LIVESTOCK AND SORES

“’By now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with such severe plagues that you would have been wiped off the earth. But it is for this very reason that I have kept you alive – to show you my power, and so that my name may resound throughout the whole earth.’”
Exodus 9:15-16

Pharaoh summoned Moshe when the insects got to be too numerous and again he agreed to letting the Hebrews go worship their God. He did this, however, for no other reason than to find relief once more. Once the plague had ceased, Pharaoh’s heart grew hard as it had before. To this action Adonai had another response. To prove His power over the Egyptian god of the livestock, Hathor, whose image is of a female with horns of a steer, Adonai brought a plague of destruction over the horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, and flocks where they suffered a devastating illness. While the animals of Goshen suffered not, the animals under Pharaoh’s ruling were soon found dead. Pharaoh investigated this detail and found it true, yet still he did not soften his heart.
Adonai then spoke once more to Moshe and Aharon, saying to take handfuls of ash from a kiln and that Moshe should throw it in the air before Pharaoh. When he did, the ash went through the air and began to produce infected sores on the people of Egypt. At this the magicians couldn’t even stand near Moshe because of the sores that covered them. Defeating the goddess Isis, who was believed to be the goddess of health and medicine for a story of healing she had once done, Adonai again made His power known.
With still no relaxing of Pharaoh’s heart, Moshe delivered a powerful speech to his once brother. Starting off with the phrase “Let my people go…” Moshe ended with Adonai’s words, “By now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with such severe plagues that you would have been wiped off the earth. But it is for this very reason that I have kept you alive – to show you my power, and so that my name may resound throughout the whole earth.” Pharaoh’s hard heart was about to get a wakeup call.

Exodus 8:19 – 9:16