Hi. Welcome to Redeem the Commute. I’m Ryan, your host of the daily challenges. Today is Tuesday, the day we study the Bible together. This week we’re going to study Exodus 7-10, the Plagues of Egypt.  Read it all if you can, but we’ll summarize it today.

This happened after Joseph’s time, when his important role in Egypt had been forgotten by a new Pharaoh.  His family suffered, and had become slaves.  This was a sorry fate for God’s supposedly chosen people, as the nation of Israel or descendants of Jacob.  We met Moses last week, a member of this family to whom God had given a special task when he spoke to him from a burning bush.  He was supposed to lead the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt, and although it sounded impossible, God had a plan:

And the LORD said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall tell Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go out of his land. But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and bring my hosts, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment. The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them.” Moses and Aaron did so; they did just as the LORD commanded them. (Exodus 7:1-6 ESV)

What followed were nine plagues in rapid succession, and then a tenth one that’s so important we’ll save it for the next two weeks.  Moses & his brother Aaron keep intercepting Pharaoh, warning him what God will do, and then they follow God’s instructions to make it happen.  Each time Pharaoh begs them to stop, but then changes his mind and refuses to let them go anyway, bringing on another plague.

The plagues were:

  • River – The River Nile turning to blood.
  • Frogs – Everywhere!
  • Lice – Gnats or other bugs.
  • Flies – More bugs!
  • Pestilence – Livestock affected
  • Boils – Humans and animals
  • Hail – People and animals start dying
  • Locusts – Consume the crops
  • Darkness – An eerie darkness descends.

Question: How do you think the people would have reacted?  How would Pharaoh react?  What plague scares you most?

  • You can [permalink append=”#comments”]Discuss the Challenge[/permalink] online, or by starting a local discussion group!
  • Are you meeting just once a week with your discussion group?  You can find all of this week’s discussion material in our Weekly Study Guide