Fish the Right

Day 29 · Part 3: Out of Egypt

The Plagues

Ex 7:14–10:29 · 108 verses

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In the Story

In context

Nine plagues come in these chapters: the river turned to blood, then frogs, lice, flies, a sickness that kills Egypt’s livestock, boils, hail, locusts and three days of darkness. The river is the Nile, which Egypt depended on for water and for its crops. Egypt’s magicians copy the first two plagues, but not the lice: “This is God’s finger,” they tell Pharaoh (Exodus 8:19). The hail kills people and animals left out in the fields (9:19, 25).

Some plagues pass Israel by: no flies in Goshen, where they lived, no deaths among their livestock, no hail in Goshen, and light in their homes during the darkness (8:22; 9:6, 26; 10:23). Again and again Pharaoh promises to let the people go, then refuses. The text says both that Pharaoh hardened his heart (8:15, 32) and that the Lord hardened it (9:12; 10:20). The WEB notes that the Red Sea’s Hebrew name, Yam Suf, could be translated “Sea of Reeds” (10:19).

A word of hope
“Arise, shine; for your light has come, and Yahweh’s glory has risen on you! For behold, darkness will cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but Yahweh will arise on you, and his glory shall be seen on you.

Isaiah 60:1–2 · Thick darkness covered Egypt while Israel had light at home (Exodus 10:22–23); Isaiah says darkness will cover the earth, but the Lord will arise on his people.

For families

God says these signs are to be told “in the hearing of your son, and of your son’s son” (Exodus 10:2). When Pharaoh asked who would go, Moses answered, “We will go with our young and with our old,” with their sons and their daughters; Pharaoh would let only the men go (10:8–11).

If you had seen the plagues, which one would you tell your grandchildren about first, and how would you tell it?

In the Bible

World English Bible, as published by eBible.org (public domain).

Exodus 7:14–25

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Exodus 8

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Exodus 9

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Exodus 10

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A hymn for today

How Firm a Foundation · words by “K” in John Rippon’s Selection of Hymns

Organ and orchestra: an introduction, then each of the 7 verses. Tap a verse’s number to start there.
  1. How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,Is laid for your faith in His excellent word!What more can He say than to you He hath said,You who unto Jesus for refuge have fled?
  2. In every condition, in sickness, in health,In poverty's vale, or abounding in wealth,At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea,As thy days may demand shall thy strength ever be.
  3. Fear not, I am with thee; O be not dismayed,For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid;I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.
  4. When through the deep waters I call thee to go,The rivers of woe shall not thee overflow;For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.
  5. When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,My grace, all-sufficient, shall be thy supply;The flame shall not hurt thee; I only designThy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.
  6. E'en down to old age all My people shall proveMy sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love;And when hoary hairs shall their temples adorn,Like lambs they shall still in My bosom be borne.
  7. The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,I will not, I will not desert to his foes;That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,I'll never, no never, no never forsake.