The 10 Plagues of Egypt: Clash of the Gods

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The Clash of the Gods

• Lesson 18 Understanding the Old Testament

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Who is the greatest?

• In Egypt, pharaohs were considered to be divine
  beings. When Moses came to Pharaoh to ask for the
  release of Gods people, God and a false god,
  Pharaoh, clashed in a battle of wills and power.
• God showed his supremacy through the plagues. One
  way to understand the plagues is that they were
  direct attacks against the false gods of Egypt.
  God showed himself as victorious.

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The Pharaoh

• The pharaoh was the political and religious
  leader of the Egyptian people, holding the
  titles 'Lord of the Two Lands' and 'High Priest
  of Every Temple'. He owned all of the land, made
  laws, collected taxes, and defended Egypt against
  foreigners.
• As 'High Priest of Every Temple', the pharaoh
  represented the gods on Earth. He performed
  rituals and built temples to honor the gods and
  was considered a god himself!

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Egyptian pantheon

• The ancient Egyptians believed in many different
  gods and goddess. Each one with their own role to
  play in maintaining pace and harmony across the
  land.
• The ancient Egyptians believed that it was
  important to recognize and worship these goddess
  so that life continued smoothly.
• When they won battles, it was proof their gods
  were with them and were more powerful than their
  enemies.

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Plagues were Miraculous

• Mighty Works (Source)
• Wonders (Response)
• Signs (Purpose)
• Heb 24 Bear Witness.
• Also Judgments

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Plague 1 Osiris God of the Underworld Giver
of Life. (714-25)

• Osiris Appearance A mummified man wearing a
  white cone-like headdress with feathers
• The Nile was his bloodstream.

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Plague 2 FrogsHeqt goddess of birth (81-15)

• The Egyptians believed the frog was the symbol of
  the life-giving power-goddess, Heqt. She was the
  goddess who oversaw the women, the midwives, who
  helped women have babies. She was thought to blow
  the breath of life into the nostrils.
• Egyptians often had little statutes of frogs on
  their night-stands.
• The killing of a frog punishable by death!

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Plague 3 LiceGeb was the earth god (816-19)

• Appearance Man lying down below the arch of the
  sky goddess Nut.
• This plague would have been an embarrassment to
  Geb. Egyptians gave offerings to Geb for the
  bounty of the soil -- yet it was from "the dust
  of the soil" that this plague originated.
• Priests shave hair, impure with lice unable to
  perform sacred tasks or beseech their gods for
  help!

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Plague 4 FliesUatchit The fly god (820-32)

• This plague increased in intensity.
• This plague separates the Israelites the
  Israelites and the Egyptians. This shows another
  step toward establishing the civilians of Yahweh
  to be the God of all the earth.

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Plague 5- CattleHathor Mother Goddess (91-7)

• Appearance Woman with the ears of a cow. Had a
  headdress of horns and a sun disk Hathor was a
  protective goddess. She was also the goddess of
  love and joy.

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Plague 6 Boils (98-12)Imhotep the god of
medicine

• He was also associated with Thoth and became a
  patron of wisdom and medicine. Miraculous cures
  were often attributed to him.

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Plague 7 Hail (913-35)Seth protector of Crops

• God of thunder and storm.
• Why allow Hail and Locusts?

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Plague-8 Locusts (101-20) Shu God of the
wind

• Solar deity son of Ra and Hathor.
• God of air and the atmosphere.

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Plague 9- DarknessRa Form of Sun God
(1021-29)

• Appearance
• A sun disk with rays which end in hands

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Plague 10 First BornAll gods
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Exodus 111-10 Warning of the Final Plague

• Conversation Between God and Moses (111-3)
• God will conclude the drama
• The last plague will be so severe that Pharaoh
  will (111)
• Agree with his advisors (107) Let the people
  go, so that they may worship the LORD their God.
• Not merely allow Israel to leave, but will drive
  Israel out

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Exodus 111-10 cont.

• Statement of Moses to Pharaoh (114-8)
• Tells Pharaoh what the LORD has told him
• including the detail not in Gods conversation
  with him in 111-3 that the tenth plague will be
  the death of all firstborn sons
• There will be loud wailing throughout Egypt
• Recalls the cry of Gods firstborn (422 Israel
  is My firstborn son) in bondage in Egypt
• A measure for measure punishment for Pharaohs
  refusal to free Egypt (JPS Study Bible)
• Brueggemann Egypts cry even more intense
  Yahweh is the partisan advocate who is prepared
  to go to any extreme in defense of this
  vulnerable child