SCRIPTURE: EXODUS 8
BIBLE VERSES:
“Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me. If you refuse to let them go, I will send a plague of frogs on your whole country. The Nile will teem with frogs. They will come up into your palace and your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and on your people, and into your ovens and kneading troughs. The frogs will come up on you and your people and all your officials.’” (Exodus 8:1-2)
“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.” They did this, and when Aaron stretched out his hand with the staff and struck the dust of the ground, gnats came on people and animals. All the dust throughout the land of Egypt became gnats. But when the magicians tried to produce gnats by their secret arts, they could not.” (Exodus 8:16-18)
“ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning and confront Pharaoh as he goes to the river and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me. 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; even the ground will be covered with them.” (Exodus 8:20-21)
“Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God here in the land.” 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? We must take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God, as he commands us.” Pharaoh said, “I will let you go to offer sacrifices to the Lord your God in the wilderness, but you must not go very far. Now pray for me.” (Exodus 8:25-28)
“ Then Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord, and the Lord did what Moses asked. The flies left Pharaoh and his officials and his people; not a fly remained. But this time also Pharaoh hardened his heart and would not let the people go.” (Exodus 8:30-32)
THE PLAGUE OF FROGS (vs. 1-15)
God commissioned Moses to tell Pharaoh to let the people go to worship Him. If he refused, the land will be plagued with frogs. Aaron stretched his hand with staff and all frogs came up on the land of Egypt. So, Pharaoh summonded Moses to take away the frogs and promised to let the people go. But when all the frogs died after Moses prayed to God, Pharaoh hardened his heart again.
THE PLAGUE OF GNATS (vs. 16-019)
The Lord told Aaron to stretched out his hand with the staff and struck the dust of the ground. Gnats covered upon men and animals.
THE PLAGUE OF FLIES (vs. 20-32)
God told Moses to confront Pharaoh to let the people go. If he was unwilling, swarm of flies will fill up all the houses of the Egyptians. But on the land of Goshen where the Israelites lived, no swarms of flies will be there. This was to distinguish His people from the Egyptians. When swarm of flies poured into Pharaoh huse, Pharaoh summoned Moses and said: “Go, sacrifice your God here in the land” (v. 25). But Moses insisted in taking a 3 days journey to offer sacrifice to the Lord because if they offer sacrifices in Egypt, it would be detestable to the Egyptians and they might stone them to death. So Pharaoh agreed to let them go to offer sacrifice in the desert, but they must not go very far. So Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord. The flies left the land but this time Pharaoh still hardened his heart and would not let the people go.
THOUGHTS:
Pharaoh did not want to release the people so he offered two compromises: (1)-Worship God in the land (v. 25) (2)- You must not go very far (v. 29). But Moses refused because that would give only partial obedience to God’s command. Obedience to God cannot be negotiated. It must be total and not half-measured. Believers must come out and be separated. They must not stay close to the world and become borderline Christians.