Chapter 6
Exodus 8-11
“How far did we get last evening?” asked Mother, as the little group were gathered again at the favorite hour.
“You told us about Aaron turning the water to blood,” responded Sophy. “But what did the Lord do then when Pharaoh did not listen?”
“He told Moses to tell Pharaoh that He would smite all the borders of Egypt with frogs since Pharaoh refused to let the people go. So Aaron stretched forth his hand over the waters of Egypt again and frogs came up out of the rivers and ponds over all the land. The frogs got into Pharaoh’s house, into his bed, and into the ovens and the bread pans. The magicians again did as Aaron had done and brought up more frogs.
“Now Pharaoh was sorely tried with the frogs and begged Moses to ask the Lord to remove them, promising he would let the children of Israel go this time. Moses cried to the Lord for Pharaoh. Then all the frogs died.”
“And did Pharaoh let the people go after that?” queried Arthur.
“No, Arthur,” continued Mother. “Sad to say, Pharaoh again hardened his heart and would not let the people go. So now the Lord told Moses to have Aaron stretch out his hand again and smite the dust of the earth. And what do you think happened this time? It became lice which crawled upon man and upon the animals. The wise men again tried to do the same but this time it did not work for them. They said to Pharaoh, ‘This is the finger of God.’ But Pharaoh’s heart was still hardened, as the Lord had said, so he did not listen to them.
“Now the Lord sent swarms of flies into all the houses, and upon the people, and the very ground was covered with them. Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and told them they could go and worship their God in Egypt. Moses told him that the Lord had commanded them to go out of Egypt to worship Him. Pharaoh told him they might go a short distance to worship if he would ask the Lord to take away the flies. Moses did so and the Lord took away the flies but Pharaoh would not let the people go this time either.”
“And did the children of Israel have flies in their houses, too, Mother?” again asked Arthur.
“No, my boy, the Lord said He would put a division between them and the Egyptians. The flies did not come into the land of Goshen where God’s people were. Now the Lord sent a dreadful disease which destroyed many of the cattle of the Egyptians but not one of the cattle belonging to the people of Israel died. Next the Lord sent sores upon all the Egyptians and upon their animals and even on the magicians. Still there was no repentance. Then He sent hail upon all the land of Egypt. There were a few people who believed the word of the Lord and put their servants and their cattle into their houses. Hail did not come upon the land of Goshen because God was with the people of Israel.
“Then Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron and said, ‘I have sinned this time; the Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked. Entreat the Lord (for it is enough) that there be no more thunderings and hail; and I will let you go, and ye shall stay no longer.’ But he did not keep his word because as soon as the hail ceased, he sinned more by refusing to let the people go.
“Then the Lord said unto Moses, ‘Go in unto Pharaoh; for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these My signs before him; and that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son’s son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them: that ye may know that I am the Lord.’ Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh as commanded and said, ‘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.’ But because Pharaoh still would not heed God’s command the next day he was told that locusts would be sent over all the land. Locusts are like large grasshoppers.
“After this, Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh’s presence. But Pharaoh’s servants became very frightened and told the king to let the men go; they said, ‘Knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed?’
“So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. Then he said to them, ‘Go, serve the Lord your God; but who are they that shall go?’
“Moses answered: ‘We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds we will go, for we must hold a feast unto the Lord.’
“But Pharaoh said he would let only the men go, and he drove Moses and Aaron out from his presence. Then the Lord told Moses to stretch out his hand over the land of Egypt. Moses did so, and in the morning the locusts came up and covered the land of Egypt. They ate up all the fruit of the trees and there wasn’t any green thing left in the fields.
“Now Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste and said to them, ‘I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you. Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and intreat the Lord your God that He may take away from me this death only.’ But again Pharaoh’s heart was hardened after the locusts were removed.
“Then the Lord sent darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days so that they could not see one another, but all the children of Israel had light in their houses. It was a peculiar darkness of which there never had been the like. It was said to be a thick darkness, a darkness which might even be felt. Pharaoh called Moses again and said, ‘Go ye, serve the Lord, only let your flocks and your herds be stayed, let your little ones also go with you.’ Moses answered, ‘Thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings that we may sacrifice unto the Lord our God. Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not an hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to serve the Lord our God; and we know not with what we must serve the Lord, until we come thither.’ But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart once more and he refused to let the people go. He said, ‘Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more: for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die.’ Moses answered, ‘Thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face again no more.’”
“Did God kill Pharaoh then, Mamma?” questioned Sophy.
“No, He didn’t, but He told Moses He was going to send one more plague upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt. Then he would let them go.”