Chapter 2: The Plagues of Egypt: Destroying Unbelief

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom…” (Proverbs 9:10)

We are living in a time of alarming complacency—where grace is misunderstood, sin is tolerated, and the urgency to be ready for the Lord’s coming has all but disappeared from the hearts of many. But God has not changed. He is the same holy, righteous, and just God who once judged the mighty empire of Egypt with a series of plagues so devastating that they shattered the economy, crippled the people, and brought even Pharaoh to his knees. This lesson calls us to awaken from spiritual slumber. The same God who poured out His wrath in Egypt will once again pour out judgment upon the earth—this time not in one nation, but globally, through the trumpet and vial judgments described in the Book of Revelation. These are not symbolic warnings—they are coming realities. And just as God made a distinction between Egypt and Israel, so too will He distinguish between the righteous and the wicked in the day of His wrath.

Let us revisit these ancient judgments, not as distant Sunday school stories, but as a living warning—a schoolmaster to confront our unbelief, correct our hearts, and prepare us for the days ahead. For if we refuse to yield, the consequences will be no different: destruction, devastation, and eternal separation from God. This is the time to fear the Lord and be found in obedience.

LEARNING FROM THE SCHOOLMASTER: The Ten Plagues of Egypt in Chronological Order FIRST PLAGUE: Water to Blood for 7 Days

Exodus 7:19-21, 24-25

19 And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water, that they may become blood; and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone.

20 And Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood.

21 And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.

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24 And all the Egyptians digged round about the river for water to drink; for they could not drink of the water of the river.

25 And seven days were fulfilled, after that the LORD had smitten the river.

DEVASTATION: All water sources became blood, fish died, the river stank, and the Egyptians had no water to drink except what they dug from around the river.

SECOND PLAGUE: Frogs

Exodus 8:2-8

2 And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs:

3 And the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into thine house, and into thy bedchamber, and upon thy bed, and into the house of thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thine ovens, and into thy kneadingtroughs:

4 And the frogs shall come up both on thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants.

5 And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch forth thine hand with thy rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt.

6 And Aaron stretched out his hand over the

Exodus 8:16-19

16 And the LORD said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.

17 And they did so; for Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man, and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.

18 And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: so there were lice upon THIRD PLAGUE: Lice (or Gnats) waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt.

7 And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt.

8 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, Intreat the LORD, that he may take away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may do sacrifice unto the LORD.

Note here that the magicians were able to also bring frogs up onto the land. However, they were not able to get them to leave the land. Therefore, Pharaoh was forced to ask Moses to entreat God on their behalf, promising to release the Children of Israel.

Exodus 8:13-15

13 And the LORD did according to the word of Moses; and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the villages, and out of the fields.

14 And they gathered them together upon heaps: and the land stank.

15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.

DEVASTATION: Frogs invaded homes, bedrooms, beds, houses of servants, ovens, and kneading bowls. After they died, the land stank from their rotting bodies.

man, and upon beast.

19 Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.

DEVASTATION: Lice infested all people and animals throughout Egypt. Even the Egyptian magicians acknowledged it as the finger of God.

Exodus 8:20-23

20 And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh; lo, he cometh forth to the water; and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me.

21 Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are.

22 And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there; to the end thou mayest know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth.

23 And I will put a division between my people and thy people: to morrow shall this sign be.

DEVASTATION: Swarms of flies filled the Egyptians’ houses and corrupted the land. For the first time, God distinguished between Egyptians and Israelites, protecting the land of Goshen.

FOURTH PLAGUE: Flies

FIFTH PLAGUE: Livestock Disease

Exodus 9:1-7

1 Then the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh, and tell him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.

2 For if thou refuse to let them go, and wilt hold them still,

3 Behold, the hand of the LORD is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep: there shall be a very grievous murrain.

4 And the LORD shall sever between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt: and there shall nothing die of all that is the children’s of Israel.

5 And the LORD appointed a set time, saying, To morrow the LORD shall do this thing in the land.

6 And the LORD did that thing on the morrow, and all the cattle of Egypt died: but of the cattle of the children of Israel died not one.

7 And Pharaoh sent, and, behold, there was not one of the cattle of the Israelites dead. And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go.

DEVASTATION: Severe disease killed Egyptian livestock including horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, and sheep, while Israelite animals were unharmed.

SIXTH PLAGUE: Boils

Exodus 9:10-12

10 And they took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward heaven; and it became a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast.

11 And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boil was upon the magicians, and upon all the Egyptians.

12 And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had spoken unto Moses.

DEVASTATION: Painful boils with running pulse (blains), broke out on all Egyptians and their remaining animals. Even the magicians couldn’t stand before Moses because of their boils.

SEVENTH PLAGUE: Hail

Exodus 9:15-26

15 For now I will stretch out my hand, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence; and thou shalt be cut off from the earth.

16 And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.

17 As yet exaltest thou thyself against my people, that thou wilt not let them go?

18 Behold, to morrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even until now.

19 Send therefore now, and gather thy cattle, and all that thou hast in the field; for upon every man and beast which shall be found in the field, and shall not be brought home, the hail shall come down upon them, and they shall die.

20 He that feared the word of the LORD among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses:

21 And he that regarded not the word of the LORD left his servants and his cattle in the field.

22 And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch forth thine hand toward heaven, that there may

EIGHTH PLAGUE: Locusts

Exodus 10:3-6, 12-15

3 And Moses and Aaron came in unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? let my people go, that they may serve me.

4 Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast:

5 And they shall cover the face of the earth, that one cannot be able to see the earth: and they shall eat the residue of that which is escaped, which remaineth unto you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which groweth for you out of the field:

6 And they shall fill thy houses, and the houses of all thy servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; which neither thy fathers, nor thy fathers’ fathers have seen, since the day that they were upon the earth unto this day. And he be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.

23 And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the LORD rained hail upon the land of Egypt.

24 So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.

25 And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field.

26 Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, was there no hail. DEVASTATION: Severe hail mixed with fire struck down everything in the fields— people, animals, plants, and trees. The flax and barley crops were destroyed. Only Goshen was spared.

turned himself, and went out from Pharaoh.

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12 And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail hath left.

13 And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts.

14 And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the coasts of Egypt: very grievous were they; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such.

15 For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt.

DEVASTATION: Locusts covered the face of the land, darkening it. They ate everything that survived the hail—all remaining vegetation, fruit, and trees. Even Pharaoh’s officials acknowledged that Egypt was destroyed.

NINTH PLAGUE: Darkness

Exodus 10:21-23, 27-29

21 And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.

22 And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days:

23 They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.

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27 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go.

28 And Pharaoh said unto him, Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die.

29 And Moses said, Thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face again no more. DEVASTATION: Total darkness covered Egypt for three days—so thick it could be felt. Egyptians couldn’t see each other or leave their places, while Israelites had light in their dwellings.

TENTH PLAGUE: Death of the Firstborn

Exodus 11:4-7

4 And Moses said, Thus saith the LORD, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt:

5 And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts.

6 And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more.

7 But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how that the LORD doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.

Exodus 12:29-30, 33

29 And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle.

30 And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead. …

33 And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We be all dead men.

DEVASTATION: Every Egyptian firstborn died, from Pharaoh’s son to the prisoner’s son, and all firstborn livestock. The Egyptians wailed in grief as there was not a house where there was not one dead. This final plague broke Pharaoh’s resistance, and he urgently sent the Israelites away.

The plagues of Egypt were not random acts of divine anger—they were strategic strikes against a hardened heart and a rebellious nation. Each plague tore down the idols Egypt trusted in—its river, land, animals, magic, and pride. The goal was simple: to destroy unbelief and glorify God’s name in the earth.

The coming trumpet and vial judgments will do the same on a global scale. And if the people of God do not humble themselves now—if we allow sin, selfishness, and distraction to blind us—we may find ourselves among those who perish when God’s hand moves again.

CONCLUSION

But this need not be our story. Goshen was spared because God’s people were set apart. The Israelites were covered by the blood of the lamb. So it shall be again—those who are hidden in Christ will be preserved, even as the earth trembles under judgment.

The time for playing church is over. The time to fear the Lord is now. He is coming; and His reward—and His wrath—is with Him.

“Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy…” (Revelation 15:4)

Let us repent. Let us obey. And let us fear the Lord, not just with words, but with lives that are surrendered and holy.

THE DAY OF THE LORD: AN AWESOME REALITY