God in whom all is, was and will ever be Yahweh (The Great I AM). There is no other God. That is the first and foremost idea one must know and cling to before anything else in this world or the gospel message can make sense. Yahweh is the one true God. That is evident as we now enter the second book of the Torah.
The Torah includes the first five books of the Bible. Written by God with Moses His instrument, the Torah is the foundation of God’s revelation of Himself. Everything else in our faith hinges on knowing there is only one True God. He is the author of our moral compass. He gave us the ability to reason and to choose. Built within each of us is a desire for justice, even when we do not understand how or why. Science could not create that from mere chemical reactions. From the beginning of Exodus 1 and throughout the plagues, one can see Justice, Kindness, bravery, and the infallible truth of One True God shown clearly in every verse.
The One Desire of the One True God
God, from the beginning, had one desire. That His Glory, all of it, be known and experienced by His creation. Yet, repeatedly it was necessary to cleanse the earth from the evil ideologies and to make Himself known to all nations. But along with reasoning and choice, the human race would always attempt to create a society outside of God. Oh, they would create many gods to worship; but these gods could never fulfill humanity’s needs. Broken and desperate, a chasm lay between humanity and God. A chasm that could only be bridged by God Alone. With sin’s presence in the heart of men, some would choose power, money, fame, and earthly pleasures which demanded the worship different gods. After all, the one true God might demand too much and spoil their fun. They choose to deny the truth that God is the only source of Spiritual life and true joy.
Exodus 1: Justice, Kindness, Bravery and One True God Shown Forth
All the descendants of Jacob were seventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt. 6 Then Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. 7 But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them. Exodus 1: 5-7 (ESV)
This was God’s blessings on the people. They grew strong and multiplied. Instead of considering that perhaps their God was powerful, hence someone worthy to worship the new King of Egypt chose to fear their power. So, he ordered that taskmasters be set over them and oppress them. Yet, the more labor he placed on the people of Israel, the more they flourished.
So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves 14 and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves. Exodus 1: 13-14 (ESV).
But, that wasn’t working. They still flourished physically and emotionally. Next he decided to tell the Egyptian midwives who cared for the Hebrew women to kill every male born. A dual plan most likely to weaken the race both by reducing the males and then intermarriages would more likely result in the nation no longer existing as Israel. The two midwives were named Shiphrah and Puah. Note that their names are preserved by God, but the king is only known as king.
Justice, Kindness, Bravery rewarded
17 But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live. 18 So the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and let the male children live?” 19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.” 20 So God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very strong. 21 And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families.
These Egyptian midwives showed great bravery in defying their king because they feared God. And they were rewarded. But they were two of several women God used to perform His will.
Then Pharaoh commanded all the people to cast every Hebrew son into the Nile River to die.
Yet, Moses’s mother hid him for three months. Then, she placed him in an ark of bulrushes and placed the basket on the river to float. Note this was the same river being used to kill the Hebrew boys. Then, she sent his sister to follow and watch. Quite brave.
5 Then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river. And her maidens walked along the riverside; and when she saw the ark among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it. 6 And when she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby wept. So she had compassion on him, and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.” Exodus 2: 5-6 (ESV)
Although Egyptian, the daughter of Pharoah obviously had a different idea about the world, justice and kindness. Therefore, she showed bravery in going against the king’s edict. Either that or just an act of rebellion against her father.
An Internal Compass of Justice, Kindness, Bravery in Moses
We are not told all of how Moses was raised. He was nursed by his mother and taught for most likely three years. Then he was raised in Pharaohs court where he learned much about reading, writing, and history. Yet, remember, his adoptive mother also had acted with presumably a deep sense of justice and kindness by rescuing this Hebrew baby. After all, enough so to show such bravery in saving him. At any rate, he also developed a deep sense of justice within him. We know this by three incidences in his early life.
#1 Egyptian beating a Hebrew
11 One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people.[c] 12 He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. Exodus 2: 11-12
#2 Hebrew beating a Hebrew
13 When he went out the next day, behold, two Hebrews were struggling together. And he said to the man in the wrong, “Why do you strike your companion?” 14 He answered, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid, and thought, “Surely the thing is known.” 15 When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian. And he sat down by a well.
#3 Philistine Shepherds Harassing Women
16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came and drew water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. 17 The shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and saved them, and watered their flock.
God’s Time For the Next Step.
23 During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. 24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 God saw the people of Israel—and God knew. Exodus 2: (ESV)
Now, does anyone believe that God had forgotten and then suddenly remembered? No, of course not. He had been preparing the stage all the time; but the people had forgotten. When the Bible says then God remembered, it is merely pointing out that God is now ready for the next step. He had predicted their enslavement long before and had said what would happen. Just now, when they were ready to call on Him, now it is time. Until then, there was no indication that they even wanted Him to intervene.
The Burning Bush and a Hesitant Prophet
By now Moses was content with his life. No worries and no fear of the Egyptians coming after him. Life was comfortable. Then God showed up in a burning bush. Never again was life going to be comfortable.
When God called to him from the bush, Moses responded with “Here I am”. That was before he knew the task.
4 Objections to the Plan
- Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” Exodus 3: 11
Remember God, Pharoah kind of wants me dead?
- Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14 And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ” Exodus 3 13-14
And who shall I say sent me? Remember, I have been gone a long time and I did not leave on good terms. The Israelite people hate me as much as Pharoah hates me.
- Then Moses answered and said, “But suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice; suppose they say, ‘The Lord has not appeared to you.’ ”2 So the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A rod.”
In other words, remember I grew up in Pharoah’s house. They won’t believe YOU sent ME. But then God gives him signs to use so they might believe and signs that would be presented before Pharoah as well.
- Then Moses said to the Lord, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.”
Just Do It
When none of the excuses worked and God pretty much said, “JUST GO AND DO IT”, Moses conceded. God did promise to send his brother Aaron to help him.
Moses did as he was instructed. On the way though, it was his wife who circumcised their son when she realized Moses had not fulfilled this act in obedience to God which could cost her son’s life.
Finally, Moses arrives and goes before Pharaoh. Although Pharaoh did not kill Moses, neither does Pharaoh let the people go forth to worship God in the desert as requested by Moses.
Therefore, God sent 10 plagues. Each plague was designed to prove the gods of Egypt were powerless before the One True God. After each plague pharaoh would say he was going to let the people go. However, as soon as God removed the plague, Pharaoh would renege on the agreement, harden his heart, and make the lives of the Israeli people worse than before.
Justice, Kindness, Bravery, and the One True God Made Known
Several times it says, God hardened the heart of pharaoh. This terminology is best explained as, God allowed the pharaoh to fulfill his own human desire which does harden his heart against God. God allowed Pharoah without interference to make those choices. Therefore, it was not God who hardened Pharoah’s heart. Merely God did not soften Pharoah’s heart, but allowed Pharoah the right to choose and then be strengthened in his own false convictions.
Each Plague was to Prove God Stronger than any Egyptian God and Justice for all the Hebrew Babies Drowned in the River. There is no other God beside Him. All the Egyptian gods were helpless next to the One True God.
The List of Plagues[1]-Proof of Only One True God
- The water of the Nile was turned to Blood: Exodus7:14-25. The gods judged: Hapi: the God of annual flooding; Osirus: The Nile River was his bloodstream.
- Frogs: Exodus 8:1-15. The gods judged: Hapi and Hegt who had the head of a frog and were related to fertility: Hegt was a goddess.
- Lice: These were tiny, stinging, blood sucking gnats. Exodus 8:16 -18. The God judged: Seb: the earth god.
- Flies that came in swarms: Exodus 8:20-32. The gods judged: Hathor: the goddess of protection; Vatchi: fly God.
- Livestock die: Exodus 9:1-7. The God judged: Apis: the bull god.
- Boils on the body: Exodus 9:8-12. The God judged: Sekhmet: goddess of epidemics.
- Hail and Fire: Exodus 9:13-15. The gods judged: Nut; the sky goddess; Seth: God of storms; Shu: God of the atmosphere.
- Locusts: Exodus 10:1-20. The gods judged: Siris: God of crops; Serapia: protector of crops.
- Darkness: Exodus 10:21-29. The God judged: Ra: the sun god who was the most worshipped God in Egypt.
- Death of the First Born: Exodus 11:1-12:36. The God judged: Heget: goddess of birth; Min; the God of reproduction. Deliverance from death was only thru the offering of the Passover lamb. As a result of the plagues both Pharaoh and the Egyptians beg Moses and Israel to leave Egypt. God fulfilled His promise to free Israel.
Final Thoughts
God is Amazing. Every detail of each plague was to prove Himself to be the One True God. This was an act of kindness to witness His power not only to the Israelites; but also to the Egyptians. All who would choose to worship Him as the one True God that He is, could follow Him. Some of the Egyptians even went with the people during the Exodus. (Numbers 11:4 speaks of the mixed multitude).
God has proven Himself over and over to the world. Yet so often they choose to ignore Him. We, who know Him must continue to shout of His Glory to all the world. We are to speak of Justice, Kindness, Bravery and the One True God who sent His Son to pay the price for our sin. Shout it from the mountaintops, Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father, except through Him. Salvation is through Jesus Christ and Him alone. There is no other way.
DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.
Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.
For Prayer or Comments
If you have a prayer request feel free to email me by clicking here
Furthermore, if you would like to share your story or thoughts, you can comment here
Previously
DISCLOSURES
©Effie Darlene Barba, 2023
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
Credits
New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Photo licensed through Goodsalt.com
[1] Dr. Gary Baker, God’s Supremacy Over the False Egyptian gods, The Paso Robles Press, https://pasoroblespress.com/commentary/gods-supremacy-over-the-false-gods-of-egypt-displayed-thru-the-10-plagues-by-dr-gary-barker/ accessed 2/4/2023