Hey Pastor John,
We just started reading tonight in Exodus about all the plagues that God sent on Pharaoh/Egypt and I wondered about how long a period of time it was from the start of the plagues to the time Israel actually leaves Egypt? Moses was 80 when he stood before Pharaoh the first time and I know he was 120 when he died and if I do the math accounting for the 40 years in the wilderness, then the time of the plagues was just days apart !! not a longer span of time! Do I have this right? If so then I guess I really don’t have a question, if not please help.
Tina
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Hi Tina.
The time for the plagues to have taken place would probably have been a couple of months or so. But don’t get stuck on the numbers. You will remember, from past Old Testament classes, that I showed you all that God is not as picky as people are about such things. For one example, if Moses was only 119 years and eight months when he died, or 120 years and ten months instead of exactly 120 years old, God might just say that Moses was 120. Crooked lawyers would pick Him apart in court for His imprecision, but He, as always, would be telling all the truth that needed to be told.
So, there is some “wiggle room” with biblical dates and times. I am glad that you are thinking theses things through and not just reading past the issues.
Pastor John
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I wasn’t really picking, my thinking was if they had spaces of time to have forgotten the misery of the previous plague that it may have made it easier for Pharaoh to refuse to let them go.
But now knowing the plagues were just days or weeks apart it shows just how much God really hardened Pharaoh’s heart to have gone through those plagues so close together like that and he still refused to let them go. I’m surprised the Egyptian people did not rise up against him to let God’s people go.
Tina
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It took a lot for mere mortals (Egyptians) to dare to rise up against a man whom they considered to be a god (Pharaoh). But some Egyptians actually did get to that point of supreme desperation during the plagues. It is often overlooked, but the Egyptians tone in speaking to Pharaoh in Exodus 10:7 is extraordinary. Under normal conditions, no one spoke to Pharaoh like that and lived very long.
Pastor John