Story 40: Is'ra-el Freed By The Final Plague Upon E'gypt l

   After Pha'raoh had made his threat against the life of Mo'ses, the prophet of God lingered for a short time with the king in order to tell him what course the LORD would now follow. During these tragic moments in the presence of the great king, The LORD spoke secretly to Mo'ses. He said that this was to be the last meeting between Pha'raoh and Mo'ses, and that He would visit the land with a final plague which would force the cruel king to let the Is'ra-el-ites leave his country.
   Mo'ses said to Pha'raoh: "The LORD'S mercy has now reached its limit. For weeks and months He has been patient, showing mercy time after time. True, He has brought calamities of increasing severity upon the land, but has offered to show mercy whenever you obey His command and let Is'ra-el depart. While His patience with you has been exhausted, He still has further means of punishment. There shall be one more curse sent upon the land which shall bring you to your knees. About midnight, within a few days, the LORD will send the Angel of death throughout the land of E'gypt, and the oldest child in every home shall suddenly die; there shall also be taken the oldest of all the cattle and sheep and other animals still left from previous plagues."
   The last plague upon E'gypt was to be so terrible that not even the hard-hearted Pha'raoh could fail to be moved by it. Without being ill, the oldest child in every family and in every home was to be taken by death. The Pha'raohs of E'gypt had slain the male children of Is'ra-el during a long period of persecution, and now the LORD was to cause the death of the firstborn in every E'gyp-tian home. This fatal blow was to reach every family, the highest as well as the lowest. The royal prince who expected to take Pha'raoh's place upon the throne was doomed to sudden death, and the oldest child in the home of the lowest peasant was to suffer the same fate. From the palace to the dungeon, from the splendid home of the rich to the tent of the poorest of the land-through every family in E'gypt this plague was to travel; and at the stroke of midnight all through the land death would come to every firstborn child.
   Mo'ses then went on to say to Pha'raoh , "But against the children of Is'ra-el shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast; that ye may know that the LORD doth put a difference between the E'gyp-tians and Is'ra-el." God's chosen people were to be sheltered by the protecting wings of the Great God of Heaven and of earth. The pestilence which was to walk through the darkness of the night should not come near them. While the oldest child of the wicked lay still in death, all the children of the good would be unharmed. At the time when the lamentations of the E'gyp-tians were rending the midnight air of the whole country, the hearts of the righteous would be filled with peace, hope, and joy.
   But Pha'raoh remained stubborn and unrelenting, and Mo'ses left him to carry out the instructions of God in preparing all Is'ra-el for the great tragedy that was to befall the E'gyp-tians, and for the birth of an Is'ra-el-ite nation. The children of Is'ra-el had been spared from the nine previous calamities inflicted upon the people of E'gypt, but there were certain Divine instructions which they must carefully follow if they were to escape this final plague. Is'ra-el was facing an extremely important crisis, a supreme moment in the history of their formation as a free, united people, and great issues depended upon the promptness and wisdom with which they obeyed the LORD'S command.

Story 39: Divine Reasons For The Plagues Of E'gypt: The Land Infested With Locusts, And With A Great Darkness lll

   Once again Pha'raoh was smitten with terror, and once again he pretended deep repentance. This time he called for Mo'ses and said to him: "I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against you. Forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once; and entreat the LORD that He will take away from me this death." Again it was a desire to have the punishment removed, rather than sincere regret for his sins, which caused Pha'raoh to ask for mercy. He asked for pardon, but not for purity, and the one cannot be had from God without the other.
   Mo'ses went out from the presence of Pha'raoh, and prayed unto the LORD. At once a mighty wind swept the locusts from the land, but Pha'raoh hardened his heart once again, and refused to let the Is'ra-el-ites go. Then, without any further warning, the LORD sent upon E'gypt a season of intense darkness covering the whole land. It was so dark that the E'gyp-tians could not see one another, nor could they even leave their homes.
   This plague struck at the very heart of E'gyp-tian idolatry, for they worshiped the sun under the name of Osiris. To have the chief of their gods fail them was a curse which filled the hearts of the E'gyp-tians with terror. We are not told what natural forces were used in performing this miracle, but we do know that there was light in the houses of the Is'ra-el-ites in the land of Go'shen. They did not have to sit in darkness, as did the E'gyp-tians, but were free to come and go and as they chose.
   How alarming and unbearable must have been those three days of dense and perpetual darkness! The tradition of the Jews that the devil and his angels were given a wider range and greater liberty for working mischief than usual during those three dreadful days is probably true. "God cast upon them the fierceness of His anger: Wrath, and indignation, and trouble; A band of angels of evil."
   In spite of the stern judgments brought upon him, Pha'raoh would not give in to the LORD'S will. He continued to defy the servants of God, and sought again to make a compromise that would enable him to keep the wealth brought to him by the enslaved He'brews. Calling for Mo'ses, he told him that all the Is'ra-el-ites might go into the wilderness to worship, provided that they did not go very far, and that they should leave all their herds and flocks in E'gypt. By keeping the property of the He'brews, who had not suffered any loss during the plagues, there would be a supply of food for the hungry E'gyp-tians, and the Is'ra-el-ites would finally have to return to their bondage.
   But this selfish offer was rejected as promptly as all others made by Pha'raoh. The king became angry, and drove Mo'ses from his presence with the threat that if he ever saw his face again he would have him slain. Mo'ses then went among the people of God to prepare for their departure from E'gypt following the plague that was soon to come.

Story 39: Divine Reasons For The Plagues Of E'gypt: The Land Infested With Locusts, And With A Great Darkness ll

   In the message to be delivered to Pha'raoh this time, the LORD set forth His purpose in visiting the land of E'gypt with such terrible proof of His Supreme Power. He wished to make clear to the king and to all future generations that the power of God rules all the elements of nature. The rivers, the dust of the ground, the atmosphere, the thunder and lightning and hail, the waters of the earth, and the fire had all served His Supreme Power in the previous plagues.
   The LORD God of Heaven intended also to prove to Pha'raoh and all succeeding generations that He was able to overcome sa'tan and all his agencies in the world. The magicians were the cunning instruments of the devil in E'gypt, but they had been completely thwarted by the plagues inflicted upon Pha'raoh and his people. God is able to deliver man from the power of sa'tan, overcome his evil designs in the world, and destroy all his wicked works.
   A further purpose of God in these continued plagues was to show His Power, over all false religions and heathen worship in this great nation. The E'gyp-tians believed that the Nile was the birthplace of gods, but from this river had come the plague of water turnt into blood, and the frogs which had infested the land. To the E'gyp-tians the frog was a sacred object of worship, but now the ugly creatures had plagued the entire country. Many domestic animals had been worshiped by the E'gyp-tians, but now they had been suddenly destroyed by a great plague.
   Having explained the purposes of God in sending the plagues, Mo'ses then told Pha'raoh that unless he released the Is'ra-el-ites at once the LORD would send a mighty army of locusts to devour every herb and plant left from the previous plagues. Some of the servants of the king were now fully convinced of the Supreme Power of God, and the authority of His servants, Mo'ses and Aa'ron, so they advised the king to let the Is'ra-el-ites depart.
   Pha'raoh then proposed to Mo'ses that the men of the He'brews go out into the wilderness to worship as requested, but that the women and children be left behind in E'gypt. Mo'ses fearlessly refused to accept this condition, and told Pha'raoh that unless he permitted the He'brews to leave the land with their wives and children and servants, and with all their flocks and herds, he must suffer again for disobedience to the known will of God.
   Upon the refusal of Pha'raoh to grant this request, Mo'ses waved his hand over the land of E'gypt. The whole country was suddenly overrun with great hordes of locusts, which swept before them all the plants and trees which had escaped the plague of hail. The locusts had always been dreaded by the E'gyp-tians, and in this plague they came upon the land in countless numbers. The wheat and rye was just budding forth when the hail and rain swept over the land, and was, therefore, not destroyed. But in the plague of locusts these two important sources of food for the people were completely ruined, and the whole country became a barren, desolate plain.
  

Story 39: Divine Reasons For The Plagues Of E'gypt: The Land Infested With Locusts, And With A Great Darkness l

   The LORD knew that Pha'raoh was not speaking the truth when he promised to let the Is'ra-el-ites go, but He told Mo'ses to deal kindly with any acts which seemed to show repentance on the part of the king. He had already shown great mercy and forgiveness toward Pha'raoh, and did not let him pay the penalty for his evil ways until the last possible offer of mercy had been scorned.
   The soul of man is so constituted that the continued rejection of the mercies of God leaves it less ready to yield to them. The abuse of Divine Grace has a hardening effect upon man's moral nature. Pha'raoh had paid no attention to repeated offers of mercy, and had not learnt wisdom from continued acts of Divine Justice. But he was not yet wholly forsaken by God, and still further opportunities were given him to prove that his repentance was genuine.
   Mo'ses and Aa'ron had called upon Him before and after each plague, and He had shown mercy toward him whenever it was asked. Under the influence of these repeated acts of grace the heart of the king must either melt into genuine repentance or harden into an even more obstinate state. To say that God hardened Pha'raoh's heart means only that the LORD continued to test the king until it was clear that he definitely preferred the ways of evil to those of good. The Lord did not force Pha'raoh to choose either course, He merely left him in freedom to follow the desires of his own heart
               "Till, like a frozen mass, his heart was chilled,
               Its upward movement stayed, and conscience stilled."
   Mo'ses was generous and forbearing toward the wicked king in his confessions of guilt, in his acknowledgment of the righteousness of God, and in his request for pardon. Nevertheless, Mo'ses reminded the king that he had little confidence in the truth of his words, and fearlessly told him that his repentance was not real. He promised, however, to ask the LORD to put an end to the rain and hail and lightning. Mo'ses then went outside the city, raised his hands toward Heaven in a prayer to God, and the terrible storm ceased at once.
   Once again Pha'raoh failed to keep his promise. He took back his permission for the Is'ra-el-ites to leave E'gypt, and turnt against the LORD as wickedly as before.
   Now that the seventh plague had failed to produce any real change in the attitude of Pha'raoh toward the requests of Mo'ses and Aa'ron, the LORD sent his servants to deliver a strong message to the king, and to announce that a much greater plague was coming.

Story 38: Pha'raoh's Obstinacy Punished By More Severe Plagues: Cattle Die, Boils Break Out, And Terrible Storms lll

   On the day following this warning by Mo'ses, he and Aa'ron stretched forth their hands toward the Heavens in prayer. Then Mo'ses raised up his staff, and from the Heavens there poured down upon the land the terrible wrath of an avenging God. The same Heavens which had sent a destroying flood upon the world in the time of No'ah, and had rained fire upon the wicked cities of Sod'om and Go-mor'rah, now poured out great streams of both upon the land of E'gypt. It was a terrific, awesome sight, with hail and water and fire all pouring forth from the clouds above.
   The E'gyp-tians were especially terrified by the sight, for in that country rain was almost unknown, and what few thunderstorms there were seldom did harm. Fire was regarded as a god, and was worshiped in many heathen ways. The plague was miraculous in every respect, and called the E'gyp-tians to repentance with the voice of God,
   This plague was especially harmful to the wealth and commerce of the country. The gardens which yielded vast supplies of fruits and flowers, and upon which the E'gyp-tians  bestowed such great care, were swept into ruin. Dates, grapes, and pomegranates; olives, figs, and various kinds of melons,-all the pride and support of the land-were completely destroyed. The barley crop, which was now ready for harvest, and the fine fields of flax, were smitten and ruined. E'gypt's commerce in grains and flax, which was the principal source of her wealth, was now wrecked, and her manufacture of fine linens was stopped.
   As floods of hail and fire and rain poured out upon the land, as thunder roared through the Heavens and lightning flashed a trail of death through the country, Pha'raoh was stricken with terror. He sent for Mo'ses and Aa'ron, and said to them: "I have sinned this time: the LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked. Entreat the LORD, for it is enough, that there be no more mighty thunderings and hail; and I will let you go, and ye shall stay no longer." This was a noble confession and plea, if only it had been sincere. Had Pha'raoh spoken the truth in these words it would have meant that his pride, stubbornness, contempt for God were all gone. The wicked king, however, was more concerned with removing the calamities which his sins had brought upon the land than he was with the welfare of his soul, and with the pardon of his sins.

Story 38: Pha'raoh's Obstinacy Punished By More Severe Plagues: Cattle Die, Boils Break Out, And Terrible Storms ll

   Then the LORD directed Mo'ses and Aa'ron to take up ashes from the furnace, and to cast them into the Heavens. As the ashes floated toward the ground a plague of boils began to afflict all the people of E'gypt, including the king. Even the magicians were so afflicted by the plague that they were unable to stand before the king.
   The sixth plague upon the E'gyp-tians threatened all human life. It caused great sores and intense suffering, often resulting in death. It was by far the worst pestilence so far visited upon the people of E'gypt. It was also brought on in a manner designed to show the purpose of God in all the plagues. For years the Is'ra-el-ites had been forced to labor in the brick-kilns under the unbearable heat of the furnaces; when Mo'ses brought on this plague, the ashes of these very furnaces became a sign and promise of the affliction to smite the cruel E'gyp-tians. The very workshops in which the He'brews slaves toiled in preparing materials for the great temples of E'gypt became the source of ruin for the slave-masters.
   No one in the land, except the Is'ra-el-ites in Go'shen, was spared from the terrible scourge of boils. But still the heart of Pha'raoh remained proud and unyielding, and he became more obstinate and willful than ever in his rejection of God. His pride was not yet humbled, nor his cruel spirit conquered; he still refused to grant the request of Mo'ses and Aa'ron.
   After the sixth plague had failed to move Pha'raoh to repentance, the LORD sent Mo'ses with another message for the king. This time Mo'ses reminded him that all these judgments had come from God, that they had followed in quick succession, and that the king had sealed his own doom by repeated failure to obey the clear command of God. During these punishments there had been many opportunities for the king to repent, and to let the children of Is'ra-el go, but he had only hardened his heart the more. The LORD was, therefore, about to bring such great afflictions upon the people of E'gypt that they would have no other choice than to free the He'brews.
   The seventh plague was announced to Pha'raoh as a destructive hailstorm covering the whole land. So terrible was the storm to be that it would bring violent death to any animals which had escaped the disease  of a previous plague, and to any human beings who might be caught in it. Under its terrific force all vegetation would be destroyed, and the trees of both orchard and forest would be stripped of their branches.
   But in this threatened destruction a special offer of mercy was made to any E'gyp-tians who had become convinced of the avenging power of God. Mo'ses told Pha'raoh to send warning of the approaching hailstorm to all workmen in the fields, and to other servants whose duties might expose them to the storm. This request was made so that all who believed in God might take shelter in their homes.

Story 38: Pha'raoh's Obstinacy Punished By More Severe Plagues: Cattle Die, Boils Break Out, And Terrible Storms l

   It was the duty of the king of E'gypt to give the children of Is'ra-el complete freedom, but he treated this solemn obligation with increasing contempt. Mo'ses and Aa'ron had shown themselves to be very generous, and had proved beyond question that they were servants of God, but still he scorned them. Four plagues had visited the land, each one more severe than any other calamity which had ever befallen E'gypt, but the king remained obstinate and insolent toward God.
   The solemn promises to let Is'ra-el go were forgotten as soon as God removed the afflictions. During the fear and suffering brought on by each plague Pha'raoh pretended deep repentance for his sins, but when the danger seemed past, committed even greater sins. The righteous judgments of God had forced Pha'raoh to acknowledge His Supremacy, but when these judgments were lifted, he became more defiant than ever.
   God's Mercy was abused by Pha'raoh; instead of leading him to repentance, it seemed only to make him worse. When the rod of justice ceased to strike, he rebelled again. As soon as one voice of Divine Judgment was stilled, he seemed to think that there would be no others.
   But the LORD God of Heaven continued His appeals and warnings, and made it clear to Pha'raoh that he was trifling with Divine Justice. The wrath of God could not be halted by false promises and pretended repentance. Mo'ses was directed by the LORD to appear again before Pha'raoh, and this time he was to tell the king that an even worse plague would come if he still refused to let Is'ra-el go into the wilderness to worship their God. The next calamity to be sent by God would strike the domestic animals of the E'gyp-tians, bringing death to thousands of cattle, sheep, horses, and camels.
   On the day after Mo'ses had spoken to Pha'raoh a deadly disease fell upon all the animals of the E'gyp-tians, and in one day they were dead. The whole land became one gruesome plain covered with the dead bodies of animals. Thousands of oxen, which were regarded as sacred by the E'gyp-tians, lay lifeless upon the ground; the horses, asses, and camels which were used for transportation were also dead, as were the sheep and cattle which provided the E'gyp-tians with food. Surely such terrible calamities would bring the stubborn king to his knees!
   This plague, however, had only the effect of hardening Pha'raoh's heart all the more. He made a special visit to the land of Go'shen, where the Is'ra-el-ites lived, and found that none of their live-stock had been harmed by the plague. It angered him greatly to find that the despised He'brews had not been touched by the judgment which had cost him so much, and he became more determined than ever not to yield to the command of God.