EXODUS 9: MORE PLAGUES UPON UNREPENTANT EGYPT...
EXODUS 9
OPENS WITH MORE PLAGUES UPON EGYPT
Verses 1-4 tells us God tells Moses to warn Pharaoh of the FIFTH PLAGUE: DISEASE ON LIVESTOCK.
"Then the LORD said to Moses, "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."' "
Go in to Pharaoh and tell him...
In mercy, God told Moses to give ANOTHER warning, so that Pharaoh would have opportunity to REPENT; but Pharaoh ignores this next opportunity also.
AND THINK ABOUT THIS...DO WE REALIZE THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF THAT? MOSES, A NOBODY IN THE EYES OF PHARAOH & EGYPT, HAS UNLIMITED ACCESS TO PHARAOH. THINK ABOUT THIS AS WELL, COULD ANY OF US, WALK UP TO THE SECURITY GATES OF THE WHITE HOUSE, PARLIAMENT, OR THE WORLD'S PRIME MINISTERS, ENGLAND'S QUEEN? TELL THEM WE ARE HERE TO SEE THEIR PRESIDENT, LEADER, AND BE GRANTED AN AUDIENCE WITH ANY OF THEM ON THE SPOT?
UNHEARD OF, RIGHT?....
YET THE LORD GOD OF THE IMPOSSIBLE MADE IT VERY POSSIBLE FOR MOSES TO DO JUST THAT. MOSES, THE EGYPTIAN WORLD'S NOBODY...WAS SOMEBODY TO THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL, AMEN?
Let My people go, that they may serve Me...
In this appeal, it is clear that God wants Pharaoh to let the children of Israel go for the sake of the LORD Himself, not even so much for the sake of the children of Israel.
We must treat each other well not only for the sake of our fellow brother or sister, but also for the sake of the LORD. We owe it to Him even more than we owe it to them. AMEN?
Verses 5-7 tells us of the death of the diseased livestock.
"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."
ALL the livestock of Egypt died...
INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, this plague was directed against the Egyptian god Hathor who was thought to be a mother goddess was in the form of a cow.
AND WORSE, In addition, Egyptian religion considered cattle sacred and the cow was often a symbol of fertility. God shows Pharaoh and all of Egypt that He is mightier than this imagined pagan god.
AND DID YOU KNOW, AN INTERESTING ANCIENT HISTORICAL RECORD OF EGYPT, tells us there was a battle the Egyptians lost because their enemies put a herd of cattle in front of their advancing troops. It worked because the Egyptian soldiers would not shoot at the opposing army for fear of accidentally killing the "sacred" cattle.
The Pharaoh sent, and indeed, NOT EVEN ONE of the livestock of the Israelites was dead...
Moses TOLD Pharaoh that the Israelites would be spared, and he STILL PHARAOH DOUBTED & STILL HE SENT MESSENGERS TO CONFIRM THE LORD'S PROMISE. YOU WOULD THINK AT PLAGUE 5 HAPPENING JUST AS THE LORD PROMISED...PHARAOH WOULD NOT HAVE ANY DOUBTS TO THE WORD, POWER, AND ABSOLUTE CONTROL OF THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL, BUT HE DID NOT. AND YET, HE DID cared enough to confirm this.
Nevertheless, he did not change his heart when it was proven that Moses and his God were exactly right.
Verses 8-10 tells us THE SIXTH PLAGUE: BOILS comes without previous announcement.
"So the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "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." 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."
They caused boils that break out in sores on man and beast...
AND JUST AS BEFORE...As the third plague in this second set of three, this plague comes without warning. This time, God chose to NOT mercifully give Pharaoh a previous opportunity to turn TO REPENT.
Boils that break out in sores...
DID YOU KNOW...The idea behind the ancient Hebrew word for boil is "to burn." It has the idea of a swelling, painful, skin inflammation, and as with some of the previous plagues, this one also affects people and animals.
Verses 11-12 tells us the effect of the boils on the MAGICIANS OF EGYPT.
"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."
The magicians could NOT stand before Moses because of the boils...
AND DID YOU KNOW...this plague was directed against the Egyptian god Imhotep, who was said to be the god of medicine; even those who would be thought of as closest to the Egyptian gods (the court magicians) were stricken with this plague.
Verses 13-21 tells us Moses warns Pharaoh and the Egyptians of the SEVENTH PLAGUE: HAIL.
"Then the LORD said to Moses, "Rise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh, and say to him, 'Thus says the LORD God of the Hebrews: "Let My people go, that they may serve Me, for at this time I will send all My plagues to your very heart, and on your servants and on your people, that you may know that there is none like Me in all the earth. Now if I had stretched out My hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, then you would have been cut off from the earth. But indeed for this 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. As yet you exalt yourself against My people in that you will not let them go. Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause very heavy hail to rain down, such as has not been in Egypt since its founding until now. Therefore send now and gather your livestock and all that you have in the field, for the hail shall come down on every man and every animal which is found in the field and is not brought home; and they shall die."' " He who feared the word of the LORD among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his livestock flee to the houses. But he who did not regard the word of the LORD left his servants and his livestock in the field."
I will send all My plagues to your very heart...
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
In this extended warning, God lets Pharaoh know who is in control. As bad as it has been, it has only been by God's mercy that Pharaoh and Egypt have not been cut off from the earth. THE LORD GOD IS TELLING PHARAOH, I COULD HAVE, WITH A WORD, KILLED YOU ALL AND ERASED YOU FROM THE FACE OF THE EARTH WITH A WORD...BUT IN MY MERCY..ONCE AGAIN...I AM WARNING YOU...GIVING YOU TIME TO SPARE YOUR CROPS, LIVESTOCK AND PEOPLE...REPENT AND LET MY PEOPLE GO.
That I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth...
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
In this bold declaration, God tells Pharaoh through Moses that his resistance is being used for God's glory.
If Pharaoh thinks he is accomplishing anything with his resistance against God, he is dead wrong. All his stubborn rebellion will merely glorify the LORD more in the end.
Gather your livestock and all that you have in the field...
God invites Pharaoh and the Egyptians to trust Him by recommending precautions before the plague. Some took God's invitation and spared their livestock, but others did not.
DOES NOT THIS SCRIPTURE REMIND YOU...AND RESONATE WITH OUR JESUS WORDS TO ALL MANKIND...WHOSOEVER WILL COME...CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS AND YOU SHALL BE SAVED...THE RAPTURE IS NEAR...THE GREAT TRIBULATION...THE FULL WRATH OF ALMIGHTY GOD IS COMING...HIT YOUR KNEES MANKIND AND REPENT AND CALL UPON MY NAME AND YOU SHALL BE SPARED FROM THE WRATH TO COME.
AND WE KNOW, BECAUSE JESUS TELLS US IN ADVANCE, SOME WILL BELIEVE AND DO JUST THAT, OTHERS LIKE PHARAOH WILL HARDEN THEIR HEARTS, DELAY, DISMISS, REJECT AND WILL BE LEFT BEHIND TO FACE THE WRATH OF THE LORD GOD, AMEN?
Verses 22-26 tells us a plague of HAIL AND LIGHTNING BRINGS FIRE from the heavens.
"Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt; on man, on beast, and on every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt." And Moses stretched out his rod toward heaven; and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and fire darted to the ground. And the LORD rained hail on the land of Egypt. So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, so very heavy that there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. And the hail struck throughout the whole land of Egypt, all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail struck every herb of the field and broke every tree of the field. Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, there was no hail."
There was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, so very heavy that there was none like it...
This would have been the most frightening plague thus far. The Egyptians must have believed that the wrath of God poured down from heaven in all severity.
The hail struck throughout the whole land of Egypt...
AND DID YOU KNOW...this plague was directed against SEVERAL Egyptian gods. Notable among them would was Nut, the sky goddess.
Verses 27-35 tells us Pharaoh falsely repents and his heart grows harder.
"And Pharaoh sent and called for Moses and Aaron, and said to them, "I have sinned this time. The LORD is righteous, and my people and I are wicked. Entreat the LORD, that there may be no more mighty thundering and hail, for it is enough. I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer." So Moses said to him, "As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands to the LORD; the thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, that you may know that the earth is the Lord's. But as for you and your servants, I know that you will not yet fear the LORD God." Now the flax and the barley were struck, for the barley was in the head and the flax was in bud. But the wheat and the spelt were not struck, for they are late crops. So Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh and spread out his hands to the LORD; then the thunder and the hail ceased, and the rain was not poured on the earth. And when Pharaoh saw that the rain, the hail, and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet more; and he hardened his heart, he and his servants. So the heart of Pharaoh was hard; neither would he let the children of Israel go, as the LORD had spoken by Moses."
I have sinned this time. The LORD is righteous, and my people and I are wicked...
These are picture perfect words of repentance from Pharaoh, but true repentance hasn't worked its way into his heart. Pharaoh is grieved at the consequences of sin, he has MIND & LIP REPENTANCE, BUT THE LORD WHO SEES AND READS THE HEART KNOWS THEY DO NOT HAVE REAL HEART REPENTANCE...HAD PHARAOH HAD TRUE REPENTANCE HE WOULD HAVE FIRST HIT HIS KNEES AND REPENTED AND THEN HE WOULD HAVE SEEN TO IT THAT ALL OF EGYPT HELPED THE ISRAELITES PACK FOR THEIR DEPARTURE, AMEN?
THIS IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF TEST THE SPIRITS...MANY PEOPLE CAN BE ELOQUENT, GRAND STAND AND SHOWBOAT THEIR CONFESSION AND REPENTANCE BEFORE PEOPLE...WITHOUT ONE DROP OF HEART AND SOUL SINCERITY...SO THAT IS WHY THEN AND NOW, THE LORD WANTS US TO JUDGE THE TRUE REPENTANCE BY WHAT THEY DO NOT BY JUST WHAT THEY SAY, AMEN?
I know that you will not yet fear the LORD God...
Moses' response to Pharaoh shows that he is STARTING TO LEARN AND DISCERN AND REMEMBER AND TRUST ALL THAT THE LORD TOLD HIM ABOUT PHARAOH AND EGYPT LONG BEFORE HE CAME BACK TO EGYPT. Moses knew the promise to touch Pharaoh's firstborn (Exodus 4:22-23) had not yet been fulfilled.
He sinned yet more; and he hardened his heart...
Hardening our hearts against God is sin; failing to repent when God graciously answers our plea is to and to ignore His rich mercy is to sin yet more.