Egypt

 SCENE 4

TRANSCRIPTION

NARRATOR:

“Pharaoh said to his people, 

RAMSES: ‘Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and powerful than we are. Come, let’s deal shrewdly with them; otherwise they will multiply further… fight against us, and leave the country.’

NARRATOR: So the Egyptians assigned taskmasters over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor… They worked the Israelites ruthlessly and made their lives bitter with difficult labor…” But God heard the cries of His people and was bringing deliverance through his servant Moses. The Egyptians had suffered 9 plagues. One remained.

WOMAN (worried): Ramses, I heard rumors that Moses is going to perform another one of his magic tricks, only this time he has plans to kill our firstborn son. Do you think he can do that?

RAMSES: No my dear. He is just a man. I have my guards standing by. No one is going to get in or out of our palace tonight. Our son is secure.

WOMAN: But he has already caused so much harm, bringing plagues of frogs, flies, locusts and disease, boils, hail, darkness! What can’t he do?

RAMSES: Silence, Woman! We are far above any other civilization and I, Pharaoh, am the sun and the moon. We have great monuments that have been built by our slaves for hundreds of years; we need not worry about Moses’ little tricks.

WOMAN: I’ve heard that each Hebrew house is sacrificing a lamb tonight and putting the blood on the door post to protect their house. [pause…] Maybe we should do it… just in case?

RAMSES: (incredulously) What?! Have you, too, been deceived? ABSOLUTELY NOT! Killing a lamb would blaspheme our great god Amun Ra! We will never bloody our doors by killing our gods. Guards are protecting our son. He will be fine. Trust me. Am I not Pharaoh? 

WOMAN: (gasps) Ramses! Come! [Screams, then sobs]

RAMSES: How can this be? No!!!!! My son! My firstborn son! [breathes heavily, pauses…] Servant! Fetch me Moses and Aaron. Those Hebrew slaves need to go! We must rid ourselves of them before their God destroys our whole nation. Let them leave this place and worship their God! Send them out and to avoid any more turmoil, give to them whatever they ask!

NARRATOR: Just before their departure from Egypt, the Israelites did indeed place the blood of a lamb on their doorposts, and the Angel of Death passed over their homes sparing their firstborn. Before their departure, Moses directed his people to ask each one of their neighbors for gold, silver and clothing., and they gave willingly. God plundered the Egyptians, making a spectacle of their false gods.

REFLECTION

The bible tells us that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. Pharaoh did not believe this. He didn’t think he needed God to be forgiven. He was wrong. So many of us try to worship God on our own terms or try to manipulate and control our destiny, but it is only by faith in the sacrifice of the blood of a lamb will we be saved. 

Do you currently feel like you are drowning in a storm of life? Do you feel like I have forsaken you or that I don’t care? What promise of God do you doubt? 

Take a moment to reflect on the promises of God below and choose one that you are wrestling with. Claim My promise and identify why you doubt it, then trust me and my word in the midst of your storm.