The plagues in Egypt as an unraveling of creation — Part 1

I am currently listening to an interesting series of round table discussions on the Book of Exodus, available on YouTube (link to first episode). I want to use this post to elaborate on a topic that was brought up in the fifth episode and made a deep impression on me. But this post is also meant as a preface to some further points on the topic that fit the Book of Mormon into the equation. By the way, it strikes my how many of the deep truths found in the Bible can be added to, expanded and even further deepened by the scriptures of the restoration. The participants in this Exodus seminar come from various backgrounds, but none are Latter-day Saints. Having the scriptures of the restoration helps, and I will get there eventually, but not in this post.

A recap of the ten plagues

We know the story of the plagues that precede the Exodus. But in the scriptures we often find symbolic significance beyond the story itself. There are several such layers here. One is the fact that the number 10 connects the plagues and the commandments that Moses later receives on Sinai. They happen on each side of the Red Sea, so to speak, both in time and space. We have previously discussed both the covenant connotations and the throwback to the creation that the crossing of the Red Sea represents.

Even though the covenant is further fleshed out on Sinai, it is interesting to have this covenant symbol separating the 10 plagues and the 10 commandments. The Egyptians, who enslave the covenant people, get the 10 plagues. It logically follows that the covenant people get the 10 blessings, and perhaps considering the commandments as blessings is one of the meanings we are supposed to find here?

Another interesting aspect is that the plagues directly attack the Egyptian gods. More on that here. This further demonstrates God’s power and his intention to end the dominion of Egypt and call Israel to be his people.

Now we come to the main point of this post. The plagues signify an unraveling of the creation. Before I explain why, let me explain how. I posted recently about the idea that the tabernacle/temple represents creation in reverse. The plagues in Egypt do not follow that reversal pattern exactly, but there is a clear link to the creation — they start from the bottom (in the water) then progress to the land and eventually up to heaven.

Notice the progression:

1. Water turning into blood
2. Frogs
3. Lice
4. Flies
5. Death of the livestock
6. Boil
7. Hail
8. Locusts
9. Darkness
10. Death of the firstborn

Do you see the pattern here? If the answer is “well… perhaps…”, it’s like me before looking into the details. So let’s go into some of those. We start in the water, that is clear and obvious. Next there are frogs, amphibians that exist both in water and on land. The second plague sees them coming from out of the river, signaling a progression from water to land.

The lice in the third plague specifically come from the dust, the lowest part of the earth.

16 And the Lord said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.
17 And they did so; for Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man, and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.

Exodus 8

Before this passage, the term for ‘dust of the earth’ (‘aphar ha’erets’ in Hebrew) only appears as part of the Abrahamic covenant. Abraham is promised descendants as numerous as the dust of the earth and this is repeated to Jacob/Israel in his vision of the latter to heaven. This plague then seems to be a reversal of the covenant promise: Israel is promised a covenant people as numerous as the dust of the earth. By contrast, all Egypt gets from the dust of the earth is lice.

The next two plagues represent a slight move up from the dust as Egypt is plagued with flies and the death of their livestock. The first half of the ten plagues ends with the death of the livestock, that might presage the death of the firstborn that ends the second half. After this first half, Moses does the following:

8 And the Lord said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh.

Exodus 9:8

Moses obeys, and from then on, the plagues come from heaven.

The ashes that Moses sprinkles towards the heaven become the boils of the sixth plague. The hail obviously comes from heaven, too, accompanied by fire. Jonathan Pageau notes in the fifth episode of the Exodus seminar that the hailstorm and fire resemble the pillar of cloud and fire that later lead the Israelites out of Egypt. The same elements that guide and protect the covenant people bring destruction to the Egyptians.

The eighth plague of the locusts may seem like a deviation from the pattern, but they also come from heaven, or more specifically, from the east wind. Besides, they also introduced the darkness that is intensified in the ninth plague: “For they [the locusts] covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened” (Exodus 10:15).

Creation not behaving as it should according to its order made by God and pronounced good, is a sign that the initial covenant has been violated. In this case, enslaving the covenant people is what leads to this unraveling of creation. The first eight plagues progress through the creation, bringing destruction from bottom to top. The general image of creation not behaving as it should in response to sin is common in ancient scripture, although it is very systematic here in Exodus. (See this link for more information on the ancient “world upside down” motif).

The symbolism of the firstborn

In the context of the unraveling of creation, the symbolism of the ninth plague is stark, bringing us all the way back to the primordial darkness, even before the first day of creation when there was light. Egypt is “un-created” as a consequence of the stubbornness of Pharaoh. The surprising part is therefore that there is more, there is a tenth plague. How can we possibly go beyond the complete “un-creation”?

Pondering that question brought an ‘aha’ moment for me regarding the fundamental nature of the tenth plague. It is of course also discussed in the Exodus seminar, although, as mentioned previously, the scriptures of the restoration and our doctrine can help us further expand on that. My answer to the question is this: More fundamental than the creation of the material world is the the very thing that initiated the creation, the idea, the potential, the word that could be spoken and can bring creation into being. This is the symbolism of the firstborn. Before there was light in the darkness on that first day of creation there was the firstborn son of God, the Word that we read about in John 1. He was prepared “before the foundation of the world”.

The firstborn was necessary to allow for Pharaoh’s perpetual power on the throne. But because of his rebellion against God, the firstborn was taken from him. There is some interesting parallel symbolism here. The difference between Israel and Egypt is not simply that one is losing the firstborn and the other is not. The difference is that Egypt refuses to hearken and loses its firstborn as a consequence, while Israel are willing to give up the firstborn and be led back to His presence as a consequence. What do I mean by that? Here there are several layers as well.

First of all, as mentioned, God the Father was willing to give up his firstborn, even before the foundation of the world. Again, this is more fundamental than creation itself. As he offered up the firstborn, he rose again and went back to his father, having redeemed all creation. Thereby a pattern was established. As Israel in Egyptian slavery looked to the promises of their father Abraham for hope, it is worth considering the fact that Abraham, too, was willing to sacrifice his firstborn, Isaac (that is, Isaac was the firstborn of the covenant. Ishmael, son of Hagar, was technically older, but not of the covenant, an important distinction). As Abraham showed his obedience, Isaac was given back to him and became the father of a multitude. As the firstborn of the Egyptians are slain and the Israelites are spared, they owe their firstborn to God. We know how this is solved. They use a replacement, an animal instead and its blood on the doorpost. The ancient concept of redemption was exactly that, a replacement. As the Israelites are willing to offer the sacrifice of the firstborn, God’s sacrifice of his firstborn is effectuated, and they are redeemed.

The willingness to hearken, obey and sacrifice makes all the difference. Egypt is un-created and Israel is created. This is made absolutely clear in the Exodus story. There is no coincidence that the death of the firstborn of the Egyptians coincides with the instructions to Israel concerning the firstborn:

1 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine…
12 That thou shalt set apart unto the Lord all that openeth the matrix, and every firstling that cometh of a beast which thou hast; the males shall be the Lord’s.
13 And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck: and all the firstborn of man among thy children shalt thou redeem.

Exodus 13

It is also no coincidence that this event marks a new calendar and a new year.

2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.

Exodus 12

Another creation/new beginning motif for Israel is the parting of the Red Sea that resembles the parting of water and land in the creation account (see this link).

The ten plagues in Egypt represent an unraveling of creation all the way to the primordial darkness and even beyond that. The very firstborn is taken from the Egyptians but redeemed for the Israelites as they act out the sacrificial pattern. This marks a new beginning for them as they leave Egypt, receive the ten commandments, build a tabernacle, journey through the wilderness and finally enter into the promised land.

I promised that I would bring latter-day scripture into this, which I will in the next post, continuing this theme.