Sabbath: The Plagues
Daily Lesson for Sabbath 19th of July 2025
Image © Pacific Press
Read for This Week’s Study: Exodus 7:8-25; Exodus 8:1-32; Exodus 9:1-35; Exodus 10:1-29; Numbers 33:4; Romans 1:24-32; Psalms 104:27-28; Isaiah 28:2,12-17; Isaiah 44:9-10,12-17.
Memory Text:
“So the heart of Pharaoh was hard; neither would he let the children of Israel go, as the Lord had spoken by Moses” (Exodus 9:35, NKJV).
A farmer was trying to get his donkey to move; the beast wouldn’t budge. So, the farmer took a thick branch and walloped it. He again spoke to the donkey, who then started moving.
When someone asked the farmer why that worked, he replied, “Well, first you have to get its attention.”
Putting aside whatever issue one might raise about cruelty to animals, there is a point to be made here, especially in the context of the Exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt. Moses has been given his marching orders and goes to Pharaoh with God’s famous words, shalach et ami, which is, “Let My people go!”
Pharaoh, however, does not want to let God’s people go. The Scriptures never explicitly explain why Pharaoh was so reluctant, despite the military threat that the Egyptians feared the Hebrews could pose (see Exodus 1:10). Most likely, as is often the case with slavery, it was pure economics. They were cheap labor, and so he didn’t want to lose whatever economic advantages these slaves gave him. Thus, he was going to need some persuasion not only to get his attention but also to change his mind.
*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, July 26.
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Pharaoh’s refusal and stubbornness to let the Hebrew people have their freedom is totally not surprising. The story of Pharaoh hardening his heart and refusing to obey God’s instructions is not about a stubborn king, but he reflects human condition without the grace of God. Pharaoh is a typical example of many of us in the world today, resistant to divine authority. Pharaoh’s refusal and stubbornness is not unique. That is who we are without the grace of God. From this particular episode (Exodus 9:35), several spiritual warnings and lessons emerge:
1. Our human heart is naturally resistant to God. It is fair to say, without the grace of God, our hearts are spiritually dead ((Ephesians 2:1). Therefore, we should never underestimate the deceitfulness and wickedness of our hearts without Christ (Jeremiah 17:9). Dear Jesus, please save us from our deceitful and wicked hearts, I pray.
2. Delayed obedience increases spiritual harness and stubbornness. As day went by Pharaoh became more hardened and more stubborn. “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts…” (Hebrews 3:15 ).
3. Signs and miracles alone never change a human heart. Despite the 7 plagues, Pharaoh remained even more defiant. Conversion is a miracle of the Holy Spirit.
4. We need a new heart and a new spirit to obey divine instructions (Ezekiel 36:26).
5. If we persistently ignore divine instructions, God will
“confirm” our rebellion. God hardened Pharaoh’s heart.
“Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts…” (Romans 1:24).
There is nothing like a calamitous event to get a bit of action. In my youth, I recall that some churches letterboxed a town on the west coast of New Zealand's South Island with Voice of Prophecy cards. They received about 2 responses. Then, a major earthquake struck, knocking down a few chimneys and shifting the mountains, causing landslides and floods. A few weeks after the earthquake, the churches letterboxed the town again. They received some dozens of responses to the cards.
I am sure that Pharaoh, was never going to respond to a straightforward request for the release of his workforce. Just look at what happened more recently when someone messed with the workforce. It took a civil war to accomplish the emancipation of the slaves in more recent times.
God sends Moses to deliver his people because of their cry.The trouble they were in became unbearable. Shockingly, the arrival of Moses only made this worse for the people. They could not meet the daily number of brick they needed to make. They people now go complain to the very Pharaoh who had made their situation worse. The people had no idea it was God working behind the scenes that made their life look more miserable. I always find silence in this! Whatever pestilence we are in, God is behind the scenes for our own good. This is what it means "all things work together for the good of they that fear God".
Though the entire lesson captured my attention, it is Omwenga Mwambi's point #4, "We need a new heart and a new spirit to obey divine instructions - Ezekiel 26:26," that rightly resonates with me, this week.
Ten years after a traumatic in-classroom injury, administered by an at-risk and gifted 16-year-old, I am more tuned to discerning and following God's bidding, than I've ever been. There were some quick and comforting lessons learned:
That even one skilled and prepared to meet multi-level academic needs must also have the consistent backing of the entire clinical team.
That a presumed “over-achiever” achieves nothing/goes nowhere, except ordered by the Word.
That God is able to otherwise qualify or requalify anyone for His unseen tasks ahead.
Ellen White’s writings now articulate my new mantra:
“A person whose mind is quiet and satisfied in God is in the pathway to health.”
Even through the wilderness of pain, grief, detour, disappointment and loss … God’s promises for us and for our families – as was Canaan for the Israelites – are still true, today. With renewed hearts, we can each fulfill the conditions of our Father’s eternal covenant, through the guidance of the faithful Holy Spirit.
May we remain, “Satisfied in God,” as we journey towards eternity with Him.
Rosamund, kindly it is so easy to get a few numbers off from the text you intended, I know, I have made similar mistakes. I do believe from your context, "we need a new heart and a new spirit to obey Gods instruction." You had in mind Ezekiel 36:26, and Ezekiel 11:19. Very similar text, yes, both packed with promises. Very interesting what God says in the verse above Ezekiel 36:26. In Ezekiel 36:25, God hints at baptism, except the word sprinkle , because immersion with water instead of sprinkling, is what Christ exemplified, as John the Baptist baptized Jesus, and a voice from heaven said "this is my Son, in whom I am well pleased." Matthew 3:17. So likewise, we do the same as Christ did when we chose to be born again. Then thereafter we choose to be with God daily, with prayer, fellowship, meditation on His word, and getting into the Word and other words that support the word of God(devotional, instructional, and story books if they are speaking according to the Bible,). There is a plethora of books at the Adventistbookcenter.com, all of which follow Isaiah 8:20. I am using the devotional book 'Jesus Wins', therefore I win too. It was written for both men and women, focusing on the four gospels, packed with the gospel message of which is the meat of the 3 😇's message, we are to give to the world.
Yes, it would have been nice if Pharoah would have overcome pride of his nationality and power, and of fear losing his kingdom to the Israelites, and humbled Himself before the Lord as Nebuchadnezzar did and then did again.
There are some people who will not get saved until God gets their attention. This may be in the form of some calamity, a health diagnosis, a sudden change in financial fortunes for the worse etc.
It behooves us all to realize that we can save ourselves a lot of pain and hurt by listening to call of the Holy Spirit good times before we are forced to pay attention!!!
God is very patient and meek. These attributes are often interpreted as weakness. Meekness isn't weakness though, it is strength under control. God could have slapped Pharoah right off his throne immediately upon his refusal to heed the message relayed through Moses. However, God had a lesson to teach regarding the One, true God. The plagues were specifically targeting the very things that the Egyptians worshipped as gods.
Pharoah was extremely obstinate and didn't give heed to the force of logic. It would take the logic of force to sway him. It was as if God was saying through Moses, "we can do this the easy way, or the hard way Pharoah, you choose."
God had to wear Pharoah and the Egyptians down by taking away their idols and revealing them to be nothing.
Do we ever resist the leading of the Lord, causing us to experience His "tough love?" We can all probably say yes to that question. God will wait us out if he has to, but there is one thing he won't do, he won't violate our freedom to say, no. He will wait our entire life to save us if he has to but the loss will be ours, and it could be eternal.
There's only one true God. All the rest are pretenders to the throne.
One True God, by: Mark Harris
Once I was teaching a Church School multi-week series about the 10 plagues and on the second week I asked who remembered what we had begun learning about. A spunky, bouncing little girl summarized it, "We're learning about God doing the 10 pranks". Haha, true story. And so I always think of that now. Was God pranking Pharaoh and Egypt? Toying with them to show off His superior powers and stir up forced reverence? Of course not.
The Hebrew word for "plague" is "nega", a generic term indicating being stricken, as in some type of blow upon something or someone, usually with the idea of punishment for an offense. So a better synonym might be "10 strokes or slaps". How appropriate that Moses the shepherd was to be the messenger. In Psalm 23:4 both the shepherd's chastening rod and guiding staff are a comfort, symbolizing God's care. Hebrews 12:6-11 speaks more about this.
God had a plan for Isreal and a timing for that plan. Israel was not meant to stay in Egypt forever. The plan is unfolding to protect the way of the Messiah. That would be Jesus.
Trials produce perseverance, character, and hope (Romans 5:3–4). When God sent Moses and still hardens the heart of Pharaoh it is a pointer that the mission was meant to grow Moses and the Israelites as it is in moments involving plagues that we see God's corrective nature. The plagues brought hardship to the children of Israel whose portion of work more than doubled, but were never without purpose. The bible points us that to the fact that God allows suffering not to destroy us, but to turn us back to Him. Plagues in the Bible, such as those in Egypt, were not random acts of wrath; they were divine tools meant to reveal God's power, justice, and mercy. In seasons of affliction, we are to be thankful not for the pain itself, but because we know suffering often precedes growth. It is through tribulation that we come to know God more deeply, and understand our dependence on His grace.
God is the author of all history and every events unfolds under His sovereign will. Our response to the story of plagues in Eygpt should not be to question God’s methods, but to seek what He is revealing about Himself. Everything God does, even when difficult to understand, points us to the need for redemption. His ultimate purpose is for us to know Him, love Him, and trust Him. As believers, we can have confidence that no one lives or dies without having an opportunity to respond to God’s witness. 2 Peter 3:9, "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise... but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." We must learn to look beyond the tragedy and see His glory even in the midst of plague or suffering. God’s motives are always good, loving, and righteous, and every act of divine discipline is aimed at drawing us closer to Him.