The Netflix original, Testament: The Story of Moses, directed by Benjamin Ross, enlightens us with the power of God. The way Moses had difficulties trying to free his people from the stone-hearted Pharaoh will be brought out. The way Ramesses brought about his own doom by challenging the almighty has been highlighted in the second episode of the mini-series. What atrocities will the Egyptians face as a result of their Pharaoh’s unwillingness to let the Hebrews go? What will Moses do to prove his association with God? Will the Pharaoh finally agree to Moses’ demands? Let’s find out!
Why Did Bithiah Ask Moses To Leave?
Ramesses had a vision that his entire empire was about to crumble. The people of Egypt thought the Pharaohs to be mediators between the gods and the people. This expectation of the people from the Pharaoh made him think very highly of himself. When Moses went to meet Princess Bithiah, initially, he was not let in and was cast into prison. However, Bithiah reached out to him and asked him to leave the place as the Pharaoh had a premonition, causing him to arrest hundreds of people and torture them. Moses told her that he knew the real story about his birth, and Bithiah said that she was grief-stricken after she gave birth to a stillborn child, but later, when she found Moses, she was full of joy. She knew that baby was Hebrew, but chose to keep him as her own, naming him Moses (born out of water).
What Did Moses Do To Showcase God’s Power To The Pharaoh?
When Moses was losing all his faith, God appeared and asked him to go to the Pharaoh’s palace on the occasion of his son’s 18th birthday, delivering his wish to free the Hebrews. When he went to meet the Pharaoh, God gave him three signs to present himself and make himself look credible. He got a leprous hand when he brought it out of his cloak, and as he approached the Pharaoh, he recognized him and said that the murderer had returned! Moses claimed that the Hebrews should be freed, but when the Pharaoh opposed, he started showing magic, turning his wand into a serpent (one of the Egyptian gods associated with Nile). The King had sent out sorcerers to defeat Moses, and they also turned their sticks into snakes, and both the snakes of the sorcerers were killed by Moses’ snake. He challenged the Pharaoh, saying that there was only one God.
What Plagues Did God Inflict On The Land Of Egypt?
The Pharaoh imposed stricter laws on the Hebrews, asking them to toil more so that they would be turned against Moses. Later, when Moses saw all his own people toiling harder, he turned to God, and he asked Moses to have faith, asking him to approach the Pharaoh the next day by the Nile. He obeyed God’s commands and met the Pharaoh by the Nile, seeking freedom, but when the Pharaoh said that his God would lead him to an abyss, Moses turned the water of the Nile into thick red blood. Moses said that the people would be parched with thirst till he agreed to free the Hebrews.
When the Egyptians dug up the earth to drink water, all they found was blood. Even the water in the palace turned red. The Pharaoh captured Moses and Aaron for disturbing the order of the kingdom and made them toil like slaves, proving himself as the tyrant and thinking highly of himself. A few days later, another plague came, and the land was filled with many frogs. The magicians in the Pharaoh’s palace could replicate the chaos but did not have any way to restore order. When the Pharaoh told Moses that he would let his people go to the desert for sacrifice, the frogs died and piled up on the land of Egypt, and the land reeked of them. When the Pharaoh still decided to stick by his words and didn’t let the people go, a third plague was seen, where the people were attacked by dense swarms of flies, ruining their lands.
Why Did The Pharaoh Betray Moses?
Upon seeing such destruction in his kingdom, the Pharaoh decided to deceive Moses. He called Moses to his palace and told him that he would let the Hebrews go to the desert to make offerings to their God. The very next day, when Moses asked the people to prepare themselves to travel to the desert, the Pharaoh sent some men, informing them that they would not be released and would have to work. This decision of the Pharaoh infuriated Moses, and he went to meet the Pharaoh, and he said that Moses’ people would now mistrust him.
The path that Moses had undertaken was tough, but he did not waver, motivating his own people towards freedom. When God appeared before Moses, he told him that all the livestock of the Pharaoh would die the next day. Moses asked God if all these events would make the Pharaoh yield. God said that he had hardened the Pharaoh’s heart and he wouldn’t yield so soon. By hardening his heart, God had been trying to show the people the way he would guide them in their toughest situations. Just as God had told Moses, all the livestock at the palace died, and the Pharaoh was informed that there were no grain supplies as the animals were all dead and there were no cattle to carry the load. There was also a horrible plague that affected the people, and they grew blisters all over their faces.
Lord rained hail all over Egypt (only leaving Goshen out), which led to a halt in work, causing people to starve. When Moses came to the Pharaoh, he asked him to stop the hail, and he did so. The Pharaoh then said that he would let the people go only if they left their children behind in the city. He was afraid that Moses would lead the people into the desert and would never return again. However, Moses didn’t agree to the Pharaoh’s demand and left the palace.
Why Was There A Locust Infestation On The Land?
Immediately, the already-affected land of Egypt was attacked by locusts (they came from the east), destroying all the grains and sabotaging food supplies. There was no greenery left on the land, and people continued to starve. Despite seeing the sufferings of his people, the Pharaoh decided to stick to his decision, proving himself to be a man with no compassion for his subjects. His sister (Bithiah) and son requested that he give in to Moses’ demands, as they could see the forthcoming dangers that his stubbornness would bring upon the subjects.
A thick darkness engulfed Egypt for three days as the sun was eclipsed, and there was a darkness cast all over. This was seen as a sign of death by the commoners (the Egyptians in ancient times associated darkness with death). Moses came back to the Pharaoh to give him one last chance, asking him to free the people, but he refused to yield.
What Will Happen Next?
When Bithiah asked Moses to let his God have mercy on Egypt, he told her that things had gone out of his hands. He said the event that was to follow next was ‘death’. It is likely that the third episode of Testament: The Story of Moses will bring out the story of the death of the Pharaoh. Since he had refused to yield to the commands of the Lord Almighty, he would have to suffer. In all the hardships that God was putting Moses through, he was testing his patience and devotion. Moses would surely be rewarded for his loyalty towards God and given the gift of being able to attain the title of savior of the Hebrews.
