continues to be gracious in the face of Pharaoh’s hard-heartedness. Through Moses, Yahweh warns Rameses that he has a choice. He can let the people go, or the next plague will come upon him and the whole land.

He gives a detailed prediction of coming attractions -frogs, lots of frogs!

I only like one frog [Kermit] and he turned 70 years old this past week.

They will be in his palace, in the king’s bed! His servants quarters will be inundated with frogs. Even the ovens in the kitchen will have frogs.

Surely Pharaoh understands that he is outmatched, right? Nope. Not even close.

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the streams and canals and ponds, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt.’” So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land.” (Exodus 8:6)