Wisdom's Corner
God Against NutPharaoh continued to deny that God was the One True God. And he would not let the Israelites leave Egypt. God then told Moses and Aaron to meet Pharaoh again. This time they were to tell him that God would bring hail upon all the land of Egypt except for where the Israelites lived. God also said that the next plagues would really strike at the heart of Pharaoh. The next plagues would truly let him know that there is One True God. God told Pharaoh that he only ruled and lived because God allowed him to do so. God said that He could easily take Pharaoh's life if he wanted to do so (Exodus 9:13-35).
The next day Moses raised his rod toward heaven and the hail began. The hail was accompanied by rain and much lightening. Moses had warned Pharaoh that any person or animal left outside would die. By then, some of the servants of Pharaoh believed in God and did what Moses had said. They took all their animals inside with them so that they would not die. But anyone outside did die.
The Egyptians worshipped Nut the sky goddess. She was sometimes represented as a woman without clothes, stretched across the skies. Her fingers touched one horizon and her toes touched the other. At other times she was represented as a cow standing tall above the sky. People are seen as looking up to her for care and protection from the elements. This plague of hail demonstrated that Nut had no power before the One True God. God controls the elements because He created them. The gods Reshpu and Ketesh were also supposed to be involved with controlling the elements and they were shown to be false.
The Egyptians believed that Nut lived in trees. This plague destroyed many of the trees of the land of Egypt (Psalm 78:47-48; Psalm 105:32-34). Nut's home was destroyed. She had no place to live. The gods Hathor and Sepes also lived in trees so they no longer had a place to live either. The sun god Ra was believed to appear each morning from between two sycamore trees. The destroying of the trees would hinder Ra's appearing as the Egyptians thought it should be.
It is amazing how God used the plagues to show the Egyptians that their belief in many gods was wrong. He was showing them that they should believe in Him and let the Israelites leave the land of Egypt. God was also showing the Israelites that He was their God. They were hesitant to believe Moses when he said God had sent him.
Read the Bible. Learn that God is the One True God. Learn how to obey Him. Until next time, keep studying His Word. And if any of this is hard to understand, ask an adult to help you.
Mark McWhorter
Copyright 1999
Published by The Old Paths Bible School
(http://www.oldpaths.org)