Introduction – When the Sun Went Out

Egypt lived by the sun. From planting fields to worshiping their gods, life revolved around light. The Egyptians believed their greatest deity, Ra, ruled the heavens, rode his blazing solar barque across the sky each day, and gave order and life to the world.

But in the 9th plague, God silenced Egypt’s greatest god. He turned day into night, shutting down the sun itself for three long days. This wasn’t just bad weather. It was a devastating declaration: Ra is nothing. Yahweh is everything.

Here’s What We’ll Discuss in This Post:

Life in Egypt before the plague — how the sun god Ra was central to everything.
The plague itself — what “darkness that could be felt” looked and felt like.
The false god Ra — why this was the ultimate insult to Egypt’s religion.
The science of darkness — how eclipses, storms, or dust can darken skies, but not like this.
God’s protection for His people — why Goshen still had light.
The deeper connection to Jesus — how the plague points to the Light of the World and the cross.

Life in Egypt Before the Darkness

Egypt was “the land of the sun.” Temples were aligned eastward to greet Ra’s daily rising. Pharaohs claimed divine connection to him, often called the “Son of Ra.” Festivals, farming, and calendars were all oriented around the cycles of the sun.

After the plague of locusts, Egyptians clung to Ra as their last hope. If the sun still rose, maybe Egypt could recover. Instead, God blotted out the very heart of Egyptian religion.

The 9th Plague: A Darkness That Could Be Felt

“So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days. No one could see anyone else or move about for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived.”
(Exodus 10:22–23)

This wasn’t ordinary nightfall.

Total blackness. Egyptians couldn’t see their hands in front of their faces.
Palpable heaviness. Scripture calls it a darkness that could be “felt,” pressing down like a weight.
Paralyzing fear. People didn’t move for three days—daily life stopped.

Meanwhile, in Goshen, the Hebrew homes glowed with light.

The Egyptian God Defeated: Ra

For Egyptians, this plague wasn’t just inconvenient—it was unthinkable. The sun was the heartbeat of their world, and Ra was the most powerful god in their vast pantheon.

Ra’s Role in Creation: Egyptians believed Ra created himself out of the waters of chaos and then created all other gods. Every sunrise was seen as Ra renewing the world.
Ra as King of the Gods: Unlike other Egyptian gods tied to local regions, Ra reigned over the entire land. He was worshiped across Egypt, from mighty temples at Heliopolis to small household shrines.
Pharaoh as “Son of Ra”: Pharaohs claimed their right to rule directly from Ra. To see the sun blotted out was to see Pharaoh’s authority undermined. If Ra could not rise, Pharaoh was not divine.
Daily Journey of the Sun: Egyptians believed Ra sailed across the sky each day in a solar barque (boat), fighting off the serpent of chaos, Apophis, each night to rise again. When the sun failed for three days, it meant Ra had lost.

So when darkness swallowed Egypt for three full days, it wasn’t just eerie—it was a national crisis of faith.

The god who “brought life” and the king who claimed to be his son were utterly powerless.

Yahweh didn’t just dim the lights; He dismantled Egypt’s most foundational belief about who controlled the universe.

The Science Behind the Darkness

Darkness over a whole land can have natural causes, and skeptics have long tried to explain this plague. But each falls short when measured against the biblical account:

Solar Eclipse: A solar eclipse can darken the sun, but only for minutes and never for three consecutive days. Nor can it selectively cover one region while sparing another.
Sandstorm (Khamsin): Egypt is known for hot desert winds that whip up dust and sand, turning the sky orange or even brown. While severe storms can darken the sun, they don’t cause total darkness, nor would people remain frozen in their homes for three days. Plus, sandstorms hit Goshen too—but here, the Hebrews had light.
Volcanic Eruption: Massive eruptions can blanket skies with ash, producing days of gloom (like Mt. Tambora in 1815). But again, volcanic ash drifts across huge areas, not with surgical precision like in Exodus.

The Exodus account stresses three key differences:

Intensity — “Darkness that could be felt” suggests more than visual dimness; it was heavy, smothering, spiritual.
Selectivity — It struck all Egypt but left Goshen full of light.
Control — It began and ended at God’s command, not at random.

In short: while science can show us how skies might darken, this plague went far beyond natural explanation. It was a supernatural showdown in the very realm Egyptians thought Ra ruled.

The Deeper Connection to Jesus – From False Sun to True Son

The plague of darkness was more than a cosmic blackout. It was a direct hit against Ra, the sun god Egyptians thought held power over life, light, and order. When Ra failed, Egypt sat paralyzed in fear. But when Jesus came, He declared a truth even more powerful:

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

1. Darkness at the Cross

The plague foreshadowed Calvary. On the day Jesus was crucified, darkness covered the land for three hours (Matthew 27:45). Just as Egypt sat under judgment, the whole world trembled as the Light of the World took on the judgment of sin.

But here’s the difference:

In Exodus, the Egyptians endured darkness because of Pharaoh’s rebellion.
At the cross, Jesus endured darkness because of our rebellion.
Ra failed his people. Jesus bore the weight of sin to save His.

2. Light That Conquers Darkness

The Exodus darkness ended when God commanded, but the darkness of sin was ended when Christ rose from the grave. The resurrection was the true sunrise—a light no night can ever overcome.

John opens his Gospel with this promise: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:5).
Where Ra “died” each night and had to fight his way back in myth, Jesus rose once and for all, never to die again.
Where Egypt’s false sun vanished for three days, the true Son rose in three days to bring eternal light.

3. What This Means for Us and Our Kids

False lights always fail—whether it’s Ra, or today’s modern “Ra’s” like popularity, possessions, or human achievement. They flicker out when life gets hard. But Jesus is a light that never fails.

For our kids: He lights the way when they’re afraid.
For us: He shines in our darkest valleys.
For the world: His resurrection proves darkness does not win.

Closing – Teaching Our Kids About True Light

For parents, the 9th plague is a beautiful chance to teach our kids about where light really comes from. Not the sun, not the world’s idols, not even from our own efforts—but from Jesus Himself.

When your kids are afraid of the dark, remind them: Jesus is our Light.
When they feel lost or confused, remind them: Jesus shows the way.
When the world seems heavy, remind them: darkness is temporary, but Christ’s light is forever.

In a culture full of “little Ra’s”—things promising to light the way but always fading—we get to raise kids who know the One True Light.

Rooted in Truth, Growing in Curiosity, we can show our children that the God who silenced Ra is the same God who lights their path today.