March 2008 - Vol. 17
 


plague of blood

plague of frogs

plague of gnats

plague of flies

plague of livestock

plague of boils

plague of hail

plague of locusts

plague of darkness

plague of the firstborn
click on each box to view large illustration and scriptural reflection for each plague

The Ten Plagues
Spiritual lessons for us today

Scriptural Reflections from Exodus
by Don Schwager
I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment  – Exodus 6:6
God made a seven-fold promise to Moses and the people of Israel (Exodus 6:6-8):
1.  I will free you from the burdens which the Egyptians have laid upon you. 
2.  I will release you from slavery to them. 
3.  With strokes of power I will deliver you. 
4.  I will adopt you as my own people. 
5.  I will be your God. 
6.  I will bring you to the land I swore that I would give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 
7.  I will give this land to you for your inheritance. 

This seven-fold promise forshadows the fulness of redemption which Jesus Christ fulfilled for the human race when he delivered us from slavery to sin and death through his victory on the cross. 

The ten plagues demonstrated God's power and presence in a land that worshiped idols and oppressed the people of God. Pharoah was worshiped as a divine person in Egypt. His defiance and refusal to submit to God is a type or symbol of the Angel of Light (also called Lucifer and Satan) who was thrown out of heaven for his defiant refusal to serve God. 

The plagues brought judgment on Pharoah and the Egyptians for enslaving Israel, and judgment on all the gods of Egypt. They demonstrate that the Lord is the only true God and greater than all other gods. 

They also demonstrated for Israel, and for all believers, both the depravity of sin and our need for God's redemption.

The Book of Revelations also describes plagues which will take place at the end of the age, when the Lord Jesus returns to judge the world and to usher in his kingdom of righteousness and peace. See Revelations 15:1, 16:3-7. 

Art work by Yvette Rock

Artist Statement

My work revolves around biblical themes, imagery and language.  I am drawn to the truth and beauty found in the Old and New Testaments – from the harshness and awesomeness of the ten plagues, to the glory and compassion of the crucifixion. 

I connect scripture to everyday life – using painting, drawing, collage and mixed media to reflect universal experiences such as love, anger, violence, hope, disparity, poverty, sickness and redemption. 


Yvette lives in Detroit, Michigan, USA. She and her husband, Joshua, now have three children. They are leaders of Youth-Works Detroit, an inner city youth outreach of the Sword of the Spirit. To see more of Yvette's art work, vist her website: http://www.yvetterock.com/
 

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1. Plague of Blood
2. Plague of Frogs
3. Plague of Gnats
4. Plague of Flies
5. Plague of Livestock
hi6. Plague of Boils
hi7. Plague of Hail
hi8. Plague of Locusts
hi9. Plague of Darkness
i10. Plague of Firstborn
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(c) copyright 2008  The Sword of the Spirit
publishing address: Park Royal Business Centre, 9-17 Park Royal Road, Suite 108, London NW10 7LQ, United Kingdom
email: living.bulwark@yahoo.com
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