Focus: - [[Exodus 7]]:8 to [[Exodus 8]]:19 # Opening framing Goal: demonstrating that the goal of the plagues is revealing who [[Yahweh]] is - [ ] Recap: What happened the last time [[Moses]] spoke with [[Pharaoh]] (in [[Exodus 5]]:2)? - "Who is this [[Yahweh]]"? - [ ] Just looking at headers, what major events are covered in this section? - snake staff, blood plague, frog plague, gnats plague - at this point bring out a3 paper to table these (begin blank, and explain that we will fill in as group) | Event | Outcome for [[Egypt]] | What we learn about [[Yahweh]] | References | | ------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Snake Staff | -- | [[God]] has more power than [[Egypt]] | [[Exodus 4]] -- [[Israel]]ites see and believe | | Blood Plague | Dead fish, undrinkable water. Can be recreated | "know that I am [[Yahweh]]" (7:17) by seeing powers unique to creator in action | - staff was sign of power in last event; now staff strikes [[Nile]] to begin plague<br>- [[Genesis 1]]: separating waters from land and filling with life | | Frog Plague | - Frogs across [[Egypt]], later die and smell bad. Can be recreated<br>- [[Pharaoh]] actually asks for help and appears to relent until he doesn't | "know that there is no one like [[Yahweh]]" (8:10) | - [[Genesis 1]]: filling earth with life<br>- acknowledging [[Pharaoh]] unlike [[Exodus 5]]:2 | | Gnats Plague | - gnats on everyone | "this is the finger of [[God]]!" -- he is more powerful than earthly conception | [[Genesis 2]]: creating man from dust | - [ ] But first: why does [[God]] even need to bother with all these plagues? Why not teleport everyone out? - emancipation is not only goal; - revealing himself and unique power and judging the [[Egypt]]ians - [[Yahweh]] is showing us who he is ([[Exodus 7]]:5) # [[Exodus 7]]:8-13 The snake - [ ] How is this event different from the rest in this section? (outcome) - Not a plague; no harm to the [[Egypt]]ians - [ ] Who else has seen this miracle? What happened there? (reference) - End of [[Exodus 4]] -- [[Israel]]ites believed - [ ] Why do you think [[Pharaoh]] wasn't swayed? (outcome) - magicians can replicate it - heart hardened - [ ] What do learn about [[Yahweh]] from this? (learn) - [[God]] has more power than [[Egypt]] # [[Exodus 7]]:14-25 Blood plague - [ ] What are the concrete effects on [[Egypt]] in this plague? (outcome) - dead fish, stench, undrinkable water, widespread suffering - [ ] How is it that "By this you will know that I am the [[Lord]]" ([[Exodus 7]]:17) (learn, reference) - creator-level authority over life/death; judgement plus self-revelation - promise keeping [[Exodus 7]]:5 (knowing [[Yahweh]]) - reference creation in [[Genesis 1]] on waters/life # [[Exodus 8]]:1-15 Frog plague - [ ] What happens to [[Egypt]] during and after this plague? (outcome) - frogs everywhere, then piles of dead frogs and stench; temporary relief changes nothing - [ ] What happens differently in this plague compared to the previous one? How does this compare to how [[Pharaoh]] used to act? (outcome, reference) - [[Pharaoh]] asks [[Moses]] to plead with [[Yahweh]] to undo the plague - compare [[Exodus 5]]:2 "who is this [[Yahweh]]"? - [ ] How exactly does this show us who [[Yahweh]] is? (reference, learn) - "there is no one like [[Yahweh]]" ([[Exodus 8]]:10) - echo of [[Genesis 1]] creation of abundance of life # [[Exodus 8]]:16-19 Gnats plague - [ ] What happens in this plague? What's different from the previous two? (outcome) - gnats on people/animals - magicians fail publicly and confess "finger of [[God]]" ([[Exodus 8]]:10) -- What's the significance? - beginning of people outside [[Israel]] recognizing [[Yahweh]] - [ ] Besides not knowing how their magic worked, why do you think the magicians were able to emulate the frog plague but not this one? (reference) - not just raining frogs; turning dust into life - echoing [[Genesis 2]] forming life from dust - [ ] So what have we learned about [[Yahweh]] from this? (learn) - his power is categorically greater than humans no matter how powerful the humans may seem - [[Exodus 8]]:19 "just as the [[Lord]] had predicted" # Application and prayer - [ ] Are these plagues a success or failure? Why? - not failure; goal is to show who [[Yahweh]] is and these do a good job - [ ] How exactly have these plagues demonstrated that there is no one like [[Yahweh]]? Why is that important? - unique creator abilities - [ ] How does this passage help us when the world rejects [[God]], like [[Pharaoh]] did?