Why was Egypt in shambles after Pharaoh rejected the plagues?
Egypt was left in shambles because Pharaoh repeatedly rejected the plagues. Each plague he rejected was worse than the one before, so when it was all finished, his great and mighty Egypt was ruined. This ruin came because of his own arrogance.
Les teaches that Pharaoh's experience serves as a warning. He goes back to Pharaoh and explains that every time Pharaoh rejected a plague, the next one was worse than the one before. So when it was all finished, his great and mighty Egypt was a shambles, and it was because of his own arrogance. Les connects this to the human race doing the same thing over and over: instead of being given up to something better, people are given up to a lower lifestyle than what they began with. He also points to the same downward pattern in the Tower of Babel, Israel, various empires, Reformation Europe, and pre-World War II Europe. Rejection and arrogance bring decline, not improvement.