Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on April 12, 2015. The Plagues of Egypt were ten calamities that Israel's God inflicted upon Egypt to persuade the Pharaoh to release the ill-treated Israelites from slavery. In our culture's story, who or what is the pharaoh who won't let the people go? Who is enslaved by this pharaoh? What can be done? How many plagues will it take?