Moses—The Smackdown Heats Up!

 

In our last episode, Moses—Let the Smackdown Begin! (from Exodus 6:28-8:19), the Giant Smackdown between Pharaoh/Satan and Moses/God got fully underway.  From our chart for this showdown, we saw that the first nine of the Ten Plagues or Judgments that God was bringing upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians were arranged in Triads—three groups of three—with the last and most devastating one, the Death of the Firstborn, being separated from the others to be dealt with by itself.

 

 

In our study of the first three Plagues, we learned that…

• • The water of the Nile, which the Egyptians worshipped and relied on for their lives and livelihoods, was turned to blood, a symbol of death;
  • The corrupted Nile then brought forth Frogs—symbols of uncleanness and demonic power—which went out over the land; and,
  • The Dust of the Earth—symbolic of God’s Original Curse upon the Earth—became Lice throughout the land—lice that not only discomfited the people but which also contaminated the Egyptian Priests, leaving them unable to perform any of their rituals of worship.

Sadly, we also saw that when he was presented with the Truth and Proofs of God’s Sovereignty, Pharaoh’s rejections of them led to the initial and ever-increasing Hardening of His Heart.

In this episode (from Exodus 8:20-9:12), we will be examining the Second Triad of Plagues.  Whereas in the first group, the Plagues seemed aimed at merely creating personal discomfort and Inconvenience for the Egyptians, in this second group, they seem to be designed to bring Economic Disaster upon the land.

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Episode #5 of Act 1, Scene 3 of God’s One Big Story
Cast:     Narrator     God     Pharaoh     Moses 

Setting the stage: In spite of the fact that during the third plague, when the dust of the ground became lice that  covered all the people and all the animals—and in spite of the warnings by his magicians who were unable to duplicate the miracle—Pharaoh paid no attention and his heart grew even harder. So, in this upcoming triad of plagues, God will be increasing their effects on the people and the land of Egypt while at the same time exempting His people from their ravages.

Round 4–Flies

Narrator:  And the LORD said to Moses…

God:  Rise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh as he comes out to the water. Then say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD:  Let My people go, that they may serve Me.  Or else, if you will not let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and your servants, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand.  And in that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, in which My people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there, in order that you may know that I am the LORD in the midst of the land.  I will make a difference between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall be. 

Narrator:  And the LORD did so. Thick swarms of flies came into the house of Pharaoh, into his servants’ houses, and into all the land of Egypt. The land was corrupted because of the swarms of flies.  Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said…

Pharaoh:  Go, sacrifice to your God in the land.

Moses:  It is not right to do so, for we would be sacrificing the abomination of the Egyptians to the LORD our God. If we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, then will they not stone us?  We will go three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God as He will command us.

Pharaoh:  I will let you go, that you may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only you shall not go very far away. Intercede for me.

Moses:  Indeed I am going out from you, and I will entreat the LORD, that the swarms of flies may depart tomorrow from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people. But let Pharaoh not deal deceitfully anymore in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the LORD.

Narrator:  So Moses went out from Pharaoh and entreated the LORD.  And the LORD did according to the word of Moses; He removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people. Not one remained.  But Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also; neither would he let the people go.

 

 

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Round 5–Pestilence

Narrator:  Then the LORD said to Moses…

God:  Go in to Pharaoh and tell him, ‘Thus says the LORD God of the Hebrews: Let My people go, that they may serve Me.  For if you refuse to let them go, and still hold them, behold, the hand of the LORD will be on your cattle in the field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the oxen, and on the sheep—a very severe pestilence.  And the LORD will make a difference between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt. So nothing shall die of all that belongs to the children of Israel.’

Narrator:  Then the LORD appointed a set time, saying, ‘Tomorrow the LORD will do this thing in the land.’  So the LORD did this thing on the next day, and all the livestock of Egypt died; but of the livestock of the children of Israel, not one died.  Then Pharaoh sent, and indeed, not even one of the livestock of the Israelites was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh became hard, and he did not let the people go.

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Round 6—Boils

Narrator:  So the LORD said to Moses and Aaron…

God:  Take for yourselves handfuls of ashes from a furnace, and let Moses scatter it toward the heavens in the sight of Pharaoh.  And it will become fine dust in all the land of Egypt, and it will cause boils that break out in sores on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt.

Narrator:  Then they took ashes from the furnace and stood before Pharaoh, and Moses scattered them toward heaven. And they caused boils that break out in sores on man and beast. And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were on the magicians and on all the Egyptians.  But the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh; and he did not heed them, just as the LORD had spoken to Moses.

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Our Review…

…takes us back again to… 

The Most Important Points in this Episode

Round 4 

— Early in the morning/out to the water—As it happened in the first set of plagues, here in the first in this Triad, Moses is told to go out to Pharaoh in the morning, by the river.

— Let My People go—God’s Word for this situation has not changed so the same command is repeated here.

— Or else/swarms of flies—There is a subtle play on words here.  If Pharaoh will not let God’s People go out, then God will bring in flies upon Pharaoh’s People.  The Hebrew word for swarms literally means mixture—indicating that it was a mixture of insects that covered the land.  In Psalm 78:48, it says…

He sent swarms of flies among them, which devoured them…

…which would seem to indicate that while the lice were merely an annoyance to the people, the flies actually ate away at their flesh.  This would certainly limit them in their ability to make a living.

— I will set make a difference between My People and your people—”To make a difference” literally means “to set a ransom”—a promise that God will repeat later in Exodus 9:4 and Exodus 11:7.  During the first three plagues, the Israelites suffered along with the Egyptians, however, from this point on God will make a distinction between these two groups of people.

— That you may know—The objective of God’s signs and wonders is the Revelation of Himself, His Power, Greatness, and Sovereignty, to an unbelieving world.

— Tomorrow—Although He doesn’t have to give Pharaoh any warnings, in setting a time, the gracious and long-suffering God is giving Pharaoh ample opportunity to think about what he is doing, change his mind, and repent. He is also demonstrating that He and He alone is God—not a nature god like the ones they worship but the One who is God over all nature itself!

— The land was corrupted—The animals upon which the Egyptians relied to make their living/provide for themselves have now been destroyed. This statement reminds us of God’s assessment of the conditions on the earth at the time of the flood…

…So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. (Genesis 6:12)

— Sacrifice to your god in the land/you shall not go far away—These are the first two of Pharaoh’s four compromises.  First, he offers the Hebrews a week off to worship provided that they stay in the land. But when that offer is refused, he modifies it by saying that they must not go very far away.

— We would be sacrificing the abomination of the Egyptians—In Genesis 46:34, we were told that…

…every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.

If merely being a shepherd was an abomination to them, then the offering of their lambs would surely be perceived as an even greater abomination—especially since the Hebrews would be sacrificing the very animals that the Egyptians worshipped.

The same thing can be said about the cross upon which the Lamb of God would one day be offered…

…For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God…For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18, 22-24)

— Let Pharaoh not deal deceitfully anymore—This is reminiscent of Jacob’s complaint in Genesis 31:7, about the way he was treated by Laban.

— But Pharaoh hardened his heart—The more Pharaoh rejects the truth, the more he hardens his own heart.

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Round 5 

— Go in to Pharaoh—Once again, as in the first set of plagues, Moses is told to go in to Pharaoh in the palace.

— Let My People Go—The command remains the same. God has not changed His mind—He is intent on setting His bride free and in order to carry her off to their wedding.

— If…you still hold them/the hand of the Lord will be on your cattle—Another play on words here.  If Pharaoh insists on holding onto the Israelites with his hand, then the Hand of the Lord will take hold of the animals of the land. If the Hebrews can’t go away to offer their animals in sacrifice to their God, He will strike the animals of the Egyptians.

— Nothing shall die that belongs to the children of Israel—Again a distinction is made between the Egyptians and the Israelites. While God is destroying the animals of the Egyptians, He will protect the animals needed by the Israelites for their worship.

— Tomorrow—Pharaoh is given more time to think about the situation and another opportunity to repent.

— Pharaoh sent—Pharaoh sends messengers to confirm God’s claim of protection for His People.

— The heart of Pharaoh became hard—In spite of the confirmation he receives, Pharaoh refuses to relent and repent.

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Round 6 

— Take for yourselves ashes from a furnace/scatter it—In keeping with the pattern established in the first three plagues, here in the third plague of this set, no command or announcement is given.  Moses is simply told to do something—in this case, to take some ashes from a furnace and scatter it in the sight of Pharaoh.  In a subsequent verse, it says that Moses took some ashes from the furnace…

• • A furnace could indicate that the ashes were being taken from one of the kilns in which the Israelites had fired their bricks; while,
  • The furnace might indicate that the ashes were being taken from the altar upon which Pharaoh was making an offering, in an appeal to one of his gods for relief from the plagues.

— It will become dust/sores upon man and beast—this plague is a foretaste of the plague of sores/boils which will be poured out upon the wicked during the last half of the Tribulation…

Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain.  They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.  (Revelation 16:10-11)

— The magicians could not stand before Moses—The magicians are not only powerless to perform any miracles, but they are no longer able to serve as advisors to the king. By this time, the magicians have been revealed as being so incompetent that they are ready for this ordeal to end.

— But the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh—Although the Lord predicted that He would harden—or stiffen—the heart of Pharaoh back in Ex. 4:21, this is the first instance in which we are told that He is the One who is doing this. But with each plague and Pharaoh’s dismissal of them, the number and intensity of the miracles are increasing—miracles revealing more of God’s power and sovereignty and more of Pharaoh’s wickedness.

They are also revealing that Pharaoh, the ruler who is responsible for maintaining righteousness and justice in the land, is nothing more than a two-bit tyrant who would sacrifice the welfare of his people in defense of his pride. In this, he becomes an object lesson to all those who stubbornly refuse to abandon a lost cause, even when it is to their detriment or to that of others.

I think a verse appropriate to this situation, and probably one of the most sobering ones in scripture is found in Proverbs 29:1, warning us that…

He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck, will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.

 

In Summary

Reflecting upon everything that has transpired in this episode, I noticed two things that I think should be highlighted.

First, it is important to note that these plagues mark the first time that God has made Himself known to a large people group or a particular nation. Prior to this, He had only revealed Himself to individuals and to His chosen people. But here, He is making Himself known to one nation in order to obtain the release of a people who, once they have been granted their freedom, will become the new nation of Israel—the nation chosen by God through whom He will send His Son into the world, and through whom He will reveal Himself to every other nation in the world.

For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.” (Romans 9:17)

Second, as to why God chose to make a distinction between the Israelites and the Egyptians at this particular time—rather than earlier or later—I think that He was providing us with a prophetic picture of the end times as it applies to both the Christians and the Jews.

Concerning the Christians, that is, those who have put their trust in Christ for salvation, God is given them a preview of the time in the future, when He will be making a distinction between them and the rest of the world. This will take place when Christ returns for His Church before the beginning of the Tribulation—that time when the wrath of God will be poured out in judgment on those who have rejected Him and His Son…

…for God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, (1 Thessalonians 5:9)

That’s when…

…the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)

As for Israel, she too will be saved…

…and so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: ​​“The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; for this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins.” (Romans 11:26-27)

But her salvation will only come through great tribulation. That’s because, once the Church has been taken out of the world, a seven-year period will begin that will test all of those who remain on the earth. At the beginning of this period, Israel will enter into an agreement with a charismatic world leader [the Antichrist] whom she believes to be her long-awaited messiah. Everything will go well between the two of them for the first three and a half years, at which point her false messiah will turn on her and begin to persecute her.  But then…

…the woman was [will be] given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time [the remaining three and a half years of the tribulation], from the presence of the serpent [the false messiah]. So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. (Revelation 12:13-16)

Once Israel is safely hidden away, seven bowls of God’s wrath—that is, seven plagues similar to those that were poured out on Egypt—will be poured out on the earth on those who refuse to repent and acknowledge the truth of God’s claims, those whose hearts are as just hardened as Pharaoh’s was!

As we move on to our next set of plagues, we can take comfort from this assurance that no matter what kind of situation we find ourselves in or how bad the world becomes…

…the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. (2 Peter 2:9-10)

 

 

Originals for images courtesy of freebibleimages.org