Chapter 8
We live in an amazing time. It is hard to believe the advancements even someone as young as me has seen. I remember when I was in 7th grade, my science teacher said, “Technology is doubling every 7 years.” Recently I read that has increased to 1 to 2 years. Yes, we live in quiet a time.
With all that information, there is a real hazard. We get so use to being able to search for answers that we can miss the simplest explanation. Take the rainbow for example. When I was a kid, I understood the rainbow as something God put in the shy to remind of never to flood the world again. Today, if you were to ask the question, “What is a rainbow” you would get something like this: “A rainbow is a natural optical phenomenon that occurs when light is refracted, reflected, and dispersed in water droplets in the atmosphere, creating a spectrum of light.”
Yes, it describes the mechanics but fails to cover the wonder. But you know we are not the first smart generation. The Egyptians were a very sophisticated race. They were extremely clean, very well organized, highly intelligent, and thought they were the center of the world. Sounds like a few nations today, doesn’t it? Yes, they had gods we would consider barbaric today, but look carefully through this study and you will find many of their “gods” are merely gods with different names today. Don’t be too quick to judge them too harshly, for their world still lives today. So too, the message to them is still very relevant to people today.
So we will continue with the battle between God and his people, and the World and it’s ruler.
Frogs Over the Land
1 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh, and say to him, ‘Thus says Jehovah, Let my people go, that they may serve me. 2 And if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will strike all your borders with frogs: 3 and the river shall swarm with frogs, which shall go up and come in to your house, and into your bedchamber, and on your bed, and into the house of your servants, and on your people, and into your ovens, and into your kneading-troughs: 4 and the frogs shall come up both upon you, and upon your people, and upon all your servants.’” [Frogs were also worshipped by the Egyptians. One God had the face of a frog and was the god of fertility (much like we consider rabbits today, were frogs back then.) So the God of fertility and sensuality was being dealt with here. God allowed lust and passion cover every part of their lives. Remember Egypt symbolized the World – today we see fertility and sensuality very much covering every area of life.]
5 And Jehovah said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your rod over the rivers, over the streams, and over the pools, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt.”
6 And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt. 7 And the magicians did in like manner with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt.
8 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, “Pray to Jehovah, that he takes away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice to Jehovah.”
9 And Moses said to Pharaoh, “You have this option over me: what time shall I pray for you, and for your servants, and for your people, that the frogs be destroyed from you and all of your houses, and remain in the river only?”
10 And Pharaoh said, “Tomorrow.” [How many times to we hate the sin that takes hold of us, yet even then, we delay, “one more day” before letting go?] Moses said, “Be it according to your word; that you may know that there is none like Jehovah our God. 11 The frogs shall depart from you, and from your houses, and from your servants, and from your people. The frogs shall remain in the river only.”
12 And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh: and Moses cried to Jehovah concerning the frogs which he had brought upon Pharaoh. 13 And Jehovah did according to the word of Moses. The frogs died out of the houses, out of the courts, and out of the fields. 14 And the Egyptians gathered the frogs together in heaps, and the land stank. [By God’s mercy and grace He can remove the sin in our lives. But many times, there is still a consequence, a stink, that may remain. It may be up to us to clean away the stink of the choices we made. Through that process, it will help remind us not to go back into that sin.] 15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart, and did not listen to Moses and Aaron, as Jehovah had said.
The Plague of Lice
16 And Jehovah said unto Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your rod, and strike the dust of the earth, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.” 17 And they did so. Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and struck the dust of the earth, and there were lice upon man, and on beast. All the dust of the earth became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.
18 And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not and there were lice on man, and on beast. 19 Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as Jehovah had said. [Here we see the end of the magicians might. Even they with their understanding and power of the darkness confessed this was God acting. Interesting that they referred to the finger of God, for with the same finger, God will write out the first commandment – “Thou shall have no other God before me.” The same point He is proving with the Egyptians/World.]
The Plague of Flies
20 And Jehovah said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh. When he comes to the water; and say to him, ‘This is what Jehovah says, Let my people go, that they may serve me. 21 Otherwise, if you will not let my people go, then I will send swarms of flies on you, and on your servants, and on your people, and in your houses. The houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground wherever they are. [These were not just normal house flies like we may know, this word means various types and sizes of flying insects.]
22 And I will set aside in that day the land of Goshen, where my people live, that no swarms of flies shall be there. To the end you may know that I am Jehovah in the midst of the earth. 23 And I will put a distinction between my people and your people. By tomorrow shall this sign be in place.’” [Here we see God creating a boundary between the World and His people. The first three plagues focused on disrupting comfort and included the children of God. The next plagues will focus on possessions and personal security’s and will be directed solely at the ones rejecting God – Egypt – the World.]
24 And Jehovah did so. There came grievous swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants’ houses. In all the land of Egypt the land was ruined by the swarms of flies. 25 And Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron, and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God in this land.”
26 And Moses said, “It is not right to do so. For the sacrifice to Jehovah our God would be the abomination to the Egyptians. Shall we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, and will they not stone us? [Egyptians thought shepherds were the lowest of the low and animal sacrifice was barbaric, so sacrificing sheep within their midst would cause a problem.] 27 We will go three days’ journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to Jehovah our God, as he shall command us.”
28 And Pharaoh said, “I will let you go, that you may sacrifice to Jehovah your God in the wilderness. Only you shall not go very far away. Now pray for me.” 29 And Moses said, “Behold, I go out from you, and I will pray Jehovah that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, tomorrow. Only do not let Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more in not letting the people go to sacrifice to Jehovah.”
30 And Moses went out from Pharaoh, and prayed to Jehovah. 31 And Jehovah did according to the word of Moses. He removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people. There remained not one fly. 32 And Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and he did not let the people go.
