If the purpose of the Plagues is to instill a fear of God in Jews -- that is to hold Him in awe and respect -- one might think the Torah says to rely on Him to solve problems. If He is almighty and all powerful and has a covenant with the Jews, why would He not resolve problems -- provided the Jews follow His commandments. In grand irony, however, that's not the message in the Torah. Instead, the message is that people need to attempt to solve their problems, themselves, before God will help. Moreover, God's help is not necessarily immediate and could be in the background. Having a fear of God is needed to open a person's perspective to the possibility that God is behind an event.
All three Patriarchs in the Book of Genesis find themselves in situations that could end their lives. They all act to solve the problem before God comes to help them. There are plenty of instances in the Torah where God takes his time to help. And, the episode of Balaam and Balak illustrates the possibility that God is present although not necessarily seen.
See my book "Finding Judaism in the Torah" on www.amazon.com for further elucidation of these ideas.
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