The Final Plague Comes

"He smote all the first-born in Egypt." Psalm 78:51

Nine sad plagues had come upon the Egyptians - the blood for water, frogs, lice, flies, the cattle's death, the boils, the hail, locusts and darkness. But there was one plague more, the last and the worst. This would make the Egyptians let the people of Israel go, so they had to be ready. 

It would be a horrible night. God told Moses that His angel would pass over the whole land of Egypt that night and in each house the oldest son would die. No one would be spared, from Pharaoh's palace to the poorest home in the city. Because they had killed the Israelite's children, God was going to take theirs. 

The people of Israel had to do something to protect their homes so the angel would pass over them. God told Moses to have the Israelite families eat a lamb for supper that night. They needed to take some of the blood from the lamb and make a mark on the doorpost outside. When the angel saw the mark he would pass over the house and no one would die. If they would do this, God would bless them and set them free.

The people believed God and they obeyed him.

QUESTIONS

1. How many plagues of Egypt were there?

2. Can you repeat them?

3. What were they all for ?

4. Who would not let them go ?

5. What was the last plague?

6. Who were to die?

7. Why were the Egyptians going to lose their children?

8. Who would slay them?

9. Whom would the angel spare?

10. How were the Israelites to mark their houses?

11. With what blood?

12. What were they to do with the lamb ?

Plagues of Locusts and Darkness

"The Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go." Exodus 10:20

Pharaoh and the people of Egypt had not learned from the earlier plagues and warnings. Seven plagues had already passed, but the king wouldn't release the people. So God sent a plague of locusts. 

Locusts are like large grasshoppers. They came to Egypt in a swarm and ate every green leaf and blade of grass. The earth was bare and the trees were dry sticks. There wasn't anything left to eat.

Pharaoh then told Moses that the men could leave, but the women and children had to stay. Then he had Moses and Aaron thrown out of his palace. 

God told Moses to hold his hand up to heaven. When he did, darkness fell over Egypt. It was so dark no fire or candle could give light. People said it could "be felt." No one moved around in the city for three days. But where the children of Israel were camped, the sun rose and set as usual. In this way God showed Egypt that the Israelites were his people. 

Pharaoh changed his mind again and set all the people could go but they had to leave their cattle behind. Moses told him, no, the cattle must come too. Pharaoh's heart grew hard again and he made Moses leave the palace again, swearing that Moses would never see his face again. 

Moses told him, "You've spoken the truth. I won't see your face again."

This ended the last hope for Pharaoh. He wouldn't have another chance to obey God. Let's be careful to not be like him. 

QUESTIONS

1. How many plagues of Egypt were there ?

2. Which plagues already happened?

3. What are the two plagues in this lesson?

4. What are locusts?

5. What harm do locusts do?

6. Who did Pharaoh say could go?

7. Whom would he not let go ?

8. What plague came then ?

9. What made the darkness so horrible?

10. How long did it last ?

11. Who were not in the dark?

12. What did Pharaoh say then?

13. What did he want to keep back?

14. And how did he then change ?

15. What did he say to Moses?

16. How did Moses answer?

More Plagues On Egypt

"There is none like me in all the earth." Exodus 9:14

God spoke to Moses from a burning bush and told him to lead the children of Israel away from the people in Egypt who were cruel to them. 

But the king of Egypt, called Pharaoh, wouldn't let them go. God sent plagues to them as a message and punishment, but Pharaoh wouldn't change his mind. God sent ten plagues, and you hear about three of them to this day.

First, the sheep and cows that the Egyptians worshiped got sick and died. Then the people got sick and had sores all over their body. Then God sent a terrible storm with thunder and lightning and hail so big it killed anyone in the fields and broke all the tree branches. Pharaoh was frightened at the storm and said the people could go. 

So Moses prayed to God and the storm stopped. When everything was still again, Pharaoh changed his mind and said the people couldn't leave. God continued to be angry at him for this. 

Sometimes we're a little bit like Pharaoh when we say, "No, I won't," when we're asked to do something. Even when we're punished, we stay stubborn and say, "No one will force me to do that!" And we make our hearts hard when we do this. It's sad because this hardness is wrong. It hurts us and it hurts God. 

Pray to God to help you when you feel stubborn and feel your heart harden. Ask him to teach you to obey. And don't forget and do the same thing again when the punishment is over, or it will have done you no good and you will have to be punished again. 

QUESTIONS

1. What did God want Pharaoh to do?

2. Who spoke God's words to Pharaoh ?

3. But what did Pharaoh say ?

4. Who was Pharaoh?

5. Who was Moses?

6. What was done to Pharaoh ?

7. Did he mind ?

8. Tell me the three plagues we hear of today.

9. How many plagues were there in all ?

10. What happened in the thunderstorm ?

11. What did Pharaoh say when he was frightened?

12. So what stopped?

13. But did he let the people go?

14. What fault in us is the same as Pharaoh's?

15. What should we do?

16. Who can help us to fight with their obstinate temper?

17. But how must we get God's help?