Origin: Exodus 7-12 in the Bible
Once upon a time, many years ago, there was a land called Egypt where the Israelites, God’s chosen people, lived as slaves. Their lives were hard, and they cried out to God for help.
God heard their cries and chose a man named Moses to lead them out of Egypt and into freedom. Moses went to the powerful Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt, and asked him to let the Israelites go. But Pharaoh refused, and his heart was hardened against the request.
So God sent ten terrible plagues upon the land of Egypt to show Pharaoh His power and to convince him to let the Israelites go free.
The First Plague: Water Turned to Blood God told Moses to strike the Nile River with his staff, and the water turned to blood. The fish died, and the water became undrinkable.
The Second Plague: Frogs Next, God sent frogs to cover the land of Egypt. They were everywhere, hopping into houses and beds, even into Pharaoh’s palace.
The Third Plague: Gnats or Lice Then, God sent swarms of gnats or lice to annoy the Egyptians. They were so tiny and pesky, causing great discomfort.
The Fourth Plague: Flies God sent swarms of flies to swarm all over Egypt, except in the land where the Israelites lived. The flies were buzzing and bothersome.
The Fifth Plague: Livestock Diseased God caused a terrible disease to strike the livestock of the Egyptians, but the animals of the Israelites were spared.
The Sixth Plague: Boils God inflicted painful boils on the skin of the Egyptians, causing them great discomfort and pain.
The Seventh Plague: Hail God sent a hailstorm with lightning and thunder, destroying crops and trees in the fields of Egypt.
The Eighth Plague: Locusts God sent swarms of locusts to devour whatever was left of the crops that the hail hadn’t destroyed.
The Ninth Plague: Darkness God covered the land of Egypt in thick darkness for three days. It was so dark that the Egyptians couldn’t see anything, but the Israelites had light in their dwellings.
The Tenth Plague: Death of the Firstborn This was the most terrible plague of all. God told Moses that He would pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn in the land, both people and animals. But the Israelites were instructed to mark their doorposts with the blood of a lamb so that the angel of death would pass over their homes.
After this final plague, Pharaoh finally relented, and he let the Israelites go free. They left Egypt in haste, taking only what they could carry, and began their journey to the Promised Land.
And so, children, the story of the Ten Plagues teaches us about God’s power and His love for His people. It shows us that God hears our prayers and answers them in His own time and way.
