Sermon Text: Exodus 8:20-9:12

“Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Rise up early in the morning and present yourself to Pharaoh, as he goes out to the water, and 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 and your people, and into your houses. And the houses of the Egyptians shall be filled with swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand. But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people dwell, so that no swarms of flies shall be there, that you may know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth. Thus I will put a division between my people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall happen.’’’ And the LORD did so. There came great swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh and into his servants’ houses. Throughout all the land of Egypt the land was ruined by the swarms of flies. Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, ‘Go, sacrifice to your God within the land.’ But Moses said, ‘It would not be right to do so, for the offerings we shall sacrifice to the LORD our God are an abomination to the Egyptians. If we sacrifice offerings abominable to the Egyptians before their eyes, will they not stone us? We must go three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God as he tells us.’ So Pharaoh said, ‘I will let you go to sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only you must not go very far away. Plead for me.’ Then Moses said, ‘Behold, I am going out from you and I will plead with the LORD that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, tomorrow. Only let not Pharaoh cheat again by not letting the people go to sacrifice to the LORD.’ So Moses went out from Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD. And the LORD did as Moses asked, and removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; not one remained. But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and did not let the people go. Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, the 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 fall with a very severe plague upon your livestock that are in the field, the horses, the donkeys, the camels, the herds, and the flocks. But the LORD will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that nothing of all that belongs to the people of Israel shall die.’’’ And the LORD set a time, saying, ‘Tomorrow the LORD will do this thing in the land.’ And the next day the LORD did this thing. All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one of the livestock of the people of Israel died. And Pharaoh sent, and behold, not one of the livestock of Israel was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go. And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Take handfuls of soot from the kiln, and let Moses throw them in the air in the sight of Pharaoh. It shall become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and become boils breaking out in sores on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt.’ So they took soot from the kiln and stood before Pharaoh. And Moses threw it in the air, and it became boils breaking out in sores on man and beast. And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils came upon the magicians and upon all the Egyptians. But the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them, as the LORD had spoken to Moses.” (Exodus 8:20–9:12, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

So we have come now to the second of the three plague cycles. Remember that the story of the Ten plagues has a literary structure to it. The ten plagues are grouped into three groups of three, with the tenth and final plague being set off on its own and given special attention. The most obvious marker of this structure is the setting in which Moses introduces each plague. Plagues 1, 4, and 7 are introduced early in the morning and by the riverside. Plagues 2, 5, and 8 are introduced in Pharoah’s courtyard — “go in to Pharoah”, the Lord says at the introduction to these plagues. And plagues 3, 6, and 9 are introduced outdoors without confrontation with Pharaoh. 

Last Sunday we considered the first three plagues one at a time and I made five observations about each. This morning I will take a different approach. I wish to make five general observations about the entire second plague cycle (plagues 4, 5, and 6). We will consider, one, Moses’ firm stance; two, the intensification of the plagues; three, the distinction made between the Hebrews and the Egyptians; four, the shaming of the gods of Egypt; and five, the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart. 

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Consider Moses’ Firm Stance

First, consider Moses’ firm stance.

In 8:20 we read, “Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Rise up early in the morning and present yourself to Pharaoh, as he goes out to the water, and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, ‘Let my people go, that they may serve me.’’’” 

This confrontation took place early in the morning and by the riverside. Perhaps it was the custom of Pharaoh to rise up early and to worship there? Whatever he was doing, Moses was to “present” himself to Pharaoh. The Hebrew word translated as “present” means to “stand”, to “confront”, or to “take one’s stand”. The meaning is that Moses was called by God to take a firm stance before Pharaoh, and this he did. He stood boldly before Pharaoh on the banks of the Nile and made the same demand, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Let my people go, that they may serve me’” (Exodus 8:20, ESV). 

We have witnessed the development of a great leader in the Exodus story, haven’t we? Moses attempted to deliver the Hebrews 40 years before, but he did it in his own strength, and not by the word of the Lord. He was humbled for 40 years in the wilderness. And when the LORD did call him to deliver the Hebrews, he lacked faith and confidence. It’s as if he had swung from one extreme to the other. But here Moses seems to be in a groove. He is humble, calm, cool and collected, and yet he is firm. He courageously stood before Pharaoh. He consistently delivered the word of the Lord. And he calmly refused to compromise. 

Pharoah did attempt to get Moses to compromise. In 8:25 we read, “Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, ‘Go, sacrifice to your God within the land.’” Moses refused, saying, “It would not be right to do so, for the offerings we shall sacrifice to the LORD our God are an abomination to the Egyptians. If we sacrifice offerings abominable to the Egyptians before their eyes, will they not stone us? We must go three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God as he tells us’” (Exodus 8:26–27, ESV).

Consider a couple of things about Moses’ resolve. 

One, it was all or nothing for Moses. God’s word demanded that Israel be freed from Egyptian bondage to worship and serve the LORD. But Pharaoh proposed that the people worship the LORD while remaining under his authority. I’m afraid that many attempt to follow after Christ in this half-hearted, compromised way. They wish to worship and serve the LORD, but they remain in bondage. They have a divided loyalty. They attempt to have one foot in the kingdom of Christ, and one in the kingdom of Satan.  But what does Christ say about that? “No one can serve two masters…” (Matthew 6:24). Moses would have none of it. This deliverance would have to involve both freedom from bondage, and freedom to worship and serve the Lord. It would involve a transfer from one kingdom to another — a clean break. And so it is for the Christian. We do not have two Master’s, but One. 

Two, I’m impressed by Moses’ tact. He does not scream and yell at Pharoah. He does not insult him. In fact, he answers Pharoah in a careful and tactful way. “Go, sacrifice to your God within the land”, Pharaoh says. And Moses replies in a way that is fitting when speaking to a dignitary.  “It would not be right to do so, for the offerings we shall sacrifice to the LORD our God are an abomination to the Egyptians…” etc. “We must go three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God as he tells us’” (Exodus 8:26–27, ESV). You know, I think we have a lot to learn from Moses (and from Christ) concerning the way in which we are to stand firm within society and before governing authorities. To state the matter succinctly, a firm stance does not require disrespect. To hold the line one need not be harsh or nasty. Those without faith may feel the need to use such manipulative tactics. But those with deep faith will find a way to be firm and resolute and at the same time respectable in their conduct. Faith produces peace, brothers and sisters. And peace in the heart is what we need when standing firm for God and Christ in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. 

Moses had wavered in the faith previously, but here he seems to be very strong. It is clear that God was preparing him to lead Israel out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, into the wilderness, and towards the land of promise. 

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Consider The Intensification Of The Plagues

So, we have considered Moses’ firm stance. Now let us consider the intensification of the plagues in this cycle. 

The first three plagues were truly miraculous. And the Egyptians were truly inconvenienced by them. They frantically dug new wells. Frogs inundated their land and their dwellings. Gnats (or mosquitoes) covered the land. In the second cycle, things progress from the realm of “nuisance” to the realm of personal affliction. 

First, flies covered the land of Egypt. This is similar to the plague of the gnats, but the description of the plague of flies makes it seem as if it were more extreme. Flies were everywhere. They were in the homes. They even covered the ground.

 For some time I have been saying that here in So California it is the flies that emerge in the summertime that bother me even more than the extreme heat. They are truly a nuisance. But I’m talking about finding a few here and there. Egypt was covered with flies. Most Egyptians would not have anything like screens on their windows, so the flies would have filled the houses too. They would have pestered the Egyptians even as they slept. It must have been tormenting. 

Next, the Egyptians livestock perished. This must have been utterly devastating economically speaking. 

In 9:6 the ESV says, “ All the livestock of the Egyptians died…” This has led students of the Bible to wonder if we have a contradiction in the text, for in the account of the seventh plague the Egyptians are warned to bring their livestock out of the field before the plague of hail descended upon them. Where did these livestock come from if they all had died in the fifth plague? The answer is that the Hebrew word translated as “all” by the ESV can also mean “all sorts of” or “all over the place”. So the context clarifies that not every animal belonging to the Egyptians died, but all kinds of animals in all places. How many? We do not know. But it was enough to notice.  As 9:3 says, it was “a very severe plague upon [the] livestock that [were] in the field, the horses, the donkeys, the camels, the herds, and the flocks.” 

In the next plague, the Egyptians were struck with boils on their skin. 

There is a theory out there that it was anthrax that produced these skin boils on the Egyptians. In fact, the theory traces this all the way back to the turning of the Nile to blood (or blood-red). This caused the fish to die. The anthrax multiplied in the rotting fish. The frogs were infected as they came ashore. When the frogs died, anthrax contaminated the soil where the flocks grazed, so the flocks perished. Anthrax spores would have then been spread by the flies, inhaled, or ingested by humans leading, not to death in most cases, but to festering sores on the skin. What should we think about this theory?

I’ll say what I said last week regarding the Nile turned to blood, or blood-red. While it would certainly be consistent with the other plagues involving frogs, gnats, flies, hail, etc, to think that the  Lord used natural things like algae to plague the Nile or bacteria to plague the Egyptians with sores, we must not reduce these plagues to mere natural phenomenon. Pharaoh and his magicians were convinced that these plagues were the finger of God because no natural explanation could be found for these events. If would one could be found, then surely Moses would have been quickly dismissed. But these plages struck and relented when Moses said they would. And they struck on such a grand scale and with such precision that all who observed knew for certain it is was the God of the Hebrews who sent them. Was it the bacteria anthrax that caused the boils? Maybe. But it is undeniable that God was working in a miraculous way. 

It is interesting that the magicians of Egypt are mentioned again in this passage. This will be the last time we will hear about them. Notice the progression with these magicians. First, they stood toe to toe with Moses to provide counterfeits to the sign of the staff turned to a snake, to the water turned blood-red, and to the appearance of frogs. In all of these episodes, Moses was shown to be superior. Next, they were unable to reproduce the plague of the gnats with their trickery. They had to admit to Pharaoh, “this is the finger of God”. But now they are struck personally. They were so afflicted with these boils on their skin that they “could not stand before Moses because of the boils”. Isn’t that awesome. Moses stood firm before Pharaoh, but the magicians “could not stand before Moses because of the boils”, and in this way, they were dismissed never to be heard of again in the story. This is what God does with counterfeits. They will succeed for a time and seem to be so powerful, but God will have the last word. He will expose them as frauds and put them to open shame. 

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Consider The Distinction That Is Made Between The Hebrews And The Egyptians

So, we have considered Moses’ firm stance and the intensification of the plagues. Now let us consider the distinction that God made between the Hebrews and the Egyptians. I consider this to be a central feature of this second plague cycle. God clearly distinguished between the Hebrews and Egyptians when pouring out these plagues. 

In the context of the fourth plague, the plague of flies, the LORD said, “But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people dwell, so that no swarms of flies shall be there, that you may know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth” (Exodus 8:22, ESV).

In the context of the fifth plague, the death of the livestock, Moses said, “But the LORD will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that nothing of all that belongs to the people of Israel shall die” (Exodus 9:4, ESV). And in the context of the sixth plague, it is said that “the boils came upon the magicians and upon all the Egyptians”, with no mention being made of the Hebrews.

In a previous sermon, I emphasized that God knows who are his and he is able to keep them even as they dwell in a midst of a crooked and perverse generation and God pours out his judgments. Here we see evidence of that great truth again. God plagued the Egyptians with flies, the death of livestock, and skin boils, but the Hebrews were left untouched. This was to demonstrate that the God of the Hebrews is “LORD in the midst of the earth.” The same distinction will be made in the seventh plague regarding the hail.  

It is interesting that no such thing was said regarding the water turned to blood, the frogs, or gnats. And no such thing will be said regarding plagues 8 and 9 involving the locust and the darkness. I’m not sure how far we can push this idea, but in general, it seems evident to me that in some instances the people of God will be caught up in and affected by the judgments that God pours out upon a wicked nation. Doesn’t this just make sense? When a nation falls under God’s displeasure and is judged by the Lord in some way, the righteous may suffer some affliction along with that nation. At the same time, it is true that God is able to distinguish between those who are his and those who are not, and he is able to guard them and keep them. This he clearly did in plagues 4 through 7.

I also think there is something else going on in the statement found in 8:22, “But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people dwell, so that no swarms of flies shall be there, that you may know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth” (Exodus 8:22, ESV). Israel is here being “set apart” by God from the nations. This theme began with the call of Abram out of Ur of the Chaldeans.. He was set apart as holy and was to journey towards the promised land. And now that theme is emerging again. Israel is being set apart in Egypt, will be delivered, and will journey towards the promised land. This was their identity. They were chosen by God (in an earthly sense) and set apart by him as his special possession, for the LORD (YHWH) had entered into a covenant with them. ”But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people dwell… that you may know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth.” It is the LORD who made a covenant with Israel and who keeps his covenant. In these plagues a clear distinction is made between the Egyptians and the Hebrews, for the LORD had set the Hebrews apart by covenant.

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Consider the Shaming Of The Gods Of Egypt

Fourthly, consider the shaming of the gods of Egypt. 

I’ve said before that the ten plagues are to be considered an assault against the so-called gods of Egypt.  In fact, that is what the Bible explicitly says. Speaking of the Egyptians, Numbers 33:4 says, “On their gods also the LORD executed judgments” (Numbers 33:4, ESV).

So how were the plagues of flies, the death of livestock, and skin boils judgments against the gods of Egypt? 

Concerning the flies, allow me to quote Philip Ryken from his commentary on Exodus.

Concerning the livestock, it only needs to be said that the Egyptians worshiped livestock, particularly bulls and cows. It is no wonder that Hebrews made an image of a golden calf when they slipped back into idolatry when Moses was on the mountain. 

Concerning the boils, listen again to Ryken: 

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. The Exodus event was unique. We have to be careful, therefore, when drawing applications out of this story for our modern-day circumstances. But I think it is safe to view the Exodus as a kind of paradigm for the way that God judges sinful cultures and nations. He has a way of putting down the haughty within the world who would seek to have the glory that belongs to God alone as their own.  He has a way of putting down false god’s showing them to be false. 

In some ways, the culture of the Egyptians seems so very different from our own. They worshipped many gods. We would call them primitive and superstitious. We scoff at their views regarding medicine and healing. But really, are we all that different? This culture is filled with idolaters too. Americans worship many gods. Though they do not call them by the name “god” they place their hope in them, find their identity in them, and look to them for joy. I can’t help but think of the way that people talk about “science” nowadays. You would think it was a deity the way that the world speaks about it science today. And I can help but think about the way in which medical doctors are venerated within our society. Scientists and medical doctors — these must not be questioned. I assume the same was true for the Egyptian deities associated with health and healing and the magicians of Egypt. But what did the LORD do to those who were exalted above their proper domain? He put them to open shame. I wonder if the LORD is not doing something similar presently. The world is filled with fear. The fear is largely fabricated, in my opinion. But that is another story. And what is the world looking to for salvation? So-called “science”; medical professionals. They will not deliver, brothers and sisters. In fact, I suspect they will put to open shame. 

There is only one God, brothers and sisters. There is only one who is worthy of our trust and devotion. He is the LORD.  

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Consider The Hardening Of Pharaoh’s Heart

Fifthly, and lastly, let us consider the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart. 

Notice that Pharoah is wavering. He is negotiating with Moses and he is requesting that Moses intercede for him. He’s cracking under the pressure, in other words, for he knows this is the work of the LORD. But his heart is stubborn, hard, and prideful. 

At the end of each plague, mention is made of the hardness of Pharoah’s heart. “ But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and did not let the people go.” “But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go.” And finally, “But the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them, as the LORD had spoken to Moses.” So we have three different perspectives on this issue in these three plagues. Pharaoh hardened his own heart, his heart was heartened, and the LORD hardened his heart. Remember that God told Moses that he would harden Pharoah’s heart back in 4:21. Now we see it happening. And in 9:16 we will read the word of the LORD to Pharaoh: “But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.” (Exodus 9:16, ESV). This is such an important theme in Exodus, I would be remiss if I did not make mention of it. Clearly, God wants his people to understand that the king’s heart is in his hand. He is the Sovereign One, the King of kings, and the Lord of lords.