This is an excerpt from a chapter in our history curriculum. I had only thought of the plagues on Egypt as judgement before, but there was a connection to their daily life! So cool that God deconstructs each of our idols one by one, making us ever more aware of WHO HE IS! Oh that my heart be more pliable than Pharaoh's!!! (and so cool for the kids to see the connection at such early ages!)
"...God then revealed that Pharaoh would certainly let Israel go, but not willingly; so that it would be necessary for God to judge Egypt with ten terrible plagues. Then Pharaoh and all Egypt would know that the God of the Hebrews is God, the Lord; and that their own gods were no gods at all.
Moses, in the presence of Pharaoh, stretched out his staff over the Nile River, which the Egyptians worshipped as the god of life; and the water became blood in all the lakes and streams of Egypt. Even the water in the jars in the homes became blood, and every fish died, and the river stank; thus God judged the Nile. But in Goshen, where the Hebrews dwelt, the water remained pure.
But as Pharaoh did not let Israel go, next and unnatural force of frogs rose up out of all the rivers in Egypt, and went everywhere, even in the houses and the ovens of the Egyptians. Now Frogs were worshipped as the goddess of the land, and so sacred did the Egyptians hold them, that to kill one was punishable by death.
Even though Pharaoh entreated Moses to remove the frogs from the land, he did not let Israel go. Thus gnats and lice descended upon them, and covered every man, and every beast; for gnats were the symbol of the god of the earth, thus God judged him to be no god at all. Now as Pharaoh's magicians could not duplicate this miracle, they said to him, 'This is the finger of God!' But Pharaoh would not let Israel go.
Then such a large swarm of flies descended on Egypt , that every person, beast, building, and inch of land was covered with them; thus god judged the scarab beetle, who was the god of the insects and sacred to the sun god Amon. But in the land of Goshen, there were no gnats, no lice, and no flies.
Then Pharaoh assured Moses that he would certainly let Israel go. But as soon as the flies were gone, he did not keep his promise, nor did he let Israel go. Thus a horrible disease descended on the livestock of the Egyptian: and all cattle, horses, donkeys, camels, oxen, goats, and sheep that were in the fields, died in a single day. For the Egyptians worshipped the bull and cow as a god and goddess, which even had their own city and temple sacred to them; thus God judged these false gods.
Now Pharaoh sent to Goshen, to see how the livestock of the Hebrews fared; but when it was told to him that not a single calf of the Hebrews was even sick, he still hardened his heart, and would not let Israel go.
Next boils erupted on man and beast, to judge the god of wisdom and medicine; but Pharaoh would not let Israel go. Then Moses warned the people that a great hail was coming; and those who heeded the Lord left no man or animal out in the field; but those who did not heed the Lord, remained in the fields, and they died because of the severity of the hail. Thus God judged the sky goddess of the Egyptians.
But as Pharaoh would not let Israel go, a plague of locusts enveloped the land, and every green plant, which the hail had not destroyed, was consumed. Thus God judged the false gods who were to protect the crops. But in Goshen, there were no boils, or hail, or even a single locust.
Then God judged the sun god, Amon, for He brought a thick darkness over all the land of Egypt for three days. But in Goshen there was sunlight as usual. Pharaoh was so angered at Moses for all these plagues, that he sent him from his presence, and moreover said to him that in the day that Moses saw Pharaoh's face again, Moses would surely die. So after warning Pharaoh of the terrible final plague yet to come, Moses left Pharaoh, and did not see his face again. Yet Pharaoh did not let Israel go."
(Taken from The Story of the Ancient World, chapter 42, by Christine Miller)
