Exodus 8:16-32 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Exodus 8:16-32. Let’s go!
Exodus 8:16-19 (NIV)
16 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the ground,’ and throughout the land of Egypt the dust will become gnats.”
17 They did this, and when Aaron stretched out his hand with the staff and struck the dust of the ground, gnats came upon men and animals. All the dust throughout the land of Egypt became gnats.
18 But when the magicians tried to produce gnats by their secret arts, they could not. And the gnats were on men and animals.
19 The magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hard and he would not listen, just as the LORD had said.
On verses 16-19: This plague of gnats marks the first time the Egyptian magicians are not able to replicate the miracle the Lord was doing. The magicians are convinced that God is with Moses and Aaron, but Pharaoh’s heart remains hard. It goes to show that faith, or lack thereof, is in the end more an issue of the heart than the head. That is not to say that people who have faith in God are stupid. Rather, what I mean is that intellectually you can have sufficient evidence to believe, but in the end whether you actually believe and submit to God will boil down to whether or not your heart is willing.
Exodus 8:20-23 (NIV)
20 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning and confront Pharaoh as he goes to the water and say to him, ‘This is what the LORD says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me.
21 If you do not let my people go, I will send swarms of flies on you and your officials, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians will be full of flies, and even the ground where they are.
22 “‘But on that day I will deal differently with the land of Goshen, where my people live; no swarms of flies will be there, so that you will know that I, the LORD, am in this land.
23 I will make a distinction between my people and your people. This miraculous sign will occur tomorrow.'”
On verses 20-23: Beginning with this plague of flies, the Lord begins to make a distinction between the Israelites and the Egyptians in terms of how the plagues will affect them, such that the Israelites remain largely unaffected while the Egyptians suffer. Simply because of the Israelites’ special relationship with the Lord as His “firstborn” (Exodus 4:22), they received a protection from God’s wrath that no one else could earn. Likewise, when you have the “firstborn over all creation” (Colossians 1:15) Jesus Christ in your life, you receive a special protection from God’s wrath that no one else can earn.
Exodus 8:24-26 (NIV)
24 And the LORD did this. Dense swarms of flies poured into Pharaoh’s palace and into the houses of his officials, and throughout Egypt the land was ruined by the flies.
25 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God here in the land.”
26 But Moses said, “That would not be right. The sacrifices we offer the LORD our God would be detestable to the Egyptians. And if we offer sacrifices that are detestable in their eyes, will they not stone us?
27 We must take a three-day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God, as he commands us.”
28 Pharaoh said, “I will let you go to offer sacrifices to the LORD your God in the desert, but you must not go very far. Now pray for me.”
On verses 24-28: It is not entirely clear what it was about the sacrifices that the Israelites would make that would be so detestable to the Egyptians, although scholars have suggested different theories. In any event, notice that Pharaoh is trying to strike a bargain with Moses and the Lord, something that Pharaoh will keep trying to do until almost the very end.
Exodus 8:29-32 (NIV)
29 Moses answered, “As soon as I leave you, I will pray to the LORD, and tomorrow the flies will leave Pharaoh and his officials and his people. Only be sure that Pharaoh does not act deceitfully again by not letting the people go to offer sacrifices to the LORD.”
30 Then Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD,
31 and the LORD did what Moses asked: The flies left Pharaoh and his officials and his people; not a fly remained.
32 But this time also Pharaoh hardened his heart and would not let the people go.
On verses 29-32: Moses and the Lord keep their word, removing the flies from Pharaoh, but despite Moses calling Pharaoh’s bluff in verse 29, Pharaoh still goes back on his promise to let the Israelites go. What can we learn from this? Don’t be like Pharaoh and develop the reputation of someone whose word cannot be counted on. God is faithful to His promises and He expects us to be faithful to our promises as well.
Heavenly Father, I pray that I wouldn’t have a hard heart toward You but one that is soft, open, humble and willing to let You have Your way with my life. May that begin with the way I keep my word. Just as You are faithful to Your promises, may I be as well. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
