Plague 8

v. 3-15 Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh again and told him to let the Israelites go worship the Lord in the desert or else there would be a plague of locusts that would eat what little was left in the land. The locusts would cover the ground and fill their houses. Pharaoh's officials urged him to let the Israelites leave saying, "Do you not yet realize that Egypt is ruined?" So Pharaoh asked Moses who would be going
on this trip to the desert. He became angry when Moses said all of them would go. Pharaoh gave permission for only the men to go because he knew they would return for their wives, children and livestock. Moses refused to negotiate. He stretched out his staff and the Lord brought the locusts in with a strong east wind. They covered the land and ate every green plant and tree.

v. 16-20 The plague of locusts got Pharaoh's attention. He confessed to Moses that he and his people had sinned against the Lord. He asked Moses to forgive him and pray to the Lord to remove this plague. Moses left him and prayed. The Lord brought a strong west wind that blew the locusts into the Red Sea. "But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let the Israelites go."

Plague 9

v. 21-27 The Lord told Moses to stretch out his hand and there would be thick darkness over the land of Egypt. A "darkness that can be felt." People couldn't see each other or leave their homes for three days. But all the Israelites had light. Pharaoh told Moses that they could leave but he refused to let them take their livestock. Again Moses would not negotiate. He said they must take all their livestock because he didn't know what the Lord would require for sacrifices. "The Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart" and he wouldn't let them go.  

Plague 10

10:28-11:10 Pharaoh sent Moses away saying that they would never see each other again, but if they did then Moses would die. Moses agreed that he would never appear before Pharaoh again. But he said Pharaoh's officials would come to Moses and beg him to take the Israelites and leave. Verses 1-3 are an aside that reminds the reader what the Lord had said to Moses earlier about there being one final plague. The Egyptians would willingly give the Israelites gold and silver because Moses was respected by the people. Verse 4 continues Moses' conversation with Pharaoh in which he predicts that the Lord will go throughout the land at midnight and every firstborn among the Egyptians will die, as well as the firstborn of all the cattle. There will be loud wailing among all Egyptians but not so much as a dog barking among the Israelites. The Lord would distinguish between the two nations and spare the Israelites. Then Pharaoh's officials would come to Moses and beg him to leave. "After that," said Moses, "I will leave." "Then Moses, hot with anger, left Pharaoh." Moses had been told by the Lord that Pharaoh would not listen to him so that the Lord's "wonders may be multiplied in Egypt." In class we talked about why Moses was angry when he left Pharaoh.

12:1-11 The Lord established that month as the first month of their new calendar-- the Hebrew calendar. On the tenth day of that month each household was to select a male, year-old lamb without defect. They could select sheep or goats. Small households could share a lamb. Then on the 14th day of the month (Passover) they must slaughter the lambs at twilight and put some of the lamb's blood on the sides and tops of the doorframes of their houses. They must roast the lamb along with bitter herbs and unleavened bread and eat it hastily with their cloaks tucked in their belts, sandals on their feet, and their staff in their hand. Any meat that is left must be burned in the fire.

v. 12-16 On the night of that first Passover the Lord told Moses He would pass through Egypt and kill every firstborn of men and animals. He said, "I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am your Lord."  It would soon become clear that the false gods of the Egyptians could not save them. But the blood on the Israelites' doorposts was "a sign" that the Lord was their God and that is why this deadly plague would not harm them. The generations to come would celebrate this in an annual festival known as Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. They would eat unleavened bread for seven days, holding a sacred assembly on the first and seventh days. No work was to be done except preparing food. Anyone who eats anything with yeast in it during those seven days must be cut off from Israel.

v. 17-20 This was to be a lasting ordinance for the Israelites to commemorate the day the Lord brought them out of Egypt. From the evening of the 14th to the evening of the 21st in the first month of the Hebrew calendar they must eat unleavened bread. No yeast could be in their houses for those seven days and anyone who eats yeast must be cut off from Israel. This must be observed wherever they live.

v. 21-30 Moses told all the elders to go select their lambs and slaughter them. Then they put some of the blood on their doorposts. None of them were allowed to leave their houses until morning. The Lord would see the blood and pass over their homes, not allowing the destroying angel to strike them down. Much later, when they enter the Promised Land they must continue to observe this ceremony and explain to their children what it means. The Israelites bowed down and worshiped the Lord. They did just what He had commanded. Then at midnight the Lord struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, including Pharaoh's firstborn. There was loud wailing in Egypt that night because "there was not a house without someone dead."

v. 31-36 Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron during the night and told them to leave and take their flocks and herds with them. He said, "And also bless me." The Egyptians urged the Israelites to leave quickly because they were afraid they would all die if they stayed. So the Israelites "took their dough before the yeast was added, and carried it on their shoulders in kneading troughs wrapped in clothing." They asked for and received silver, gold and articles of clothing because the Lord had made the Egyptians "favorably disposed" toward them. They plundered the Egyptians without ever making war with them.

v. 37-39 The Israelites traveled from Rameses to Succoth. There were about 600,000 men besides women and children. Many other people went with them and large droves of livestock. They baked cakes of unleavened bread with the dough they brought out of Egypt. They had left so quickly that they didn't have time to prepare bread with yeast.

v. 40-42 "Now the length of time the Israelite people lived in Egypt was 430 years. At the end of the 430 years, to the very day, all the Lord's divisions left Egypt." Scholars disagree about whether the 430 years refers to their time in Egypt or perhaps includes Abraham's time in Canaan. In either case, Moses states that the exodus was at the end of the 430 years-- "to the very day." For generations to come the Israelites are to "keep vigil" on this night to honor the Lord because He kept vigil over them.

Much more about the Passover next time.

  --Sandy Blank

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