The cruel Pharaoh did not believe in God. He was angry with Moses and refused to let the people go.
Moses now showed the power the Lord had given him. He lifted his rod and commanded ten plagues to come down on the land of Egypt. This was to punish the Pharaoh and force him to free the Israelites.
One by one the plagues fell upon the country. The waters were changed to blood, and great numbers of frogs appeared upon the land. Besides these creatures, there were swarms of lice, flies, and other pests.
The people of Egypt became sick. The land was covered with darkness. The Pharaoh was frightened and promised to let the Israelites leave his country. Then the darkness lifted and the plagues ceased. But as soon as this happened, the Pharaoh broke his promise.
The troubles began again. Pharaoh made fresh promises, only to break them again as soon as the plagues stopped.
At last, God sent an angel into Egypt to kill all the first-born of the people. The Israelites, however, were not to be harmed. Moses told them to smear their door-posts with the blood of a lamb.
The angel moved from house to house, doing as the Lord had directed. But when he came to a door-post marked with the blood of a lamb, he passed it by, and no one within was harmed.
Esther's father told the story that evening, as though the children had never heard it before. Yet they had listened to it every year since they could remember.
The blood of a lamb! Yes, the people in olden time had good reason to sacrifice a lamb at the Passover.