This Week's Story
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Egypt is battered with plagues in a deadlock between a stubborn pharaoh and Moses.
This Week’s Story relives American history and the Bible through brief inspiring stories presented on mp3 audio recordings and text for reading.
No more deals! part five
“God, why do you mistreat your people? Since you sent me to help the Hebrews, their lives are worse. Why did you send me?”
“Moses, I haven’t forgotten my promises to them. I see their spirits broken by circumstances they can’t change.
“Give them this message, ‘I, the Lord God Almighty, will set you free. I will show power and judgment. You will know that it is I who is rescuing you and taking you to the land I promised you.’”
When Moses delivered the message, the people said, “Stop bothering us with words that mean nothing.”
God told Moses, “Return to Pharaoh and tell him again to let the Hebrews leave Egypt.”
“If my people won’t listen to me, surely Pharaoh won’t.”
“Moses, go with your brother Aaron, as your speaker. Don’t expect mercy from Pharoah. I will make him refuse to agree with you and I will bring judgment upon the Egyptians. Then they will let your people go and they will recognize that I am God.
All happened as God said. He sent plagues. The first three wreaked shock among both the Egyptians and Hebrews. The Nile River and water supplies turned into blood. Fish died. The air stank of death. In the second plague frogs blanketed the ground. No walker could escape crushing them. Pharaoh told Moses, “Pray to your god to get rid of the frogs. Then your people can go into the desert for a religious service, but they must return.”
“I will do as you ask,” Moses replied, “so you will know that no one is as powerful as the Lord our God.”
The frogs died and lay in heaps. Again the air stank with death. Pharaoh refused to keep his word and the next plague struck. Gnats, so tiny the people could scarcely see them, swarmed into the land in massive clouds. Pharaoh remained hard.
Flies came filling the air throughout Egypt with filth, but not in Goshen, where the Hebrews lived. The Egyptians panicked. Pharaoh informed Moses, “Your people can have their service here, but not out in the desert.”
“No,” Moses said, “The Egyptians would despise what we do.”
They negotiated. The flies disappeared, but Pharaoh refused to let the Hebrews go. More plagues followed. Herds of Egyptian animals began to die. Boils followed. The bodies of Egyptians were covered with large sore bumps caused by infection deep in their skin. Pharaoh paid no attention to the suffering of his people.
God said to Moses, “Tell Pharaoh, ‘I could have sent a plague that would have killed all of you, but I wanted you to recognize me. Instead you keep the Hebrews as your slaves and force them to live in Egypt.
“’Tomorrow I will send a hailstorm worse than any in the history of Egypt. Order your servants and animals to go for cover, or all of them will die.”
Some of Pharaoh’s officials followed the advice. Some ignored it. Thunder, hail, and lightning came as predicted.
Pharaoh had a brief change of heart and then determined, “No Hebrew will compel me to do anything against my will. A plague of locusts followed, then three days of horror with total darkness. Pharaoh tried to negotiate terms, became furious, and yelled at Moses, “Get out of my palace. I do not want to see you again. If I do, you will die.”
Moses stated, “As you will. I will never see you again.”
This is Barbara Steiner with a famous Bible story from Exodus, which was recorded approximately 3,400 years ago.
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