Man vs. God

Then the Lord told Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh. When he feels the force of My strong hand, he will let the people go. In fact, he will force them to leave his land!” And God said to Moses, “I am Yahweh — ‘the Lord.’ I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as El-Shaddai — ‘God Almighty’ — but I did not reveal My name, Yahweh, to them. And I reaffirmed My covenant with them. Under its terms, I promised to give them the land of Canaan, where they were living as foreigners. You can be sure that I have heard the groans of the people of Israel, who are now slaves to the Egyptians. And I am well aware of My covenant with them. “Therefore, say to the people of Israel: ‘I am the Lord. I will free you from your oppression and will rescue you from your slavery in Egypt. I will redeem you with a powerful arm and great acts of judgment. I will claim you as My own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God who has freed you from your oppression in Egypt. I will bring you into the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it to you as your very own possession. I am the Lord!’” . . . . Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go back to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and tell him to let the people of Israel leave his country.” Exodus 6:1-8, 10-11 (NLT)

Starting at Exodus 6, Pharaoh is introduced to the mighty God of Israel – God Almighty (Exodus 5:1-2; Exodus 6:3). Yahweh is sometimes rendered “Jehovah” or “the LORD”. God Almighty also means “El-Shaddai” and this is the name for God used in Genesis 17:1; Genesis 28:3; Genesis 35:11; Genesis 43:14; Genesis 48:3. God’s name stresses His true significance – Redeemer. The Lord God Almighty is also Redeemer (Exodus 6:6; Exodus 15:13; see also Job 19:25; Isaiah 41:14; Isaiah 54:5; Isaiah 59:20). The name Yahweh was known to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but God’s names as the One who would redeem Israel from Egyptian bondage was not known until the Exodus. Redemption means not only release from slavery and suffering but also deliverance to eternal freedom and joy.

Even more, God wanted the Israelites to know He is also a promise keeper (Exodus 6:4). Yahweh or Jehovah is the special name of God that links Him with Israel and His covenants (promises). The promises making God is the same promising keeping God. “El” is the name of God that speaks of His great power. Scholars do not agree on the meaning of “Shaddai.”  Some scholars say “Shaddai” comes from a Hebrew word meaning “to be strong”; while other scholars prefer a word meaning as “mountain” or “breast.” According to biblical scholar Warren W. Wiersbe, if we combine these several ideas, we might say that “El Shaddai” is the name of “the all-powerful and all-sufficient God who can do anything and meet any need.” 

When I raise My powerful hand and bring out the Israelites, the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.” Exodus 7:5 (NLT)

In the book of Exodus, God’s displayed His mighty and strong power in the redemption of His people (Israel) and His judgments against Egypt. Pharaoh and the Egyptians soon discovered that Israel’s God was the true and living God of the universe! We must remember that the Egyptians viewed Pharaoh as a god himself, and not merely a representative of the gods. God visibly revealed His great power and might to the Israelites and the Egyptians alike in a series of wonders, miraculous plagues and other devastations in Exodus chapters 7 through 12 so the people would know that the God of Israel is God Almighty (see Exodus 3:20; Exodus 4:21; Exodus 7:14-12:30). The God of Israel is the only God who is all-sufficient and all-powerful, and nothing is too hard for Him. God’s gracious loving-kindness would be manifested to the Israelites through a powerful redemption and deliverance.

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh. Tell him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let My people go, so they can worship Me. If you do not, I will send more plagues on you and your officials and your people. Then you will know that there is no one like Me in all the earth. By now I could have lifted My hand and struck you and your people with a plague to wipe you off the face of the earth. But I have spared you for a purpose — to show you My power and to spread My fame throughout the earth. Exodus 9:13-16 (NLT)

In the book of Exodus, God sent ten devastating and cataclysmic plagues to Pharaoh and the Egyptian people to reveal His might and power. The Holy Bible does not tell us how these plagues occurred but simply affirms that something supernatural took place. Essentially, these ten plagues were God’s declaration of war against Pharaoh and the other false gods of Egypt (Exodus 12:12) and His proclamation to Pharaoh, the Egyptians and the Israelites that “I am the LORD” (Exodus 7:5). Egypt and the Egyptian people had scores of gods they worshipped and revered. Against that background, the plagues appear as God’s open warfare against the false gods of Egypt. God said as such:  “I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD” (Exodus 12:12, NIV). Even more, these ten plagues from God established Moses’ authority as God’s leader. Moses had previously hesitated to accept God’s leadership role, doubting whether the other Israelites would accept and trusts his leadership role (see Exodus 3:11, 13; Exodus 4:1, 10, 13).

Sadly, some people will not obey God’s holy and good words of warning or acknowledge God. So, God must speak by works of judgment. These plagues and other devastations reveal that when God speaks, people must either obey and submit their whole hearts to Him or disobey and face God’s judgment (Hebrews 3:7–13). In many places, the Holy Bible warns us not to “harden” our hearts against God (e.g., see Psalm 95). From a human point of view, Pharaoh willfully resisted God and God sent His judgments. Pharaoh was soon to discover that to resist God is to be destroyed (Psalm 78:32-33). The same truth applies today.

The ten plagues from God did not follow in rapid succession but over a series of approximately nine months up to two years. In the first plague, God turned the Nile River into blood (see also Psalm 78:44; Psalm 105:29). This miracle caused the fish to die, the river to smell, and the people to be without water (Exodus 7:14-24). Second, God plagued the entire Egyptian country with frogs. Frogs came up from the water and completely covered the land (Exodus 8:1-15). Third, God sent a massive swarm of gnats that covered Egypt (Exodus 8:16-19). Previously, Egyptian magicians and others were able to duplicate God’s miraculous acts but they were unable to duplicate the massive swarm of gnats. These evil workers said it is the “finger of God” (Exodus 8:19; see also Luke 11:20). But Pharaoh's heart was hard and he would not listen. Fourth, God sent flies to swarm the Egyptian land (Exodus 8:20-32). These flies infested the houses and stables and bite people and animals (Exodus 8:21). Yet, God protected His people – the Israelites – from the devastating flies (Exodus 8:22-23) demonstrating that God can preserve His people while judging Egypt. Fifth, God destroyed all the Egyptian livestock but again God graciously saved Israel's livestock from death – mercy in the midst of judgment (Exodus 9:1-7). Sixth, God sent horrible boils to break out on the Egyptian people, even the Egyptian magicians (Exodus 9:8-12). Seventh, God sent powerful hailstorms on the land that killed all the slaves and animals and stripped or destroyed almost every plant (Exodus 9:13-35). Briefly and for the first time, Pharaoh admitted his sin and perceived the devastating results of disobedience against the true and living God (Exodus 9:27-28). Pharaoh sought repentance from God but this repentance was short lived and not genuine. He only wanted Moses to stop the devastating plagues from God. True repentance involves a change of mind and heart that leads to a change of life oriented towards pleasing and obeying God and not just lip service (see Psalm 78:36-37). Pharaoh once again returned to rebellion and disobedience against God (Exodus 9:34-35). In the eighth plague, God sent hordes of locusts that covered Egypt and ate everything left after the hail storm (Exodus 10:1-20; see also Joel 1:4-7; Joel 2:11; Amos 7:1-3). Then, the Egyptian officials pleaded with Pharaoh to let the Israelites go (Exodus 10:7).

There is no one like the Lord our God. Exodus 8:10 (NIV)

God’s judgments had practically ruined the land. With each gloomy plague, the Egyptian people realized how powerless their own gods were against the true and living Almighty God! But once again, Pharaoh would not give in and humble himself before God (Exodus 10:3). He continued to rebel against God as well as his own people, the Egyptians. Pharaoh thought he was showing great strength. In reality, God was using Pharaoh to display His own sovereignty and power (Exodus 9:16; see also Romans 9:17–18). God is greater than any ruler, so we need never fear (Daniel 4:34–37). “The earth belongs to the Lord” (Exodus 9:29, NLT).

Ninth, God sent total darkness that spread over Egypt for three days so no one could even move (Exodus 10:21-29). However, God gave grace and mercy to His people, the Israelites, and provided His light (Exodus 10:23). Graciously, most of the plagues affected only the Egyptian people but not the Israelites, who were God’s people. This fact should have convinced Pharaoh that he was fighting against a supernatural force, not just the notion of nature. In the tenth and finally plague, God sent death to every Egyptian firstborn son – killing the firstborn human son and firstborn cattle of Egypt die (Exodus 11:5; see also Psalm 78:51; Psalm 105:36; Psalm 135:8; Psalm 136:10). This is the ultimate disaster. However, God graciously saved the Israelites (Exodus 11:7). Finally, Pharaoh and the Egyptians became so convinced of God’s power and might that they let the Israelite people go from slavery with the wealth of Egypt – gold and other riches – showered upon them as a farewell present (see Exodus 12:33-36).

In all, it took ten plagues to finally persuade Pharaoh and the Egyptian people to free the Israelite people. God used the ten plagues as a form of warfare against the false gods of Egypt (Exodus 12:12). Some scholars see in each individual plague an attack against each Egyptian god. Thus, they believe the plague on the Nile River opposed the Egyptian river god, the plague of the flies flouted worship of the sacred fly, the plague of darkness attacked the sun-god Ra, and the plague on the livestock countered the sacred bull god. These miraculous plagues and wonders express one fact:  God is real Almighty!

“Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.”

 Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (NLT); see also Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:30.

References

KJV Bible Commentary. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1994.

Life Application Study Bible. Carol Streams, IL: Tyndale House Pub., 2005.

New Student Bible. New York: Zondervan, 1992.

Ryrie Study Bible. Chicago, IL: Moody, 1995.

Zondervan NIV Study Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2008.

Eves, Terry L., Ph.D., Professor of Old Testament. Columbia Campus: Erskine Theological Seminary, 2014.

Wiersbe, Warren W. Bible Exposition Commentary. Victor Books, 1989.

Wiersbe, Warren. With the Word Bible Commentary. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1991.