This must be it, right? God is really going to give that mean old Pharaoh what for. What’s he going to do?
Person, I’m listening. I can’t wait for God to give Pharaoh what for. So what did he do?
Moses went back to Pharaoh again and once more told him that God said to “Let my people go.” But Pharaoh still wouldn’t listen.
So what did God do?
No way! That’s not fair. God put a plague on the animals and all of the Egyptians horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, sheep, and goats died. Person, I don’t like that plague at all.
But none of the Israelites animals died? Okay, I think I’ll go hang out with those sheepdogs that belong to the Israelites.
But Pharaoh still wouldn’t let the Israelites go? I don’t believe it. He should be very upset about losing his animals.
I’m listening, person.
The Lord told Moses and Aaron to take handfuls of soot from a furnace and have Moses toss it into the air in front of Pharaoh. God would make the soot turn into fine dust all over the land and cause festering boils to break out on men and animals.
When Moses did this even those pesky magicians couldn’t stand before Moses because of the boils. But Pharaoh still wouldn’t listen.
Maybe Pharaoh wants God to turn him into a punching bag.
I am listening. What happens next?
God told Moses to tell Pharaoh that He could strike him and his people with a plague that would wipe them off the face of the earth, but He wanted to show His power so that His name might be proclaimed in all the earth. So this time God warned Pharaoh to have everyone bring their livestock and everything they had in the field to a place of shelter, because He was going to send the nastiest hail storm they’d ever seen. Some people feared the word of the Lord and did what He said, but others ignored Him. The hail came down and destroyed everything except the crops that hadn’t yet come up. But there was no hail where the Israelites lived. Pharaoh asked Moses to stop the hail and then he still wouldn’t let the Israelites go.
Person, do I have to give Pharaoh what for myself? Nothing God does is getting to him.
Okay, I’ll listen. But Pharaoh better let those Israelites go soon.
God sent Moses to tell Pharaoh that if he still wouldn’t let his people go He would send locusts that would eat everything the hail hadn’t destroyed. Pharaoh’s officials had had enough and they told Pharaoh to do what Moses asked.
Pharaoh told Moses that he would let the men go worship God, but the women and children would have to stay. That wasn’t good enough so Moses stretched his hand out over Egypt and the Lord sent a wind that blew in so many locusts that the ground was black, and they ate everything. Pharaoh asked Moses to take the locusts away so God sent a wind that blew every one of them away.
Hey, I bet those locusts would have been tasty treats.
Person, Pharaoh won’t listen. Why should I listen?
What? A plague might come on me? Okay, I’m listening. I’m listening.
This time the Lord told Moses to stretch out his hand to the sky so that darkness would spread over Egypt – darkness that could be felt. And it was dark for three days. No one could see anybody else, or leave his place. But there was light where the Israelites lived.
And Pharaoh told Moses that his people – even the women and children – could leave to worship the Lord. But they had to leave their flocks and herds behind.
Moses told Pharaoh they needed some of the livestock for worshipping the Lord, and until they got there they wouldn’t know which ones.
And God hardened Pharaoh’s heart again and he told Moses to get out of his sight and not to come back. He said the day Moses saw his face again he would die.
Hey person, I bet God is going to give Pharaoh a really serious what for, but I think Pharaoh is in the dark about this.