Bible Discussion Thread

In this chapter, the YHWH continues to talk to Moses and sends Moses and Aaron back to Pharaoh bringing more plagues upon Egypt, but sparing the Israelites in the land of Goshen. Pharaoh's heart is hardened further, even though at one point he admits to having sinned and acknowledged the True God of the Israelites. Yet we discover that his words were not true words of repentance because he hardened his heart further when the plagues were stopped. He was just giving lip service in order to get a reprieve from this God he did not really know nor honor. Yet all of the ways of Pharaoh, God had orchestrated to bring about His purposes. By now the Israelites should be so thankful and sold out to YHWH seeing how they were spared the plagues how powerful YHWH truly was.

The Egyptians worshipped both cows and bulls. The cow-god was Hathor and represented all of the best qualities of a female. The bull-god was Apis, Hathor's son (who was the most sacred bull-god as there were many bull-gods) who represented protection, virility, male prowess. Also, Apis was worshipped as actually god-creator and represented divinity and eternity. Seth was a donkey or camel -god, sometimes a mix of livestock represented storms and desert.

Resheph was the name of the horse-god and represented war and pestilence.

Menes was a goat-god.

The pestilence (murrian) affected both humans and a variety of livestock. YHWH smiting the livestock of the Egyptians was pestilence demonstrated His defeat of all these livestock-gods.

The next plague was skin boils, pustules, skin eruptions.

There were gods/goddesses of healing, medicine.

Sekmet-goddess of healing

Thoth-god of healing

Isis-goddess of medicine

YHWH sending this plague challenged these gods ability to heal.

The next plague was that of fire and hail.

Shango was the fire and thunder god.

Nut was the hail god.

So YHWH was showing He was stronger and more fierce than these gods.