Read Time:7 Minute, 4 Second

By Wiliam Van Zyl

Published in February 2025

“I can’t stand up!”

“Me too; I am weighed down in my chair!”

“What is happening? I am scared.”

“Can you feel the darkness?”

“Yes, I can. I feel it in the palms of my hands and my eyes. I can feel the darkness displaced by my eyelids when I blink.”

“I can feel the blackness in my mouth; I think I can move it around with my tongue!”

“It is all Moses and the Israelite’s fault; their God has cursed us.”

“ Moses won’t stop with his plagues until we are all dead.”

“We are going to die. The God of the Israelites is going to kill us.”

“ We have to appease their God, Jehovah!”

“But how?”

“ Sacrifices. We have to provide sacrifices to appease their Gods fury.”

“What will we sacrifice?”

The husband and wife were ‘detained’ in their house. They were at home; the darkness came from nowhere during the night.

The air grew thick, pressing down on Egypt like an unseen hand. No ordinary darkness had fallen upon the land—it was alive, a heavy, suffocating presence that seeped into every crevice, trapping its victims in an abyss of terror. When Moses raised his hand to the heavens, the sun did not simply vanish; instead, Jehovah wove an impenetrable veil over the nation, a dense darkness that could be felt.

As you have gathered, I am describing the ninth plague. I include the writings of Chabad. Just as a person is made up of both body and soul, the Torah we learn also comprises both elements. There are the dos and don’ts and the historical facts. And then there’s the “inner Torah,” a system of teachings passed down through the generations that penetrate to the core of reality, discussing the act of Creation, the soul, and how the soul can reconnect itself and its world back to its source (Chassidism).

The Egyptians sat frozen in their places for three days, paralysed by an unseen force. Their torches would not burn, their lamps refused to glow, and no fire could pierce the void. Every home, every palace, every chamber of wealth lay submerged in an oppressive blackness, rendering the mightiest empire of its time utterly powerless.

But in Goshen, where the Israelites dwelled, there was light. Not just the flickering glow of a candle but a divine radiance—the very glory of God illuminating their homes, guiding their steps. And with this light came sight beyond sight. As their Egyptian oppressors sat imprisoned in their darkness, the Israelites moved freely, their eyes piercing walls, chests, and locked chambers. Like a revelation whispered by the Almighty Himself, they saw the hidden riches of their taskmasters—the gold, the silver, the gemstones secreted away in places no ordinary eye could perceive. Did they walk through the chambers of the Egyptians? The Egyptians later discovered that the Israelites knew everything about their hidden wealth.

IMAGE: The Israelites could see all the hidden wealth of the Egyptians during the 3 days of darkness (ninth plague). AI-generated image. Copilot.

After the tenth plague, the death of every family’s firstborn and every animal’s firstborn, the Israelites asked for their treasures. The fear of God was upon them, and they gave everything. They were afraid that they would die, too.

Then, the prophecy of Isaiah – much later given to Isaiah – came to life:

“And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places…” (Isaiah 45:3, KJV)

This was no mere glimpse into earthly wealth; it foreshadowed divine justice—a moment when light exposed what had been concealed, when the oppressed beheld the riches of their captors, soon to be placed in their own hands. The darkness that weighed upon Egypt had stolen their sight and stripped away their dominion.

And so, as the Egyptians cowered in helplessness, the children of Israel stood at the threshold of deliverance, their eyes opened to the fulfilment of God’s promise. The weight of darkness was great, but the light of revelation was more remarkable still.

Table of Contents

God’s Promise to Abraham and Its Fulfillment in the Exodus

The Promise to Abraham

God made a covenant with Abraham, foretelling that his descendants would be enslaved in a foreign land but would eventually be delivered with great wealth. This promise is recorded in Genesis 15:13-14 (KJV). I include it here:

“And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;
And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.”

God assured Abraham that his descendants, though oppressed, would not only be freed but would also leave their captivity with “great substance”—a foreshadowing of the wealth they would take from Egypt.

IMAGE: The Israelites left Egypt on foot, carrying away the gold, silver, jewellery and fine linen. AI-generated. Copilot.

The Fulfillment of the Promise

Centuries later, during the Exodus, Pharaoh—after enduring the ten plagues—finally released the Israelites. As they departed, the Egyptians gave gold, silver, and fine jewellery, just as God had promised. This fulfilment is recorded in Exodus 12:35-36 (KJV):

“And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment:
And the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.”

The NIV described the events as follows:

The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and for clothing. The LORD had made the Egyptians favourably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered the Egyptians (NIV).

The phrase “spoiled the Egyptians” does not imply theft but rather divine justice—God had commanded this, ensuring the Israelites were compensated for their generations of unpaid labour and suffering.

A Divine Transfer of Wealth

This moment fulfilled prophecy and was a powerful symbol of God’s faithfulness. The wealth of the Egyptians, which had been hoarded and hidden, was now in the hands of God’s chosen people—just as Isaiah 45:3 (KJV) later affirms:

“And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the Lord, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.”

God’s promise to Abraham was fulfilled in full measure. The Israelites did not leave Egypt as destitute slaves but as a nation abundantly blessed, carrying the riches of their oppressors—a divine reversal of power and a testament to the faithfulness of Jehovah.

Dear reader, may I remind you of the promises of God.

6These words I am commanding you today are to be upon your hearts. 7And you shall teach them diligently to your children and speak of them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8Tie them as reminders on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates.

10And when the LORD your God brings you into the land He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that He would give you—a land with great and splendid cities that you did not build, 11with houses full of every good thing with which you did not fill them, with wells that you did not dig, and with vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant—and when you eat and are satisfied, 12be careful not to forget the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. Deut 6: 4 – 12 (NIV).