“And the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall tell Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go out of his land. But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and bring my hosts, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgement. The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the people of Israel from among them.”
-Exodus 7:1-5
Moses and Aaron did as they were commanded. Moses was eighty years old at this point, and Aaron was eighty-three. When Pharaoh told them to prove themselves, they threw the staff on the ground and it turned into a serpent. But, Pharaoh summoned his magicians and they were able to do the same thing by their secret arts.
“For each man cast down his staff, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. Still Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.”
-Exodus 7:12
The First Plague: Water Turned to Blood
The Lord told Moses to stand on the bank of the Nile, where he met Pharaoh, and told him to let the people go so they can serve the Lord in the wilderness. Pharaoh still did not obey. Aaron lifted the staff and turned the Nile into blood. All of the fish died and the Nile stank, so that the Egyptians could not drink from it. The Pharaoh’s magicians were able to do this same trick through their secret arts. Pharaoh’s heart remained hardened and he would not listen to them. Seven days passed after the Lord had struck the Nile.
The Second Plague: Frogs
The Lord said to Moses to go to Pharaoh and tell him to let the people go, or He would plague the country with frogs. “The Nile shall swarm with frogs that shall come up into your house and into your bedroom and on your bed and into the houses of your servants and your people, and into your ovens and your kneading bowls.” Aaron stretched out his hand over all the water of Egypt and made frogs come up and cover the land. But Pharaoh’s magicians did the same thing. Pharaoh called Moses and asked him to plead with the Lord to take away the frogs. The Lord did according to the word of Moses, but when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart and would not listen to them, as the Lord said.
The Third Plague: Gnats
Then the Lord told Aaron to stretch out the staff and strike the dust on the earth, so that it would become gnats in all the land of Egypt. So he did, and gnats covered every man and beast. The magicians tried by their secret arts, but could not produce gnats. “Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.
The Fourth Plague: Flies
The Lord told Moses to go to Pharaoh and tell him to let the people go; if not, He would send swarms of flies on him and his servants, and the people. The Lord separated the land of Goshen, where the people of Israel dwelled, so they did not have any flies. Because of this division, Pharaoh would know that He was the Lord. Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said he would let them go sacrifice to the Lord in the wilderness, but not to go too far away. They said they would speak with the Lord as long as Pharaoh did not cheat them again by not letting the people go. The Lord did as Moses asked, and removed the swarms of flies. But Pharaoh hardened his heart again, and did not let the people go.
The Fifth Plague: Egyptian Livestock Die
Then the Lord told Moses to go to Pharaoh again and to say, “Let my people go, that they may serve me.” For if you refuse, a very severe plague shall fall upon you livestock in the field. The horses, donkeys, camels, herds and flocks shall die. But, there was a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, and not one animal of Israel was harmed. But, the heart of Pharaoh was hardened and did not let the people go.
The Sixth Plague: Boils
The Lord told Moses and Aaron to take handfuls of soot from the kiln, and throw it in the sight of Pharaoh. It shall become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and become boils breaking out as sores on man and beast. The magicians could not stand before Moses because of their boils, because the boils came upon them and all the people of Egypt. But, the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them.
The Seventh Plague: Hail
Moses was told to go to Pharaoh and tell him to let the people go.
“For this time I will send all my plagues on you yourself, and on your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is none like me in all the earth. For by now I could have struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from earth. But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth. You are sill exalting yourself against my people and will not let them go.”
-Exodus 9:14-17
The Lord told them to seek shelter, but those who did not fear God did not listen. The Lord sent thunder and hail, and fire to rain down upon the land of Egypt. The hails struck down everything in the fields of Egypt, man and beast. Only in the land of Goshen, where the people of Israel were, was there no hail. This time Pharaoh told Moses that he had sinned and the Lord was right. He asked him to plead with the Lord, for there has been enough thunder and hail, and he would let the people go. The Lord ceased the storm so Pharaoh would know the earth is the Lord’s. When Pharaoh saw that the storm had stopped, he sinned yet again and hardened his heart.
“So the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people of Israel go, just as the Lord had spoken through Moses.”
-Exodus 9:35