Why Did The Plagues Of Egypt Happen?

Why?

As humans, we are quizzical. We like to know why.

Growing up, we have the ‘why threes’ because of all the times we ask why. When we go through hard times, we ask God why. And, many times when reading the Bible, we ask, “Why?”

Why did the plagues of Egypt happen?

One of those questions we like to ask is, “Why did the plagues of Egypt happen?” Why would God want to harm and kill so many people? We like to look at the loving God of the New Testament and disregard the harsh God of the Old Testament, or at least that is how many of us like to interpret His actions. However, what we think is harsh can be beautiful. So stick with me here and found out why the plagues of Egypt needed to happen.

The Israelite people, who were now around two million and counting, were living in the land of Egypt for four hundred years. We read in Genesis they came because of a famine and God had prophesied they would live in a foreign land for four hundred years.

This time had now ended and God was ready to move His people back to the land He promised them. They were living in slavery under Pharoah and God prepared Moses to set them free.

Four hundred years after their arrival in Egypt, a lot had changed for them. This would be the case for any group of people that lived in another culture for that amount of time. When you live among different people, you assimilate into their lifestyle.

We can assume that with each generation that passed, the Israelites lost sight of who their God was. They most likely looked to the eighty plus gods of the Egyptian pantheon. We read of a couple of people who seemed to know God, but mostly, they did not know. Now God is coming to rescue a people that do not know Him.

So The Israelites Would Know

In Exodus 6:7, we read, “I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.” This is the first reason God brought the plagues in Egypt. So the Israelites would know that He is their Lord.

God does not disregard these people that do not know Him, but He reveals a little more about Himself with each plague. If the plagues did not happen, they would have no reason to know God or to worship Him. They would know nothing about His character or His power.

So The Egyptians Would Know

It gets even better. God did not do all of this just for the Israelites, but he also did it for the Egyptians. This may seem odd since it comes across as punishment, but with each plague, God showed He was more powerful than any of their gods. Numbers 33:4 tells us, “for the Lord had brought judgment on their gods.” We find out our second reason in Exodus 7:5, “And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it.”

As the plagues progressed, Pharoah’s magicians tried to replicate the plagues. They succeeded with a few, but acknowledged in Exodus 8:19, “This is the finger of God.” So far, we learn God performed the plagues so that the Israelites would know He was God, so the Egyptians would know He was God, and now we find even the magicians agree this was all from God.

So Moses Would Know

As we move into chapter nine, we find God speaking to Moses. He tells Moses, I could have wiped you all out by now, but I didn’t because, “I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth” (Exodus 9:16 NIV). During all that happened, God still connected with Moses, spoke to him on a personal level, all so Moses would know God.

So The Nations Would Know

We later read in Joshua that God did this so all the other nations would know. Joshua 2:8 and 9 speaks of Rahab where it says, “Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you.”

The plagues came as judgement upon Egypt for putting God’s people, His first-born son’ into slavery and treating them so harshly. But He also showed these mighty acts, so all the surrounding nations learned of God and now we too know of His power. God sent all of these plagues so that His power would be known to all the people. Even us throughout the ages.

Moses entered these plagues with much intimidation. He only saw what was right in front of Him, not the completed story we read today. I want to encourage you that whatever difficult situation you may be called to, and you don’t understand all the whys of what going on, trust that His greater purpose is better than anything you could ever imagine.