Did the plagues effect Pharaoh?

[atassina]

It seems that the plagues did not have a direct effect on Pharaoh. Why did he continue with his resistance if he had pain or suffering from the plagues.

 

[Xeyed818]

Here’s an article I came across with information I’d never heard before regarding the Pharaoh’s plight.

I didn’t know the Hebrew terms, but still found it interesting. It’s a PDF doc.

It’s the first article in the ‘newsletter’.

Yeshiva University High School for boys

Vol. 18 Issue #13 Parashat Vaera פרשת וארא 25 Tevet 5774

A Lesson Learned
Steven Stein

yuhsb.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/vaera.pdf

 

[SAVINGRACE]

It seems that the plagues did not have a direct effect on Pharaoh. Why did he continue with his resistance if he had pain or suffering from the plagues.

He was pitting his Egyptian gods up against the Israelites G-d. His Priests no doubt advised him that there is no way a slave’s G_d would win out against their mighty and numerous Gods.

Egyptians had several Gods and their own Priests. That’s what made the Israelites of that time different from pretty much everyone around them, they only worshipped one G-d.

It was only after the death of the Pharoah’s first-born and all the Egyptian first-borns that he capitulated and allowed Moses to leave with his people. But his heart was so hardened by the experience that he sent his chariots after them.

 

[TimothyH]

He was pitting his Egyptian gods up against the Israelites G-d. His Priests no doubt advised him that there is no way a slave’s G_d would win out against their mighty and numerous Gods.

Egyptians had several Gods and their own Priests. That’s what made the Israelites of that time different from pretty much everyone around them, they only worshipped one G-d.

It was only after the death of the Pharoah’s first-born and all the Egyptian first-borns that he capitulated and allowed Moses to leave with his people. But his heart was so hardened by the experience that he sent his chariots after them.

This is exactly true. Each plague was a battle between the God of Abraham and one of the various god’s of the Egyptians.

But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will plague all your country with frogs; the Nile shall swarm with frogs which shall come up into your house, and into your bedchamber and on your bed, and into the houses of your servants and of your people, and into your ovens and your kneading bowls; the frogs shall come up on you and on your people and on all your servants."’" (Exodus 8:2-4)

Heket was the name of the Egyptian frog fertility god.

http://resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/homework/egypt/heket.jpg

Notice that the God of Abraham sends frogs into the bedchambers and beds of the Egyptians so that Egyptians cannot make love in their beds and procreate. The Hebrews however, were not affected by the swarms of frogs and were able to make love and conceive.

The God of Abraham defeated the Egyptian gods this same way, one by one. Seth was the god of storms - God sent hail storms to the Egyptians but not to Goshen where the Hebrews lived. God defeated Ra, the Egyptian god of the sun by sending three days darkness to the Egyptians but not to the Hebrews.

Does anyone remember Pharaoh praying to the Egyptian god of the dead in the movie The Ten Commandments? Pharaoh prayed that his son would rise from the dead.

And you shall say to Pharaoh, `Thus says the LORD, Israel is my first-born son, and I say to you, “Let my son go that he may serve me”; if you refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay your first-born son.’" (Exodus 4:22-23)

The nation of Israel was God’s first born son. Pharaoh lets Israel go free only after Anubis is defeated and his own son does not rise from the dead.

-Tim-

 

[atassina]

Tim,
This is a good post. It helps me to better understand how Pharoah personally suffered. If he didn’t personally suffer he could have taken ten more plagues and then twenty more.

“There is no suffering that a man will not endure if he doesn’t suffer himself.”

What convinced me was the suffering he endured because of the death of his first born. Pharaoh already knew that the true Holy One could prevent him from procreating and thus no family, no descendants no continuing of his reign. Shazam! Brilliant explication.

Thanks, atassina

 

[TimothyH]

Tim,
This is a good post. It helps me to better understand how Pharoah personally suffered. If he didn’t personally suffer he could have taken ten more plagues and then twenty more.

“There is no suffering that a man will not endure if he doesn’t suffer himself.”

What convinced me was the suffering he endured because of the death of his first born. Pharaoh already knew that the true Holy One could prevent him from procreating and thus no family, no descendants no continuing of his reign. Shazam! Brilliant explication.

Thanks, atassina

Some fresh bread please, since you are near a bakery. I’ll brew tea.

-Tim-

 

[atassina]

Tim,
You are near a bakery. A nomad in the Sahara desert is near a bakery. Alas, I was rather vague about the precision of the word “near”, vague on purpose.