Don’t forget to leave a like and a comment at the bottom of the blog! This helps extend the vibe of Christ to more people!

Exodus 9:8-10

8             Yahweh said to Moses and to Aaron, “Take handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the sky in the sight of Pharaoh.

9             It shall become small dust over all the land of Egypt, and shall be boils and blisters breaking out on man and on animal, throughout all the land of Egypt.”

10          They took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward the sky; and it became boils and blisters breaking out on man and on animal.

Plague #6: Boils and Blisters, Oh My

A lot of the plagues we’ve seen affected the environment, economy, and ritual lifestyle of the Egyptian nation. This is the first plague that will affect them directly and physically. What will the boils and blisters do? What does it mean for the bigger story? Let’s talk about it.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: What do you believe the boils and blisters represent?

The Health of Humans and Animals

The ashes from the furnace represented the oppression and labor of the Israelites. It’s a reminder of their suffering under the Egyptian rule and God’s awareness of their struggles. Doing this while Pharaoh is watching challenges Pharaoh directly and demonstrates God’s power. Tossing the ashes into the air shows the inevitability of the boils and blisters.

The ash turning to dust connect back to the Genesis 2:7 story where God created man from the dust, showing that God has authority over all life and creation. The boils come as a direct attack on the health and well-being of humans and animals. This caused much distress and disruption. This can be viewed as a direct challenge to the Egyptian gods Imhotep (health) and Sekhmet (medicine).

REFLECTION QUESTION: The plagues seem to be challenging the Egyptian Gods. What beliefs about medicine and health do you question and how can God answer those questions?

God’s Healing Touch

The plague of boils demonstrates God’s control over health and nature. God is known as the almighty Healer, being able to bring God’s healing power to those that ask for it. Health is more than our physical being. It’s also emotional healing, spiritual grounding, reconciling relationships, justice that mends harm and more. God’s power in His healing comes to earth through his divine guidance and power. God works through the doctors, therapists, and medications. God works through inner resilience and growth. God participates with us in the healing process. Know that your health issues are not a sign that you didn’t pray enough, your mental issues do not come from not believing enough. We ask God for our healing through prayer. It’s NOT about getting a transaction response but deepening our relationship with God. Prayer becomes a way to connect with God, ground yourself, invite peace and courage, and to hold someone in love. Prayer isn’t about getting God to do something, but inviting God into the pain, struggle, and strife and seeking his guidance to walk through the journey past to the victory. The healing that comes from God is also about social healing. God can heal communities that were harmed by racism, sexism, and homophobia – often through the hard work of truth-telling, repentance, reparations, and changed systems. God can heal creation through environmental care. God’s healing touch is not just personal. It’s also communal and societal. We can still believe that God will do the unexplainable. When it happens, we can hold it with humility and wonder. Not try to figure out how it happened but appreciate what God did and that He did it altogether.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: How does this view of God’s healing power connect or disconnect with your current views or learnings growing up?

Part 7: Dominion and Responsibility || Plagues Galore || Part 7