The Bible recounts the remarkable story of the exodus of the Israelites and the 10 plagues of Egypt. Many of us might wonder why it was these 10 specific plagues that were chosen. How do they relate to God’s declaration that “the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD”? Research from scholars and archaeologists indicates that these plagues were not randomly selected by God. Each plague corresponded to an Egyptian god. By rendering the Egyptians powerless as they witnessed the plagues unfold one by one, God demonstrated that He alone is the one true God, the Almighty, unlike any of the Egyptian gods. Let’s explore the connection between each of the 10 plagues and the corresponding Egyptian gods!
The Egyptians worshipped Hapi, god of the Nile. They thought that Hapi had power over the water, but God turned the water into blood, proving that He is the One with power over the water.
The Egyptians worshipped Heket, a frog-headed goddess, representing growth and fertility. They thought that Heket had power over aquatic animals, but God caused the frogs to appear everywhere, even in the palace, proving that He is the one with power over the frogs.
The Egyptians worshipped Geb, god of the Earth. God created lice out of the dust of the ground to prove that God far surpasses the strength of Geb.
The Egyptians worshipped Khepri, the god of creation with the head of a fly. God used the plague of flies to prove that worshipping Khepri didn’t make sense.
The Egyptians worshipped Hathor, a cow-headed goddess, representing love and protection. Through the plague on livestock, God let them see that He is really the One who has power over all living creatures.
The Egyptians worshipped Isis, goddess of medicine and peace, but their god could not do anything before the plague of boils. That proved that Isis did not exist.
The Egyptians worshipped Nut, goddess of the sky. God made hail fall, demonstrating Nut’s helplessness and proving that God is the true creator and ruler of the sky.
The Egyptians worshipped Seth, god of storms and chaos. The plague of locusts threw everything into chaos. The Egyptians were forced to see that the god Seth that they worshipped had no power at all.
The Egyptians worshipped Ra, god of the Sun. However, according to the ninth plague, God made the Egyptians experience oppressive darkness. So where was Ra?
The Egyptians worshipped Pharaoh as their living god. For the tenth plague, the firstborn sons were killed to prove that God is far superior to Pharaoh, the greatest strength in Egypt. The firstborn son of Pharaoh also died in this plague.
The first nine plagues affected only the Egyptians, sparing the area where the Hebrews lived. However, the tenth plague impacted the entire region, including the Hebrew settlements. God’s people were protected from this plague through the blood of a lamb, which they marked on their doorposts. This event also marks the origin of the Jewish celebration of Passover.
Learn more:
