Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/180

 “Go, sacrifice  to  the  Lord  — let  your  sheep  only  and  your  herds remain." Moses  answered:  “All  the  flocks  shall  go  with  us." Thereupon the  king  hardened  his  heart  again,  and  would  not  let the people  go. Moreover he  said  to  Moses: “Get  thee  from  me. In what  day  soever  thou  shalt  come  into  my  sight,  thou  shalt die," Moses  replied:  “I  will  not  see  thy  face  any  more"  (Ninth plague.)

The Lord  spoke  again  to  Moses:  “Yet  one  plague  more  will I bring upon  Pharao  and  Egypt,  and  after  that  he  will  let  you go and  thrust  you  out.”  Now  Moses  was  a very  great  man  in the  land  of  Egypt  in  the  sight  of  Pharao’s  servants  and  of  all the people.

Moses, therefore,  spoke  to  all  the  people:  “Thus  saith  the Lord: ‘At  midnight  I will  enter  into  Egypt;  and  every  first-born in the  land  of  Egypt  shall  die,  from  the  first  born  of  Pharao,  who sitteth on  his  throne,  even  to  the  first-born  of  the  hand-maid  that is at  the  mill,  and  all  the  first-born  of  the  beasts; and  there  shall be a great  cry  in  all  the  land  of  Egypt,  such  as  neither  hath  been before, nor  shall  be  hereafter. But with  all  the  children  of  Israel there shall  be  no  death,  nor  mourning,  that  you  may  know  how wonderful a difference  the  Lord  maketh  between  the  Egyptians and Israel. And all  these  thy  servants  shall  come  down  to  me, saying: Go  forth,  thou  and  all  the  people  that  is  under  thee. After that  we  will  go  out.’  ” (Tenth  plague.)

The object  of  the  plagues, with  which  God  visited  the  Egyptians, was manifold. The plagues,  which  devastated  Egypt,  while  they  did not touch  the  land  of  Gessen,  were  sent,  firstly,  to  teach  Pharao  and his people  that  the  God  of  Israel  was  also  Lord  over  Egypt,  and  the one True  and  Almighty  God. Secondly, to  convert  the  haughty  king and force  him  to  obey  the  commandments  of  God. Thirdly, to  punish Pharao and  his  people  for  their  unreasonable  idolatry  and  their  cruel oppression of  the  people  of  God. The Egyptians  worshipped  the  Nile as a god,  and  now  destruction  was  brought  upon  them  by  means  of it. Disease killed  the  cattle  which  were  objects  of  their  worship; and lower  creatures,  such  as  gnats,  flies  and  locusts,  inflicted  torments on them. Thus they  were  punished  by  the  very  things  through  which they sinned. Fourthly, the  plagues  were  sent  to  teach  the  pagans  that the gods  whom  they  worshipped  were  vain  and  powerless;  however earnestly they  appealed  to  them,  they  could  obtain  no  help  from  them.