The Gods of Egypt
The Ten Plagues – Part I
Introduction:
Read
Exodus 12:12
Modern skeptics of the Bible deny these ten miraculous plagues
against Egypt. Some claim they were all natural events. But
increasing knowledge of ancient Egypt reveals that these plagues
were exactly as described in the Bible – God’s judgments against
the false gods of Egypt.
Archaeological evidence from Egypt for the plagues
The Leiden Museum in Holland houses a papyrus written by an
ancient Egyptian named Ipuwer.1
It appears to be an eye-witness account of the effects of the
Exodus plagues from the perspective of an average Egyptian.2
Excerpts are: ‘Plague stalks through the land and blood is
everywhere. . . the river is blood. Does a man drink from it?
As a human he rejects it. He thirsts for water. . . Nay, but
gates, columns and walls are consumed with fire . . . Nay but
men are few. He that lays his brother in the ground is
everywhere . . . Nay but the son of the high-born men is no
longer to be recognized . . . The stranger people from outside
are come into Egypt . . . Nay, but corn has perished
everywhere. People are stripped of clothing, perfume and oil.
Everyone says “there is no more”. The storehouse is bare . . .
It has come to this. The king has been taken away by poor men.’3
References
-
Catalogued as ‘Leiden 344’, it was discovered in 1828, and
translated in 1909 by Prof. Alan H. Gardner under the title
The Admonitions of an Egyptian Sage from a
Hieratic Papyrus. See www. grocities.com/regkeitn/linkipuwer.thm,
24 May 2004.
-
Becher, M., The Ten Plagues – Live from Egypt,
ohr.edu/yhiy/article.php/838, 21 April 2004
-
Down, D., Searching for Moses, Journal of Creation
15(1):53-57. 2001, who quotes from Erman, A., The
Ancient Egyptians: A Sourcebook of Their Writings,
Harper and Row, New York, pp. 94-101, 1966.
Text:
Exodus 7-12
Theme:
To confirm how each plague showed Jehovah’s superiority over
individual Egyptian gods.
Body:
I. First Plague: Water Turned to Blood
-
Exodus 7:1-7
This will answer the question: “Who is the Lord?” Refer to
Exodus 5:1-2,
Exodus 3:13-15
(The burning bush episode)
-
Exodus 7:8-13
This passage records the initial sign that precedes the
first plague. The cobra was a symbol of the ruling power.
On the front of Pharaoh’s crown was a cobra ready to
strike. This sign, when Moses’ serpent swallowed the other
serpents, showed the Lord’s ruling power over pharaoh’s
ruling power.
Psalms 24:1
The terrible consequences of hardening one’s heart to God is
seen throughout the plagues.
-
Exodus 7:14-21
The Egyptians worshipped the Nile as a source of life. It
was considered the ‘heartbeat’ of Egypt. Crops depended
upon the Nile flooding every year. There were several
Egyptian gods associated with the Nile:
KHNUM
– guardian of the Nile (often represented as a human being with
a ram’s head)
HAPI
– spirit of the Nile and god of fertility
(giver of life to all men) The annual flood was called “the
arrival of HAPI.” It was also described as “lord of fishes and
birds and marshes.”
OSIRIS
– god of the underworld The Nile was believed to be his
bloodstream.
When Jehovah turned the Nile water into blood, He was displaying
His power over these gods! Even water in wells and containers
were turned into blood. All the fish died and the Nile stank.
The very life line of Egyptians died. The Nile could not
provide sustenance any more. Jehovah could only provide food
and nourishment. He was the one with all power.
Jeremiah 32:17,27
-
Exodus 7:22-25
Egyptians did not have the power to reverse the plague or to
clean the water of the Nile.
-
This event and other plagues are mentioned in two Psalms:
Psalms 78:41-55,
Psalms 105:23-36
-
The Book of Revelation uses similar imagery in
Revelation 16:1-7.
Invitation:
Bobby Stafford
November 20, 2011
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