Scripture Reference
Moses: Plague on Livestock and Plague of Boils
Exodus 9:1-7, Exodus 9:8-12
Activities
Plague on Livestock: I was planning to have the kids set up some of our play animals to represent the livestock of Egypt and those of the Israelites. Then as the plague came, I was going to knock down all the "livestock" of Egypt.
Plague of Boils: I was going to cut out "spots" from construction paper and use tape to put them all over each of the kids. Then we were going to talk about how painful it would be to have open sores all over their skin (giving a comparison by saying, "remember how much your skinned knees hurt?" or something similar).
How It Went
Kiera came home from school today with a slightly elevated temperature and complaining of a sore throat. After a quick trip to the doctor, we found out that she has a very slight case of strep. (The Doctor could barely get a strep reading, but it was there...) Her fever has gotten quite a lot higher through the afternoon and evening, so we didn't do a Bible study today. She just needed some special taking care of, and Andrew needed some extra play time so that Kiera could rest. We'll try again tomorrow!
Scripture Reference
Exodus 9:1-12
Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Go to Pharaoh and say to him, 'This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: 'Let my people go, so that they may worship me.' If you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them back, the hand of the Lord will bring a terrible plague on your livestock in the field - on your horses and donkeys and camels and on your cattle and sheep and goats. But the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and that of Egypt, so that no animal belonging to the Israelites will die.'
The Lord set a time and said, 'Tomorrow the Lord will do this in the land.' And the next day the Lord did it. All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one animal belonging to the Israelites died. Pharaoh sent men to investigate and found that not even one of the animals of the Israelites had died. Yet his heart was unyielding and he would not let the people go.
Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 'Take handfuls of soot from a furnace and have Moses toss it into the air in the presence of Pharaoh. It will become fine dust over the whole land of Egypt, and festering boils broke out on men and animals. The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils that were on them and on all the Egyptians. But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said to Moses.
Just A Thought
So often when something "goes wrong" in my life, I'm quick to wonder why this is happening to me (and please God, make it end soon!) Can you imagine being an Egyptian at the time of the plagues? Life was going so well for them, then *bam* all these awful things start happening; as soon as one is over, another starts...the water turns to blood, frogs everywhere, gnats, flies, all the livestock die, boils, devastating hail, locusts, darkness, and finally the death of all the firstborn including the livestock. The Bible tells us that "The Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart". It all happened because God had a bigger plan...and God was in control the whole time!
