Exodus 08
Ex 08: 1 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and tell him, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Release my people in order that they may serve me!
Moses made a second request to Pharaoh. This was round two of Jehovah vs. the Egyptian gods.
2 But if you refuse to release them, then I am going to plague all your territory with frogs.
Hekta was the Egyptian frog goddess. She had the body of a woman and the head of a frog.
3 The Nile will swarm with frogs, and they will come up and go into your house, in your bedroom, and on your bed, and into the houses of your servants and your people, and into your ovens and your kneading troughs.
Whenever the Egyptians heard frogs croaking, they were happy. This meant that the Nile had flooded, which caused more fertility in the land.
4 Frogs will come up against you, your people, and all your servants.”
Egyptians worshiped the frog, so God was going to give them all of the frogs that they wanted.
5 The Lord spoke to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Extend your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the canals, and over the ponds, and bring the frogs up over the land of Egypt.’”
Moses gave directions to Aaron about God’s frog program.
6 So Aaron extended his hand over the waters of Egypt, and frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt.
The first three miracles were performed by Aaron. The next set of three miracles will be performed by God. The last set of three miracles will be performed by Moses. The tenth and last miracle will take the life of Egypt’s firstborn.
7 The magicians did the same with their secret arts and brought up frogs on the land of Egypt too.
Notice that Satan possesses the power to control the natural world. Many druids receive their powers from Satan. What Satan cannot do is to stop or change a miracle of God. Egypt did not need any more frogs. Satan brings this same kind of power into charismatic churches.
8Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Pray to the Lord that he may take the frogs away from me and my people, and I will release the people that they may sacrifice to the Lord.”
Pharaoh made a deal with Moses and Aaron. He promised to release Israel, if the frogs were removed.
9 Moses said to Pharaoh, “You may have the honor over me – when shall I pray for you, your servants, and your people, for the frogs to be removed from you and your houses, so that they will be left only in the Nile?”
Moses asked Pharaoh to choose the day and the time of the frog removal.
10 He said, “Tomorrow.” And Moses said, “It will be as you say, so that you may know that there is no one like the Lord our God.
The people must have questioned Pharaoh’s claim to deity. Why would he make a decision like this? Why not get rid of the frogs today?
11 The frogs will depart from you, your houses, your servants, and your people; they will be left only in the Nile.”
The first plague killed all of the life in the Nile. After the first plague ended, God must have restored fresh water and new life to the Nile.
12 Then Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and Moses cried to the Lord because of the frogs that he had brought on Pharaoh.
Jehovah had already decided that He would remove the frogs. He also decided the method. The method was the prayers of Moses. These prayers were ordained by God before the foundations of the world were even created. God ordains the end and the means in all things. A believer’s prayer is part of God’s divine ordination plan.
13 The Lord did as Moses asked – the frogs died out of the houses, the villages, and the fields.
Jehovah kept His word to Pharaoh.
14 The Egyptians piled them in countless heaps, and the land stank.
Egypt still stinks. The smell of dead frogs has never left Egypt.
15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not listen to them, just as the Lord had predicted.
Pharaoh did not keep his word. He hardened his intellect once again.
The Third Blow: Gnats
16 The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Extend your staff and strike the dust of the ground, and it will become gnats throughout all the land of Egypt.’”
The Hebrew word for “gnats” is כֵּן (cain), meaning a swarm of insects. The Egyptians worshiped all forms of insects. The scarab beetle that many Egyptians wear today is still an Egyptian idol.
17 They did so; Aaron extended his hand with his staff, he struck the dust of the ground, and it became gnats on people and on animals. All the dust of the ground became gnats throughout all the land of Egypt.
The dust of the ground was filled with swarms of insects.
18 Then the magicians attempted to bring forth gnats by their secret arts, they could not. So there were gnats on people and on animals.
Satan has limitations to his powers. He can mimic many of God’s miracles, but only in limited amount and capacity. All of the gods and goddesses of ancient cultures did not posses all powers. Their powers were limited and their emotions were human-like.
19 The magicians said to Pharaoh, “It is the finger of God!” But Pharaoh’s heart remained hard, and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had predicted.
The magicians recognized that Jehovah was behind these miracles, but Pharaoh did not accept their testimony. People in Egypt were starting to believe in the one true God.
The Fourth Blow: Flies
20 The Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning and position yourself before Pharaoh as he goes out to the water, and tell him, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Release my people that they may serve me!
Moses commanded a fourth release. These plagues were scattered throughout a six month interval.
21 If you do not release my people, then I am going to send swarms of flies on you and on your servants and on your people and in your houses. The houses of the Egyptians will be full of flies, and even the ground they stand on.
These were dung beetle which lived in manure. Egyptians worshiped the dung beetle. This is the scarab that many Egyptians wear today. These necklaces are nothing but idols.
22 But on that day I will mark off the land of Goshen, where my people are staying, so that no swarms of flies will be there, that you may know that I am the Lord in the midst of this land.
The first three plagues affected both Jews and Egyptians. The other seven plagues will only affect the Egyptians. Goshen will be free of plagues.
23 I will put a division between my people and your people. This sign will take place tomorrow.”
These new plagues will place a distinction between Egypt and Israel.
24 The Lord did so; a thick swarm of flies came into Pharaoh’s house and into the houses of his servants, and throughout the whole land of Egypt the land was ruined because of the swarms of flies.
The dung beetles were everywhere. The stinky dung beetle was not a very appealing god.
25Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God within the land.”
Pharaoh offered a compromise.
26 But Moses said, “That would not be the right thing to do, for the sacrifices we make to the Lord our God would be an abomination to the Egyptians. If we make sacrifices that are an abomination to the Egyptians right before their eyes, will they not stone us?
Satan taught the Egyptians to detest sheep. The sacrifice of an innocent lamb pointed to Christ. The occultic Egyptians would not welcome the sacrifice of sheep in their land, because these sacrificed lambs pointed to the Lord Jesus Christ.
27 We must go on a three-day journey into the desert and sacrifice to the Lord our God, just as he is telling us.”
Moses demanded three days of travel.
28 Pharaoh said, “I will release you so that you may sacrifice to the Lord your God in the desert. Only you must not go very far. Do pray for me.”
Pharaoh offered a second compromise.
29 Moses said, “I am going to go out from you and pray to the Lord, and the swarms of flies will go away from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people tomorrow. Only do not let Pharaoh deal falsely again by not releasing the people to sacrifice to the Lord.”
Moses prayed for removal of the dung beetles.
30 So Moses went out from Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord,
The prayer was made, just as Moses promised.
31 and the Lord did as Moses asked – he removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people. Not one remained!
All of the dung beetles disappeared.
32 But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also and did not release the people.
Pharaoh did not keep his promise. Like many politicians, he could not be trusted.