Day Eight - The Plague of Diseased Livestock

Ask your children to “remember” the plagues that Pharaoh has encountered so far:

Blood
Frogs
Lice
Flies

Do you remember what false god our God gave them over to?
Blood: they worshiped the Nile River
Frogs: they worshiped the goddess of fertility and healthy births
Lice: they worshiped the false god of cleanliness and of the earth
Flies: they sacrificed to idols and even worshiped the flies around the sacrifice namely the prince of the power of the air – Beelzebub

Check your play dough hearts – are they beginning to crack as they harden?
What happened to Pharaoh’s heart?

God didn’t want to ruin Pharaoh, but rather to lead him to repentance. Often, God gave a warning before He brought about the judgment. Unfortunately, Pharaoh continued to harden his heart causing God to act:

Read the TRUE STORY in Exodus 9

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and speak to him, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, "Let My people go, that they may serve Me. "For if you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them, behold, the hand of the LORD will come with a very severe pestilence on your livestock which are in the field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the herds, and on the flocks."
"But the LORD will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that nothing will die of all that belongs to the sons of Israel.'""
The LORD set a definite time, saying, "Tomorrow the LORD will do this thing in the land."

"So the LORD did this thing on the next day, and all the livestock of Egypt died; but of the livestock of the sons of Israel, not one died."

"Pharaoh sent, and behold, there was not even one of the livestock of Israel dead.

But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go."

Wow – talk about God’s protection for His people! Not even one of the livestock of Israel was dead! This just makes His promises to us even more glorious.

“Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.” Psalm 91:3-7

The Egyptian FALSE gOD /IDOL was the sacred bull and the god Apis because of its markings. The Egyptians believed the spirits of the gods possessed animals. Biblical Holidays

Apis was the most important of all the sacred animals in Egypt, and, as with the others, its importance increased as time went on. Greek and Roman authors have much to say about Apis, the marks by which the black bull-calf was recognized. Wikipedia

The Egyptians had made the Hebrews poor so God caused great loss to the Egyptians.

Teaching Points
1. God is in ultimate control of the plagues – and even of Pharaoh
2. There are “If / Then” consequences.
3. God has power over big and the small.
4. The Sons of Israel are protected from the flies and from the loss of cattle
5. A definite TIME was set --- God is in control of ALL TIME!
6. God said it – it happened
7. Pharaoh continued to have a hard heart and disobeyed God

Prayer:  Thank God that for His Sovereignty.  Thank God for His protection over His children.  Thank God that He is a promise keeper!
Songs: He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands