Mensa Otabil - God Judges The gods of Egypt (10/11/2025)
Exodus chapter 9, verses 4 and 5: «And the Lord will make a difference between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt; so nothing shall die of all that belongs to the children of Israel.» Then the Lord appointed a set time, saying, «Tomorrow the Lord will do this thing in the land.»
As with the fourth plague, in this fifth plague God makes a distinction between what belongs to Israel and what belongs to Egypt. There is a distinction there, and God says He is coming against the livestock of the Egyptians. The Egyptian gods were usually represented by an animal, and because of the belief of the people, most gods would have a representation of an animal. So, there would be a ram god, there would be a bull god, there would be a cow god, there would be a goat god, there would be a jackal god, and all these gods have animals as their representation. Thus, this attack is not just against agricultural animals or livestock; there is also a spiritual dimension to what is happening. God is showing the Egyptians that there is no power in their gods, that He, Jehovah God, is supreme and superior to the gods of Egypt.
So in this plague, there is a judgment against the gods of the Egyptians, and God clearly demonstrates two things. First, He determined the boundaries of the plague, as was done earlier; the plague is limited to animals owned by the Egyptians. Now some people believe that the attack on the Egyptian animals was a bacterial or viral attack, probably anthrax, that affected the animals of the Egyptians. But you know bacteria have no knowledge of boundaries of land or people; they would attack everywhere.
We’ve learned that from the COVID virus; it attacks everybody. But in this case, God had placed a seal, a covering, over the animals of the Israelites and the land where they are, so there is a boundary to where this attack would take place. I believe God is able to make a difference and protect His people, and I speak that same protection of Jehovah God over your life, over your property, over everything that belongs to you, because God can keep you safe in the midst of chaos; He can keep you safe. The second thing we note is that God determined the time of the plague; He set the time and He says, «Tomorrow this thing is going to strike.» In that, there is an act of mercy. God is showing mercy to Egypt; God is not taking them by surprise.
So probably the Egyptians had time to make some arrangements: if the animals are going to be hit, then maybe we can hide some in places where they would not be attacked, so that some of our livestock will be preserved. And that’s one thing about God’s judgment: in the midst of God’s judgment, there is always a way of escape and there is a way of mercy, because it is not His desire to destroy; His desire is to bring us to repentance.
So He gives the Egyptians notice ahead of time so that they can make some preparations to save some of their livestock, those that can be saved. They have 24 hours to do it, and if they don’t, then they lose a significant portion of their economy. But in His mercy, He gave them notice of what was coming. May the Lord have mercy over each one of us, and may we take the mercy of the Lord to heart, so that we repent ahead of time before judgment strikes us.
Let’s pray. Say with me: «Heavenly Father, let Your kingdom rule over all the kingdoms of our world. In Jesus' name, Amen.»