Question 1

What is the main message of this passage about the plagues on Egypt?

Accepted Answer

This passage shows that God rules over kings, nature, and nations. He tells Pharaoh to let His people go so they can serve Him, and when Pharaoh refuses, God sends plagues on Egypt’s cattle, bodies, and crops. At the same time, God protects Israel and often warns before He judges, giving space to listen and turn. Pharaoh’s repeated hardening of heart, even after seeing clear signs and admitting he has sinned, warns us about stubborn pride. God’s power is shown so His name will be known in all the earth.

Question 2

Why did God strike the cattle and then send boils and hail on Egypt?

Accepted Answer

The plagues come in a growing order. First, God hits the Egyptians’ wealth and food by sending disease on their cattle in the field, while Israel’s cattle are kept safe. When Pharaoh still refuses, God moves closer and brings boils on people and animals, touching their own bodies. Later, He sends a fierce hailstorm that kills those left in the fields and destroys crops and trees. This steady increase shows that when lighter warnings are ignored, heavier blows can follow. It also shows God rules every part of creation, from animals to weather.

Question 3

What does it mean that God raised up Pharaoh to show His power and name?

Accepted Answer

When God says He raised Pharaoh up, it means He allowed Pharaoh to stand in power and keep his throne so that, through him, God’s strength would be clearly seen. Pharaoh’s stubborn pride becomes the dark backdrop against which God’s acts shine more clearly. By the plagues and by Israel’s rescue, people in many lands would hear what God had done and know there is no one like Him on all the earth. This does not excuse Pharaoh, because he still chooses to resist, but it shows that even human rebellion cannot stop God’s purposes.

Question 4

How does this passage show a difference between Israel and Egypt?

Accepted Answer

Again and again, God makes a clear line between His people and their oppressors. The disease on the cattle hits Egypt’s herds while the animals of Israel are spared. Later, the hail ruins the fields of Egypt but does not fall in the land where Israel lives. Even within Egypt, those who fear God’s word bring their animals inside and are kept safe, while those who ignore the warning lose them. This distinction shows both God’s care for His people and that listening to His word brings real protection, even in times of judgment.

Question 5

Why does God harden Pharaoh’s heart, and Pharaoh also harden his own heart?

Accepted Answer

This story shows both God’s rule and Pharaoh’s real choice. At times it says Pharaoh hardened his heart, meaning he stubbornly refused to bow to what he clearly saw. At other times it says God hardened his heart, meaning God gave him over to the path he had chosen and used it to fulfill His plan. God is not unfair, since Pharaoh is never eager to obey; he only wants the plagues to stop. This passage has been read in more than one way, but it clearly warns that continued refusal to listen to God can lead to deeper hardness.

Question 6

What is the meaning of Pharaoh saying, “I have sinned, the LORD is righteous”?

Accepted Answer

When the hail becomes too much, Pharaoh calls Moses and Aaron and admits, “I have sinned this time; the LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.” His words sound right, but they are only for the moment. He wants the thunder and hail to stop, not a changed heart. Once the storm ends, he goes back to his old ways and hardens his heart again. This shows that saying the right words is not the same as real repentance. True turning to God shows itself in lasting obedience, not just in speeches during a crisis.

Question 7

Why were the magicians unable to stand before Moses during the plague of boils?

Accepted Answer

In earlier plagues, Egypt’s magicians tried to copy God’s signs or explain them away. With the boils, they are struck like everyone else and cannot even stand before Moses because the sores are on their own bodies. This shows how limited their power really is. Their secret arts can’t protect them from the true God. It is a picture of how human wisdom and spiritual tricks fall short when God acts. The one who seemed weak, Moses, stands firm because he is sent by God, while the people who trusted in magic are left helpless and ashamed.

Question 8

How did God show both judgment and mercy in the hail plague?

Accepted Answer

Before the hail falls, God clearly warns Pharaoh and tells him to send and gather his cattle and servants from the fields. Anyone, even among Pharaoh’s servants, who fears God’s word and brings them inside is spared. Those who ignore the warning lose people, animals, and crops. So the hail is sharp judgment on pride and stubbornness, but there is mercy built in through the warning and the simple way of escape. God is not harsh for its own sake; He makes His power known, yet still calls people to listen and be spared.

Question 9

What does this passage teach about how we should respond to God’s warnings today?

Accepted Answer

This passage shows that hearing God’s warnings is not enough; the response matters. Some of Pharaoh’s servants fear the word of the LORD and act on it, and they are kept safe. Others shrug it off and suffer loss. Pharaoh himself often promises to obey when he is under pressure but goes back to rebellion when things calm down. For us, this is a call not to delay or offer empty words, but to listen humbly and change course when God speaks through Scripture or circumstances. Real faith shows in trust and obedience, not in temporary feelings.

Exodus 9:1

Then the Lord said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh, and tell him, Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.

The Fifth Plague: Livestock

The Sixth Plague: Boils

The Seventh Plague: Hail

The Fifth Plague: Livestock

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Exodus 9:1

Then the Lord said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh, and tell him, Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.

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The Fifth Plague: Livestock

The Sixth Plague: Boils

The Seventh Plague: Hail

The Fifth Plague: Livestock

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