Moses and The Ten Plagues

One day, when Moses was moving the sheep, he came to Horeb, which was the mountain of God. An angel appeared in the flame of fire in a bush, except the bush wasn’t burning! God called from the bush “Moses, Moses! Take off your shoes because this is holy ground.” You’re the one I want to go before Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses said “Why me and what am I supposed to tell them?” God said “I AM WHO I AM. Tell the people that I AM sent you.”

So, Moses asked “What if they don’t believe me or they won’t listen to me?” God told him to throw down his rod and it turned into a snake… Moses ran from it! When Moses picked it up by the tail, it returned to his rod. God told him “They will believe.” Moses still isn’t sure about it and replies “But God, I really don’t talk very well.” So God, said to go to Aaron, his brother, and he will do the talking and you will show the proof of Me.” So, Moses took his family and returned to Egypt.

 Moses and Aaron went to the Pharaoh. They asked if he would free the Israelites from slavery. The Pharaoh said to show him a miracle, Aaron threw down his rod (walking stick) and it turned into a serpent! Pharaoh called in his magicians and they turned their rods into snakes, too, except Aaron’s snake ate all their snakes.

Now, God sends the 10 plagues to show Pharaoh the power of God. God wants the Pharaoh to free the Israelites. Until the Pharaoh agrees, God will punish the Egyptian people, but not the Israelites. God Turned the Nile River from Water to Blood: all the fish die and there's no water to drink.

After 7 days frogs…everywher e. Pharaoh said, “have your God take them away and I will let the people go.” All the frogs died except for the ones by the river. The Egyptians gathered them all together and made piles of them and it stank! So, the problem was taken care of and Pharaoh changed his mind.

Next, lice on all people and animals. Aaron held out his staff and hit the dirt. It became lice. Pharaoh's magicians couldn't do this too and told the Pharaoh to listen to Moses and Aaron.

 God then sent down swarms of flies. But the Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also, he would still not let the people go.

The fifth plague was when all the Egyptian animals died, but all the Hebrew animals lived.

Next came the boils (which are terrible infections of the skin) on all the people and animals. They took ashes from the furnace and Moses sprinkled it in the air and everyone who had boils!

God sent thunder, hail and fire that ran along the ground after Moses raised up his staff to heaven.

The 8 th plague is locusts. The land was dark with them and they ate EVERYTHING green! The Pharaoh asked for them to be gone, so God made a strong wind and blew them away. But once again, the Pharaoh changed his mind and would not let the Israelites go.

Next, God ordered thick darkness for 3 days. So dark that everyone stayed in their homes!

The final plague was the death of every Egyptian first born child. The Lord appeared that night at midnight and all the Egyptian first born children died, even the firstborn animals. However, the Hebrews were told by God to kill a perfect male lamb and put the blood on the door frame (top & sides) and the Lord would passed over their homes and not kill anyone. This is why Jewish people today celebrate Passover because God passed over their homes and only killed the first born of every Egyptian Family.

After all of the Egyptian’s first born children were killed, the Pharaoh finally decided to let the Israelites go. *Next, read the Exodus story on pgs in your Textbook!