Read with Me
Exodus 8:20-32 (HCSB)
The LORD said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning and present yourself to Pharaoh when you see him going out to the water. Tell him: This is what Yahweh says: Let My people go, so that they may worship Me. But if you will not let My people go, then I will send swarms of flies against you, your officials, your people, and your houses. The Egyptians’ houses will swarm with flies, and so will the land where they live. But on that day I will give special treatment to the land of Goshen, where My people are living; no flies will be there. This way you will know that I, Yahweh, am in the land. I will make a distinction between My people and your people. This sign will take place tomorrow.”|
And the LORD did this. Thick swarms of flies went into Pharaoh’s palace and his officials’ houses. Throughout Egypt the land was ruined because of the swarms of flies. Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Go sacrifice to your God within the country.”
But Moses said, “It would not be right to do that, because what we will sacrifice to the LORD our God is detestable to the Egyptians. If we sacrifice what the Egyptians detest in front of them, won’t they stone us? We must go a distance of three days into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God as He instructs us.”
Pharaoh responded, “I will let you go and sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness, but don’t go very far. Make an appeal for me.”
“As soon as I leave you,” Moses said, “I will appeal to the LORD, and tomorrow the swarms of flies will depart from Pharaoh, his officials, and his people. But Pharaoh must not act deceptively again by refusing to let the people go and sacrifice to the LORD.” Then Moses left Pharaoh’s presence and appealed to the LORD. The LORD did as Moses had said: He removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, his officials, and his people; not one was left. But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also and did not let the people go.
Listen with Me
The fourth plague took the form of dense swarms of flies that would cover every inch of the ground and walls of the houses. They would not just buzz around and be annoying. They would cover the faces of all the people of the land, making it difficult to breathe, and bringing germs and diseases on all the people.
The first three plagues had affected the Hebrews as well as the Egyptians. But from this point on, the Hebrews would be exempted from God’s plagues. In this case, the land of Goshen would not experience any increase in the number of flies. That would serve as a sign to Pharaoh that it was God’s hand, not just chance, that was behind the plague.
The next day, thick, black clouds of flies descended on everyone and everything in the whole land of Egypt, except in Goshen in the homes of the Hebrews. Pharaoh quickly realized that this plague would ruin the land if it was not stopped right away, so, he called in Moses and Aaron.
Pharaoh still didn’t accept that a real God was behind these plagues. All the gods he was familiar with did not cause things like that to happen. Instead, he was firmly of the opinion that somehow these two men were causing these things to happen using some kind of magic.
Since he believed he was dealing with mere men, Pharaoh decided to strike a bargain: he would allow the Hebrews to go a short distance away from the cities to sacrifice to their God, but they would have to remain in the land. However, Moses was adamant that they would have to be allowed to leave the borders of Egypt, which were extensive, taking up the current extent of Egypt, and extending a little further to the south. It also included all of the Sinai Peninsula.
Moses’ reasoning was that the sacrifices God would require would include animals like bulls and rams that were held to be sacred by the Egyptians. Seeing those animals sacrificed anywhere in the land would leave the Hebrews liable to being stoned. Since Moses seemed immovable in his demands, Pharaoh capitulated by merely saying that the Israelites couldn’t go very far outside the country’s borders.
Moses prayed that the flies would go away the following day, and they did. But now that the danger had passed, Pharaoh rescinded his permission to leave.
Pray with Me
Father, all things are possible for You. And it’s important for us, for ALL people to realize that Your plans cannot be thwarted by any human plan or agency. If we resist You or fight against Your plan, we will only break ourselves against You. Thank You, Lord, for this vital reminder. Amen.