Let My People Go: The Ten Plagues
Month 3: The Great Rescue · Bible Story
Today's Scripture
Read together: Exodus 7:1-5
1 The LORD answered Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet. 2 You are to speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his land. 3 But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I will multiply My signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, 4 Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay My hand on Egypt, and by mighty acts of judgment I will bring the divisions of My people the Israelites out of the land of Egypt. 5 And the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out My hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out from among them.”
Memory Verse
“The blood on the houses where you are staying will be a sign; when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No plague will fall on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.”— Exodus 12:13 (BSB)memorize this week
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Numbers 33–34
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time.The Heart of It
Pharaoh was the most powerful man in the world, and he thought he was a god. So God sent Moses and Aaron to him with four small words that shook an empire: "Let My people go." When Pharaoh said no, God didn't shrug and give up. He sent ten plagues. Water turned to blood. Then came frogs, gnats, flies, sickness, boils, hail, locusts, and darkness. Last of all came the death of the firstborn. Each plague was aimed straight at a thing the Egyptians worshiped. That way everyone would learn the same lesson. There is only one true God, and the false gods of Egypt could not save anyone.
Notice what God says here. He says the Egyptians will "know that I am the LORD." The plagues were never just punishment. They were God making Himself known. Yes, He was rescuing His people. But He was also showing the whole world three things. He alone is real. He alone has power. And He alone keeps His promises. God would not let Pharaoh's "no" be the final word. And that same God hears us today. When we feel small against something big, we can remember this: nothing is too strong for the God who broke Egypt with a word.
Around the Table
God told Pharaoh, "Let My people go!" Pharaoh was strong, but God is the strongest of all.
Let's do it: Stand up tall and say it together loud and brave: "Let My people go!"
God sent ten plagues to show that the pretend gods of Egypt couldn't save anyone — only He could.
Let's talk: Why do you think God said the Egyptians would "know that I am the LORD"?
Each plague struck a god the Egyptians trusted in. God was proving, one by one, that He alone is Lord over creation.
Let's go deeper: What "big things" do people trust in today instead of God? How does this story answer them?
💬 Conversation Starter
Who is the strongest person you can think of? Now, is anyone or anything stronger than God? Pharaoh found out the answer the hard way!
🛡️ Defending the Faith
How do we know this really happened? Moses wrote it down as history, not as legend. And Jesus Himself spoke of Moses and the exodus as real (). God was powerful enough to make the whole world (). So He is certainly powerful enough to humble one stubborn king.
For Dad · Go Deeper
The plagues are sometimes read as God being harsh. But look closer. God gave Pharaoh chance after chance to repent, plague after plague, time after time. Mercy was offered at every stage. Judgment came only after Pharaoh refused again and again with a hard heart. That is the heart of God toward sinners. He is "not willing that any should perish" (). As a father, this guards you against two errors. One is a soft god who never confronts evil. The other is a harsh god who enjoys it. The true God patiently warns, and then He acts justly. Lead your kids to see both His kindness and His seriousness. A child who knows only one of these will not really know God.
Draws on: Tony Evans, Tony Evans' Book of Illustrations / The Tony Evans Bible Commentary.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, You are the one true God, and nothing is too strong for You. Thank You that You hear Your people and keep Your promises. Help our family trust Your power and Your patience. In Jesus' name, amen."
Nothing is too strong for the God who broke an empire with a word. And He is on the side of His people.