As I read Exodus and the life of Moses, there are many things that seem to jump off the page at me. Moses was born in the time of Pharaoh ordering infant boys killed by the midwives. The two midwives feared God and lied to the Pharaoh rather than killing babies. One of these midwives is named Sephora. Still, Pharaoh wants to stop the rapid growth of the Israelite people, so he orders the young boys be killed by his military. Even so, Moses’ mother is able to safely birth and hide him until he is 3 months old. His mother prepares a small ark and covers it with pitch, puts the cover on it, and sends it in the swill of the river. Moses’ big sister follows, watching through the reeds, and the Pharaoh’s daughter discovers the baby boy. She knows he is a baby her father has ordered killed, but she sends him to a nurse (his actual mother) to feed until he is of age and raises him under Pharaoh’s nose.
Moses knows he is not an Egyptian, and one day kills a taskmaster who is abusing the workers. He is discovered and runs so as not to be killed by the Pharaoh’s orders. He ends up at a well helping seven shepherd girls, still dressed as a royal Egyptian. When some shepherd men come and harass the girls at the well, Moses steps in and protects the women. From that, he is brought home with them and marries another with the name Sephora. They have children, sons.
God appears to Moses in a burning bush and tells him to return to Egypt to save his people. Moses feels this is an impossible task. He is slow in speech, he is afraid, and he feels ill-equipped. God insists this is indeed his task, and Moses obeys with the help of his brother Aaron, as God commanded.
Time does pass, and when the plagues are delivered, Moses is 80 and brother Aaron 83.
When God has seen, heard, and knows the affliction of His people, He takes action. I did not remember all the plagues from my previous readings. Here they all are.
The plagues delivered through Moses and Aaron from God:
I will increase my signs and wonders.
- Aaron throws a rod down; it becomes a serpent. The sorcerers are able to do the same. Aaron’s rod, now a serpent, swallows all the sorcerers’ serpents.
- River and all waters, even in clay pots, turn to blood; all fish die – sorcerers are able to do a similar feat.
- Land, river, and homes filled with frogs. When Moses prays to end the frogs, they are piled everywhere and stink.
- Lice infect all humans and quadrupeds (charmers cannot do this).
- Dog fly swarms in Egyptians’ homes and affect all Egyptians (not Hebrews).
- Massive death of cattle, horses, oxen, sheep, and camels.
- Dust over the land, causing sore blains breaking forth upon men and beasts.
- Rain, a great hail; fire ran along the ground, fire mingled with hail.
- Locusts covering the face of the earth, eating everything.
- Three days of darkness, no sunlight.
- Every firstborn Egyptian dies.
600,000 Hebrews begin their escape after the onslaught of plagues, with Moses and his brother Aaron in the lead.
Several things I take from this ongoing story. Moses feels unworthy and not up to the task; he asks God several times to pick someone else. But God is determined to do His work through Moses.
Moses is not young, quite the contrary; he is 80. We are not meant to rest on our laurels, as is the popular belief in this era of retirement at 60ish. We are meant to continue and do great work. In Moses’ day, they were living to their 130s. I feel the retirement age pushes people into a kind of waiting-for-death mode, and I have to wonder, with great purpose, would we all live many more years?
Throughout the story and with each plague, it is said God hardened Pharaoh’s heart. God did that. The Israelites, who had suffered so greatly at the hands of their cruel taskmasters, now witnessed the utter destruction at God’s very hand.
Early in the plagues, the sorcerers were able to replicate some of the signs. Remember, sorcerers got their training from fallen angels and corrupted angels, who had taken the mysteries of heaven. Yet there came a time when they did not know how to match the plagues God was sending.
Plague 8 is directly from the book of Enoch’s descriptions of hell; fire and hail/rain are described in detail.
God, in His good time, takes down the oppressors, and the evil and unjust. He is all powerful. We must always remember God’s timing. And we must cry out for help at times so we are heard.
Additional insight for greater awareness of fallen and corrupted angels over Egypt.
Egyptian corrupted influences at a glance (not all inclusive):
