I came across something interesting today, that in Exodus 12:12, the plagues were also judgements against the many gods of Egypt:

1) THE NILE PLAGUE - judged Khnum, Sati, Aapi, Osiris, Hathor,Neith, Sobek, and Apepi.
2) THE FROG PLAGUE - judged the creator goddess Heka.
3) THE LICE PLAGUE - judged Seth, Geb, Ra, and Osiris.
4) THE FLIES PLAGUE - judged Vatchit, Beelzebub (didn't know that was an Egyptian god), and the Scarab beetle.
5) THE DEADLY MURRAIN - judged Ptah, Apis, Hathor, and Osiris
6) THE BOILS PLAGUE - judged Ptah, Osiris, Sekhmet, Imhotep, Serapis, the Egyptian priesthood, and the turual of casting ashes.
7) THE HAIL PLAGUE - judged Nut, Geb, Amun-Ra, Osiris, and Pharaoh.
8) THE LOCUSTS PLAGUE - judged Sobek, Ra, shu, geb, and Osiris.
9) THE DARKNESS PLAGUE - judged Nut, Hathor, Amun-Ra, and the Egyptian priesthood.
10) THE DEATH OF THE FIRSTBORN - judged Heka, Isis, Min, Horus, Bes, Seker, and the Pharoah.

It's like Yahuweh was saying to the Egyptians, "OK, let's see how much your water gods can help you after I turn the Nile red." He did this in turn with each of the other groups of gods, demonstrating that they were false since they had no real power.

If this is correct, I suspect that there is special significance attached to Plague #10 - THE DEATH OF THE FIRSTBORN. Since this final plague/judgement was directed at the Egyptians, I wondered if it however also had in some way, a Messianic tie-in and foreshadowing?

Edited by user Monday, December 31, 2007 4:40:28 AM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

In this week's Parashat study Va'eira, to quote: "A good Torah student should learn that there are no idle words in the Torah."

Are the accounts of the plagues simply "idle words?" I think not - that was the reason for the post and the question.

Again, the question. Please note use of the word "wondered" in the phrasing of it:

The "Firstborn" represents our legacy, the heritage we leave behind when we depart this world. The message of the tenth plague is this: someone is going to pay for our transgressions. If it isn't the Messiah, Yahweh's "Firstborn," then it will be our own firstborn. That is, if our sins are not covered by the blood of the Lamb, we will leave nothing of value behind us---we will have reached a spiritual "dead end." Our spiritual legacy will be cut short; we will be the last generation in our line. But if Yahweh's Messiah has atoned for our sins, we have the opportunity to pass our spiritual legacy on to the next generation.

Of course, every individual in every generation makes the choice of whether or not to avail himself of the shed blood of the Messiah, so we're not talking about actual physical sons being saved or lost on the basis of their fathers' faith. What we're losing by failing to accept the sacrifice of the Messiah/Lamb is the opportunity---the possibility---of bearing spiritual children, of passing our faith on to others. What was it God said to Adam and Eve? "Be fruitful and multiply."

kp