1. The Context: Pharaoh's Hard Heart
Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, "Thus says the Lord God of Israel: 'Let My people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.'" Pharaoh answered, "Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, nor will I let Israel go." Pharaoh increased the burdens on Israel, and the people complained. God then sent Moses back to Pharaoh with signs and wonders. The Lord said, "I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt." The ten plagues were the means by which God demonstrated His power and delivered His people.
2. The First Plague: Water Turned to Blood
The Lord said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 'Take your rod and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their streams, over their rivers, over their ponds, and over all their pools of water, that they may become blood.'" Aaron stretched out his hand, and the waters of the Nile turned to blood. The fish died, the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink the water. The plague lasted seven days. This plague struck at the Nile, the lifeblood of Egypt and the god Hapi, the spirit of the Nile.
3. The Second Plague: Frogs
The Lord said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and say to him, 'Thus says the Lord: Let My people go, that they may serve Me. But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all your territory with frogs.'" Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters, and frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. They went into the houses, into the bedrooms, onto the beds, into the ovens, and into the kneading bowls. Pharaoh asked Moses to entreat the Lord to remove the frogs, promising to let the people go. Moses prayed, and the frogs died, but Pharaoh hardened his heart.
4. The Third Plague: Lice (Gnats)
The Lord said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 'Stretch out your rod, and strike the dust of the land, so that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.'" Aaron stretched out his hand, and the dust became lice on man and beast. The magicians tried to produce lice with their enchantments but could not. They said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God." But Pharaoh's heart remained hard. This plague struck at the god Geb, the god of the earth.
5. The Fourth Plague: Flies
The Lord said to Moses, "Rise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh, and say to him, 'Thus says the Lord: Let My people go, that they may serve Me. Or else, if you will not let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and your servants, on your people and into your houses.'" The Lord sent swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh and into his servants' houses. The land was corrupted because of the flies. But the Lord made a distinction between the land of Goshen, where Israel dwelt, and the land of Egypt. There were no flies in Goshen. Pharaoh offered a compromise, but Moses refused, and Pharaoh hardened his heart.
6. The Fifth Plague: Livestock Disease
The Lord said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and tell him, 'Thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews: Let My people go, that they may serve Me. For if you refuse to let them go, and still hold them, behold, the hand of the Lord will be on your cattle in the field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the oxen, and on the sheep—a very severe pestilence.'" The Lord distinguished between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt. Nothing of Israel's died. Pharaoh sent to see, and indeed, not one of the livestock of Israel was dead. But Pharaoh's heart remained hard.
7. The Sixth Plague: Boils
The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "Take for yourselves handfuls of ashes from a furnace, and let Moses scatter it toward the heavens in the sight of Pharaoh. And it will become fine dust in all the land of Egypt, and it will cause boils that break out in sores on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt." Moses scattered the ashes, and boils broke out on man and beast. The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils. But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not listen.
8. The Seventh Plague: Hail
The Lord said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt—on man, on beast, and on every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt." Moses stretched out his rod, and the Lord sent thunder, hail, and fire that ran along the ground. The hail struck every herb of the field and broke every tree of the field. Only in the land of Goshen, where Israel dwelt, was there no hail. Pharaoh admitted his sin and said, "The Lord is righteous, and my people and I are wicked." But when the hail stopped, he hardened his heart again.
9. The Eighth Plague: Locusts
The Lord said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land—all that the hail has left." Moses stretched out his rod, and the Lord brought an east wind that brought locusts. They covered the face of the whole earth, and the land was darkened. They ate every herb and every fruit of the trees. Nothing green remained. Pharaoh hurriedly called Moses and said, "I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you. Now therefore, please forgive my sin only this once." The Lord turned a strong west wind that took the locusts away, but Pharaoh hardened his heart again.
10. The Ninth Plague: Darkness
The Lord said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, darkness which may even be felt." Moses stretched out his hand, and thick darkness was over the land of Egypt for three days. They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place. But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings. Pharaoh called Moses and said, "Go, serve the Lord; only let your flocks and herds be stayed." Moses refused. Pharaoh said, "Get out of my sight! Take heed to yourself. See my face no more!"
Conclusion (The Tenth Plague is covered separately in the Passover article): The ten plagues demonstrated the power of God over the gods of Egypt and the stubbornness of Pharaoh's heart. Each plague was a judgment against specific Egyptian deities: the Nile, frogs, the earth, flies, livestock, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, and finally the firstborn. The plagues reveal that God will not be mocked. He hears the cries of His people and will act to deliver them. Let every believer trust in the God who struck Egypt and redeemed Israel, and in the greater deliverance through the blood of the Lamb.