Exodus 5:2 Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey Him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go.”

“God in His omniscience foreknew exactly how Pharaoh would respond, and He used it to accomplish His purposes. God ordained the means of Pharaoh's free, but stubborn action” - Dr. Norman Geisler

“Purposeful Plagues” 1.) Judgment on Pharaoh & Egypt for their injustice against the Israelites 2.) Showing God’s saving power to Israel with miraculous mercy during them 3.) God revealing Himself to Egypt and the entire Earth by these “wonders”

Exodus 9: 15-17 15 “By now I could have stretched out My Hand and struck you and your people with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth. 16 But I have raised you up (or spared you) for this very purpose, that I might show you My power and that My Name might be proclaimed in all the earth. 17 You still set yourself against my people and will not let them go.”

Exodus 34: 6-7 6 And God passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; He punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”

Exodus 4: 21-23 21 The Lord said to Moses, “When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. 22 Then say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son, 23 and I told you, “Let my son go, so he may worship me.” But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.’”

Exodus 12: 1-32 Belief Blood Bread

Moses and the Israelites chose to believe God and obeyed Unlike Pharaoh, Moses and the Israelites chose to believe God and obeyed His instructions for the Passover preparations… no matter how odd they may have seemed to them.

This pattern recurred throughout all The first function of the blood in the Passover was to serve as a “sign,” distinguishing the people of Israel from the Egyptians. This pattern recurred throughout all of the plagues.

The second function of the blood in the Passover was to serve as a “substitute.” God was teaching Israel, through the lamb, a lesson in substitutionary atonement… that sin’s high cost is always death.

so He decreed it to be an annual event for the Jews: God desired for future generations to remember and celebrate the freedom that He provided His people… so He decreed it to be an annual event for the Jews: “Feast of Unleavened Bread” By taking this meal together, it is hoped that all will find freedom again from whatever may have them in bondage.

that you were redeemed from the 1 Peter 1: 18-19, 21 18 “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect… 21 Through Him you believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.”

1 Corinthians 5: 7-8 7 “Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”

into the wilderness when we honestly admit that life is a bloody mess, “We begin our journey into the wilderness when we honestly admit that life is a bloody mess, when we confess our powerlessness to defeat the enslavements of our lives. It’s an exit strategy that defies conventional wisdom and quick fixes. But it’s crucial for our successful navigation through the wilderness ahead.” - Chuck DeGroat, “Leaving Egypt”