Fretheim in his book The Pentateuch writes, “The plagues are not an arbitrarily chosen divine response, God gives Pharaoh up to reap the natural consequences of his behaviors. The effects are cosmic, because the sins are creational” (Fretheim 103).
I believe that the events of the plagues are absolutely amazing events which displays God’s power and complete control over His creation. Another thought for me on God’s control over his creation was in the book of Job. In chapter 1 (as we all know the story) we find God and Satan having a conversation that about Job.
In verse 7, as Satan is “roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it” the Lord asks Satan if he has considered Job (NIV). This has always been an interesting concept to me… First, why would God and Satan even need to be on speaking terms or even a first name basis, I can see God and Moses being on a first name basis, but Satan… no way! And then the unthinkable happens.
In verse 12, th Lord told Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power but on the man himself do not lay a finger” (NIV).
Did God just throw Job to the wolves literally…
Of course we all know this story, but my thought came in to play that in a since we understand that Satan basically had to ask for permission to afflict Job, and ultimately destroy his life.
It is interesting in the fact as we gain an understanding that God must have had the “control and power” (over His creation) to be able to release control and “power” over to Satan.
For me this is driving in the point of how God is in complete control over His creation, such as with the ten plagues.
Even in the accounts of the Plagues found in Exodus, there are many who have found “scientific reasoning” that the plagues may not have been supernatural but yet possibly “natural occurences”.
Even if there were some “natural” reasonings, it is evident that God has complete control and power over His creation…
Just some thoughts as you reflect in your study this week.
Blessings,
Pastor Jonathan W. Pannell III
Works Cited
Fretheim, Terrence E. The Pentateuch. Abingdon Press, 1996.
Rev. Jonathan W. Pannell III 