Exodus 9

CHAPTER 9THEME: The fifth plaguemurrain; the sixth plagueboils; the seventh plaguehailGod continues to deal with the stubborn heart of Pharaoh and with his people. So long as Pharaoh resists the Lord God, anguish and disaster will be poured out upon the land of Egypt and its inhabitants. Up to this chapter we are told that Pharaoh hardened his own heart, and now we are told that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart. Pharaoh’s continual refusal to acknowledge the Lord God and obey His wishes has brought about God’s power in destruction. God wants to shower blessings upon us and wants to save us, but our refusal can turn blessing to cursing. So is the case with Pharaoh.

Exodus 9:1

THE FIFTH PLAGUEMURRAINA person would think that by this time Pharaoh would be impressed and let the children of Israel go. The fact is obvious that God is involved in this plague and that He is dealing with this king and his people. With a tour group I made a trip out to the pyramids. When we got back, one of the men who knew the area said, “Did you see the mummies of the bulls?” We said, “No.” “Well,” he said, “you missed the most important thing.” So several in our group went back out there to get pictures of them. I was not interested in going twelve miles in all that heat to see mummies of bulls! But they are thereliterally hundreds of them, reverently entombed in sarcophagi. Archaeologists have just begun unearthing them. Apis, the black bull, was worshiped in Egypt.

The second largest temple that Egypt built was located in Memphis and was for the worship of the black bull Apis. Apis was supposed to be an embodiment of Ptah of Memphis. Apis, thought to be engendered by a moonbeam, was distinguished by several characteristics. A new Apis was always believed to be born upon the death of the old. The dead bull was embalmed and buried in Memphis. His soul then passed to the world beyond as Osiris-Apis. You might say that what they had here is the worship of a sick cow. God must have smiled at this. God is leveling His judgments against this awful, frightful institution of idolatry that had such a hold upon the Egyptian people as well as on the Israelites. We shall see later that Israel, too, had gone into idolatry.

Exodus 9:8

THE SIXTH PLAGUEBOILSIt is only an assumption, but this plague probably began right in the presence of Pharaoh, and he may have been the first one to get boils.

Exodus 9:11

Pharaoh had with him at all times his magicians or wise men who counselled him. They were able to duplicate the first three plagues and miracles. The rest they were unable to duplicate, and now in this judgment they have boils too! I can imagine they left in a hurry. For the first time God is touching man as well as beast with judgment. He is afflicting man’s physical body. The priests who served in the Egyptian temples had to be clean, without any type of breaking out or sickness. Suddenly this plague of boils comes upon them and they are unclean, unfit to serve in the temples. This brings to a halt all of the false worship in Egypt. I walked over part of the ruins of the city of Memphis. The ruins are practically all gone now, but archaeologists know something of the extent of that great city. Up one thoroughfare and down the other was temple after temple. There were over one thousand temples in Memphis, and priests served in all of them. You can imagine what this plague of boils did to the services in these temples. Everything slowed to a standstill. All the bright lights went off! About the time I was in this city I remember reading about a strike in Las Vegas. There on “glitter gulch” are probably more neon lights than any place in the world. I have been told that if you fly in an airplane over Las Vegas at night, it is so bright that you think the sun is coming up. Well, they had a strike and the lights went out. Motels closed and the people left. It was such a startling event that the strike was settled immediately. Conditions were similar in the land of Egypt to those in Las Vegas during the strike. False religion was out of business. Everyone had boils. The priests could not serve in the temples. There were probably signs on the temples, which said, CLOSED BECAUSE OF SICKNESS.

Exodus 9:12

Even though Pharaoh himself is afflicted with boils, God continues to ask for the release of His people through His servant Moses. How many times have we read, “Let my people go that they may serve me”? How many times have we read God’s request, “Let my people go”? Still Pharaoh refuses to let Israel leave the land. His heart is hard.

Exodus 9:14

God is going to use Pharaoh to demonstrate His power throughout all of the earth. Here is a case of God using the wrath of man to praise Him. Psa_76:10 says, “Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee….”

Exodus 9:18

THE SEVENTH PLAGUEHAILEgypt is essentially a land of little rain. The average is less than an inch in one year. God tells them that they are going to have rainbut a kind they can do without.

Exodus 9:19

This is a question of whether or not they believed God. God said, “Get yourselves and your cattle inside.” Many people did not believe the words of God, and they suffered from the judgment. God gave them a chance, but it was their choice whether or not they believed what He said. The same holds true today.

Exodus 9:21

This plague was directed against Isis (sometimes represented as cow-headed), goddess of fertility and considered the goddess of the air. She is the mythical daughter of Set and Nut, the sister and wife of Osiris, and the mother of Horus. It is said that the tears of Isis falling into the Nile River caused it to overflow its banks and bring nourishment to the land. Isis was a prominent goddes in Egypt, and the plague of hail was directed against her. It is important to take note that this plague touches mankind, as well as the animals.

Exodus 9:22

Those who did not believe God made no provision for protection. The message God gave to the Egyptians is the same one He gives to the world today. Judgment is coming. Man is not wise to go on as if nothing is going to happen. It was that way in the days of Noah, and it will be that way when Christ comes again in judgment. Many people in Egypt did not believe God, and they paid the price for their unbelief. All God asks is that you believe Him.

Exodus 9:26

From this point on, the land of Goshen is spared from the plagues coming upon the land of Egypt.

Exodus 9:27

This is the first time that Pharaoh has made any admission of sin.

Exodus 9:31

The wheat and rye were not smitten in the same way, verse Exo_9:32 tells us, because they were not yet grown up. It was all beaten down. This was a judgment against the Egyptian food and clothing.

Exodus 9:35

God is striking at the Egyptians in an attempt to wake them up and shake them out of their false worship. Pharaoh, leader of the people, continues to harden his heart.