Exodus 8
From Theologica
The Plague of Frogs (8:1 - 8:15) Observation - - 8:1 Moses is commanded by God to tell Pharaoh to let the Hebrews go. - 8:2 If Pharaoh refuses, God promises to "smite" Egypt with frogs. - 8:3 The Nile will swarm with frogs - The frogs will come up and go into Egypt's houses - into their bedrooms and on the beds - into all hosues and people and into every place possible - 8:4 Everyone will have to deal with the frogs - 8:5 God commands Moses to command Aaron - stretch our your hand w/ your staff over the rivers streams and pools - Making frogs come up on the land of Egypt. - 8:6 Aaron obeys. - The frogs come up and cover the land - 8:7 The magicians mimicked the miracle - 8:8 Pharaoh calls for Moses - Asking him to have God remove the frogs - Promising to let Israel go to worship God. - 8:9 Moses' reply - Gives Pharaoh the honor of setting the date and time for the frogs removal - Why? (see 8:10) - 8:10 Pharaoh says tomorrow - so that you may know that there is no one like the Lord our God. - 8:11 Moses states that the frogs will be left only in the Nile - 8:12Moses and Aaron leave - Moses entreats God concerning the frogs - 8:13 God kills the frogs not in the Nile - 8:14 The dead frogs were piled up in so many and great heaps that the land became foul - 8:15 seeing relief, Pharaoh hardened his heart and refused to honor his promise.
Interpretation - - Pharaoh is given the opportunity to see first hand God's power and even be able to sort of participate in it, yet he still would not yield. - There is an interesting dichotomy between Pharaoh and Moses. Both men witness God's power first hand, in many ways, but yet both men chose different paths and different responses. - Pharaoh's decisions are not well thought out. They are made from positions of comfort and safety. He is only responding to situations. - Pharaoh is so immersed in the world and the belief that things can be explained naturally that once he is in a position of safety he forgets or rather suppresses the truth. - Why frogs? - Probably in relation to one of Egypt's gods.
Application -
The Plague of gnats (unannounced) (8:16 - 8:19) Observation - - 8:16 God commands Moses to command Aaron - Strike the "dust of the earth" with your staff - So that the dust will become gnats - The gnats will infect all the land of Egypt. - 8:17 Aaron and Moses Obeyed - Gnats were on both men (male and female) and beasts - 8:18 The magicians could not reproduce the plague - reiteration that there were gnats on man and beast - 8:19 The magicians state to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God." - Pharaoh's heart was hardened - Pharaoh did not listen to the magicians - reiteration that God said Pharaoh would not listen.
Interpretation - - Pharaoh was not warned about this plague. - Why not? - Why gnats? - Why were both man and beast affected? - Was Pharaoh's heart still hardened or was it hardened again? - If the latter, who hardened it?
Application -
The Plague of Flies (division) (8:20 - 8:32) Observation - - 8:20 Moses commanded again to go to Pharaoh and say to him , "Let my people go!" - It was to happen in the morning as Pharaoh "comes out to the water". - 8:21 It Pharaoh does not comply - Then God will send swarms of flies on Pharaoh, his servants, and his people. - The houses of the Egyptians will be full of swarms of flies. - The ground will be full of flies. - 8:22 Goshen will be set apart - Israel will be set apart - This distinction is to show that God is at work; so that Pharaoh will know. - 8:23 God states that He will put a division between Egypt and Israel - It is to occur on the following day. - 8:24 God did as He said He would do. - great swarms of flies came to the land of Egypt. - The land was laid waste - 8:25 Pharaoh calls for Moses and Aaron. - Gives Israel permission to go and worship God - Stipulation: within the land - 8:26 Moses says it is not right. - Because the manner the Hebrews were to worship would be detestable to the Egyptians - Moses did not want to get his people killed for this. - 8:27 Moses states that Israel must go a "three days' journey into the wilderness and sacrifice there. - in accordance with God's commands. - 8:28 Pharaoh refuses to let Israel go, but is will to allow them to sacrifice in the land. - Additionally he requests that they make supplication for him. - 8:29 Moses says he will make supplication for Pharaoh, to have the flies removed, but warns Pharaoh not to deal deceitfully agian. - 8:30 After leaving Pharaoh, Moses makes supplication to the Lord. - 8:31 God fulfilled Moses' request and removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh and Egypt. - 8:32 Pharaoh hardened his heart. - Pharaoh did not let the people go.
Interpretation - - 8:30 - Moses immdiately makes supplication to God upon leaving Pharaoh. He didn't wait and he didn't forget. - What do the flies represent? mean? - Distinction between Israel and Egypt. Why? - To prepare Egypt's mind to want to be rid of them. - To show a distinction between life and death? >>>Iffy - to begin a mindset within Israel that they are a nation - To show a distinction between holiness and unholiness - To show a distinction between God's people and those who are not? - Pharaoh hardens his own heart.
Application -
