Mon.’s Devo - The Plagues

Read: Exodus 8:1-9:35; Matthew 19:13-30; Psalm 24:1-10; Proverbs 6:1-5 God sent Moses back to Pharaoh to announce that he needed to let his people go so they could worship him. Since the Pharaoh refused, God would send a plague of frogs that would come out of the Nile River and be everywhere in their houses. When Aaron raised his staff it happened. The magicians were able to do the same think with their magic but they couldn’t reverse it. This was a direct attack against their goddess Heqt who helped women in childbirth. Frogs were associated with this god. God had come to wage war on the gods of Egypt. *** The Pharaoh called Moses to get rid of the frogs and he would let them go and sacrifice. Moses said he would and the frogs would be gone tomorrow. When Pharaoh saw the frogs gone he went back to business as usual and refused to let them go. *** God told Moses to have Aaron stretch out his rod and strike the dust of the land and it would become lice. They attacked the men and their beasts. God said that this time, they would not come into the land of Goshen because God was making a dividing line to show that His people and the Pharaoh’s people were different in his eyes. The flies came into the house of Pharaoh and all the land of Egypt but not in Goshen. *** Pharaoh told Moses they could sacrifice but they had to do it in the land of Egypt and not leave. Moses explained that to kill a cow in Egypt would be an abomination to the Egyptians since they worshipped the cow. They needed to go three days out. He told them they could go but not that far. He asked Moses to pray for him. Moses did and the flies were gone the next day. Pharaoh hardened his heart and wouldn’t let them go. *** The fifth plague was against the cattle and many died. Still the Pharaoh wouldn’t let them go. The sixth plague was ashes that turned to boils on the bodies of the Egyptians. The magicians could’t stand before Moses on this one. Still Pharaoh wouldn’t budge. *** The seventh plague was very heavy hail in a land that hardly saw rain. It killed everything that was not covered. It killed people, animals, the wheat in the field and broke every tree. In Goshen there was no hail. Pharaoh called for Moses this time and begged him to take thunder and lighting and hail away. Moses told him he would but he knew that they still didn’t fear God. He was right, as soon as the storm was gone, Pharaoh hardened his heart and wound’t let them go. *** Jesus blessed the children when the disciples rebuked them. He put his hands on them and said that the kingdom of heaven was much like them. *** A man came to Jesus asking about how to get to heaven. He believed it could be achieved by doing good works. So Jesus gave him a work to do that he couldn’t do to prove that this man could’ be righteous enough to enter heaven, only with God was that possible. He told his disciples that when this generation is reborn and Jesus sits on his throne, they will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Everyone who gives all to follow him will be rewarded and inherit eternal life. *** Lord, may we rest in the knowledge that our salvation is a gift to all who call upon the name of the Lord. May our lives reflect our thankfulness to you.