Exodus

Don't shy away from the appearance of contradiction in the Bible. Your opponents will not. In Exodus 9:6, we read that "all" the livestock of Egypt died. But later in this chapter, Yahweh instructs Moses to tell Pharaoh to "bring your livestock and whatever you have in the field to safety." (v19). How could "all" of the livestock have been killed, yet there be livestock needing protection from the coming plague of hail only thirteen verses later? There are several possible explanations, but even one of them eliminates the need for the Bible to be explained as contradicting itself. First, the detailed description of livestock in 9:3 doesn't include one of the most common domesticated animals of the time; the goat. It may be the goats that were referenced for safety in verse 19. Another explanation comes from the fact that we do not know how long there was between the plague in verse six and the plague of hail later in the chapter. Egypt may well have restocked its livestock from its slaves, the Hebrews, whose livestock had not been affected, or they may have purchased their new livestock from another neighbor in the region. A simpler solution could even be in a variant translation for "all" in verse six, as "all kinds" or "all manner" of livestock, indicating a severe pestilence but not total elimination. There are other explanations, but one thing is certain - there is no contradiction. God's purpose persisted beyond all of Egypt's ability to overcome.

Leading to these final exchanges between Moses and Pharaoh, God had not merely been displaying His power and majesty. He had also systematically and methodically been tearing down the logic of Egyptian faith in their gods. Each subsequent plague escalated the erosion of their false religions. While this should have prompted an exodus of all Egyptians, not only the children of Israel, once Moses led them out of slavery, today, people still cling to their beliefs in false gods. God continues to display His majesty such that we do not have any reason to hold on to ridiculous practices that glorify anything except God. "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, both His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse." Romans 1:20. But that is not what we face. We live in a world filled with people committed to loving themselves. Hold fast to the truth. Reflect on the demonstrations God has given us of His majesty, even as He displayed it to those whose hearts remained hardened.

The first series of plagues – THE GROUND.
Blood (7:14-25)
• Hapi, the Egyptian gods of the Nile, a water-bearer.
Frogs (8:1-15)
• Heqet, the Egyptian goddess of fertility, had the head of a frog.
Gnats (8:16-19)
• Set, the earth god, of storms and disorder, over the dust of the earth.

The second series of plagues – THE FLESH.
Flies (8:20-32)
• Vatchi/Khephri/Uatchit, fly god, had the head of a fly.
Dead Livestock (9:1-7)
• Apis, the god of livestock. Bull god, symbol of fertility.
• Hathor, the goddess of love and protection, depicted with the head of a cow.
Boils (9:8-12)
• Sekhmet, goddess of epidemics.
• Sunu, pestilence god.
• Isis, goddess of medicine and peace.

The third series of plagues – THE SKY.
Hail (9:13-35)
• Nut, the sky goddess.
• Shu, the god of the atmosphere.
• Osiris, the god of crops and fertility.
Locusts (10:1-20)
• Osiris, the god of crops and fertility.
• Nut, the sky goddess.
• Serapia, the protector of crops.
Darkness (10:21-29)
• Ra, the god the sun.
• Nut, the sky goddess.

The final judgment – the household of Pharaoh and all of Egypt.
Death of Firstborn (11:1-10)
• Pharaoh, the Ultimate power of Egypt, Ra manifest in the flesh.
• Pharaoh’s son, considered a god.
• Isis, goddess who protected children.
• Heget, the goddess of birth.
• Min, the god of reproduction.

In verse one, the context God delivers to Moses is that when the time comes, The Israelites will need to be prepared to depart in haste. Distinct from the directions in Exodus 3:22, "every woman shall ask of her neighbor and of the woman who lives in her house, for articles of silver and articles of gold...," in verse two, men are also directed to make preparations for this departure with the wealth begotten of the favor the Israelites had with the Egyptians and of Moses' great stature (having parlayed with Pharaoh as an equal). The extent of God's judgment was to be from the highest (Pharaoh, who sits on the throne) to the lowest (the servant-girl behind the millstones). Had Pharaoh heeded the judgments of the initial plagues, God's power would not have been demonstrated. Israel also would not have had the time to prepare for their exodus. By the time of the final plague, it had been approximately twelve months since Moses first returned to Egypt. In the statement of Yahweh yet again hardening Pharaoh's heart (v10), it is tempting to think this would be the last time this would be necessary. But it is God's full glory that must be displayed. There will be one more time. Only in true repentance is God's mercy extended to those He redeems.

In Exodus 12, you get a picture and what we'll eventually see in the Gospels. Beginning in verse two, we read the words, “This month shall be the beginning of months for you.” By the time Christ is ready for the cross, He is already known to His disciples as the Lamb (Jn 1:29). In all four Gospels, the authors give identical accounts of the day on which Christ is crucified. It is at the beginning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, marked on the Jewish calendar in the year 33 AD on the 14th of Nissan. This is the first of eight days in which unleavened bread is to be eaten, which would begin the preparation for the high holy day of Passover. As Luke wrote, “Prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it” (Lk 22:8), and it means just what it says—kill the lamb as Nisan 14 begins and also bake the unleavened bread, so the meal can be eaten. The command Moses delivered from Yahweh to the congregation of Israel (v3) was for each household to take a lamb according to the number of persons in them. “Your lamb shall be a male, without blemish, a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. And you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month, then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall slaughter it at twilight.” (vv5–6). In the first month of the Jewish religious year, Nissan, the Passover lamb is to be killed and eaten as part of a meal that includes unleavened bread. Yahweh commanded in verse 14, “‘Now this day will be a memorial to you, and you shall celebrate it as a feast to Yahweh; throughout your generations you are to celebrate it as a perpetual statute.” This is still known today as the highest Jewish holy day, the Feast of the Unleavened Bread.