Strike Five and Six: Animals and Boils, Exodus 9:1-12

Posted on January 27, 2017 by KD Manes under Bible Study

The word plague means ‘a blow, a stroke,’ and indicates that the hand of the Lord was punishing the Egyptians. The longer Pharaoh resisted God, the more serious the judgments became.” – Warren W. Wiersbe

While the first three plagues were unnerving (water to blood, frogs, gnats), the second three were wounding and costly (flies, death of livestock, boils).

You may read Exodus 9:1-12 here: Bible Gateway. The following is my fictional piece.

***

Pharaoh pace as he wait for his magi. The flies had vanished after Moses prayed to his god. But the threat from Moses and Aaron a couple of days ago about a deadly pestilence struck full force yesterday. Not only did the cattle of the fields die, but also the horses, donkeys, camels, and sheep that grazed in the pastures.

The most disturbing part, not a single beast from the Israelite clan contracted this deadly disease.

Pharaoh scratched his head. Had he offended his gods? He had never missed Opet’s great festival. Hadn’t he always revered Thoth, Ounnefer, Re, and Atum?

Why is mighty Apis allowing this cattle plague? Who is this desert deity that Moses keeps referring to as Lord? And why would he side with these low class slave people?

“Sir,” Pharaoh didn’t notice the servant entering the throne room. “We could only bring in one magi . . .”

“Ridiculous!” Pharaoh interrupted. “Where are the others? Bring them at once!”

The servant elbowed the magi forward—avoiding physical contact as much as possible—but the magi collapse to the floor. Pharaoh gagged. Who is this man? He resemble more of a writhing snake about to shed his dry skin. Wet yellow pus seep from his scaly blisters. Red bumps cover his entire body. His puffy eyes were swollen shut.

“Take him!” He pointed to the door. “Wh-what happened to him?”

“Sir, Moses scattered ashes into the air . . .”

“I know, he did it in my presence!”

“That’s when this dreaded disease came upon both the people and the animals.”

“Are the Israelites affected?”

“No Sir. I am told that none of the Israelites, or their animals, are suffering.”

Hmph! Who does Moses think he is . . . messing with a god like me?!

Pharaoh squeezed his servant’s arm hard. With flared nostrils, he shouted, “Tell Moses that I still refuse him and his hideous people passage to worship their god in the desert!”

Reflect

I love to focus on God’s love and mercy. But the truth is, God’s righteous character also includes anger and judgment. Proverbs 29:1 says, “Whoever remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy.”

Even though the Egyptians were greatly suffering, Pharaoh continued in stubborn resistance to God and God’s servants.

(source: Facebook.com)
The fear of God is the opposite of a hardened heart. Reverential fear and respect motivates us to obey God’s commands (Prov. 9:10).

The NIV Life Application Study Bible notes: God gave Pharaoh many opportunities to heed Moses’ warnings. But finally God seemed to say, ‘All right Pharaoh, have it your way,’ and Pharaoh’s heart became permanently hardened. Did God intentionally harden Pharaoh’s heart and overrule his free will? No, he simply confirmed that Pharaoh freely chose a life of resisting God. Similarly, after a lifetime of resisting God, you may find it impossible to turn to Him. Don’t wait until just the right time before turning to God. Do it now while you still have the chance. If you continually ignore God’s voice, eventually you will be unable to hear it at all.”

God’s Judgments and Pharaoh’s Response, Exodus 8:20-9:12

Posted on January 20, 2017 by KD Manes under Bible Study

Through His servants, Moses and Aaron, God had been dealing with Pharaoh for months because of his oppression of the Israelites. First, came the plague of blood. Second, came the slimy frog invasion. The third plague manifested itself in a pesky gnat invasion.

But Egypt’s king still refuses to bend to God’s command, let alone acknowledge God’s authority.

The next six plagues would not only be painful, but also destructive. The final seventh plague would bring Pharaoh to his knees with the death of every firstborn son, including his own.

You may read Exodus 8:20-9:12 here: Bible Gateway. How did Pharaoh respond to these judgments of God?

Warren Weirsbe’s study, Be Delivered (Exodus), offers the following observations of Pharaoh’s response to God’s judgments. Weirsbe challenges us to examine our own hearts while reading through these points; what is our response to God’s will?

Bargaining (8:20-32)

Pharaoh views Moses and Aaron as national nuisances. But even though he wouldn’t admit it, Pharaoh was the cause of Egypt’s troubles. “God was dealing with Pharaoh in mercy, wanting to bring him into submission, for it’s only when we obey God that we can truly enjoy His blessings. With one blow, God could have wiped out Pharaoh and the nation (Ex. 9:15), but He chose to give them opportunity to repent,” (Weirsbe).

God’s Warning (vv. 20-21)

Before sending seven of the ten plagues, God warns Pharaoh. He and his officials should have known that the God of Israel was in control of these spectacular events. For they happened exactly as God described. But Pharaoh persists in disobedience.

God’s Grace (v. 22)

The Jews would escape the last seven plagues, as God announces prior to the fourth plague of flies. “Only the great God of Israel could control the flight pattern of tiny flies and keep them from entering the land of Goshen. . . . During the time when Joseph was in Egypt, Pharaoh had given the land of Goshen to the Jews, and now God set it apart for His people. In this way God made a ‘division’ between His people and the Egyptians. The word translated ‘division’ in Exodus 8:23 means ‘a redemption, a ransom, a deliverance.’ Because they belonged to God in a special way, the Jews were ‘different’ from the Egyptians, but Pharaoh wouldn’t acknowledge this fact,” (Weirsbe).

God’s Wrath (v. 24)

The next day—true to God’s word—swarms of flies invade the land, homes, and Pharaoh’s palace. Not only are they annoying, but their diseased germs and egg deposits most likely ruined all the vegetation.

Some scholars believe the fly was very sacred to the Egyptian god Uatchit. So this would have been another strike toward their false gods.

Pharaoh’s Offers (vv. 25-32)

Pharaoh begs for help when he needs it. But as soon as he finds relief, he changes his mind and hardens his heart. Pride rears its ugly head as Pharaoh thinks he can bargain with God. Four compromises to Moses and Aaron are recorded during the plagues. The first two happen during the fly plague (Ex. 8:25, 28); the third happens with the locust plague (10:7-11); and the fourth occurs during the four days of darkness (vv. 24-26).

Weirsbe writes: “God’s people face similar “Egyptian compromises” today as we seek to serve the Lord. The enemy tells us we don’t have to be separated from sin because we can serve god ‘in the land.’ God’s reply is found in 2 Corinthians 6:14-18. . . . True service to God means giving Him authority over all our possessions and all the people in our family for whom we’re responsible. Not to do so is to disobey (Mark 10:13-16; Ephesians 6:4; and Deuteronomy 6:6-13).”

Resisting (9:1-12)

“As you study the account of the plagues of Egypt, keep in mind the purposes God was fulfilling through these momentous events. First of all, He was manifesting His power to Pharaoh and his officials and proving to them that He alone is the true and living God. At the same time, the Lord was exposing the futility of the Egyptian religion and the vanity of the many gods they worshiped, including Pharaoh himself. All that God did to Egypt was a reminder to His people that their God was fighting for them and they didn’t have to worry or be afraid,” (Weirsbe).

Reflect

Once again, I‘m leaning on Weirsbe’s wisdom. He writes: “What does it mean to harden your heart? It means to see clear evidence of the hand of God at work and still refuse to accept His Word and submit to His will. It means to resist Him by showing ingratitude and disobedience and not having fear of the Lord or of His judgments. . . . But the narrative also makes it clear that by sending these various judgments, God was hardening Pharaoh’s heart. Does this mean that God was unfair and that Pharaoh shouldn’t be held responsible for what he did? No, for the same sun that melts the ice also hardens the clay. It all depends on the nature of the material.”

Just a couple thoughts in closing: How am I responding to God’s will? Do I need to repent and change any attitude of disobedience or compromise? Also, let’s pray for our new leaders, that America will once again be Israel’s ally. God still loves Israel: “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse,” (Genesis 12:3).

Strike Three: Gnats, Exodus 8:16-19

Posted on January 13, 2017 by KD Manes under Bible Study

From the way Denny’s shaking his head, he’s either got an injured shoulder or a gnat in his eye. ” – Jerry Coleman

Source: clipartpanda.com

After God strikes Pharaoh and Egypt with the plague of blood, then frogs—due to their oppression of the Israelites—God sends a plague of gnats. You may read Exodus 8:16-19 here: Bible Gateway.

I didn’t have much success in finding many gnat quotes, (as you can see in my opener), but here are some interesting—or should I say disgusting—facts about these tiny creatures (Source: I Remove Pest).

Gnats use fermenting or decaying substance as a medium to breed.
Gnats feed themselves and live on rotten or decay substances.
Biting female gnats require and use blood as an effective protein for reproduction. Sometimes they will travel more than 40 miles for blood to breed.
Female gnats lay up to 300 eggs a day.
A larvae will turn into an adult gnat in a week.

As with the last two plagues, the following is my short fictional narrative of this Exodus passage.

***

Pharaoh swat at the swarm of gnats as though he were in the heat of battle. It was only a short while ago that he had defeated the accursed Hatti and his band of Hittites with a mighty hail fire of arrows and javelins. But his strength and glory amounted to nothing with these tiny pests, as was also the case during the plague of blood, then frogs.

This plague—pronounced by Moses from His God—erupt from the desert dust like a huge storm cloud covering his land, people, and animals. No one could keep the tiny bugs from wedging themselves under their linen clothing. The multiple bites not only stung, but also left itchy red bumps all over its victims.

Could Moses’ God, whom he referred to as Lord, really have this much power over nature?

As Pharaoh’s arms swell with blotchy red bumps, he rip his bracelets from his wrists before flinging them at the rigid magi standing before him. None of them dare flinch to attract his steel gaze. For in an instant he could untether the chain of the lion sitting at the foot of his golden throne. Fortunately for them, both the lion and Pharaoh were distracted with the biting insects.

“Why can’t you also produce gnats?” he yelled at his magi while trying to spit the bugs from his mouth.

A moment of silence only aggravated Pharaoh more, sending him into a tantrum of wild gestures. The lead magi finally spoke in a hush tone. “Surely this is the finger of God. For we can neither do nor undo this gnat infestation.”

“Nonsense!” Pharaoh hurl a quiver in their direction. A shriek filled the room as one of the magicians stumble backwards and collapse to the floor.

“Leave, you fools!”

A couple of magi rushed to grab their injured colleague before scrambling out of the throne room.

Reflect

Once again—just as God had said—Pharaoh refused to listen and hardened his heart.

Persistence is a good thing. But self-centered stubbornness, as in Pharaoh’s case, can be downright destructive.

The Life Application Study Bible summarizes: “[Pharaoh’s] stubborn disobedience brought suffering upon himself and his entire country. . . Stubbornness toward God is always disobedience. Avoid disobedience because the consequences may spill onto others.”

Thanks for taking the time to read. Have a wonderful week!

Strike Two: Frogs, Exodus 8:1-15

Posted on January 6, 2017 by KD Manes under Bible Study

The plague tragedy—a unique judgment on the Egyptians for their oppression of the Israelites—continues. Seven days have passed since the Lord struck the Nile with the first plague of blood (7:25). This time God covers Egypt’s land and people with frogs.

(Courtesy of brothersoft.com)
Hoppy New Year! 🙂

You may read Exodus 8:1-15 here: Bible Gateway. The following story is my fictional translation of this passage.

***

Pharaoh bolt out of bed upon feeling webbed feet pummeling his face. Damp skin clung to him like a wet towel, sending him into a frenzy. He flung green speckled creatures in all directions.

How did all these frogs make their way to the third floor palace?!

When he slipped and fell on the sea of green, expletives rang through the halls with the chorus of croaks. Never again would the croaks from Goddess Heqet’s offspring soothe him to sleep. Their slimy bodies created a slip and slide not only throughout the palace’ halls and rooms, but also in every Egyptian home. So thick were the beady eyed creatures that all the precious wood and ivory furniture inlaid with gold and ivory, not to mention the carpets, lie ruined.

A servant girl brought him his morning loaf of bread fresh from the oven. Pharaoh impulsively grabbed a piece and took a bite. It was tougher than normal, and tasted like smelly swamp water. Upon seeing green slivers and tiny black dots checkered in the slice, he spit it out before vomiting.

MOSES. That guy and his slave brother had some nerve . . . marching into his throne room—catching his guards and himself by surprise—with his silly demand: “My God says ‘Let my people go, so they may worship me!” He managed to pull off his frog invasion threat. But didn’t Pharaoh’s magi also summon frogs to cover their land by calling on their great god Khnum?

“Moses! Bring him to me at once!” he ordered the guards.

His servants brought Moses and Aaron before him. Pharaoh said, “Pray to God to rid us of these frogs. I’ll release [your] people so that they can make their sacrifices and worship God.”

Moses said to Pharaoh, “Certainly. Set the time. When do you want the frogs out of here, away from your servants and people and out of your houses? You’ll be rid of frogs except for those in the Nile.”

“Make it tomorrow.”

Moses said, “Tomorrow it is—so you’ll realize that there is no God like our God. The frogs will be gone. You and your houses and your servants and your people, free of frogs. The only frogs left will be the ones in the Nile,” (Exodus 8:8-11, MSG).

The next morning dead frogs littered the palace, courtyards, houses and fields. Pharaoh ordered the people to pile them in mounds. The palace, houses, and land stunk for months.

As Pharaoh found relief from the massive pileup of frogs, he refused Moses and Aaron’s request yet again.

Review

Although frogs were common around the Nile River, Egypt had never experienced this many. I would take our cold spell over a plague of frogs any day!

Once again, God uses the frog plague to attack one of Egypt’s gods. Layman’s Bible Commentary notes: “Frogs were regarded as having divine power. In the Egyptian pantheon, the goddess Heqet had the form of a woman with a frog’s head. From her nostrils, it was believed, came the breath of life that animated the bodies of those created by her husband, the great god Khnum, from the dust of the earth. Therefore frogs were not to be killed.”

Next week, we’ll visit God’s third plague on Egypt: Gnats. . . . Have a great week!