Exodus 7:5
We remember there were three reasons why the ten plagues were inflicted on the Egyptians.
- The first of course was to make the Egyptians let God’s people go.
- The second was to punish Pharaoh and the Egyptians.
- And the third was to force people to realize God is the only real god.
If we know human nature and we look back at history, we can be certain that not every Egyptian treated the Israelites with disdain. But they were going to be punished with all the bad guys, none the less. It seems unfair that even if you had friends among the government’s enemies and you did not agree with your governments decisions to be cruel, you were still not exempt from the punishment.
This is what is called collective guilt. Collective guilt shares its definition with Collective responsibility, and it refers to responsibilities of organizations, groups, societies and nations. It’s when a group or a perceived group puts up with, or turns a blind eye to actions that aren’t ones that you’ve actively partaken in. In the particulate case of the treatment of the Hebrews in Egypt, everyone was blamed for Pharaoh’s actions, the same way United States citizens would be condemned for our administrations decisions.
As an example, we can look at the results on our military by a stroke of a pen by an authority in government. Understanding Collective Guilt and/or Collective Responsibility helps us to understand why the plagues affected all of Egypt and not just the government of the Egyptians. God said, “and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out my hand over Egypt and bring out the Israelites from their midst”.
It is very interesting to note the plagues were not against the Egyptians but against the Egyptian gods.
• The first plague, which was water turned to blood, was against the gods attached to the Nile River.
• The second plague of frogs was against the frog god and goddess.
• The third plague of lice was against the earth god.
• The fourth plague of flies and insects was against the god of flies and/or the beetle god.
• The fifth plague of diseased cattle were against the gods associated with bulls and cows.
• The sixth plague of boils was against the gods of healing.
• The seventh plague of hail was against the gods of the sky and atmosphere.
• The eighth plague of locusts was against the gods who protected against locusts and human disease.
• The ninth plague of darkness was against the sun god and the moon god.
• The tenth plague of death of all firstborn males was against all the gods of Egypt, including Pharaoh. It was also a response to the mass killing of the Hebrew sons.
These plagues and everything else in this portion of Scripture, and of course in all Scripture is to disassociate God from nature, and to make it clear God is outside of nature and rules over it. The plagues are all directed against the nature gods of Egypt. They are to demonstrate the fact that there is One True God who created nature and rules over it. It seems to come naturally for people to worship nature.
One aspect of Nature worship is nothing more than a religion based on the veneration of natural phenomena. For example – celestial objects such as the sun, moon, and stars, and terrestrial objects such as water and fire. They are willing to believe stars, rain and animals are natural objects or forces that influence their lives and therefore they worship nature to appease the gods so their lives can be easier.
It’s easier for them to believe there is a high god as the lord in heaven who has withdrawn from the immediate details of the governing of the world. This hidden or idle god is one who has delegated all work on earth to nature spirits which are the forces or personifications of the forces of nature. And then there are those who worship all creation such as animals, bugs and whatever, but they do not recognize, accept or worship the Creator.
Much to our dismay, it is understandable that human being would worship nature. In this world it is all we see and know, it is everything to us. But nature is amoral, and therefore unworthy of worship. But God is preoccupied with good and evil and justice. Nature is occupied by blind forces and the law of survival of the fittest. That is why Scripture is all about God.
The Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 1:27 “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools… Who change the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.”
For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections. Our Creator God proved He was and is the one true god to all the Egyptians as well as to his own people the Hebrews.
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