But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in Egypt, he will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out my divisions, my people the Israelites. (Exodus 7:3-4)

Read: Exodus 5:22-7:25, Matthew 18:21-19:12, Psalm 23:1-6, Proverbs 5:22-23

Relate: God tells Moses to go to Egypt to bring the Israelites out. Then He tells Pharaoh not to let them go. Ever wonder about that? Doesn’t it seem like God is intentionally making it difficult for Moses and the Hebrews to do what He commanded them to do? Does that seem fair? Have you ever heard others opinions on why God seems to act this way? Have you formed an opinion yourself? For me to add my view into the mix we have to look at what the ten plagues were and what gods the Egyptians worshiped:

1) Water to Blood – Khnum was the guardian of the Nile River and Hapi was the spirit of the Nile and sender of the annual Nile floods.

2) Frogs – Heqt is always shown as a frog was the goddess of birth (frogs even went onto Pharaohs bed 8:3).

3) Lice came up from the dust of the ground – Geb was the god of the earth.

4) Flies (in Hebrew it is literally swarms) – Amon-Ra has the head of a scarab which is a dung beetle that always moves in swarms.

5) Livestock – Apis is a god with the head of a bull and the Egyptians even worshiped a literal bull with this name. Hathor has the head of a cow and was the goddess of cattle.

6) Boils – Imhotep was god of medicine and Seraphis was the god of healing.

7) Hail – Nut was the goddess of the sky and Isis was the protector of the crops and goddess of fertility. (Completely different Isis than the one in Iraq)

8) Locusts – Seth was the god of grain and Thermuthis the goddess of the harvest.

9) Darkness – Ptah was the creater of the sun and moon and Atum the sun god.

10) Firstborn – Isis and Heqt got a second beat down, and Selket was guardian of life.

React: Our God is awesome. He is powerful. Right from the start the Israelites were taught that fact. So were the Egyptians. When God brought them out, He didn’t sneak them out the back door. He didn’t trick Pharaoh into letting them go. No, it was a beat down of the gods. He kicked down the front door, trampled on the gods the Egyptians served, and paid back in spades the injustice the Egyptians had inflicted on Israel. That is the God I serve. He doesn’t just want me to hold on until he returns. We are to go on the offensive. Jesus doesn’t tell us that our gates can stand against everything the enemy throws at us. No. He says the gates of hell cannot stand against us. They cannot stand. So why aren’t we storming them down?

Respond: 

Dear God,
Help me never to forget how great You are. You have called me to live in freedom. You have called me to walk in victory. Help me to walk with the power You have given me in the direction You are calling me. You are an awesome God.
Amen