Frogs, Gnats, and Flies

Exodus 8

Chapter 7 showed us that Moses and Aaron went before Pharaoh again but he did not listen to their request. The first plague was up and that was the water turning into blood. Each of these plagues we are going to look at God’s way of showing the Egyptians that he is God and more powerful than what they believe to be god. 

Frogs 

This time God told Moses to do the same and ask Pharaoh to let the people of Israel free but if he does not listen then there would be frogs everywhere. My wife and I looked at this house that had a little frog problem. It was at night and we shined this light in a pool and there were about 6 sets of eyes that were of frogs. We heard them croaking and it was kind of intense. Here the land of Egypt was covered with frogs. They had frogs in their beds, in their ovens, in their kitchens, and in their utensils. They would be so annoyed with frogs. Frogs were common in Egypt along the Nile River and actually the Egyptians looked at frogs as some form of a god. Now the Egyptians were seeing that this god that they enjoyed are actually despising and annoyed with. Pharaoh’s response was to see if his magicians can do that and they did. Either way the magicians never got rid of the problem of the frogs in fact they just added to them. Enough was enough and Pharaoh begged Moses to get rid of them. The frogs finally died off and the Egyptians piled the frogs up in heap and the land stunk. The land stunk because of the bloody river and now this. Egypt was a stinky town.

Gnats

I really do not like gnats. They fly around  you and somehow they are attracted to you. Moses was told by God again to ask Pharaoh for the release of the Hebrews. Pharaoh said, “No” and the land was covered by gnats.  I have been around some gnats but not where the whole land was covered in them. Pharaoh’s magicians try to copy this miracle but could not and their response shows how they finally realized that Jehovah is God. They said in verse 19, “Surely this is the finger of God.” Too bad Pharaoh did not come to the same realization, his heart was still hard and said, “No.” 

Flies

The fourth plague was flies. Have you ever been at a BBQ when there were flies? It is not that fun and just like gnats, flies are annoying. They buzz around your face and touch your food and just are not cool. God told Moses to ask Pharaoh again to let the people go but of corse Pharaoh and his hard heart said , “No.” God sent flies to cover the whole land and it was so bad that it says in verse 24 that the land was ruined. There are a couple types of flies that are create big problems in humans lives. There is a dogfly which can cause blindness to people. There is also another fly that will actually lay its eggs in living things which can cause diseases. Flies are known as disgusting and the land of Egypt was covered. The one thing that is interesting about this plague is the land of Goshen, the area where the Hebrews were, was not affected by this. They were flyless. 

Pharaoh had enough and told Moses, “Fine, you could go take the people to sacrifice to your God but they must stay in the land.” Moses who used wisdom said, “Nope, God wants us to leave and we are leaving, we will not stay.” It is interesting that Pharaoh wanted Moses to compromise a little bit on this area and Satan does the same thing with sin. He wants us to compromise a little with disobedience with God. We say, “It is only little thing or it is not bad as someone else or even everyone is doing it.” We do it so we can justify our sin. We are told to let go of the sin that so easily entangles us and run the race free (Hebrews 12:1). I am so glad that Moses did not compromise with the enemy and we need to have the same attitude as Satan is trying to have us make little compromises here and there. 

Jochebed

Exodus 6

We saw how Egypt reacted to Moses asking for the people to be set free and Pharaoh’s heart hardened, but there is still some more hardness to happen. Moses’ faith could have been frustrated because he saw the miraculous signs of God but yet it will take faith in him trusting that the Lord will redeem Israel.

In this chapter we see somewhat of God’s promise in letting the people go. He told Moses to tell the Hebrews that God was going to lift the burdens of slavery and  when Moses went to the people they would not listen because they were broken because of the harsh treatment by the Egyptians. Moses was dealing with a some more doubt. Before he was doubting the mission that God was calling him to and now he is doubting his faith in God with the mission. He was ready to go and Pharaoh turned him down and now the people whom he was to lead were turning him down.  It might seem like he was not getting anywhere. I encourage everyone to keep reading because we will see God’s hand in all this in the next few chapters.

The Family

The 2nd half of chapter takes a break from the story and focuses on the family history of Moses and Aaron. If you read 16 we see that out of the sons of Jacob Levi is where Moses stems from. Levi had a son named Kohath and Kohath had a son named Amram. Amram took Jochebed as a wife. They had two sons, Aaron and Moses. If we can take a break from the genealogy right now and focus on Moses’ and Aaron’s mother Jochebed. This is the one time we get to see who this woman who feared the Lord is. We do not get to know much other than what 2:1-3 tells us. We know she hid her son when she could have been killed and that she feared the Lord. Jochebed means Jehovah is glorious. What a great name which shows who is in charge in the midst of this chaos.

Moses needed to remind himself that God is the one in charge and has been before he was even a little baby. God orchestrated his steps and even to who his parents would be. God has done the same thing for us. He has orchestrated who are parents would be and even the location where we would be born. It is sometimes good reminders to give ourselves when we start running the show ourselves. We need to be directed back to what is important, God. He is glorious and holy.  

The Hardening Begins

Exodus 5

In chapter 4 we read Moses make more excuses for the Lord. We also read  that Moses left to go to Egypt and met with his brother. Moses gathered before all the leaders of the Hebrews and he showed them the signs that God showed him earlier and they believed. They believed because they saw the signs. God answered Moses’ disbelief by showing that they would believe.

The first encounter with Pharaoh.

Moses and Aaron met Pharaoh and it went as the Lord planned, Pharaoh’s heart is hardened. Remember the people of Egypt would look at Pharaoh as a type of deity or god.  Moses told Pharaoh God wants his people free and Pharaoh was like, “Who is this God that I should obey his voice, I am like a god too.” Because of Moses asking for the people to be set free, Pharaoh decides to make their work harder. He made them not only have to make bricks for the kingdom but now the people have to find straw themselves for making the brick and he did not lighten the load. Pharaoh did this so the Hebrews would not desire to follow after Moses but instead be mad that he came. This was working because the people came to Moses and said, “Why did you come?” Moses then went to the Lord and said, “Why did you have me come?”

The Test of Leadership:

 God was in the process of hardening Pharaoh’s heart and it still needed to be harder. Moses was thinking he would go in say one thing and be done. The people who Moses was over were starting to hate on him and turn on him. He was questioning his existence in this plan of Gods. There were going to be more testing and Moses needed to trust the Lord in his timing. It is so easy for us when we are being used by God to think that it is going to be so easy and there will be no trouble, but in order for us to be used, God needs to mold us and that means sometimes having troubles. There will be tests at  your age. Cling to the Lord now because when you get older it will not be as hard to go to the Lord compared to someone who doesn’t.

More Excuses

Exodus 4

The last chapter showed us how Moses made a couple of excuses when God shared his plan with him and this chapter Moses is not giving up on the excuses. I heard this statement about excuses: Excuses are like armpits, everyone has them and they all stink.  Moses replied to God with, “They will not believe me or listen to my voice.” God responded with not a comment but this time he showed Moses a little bit of how powerful God is. He told Moses to throw his staff on the ground and the staff turned into a snake. God was saying fine if you are not going to listen to my voice, maybe you will listen to my power. If the staff turning into a snake wasn’t enough, God told Moses to put his hand in his cloak and when he pulled it out it was leprous (a disease). He then put his hand back in his cloak it was restored to normal. God was not only showing Moses his power but also an example of what will happen so that Hebrew people will know who God is and even the Egyptians. You think these two wondrous signs and the burning bush that is still going and the voice from God would be a sign enough for Moses. Maybe he was thinking something was in the water or maybe he ate some bad dates because he still made another excuse.  He said, “Lord I am not a good speaker.” Good one, Moses, NOT! God’s answer is just and perfect. He said, “Moses who has made man;s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? As God is asking this rhetorical statement he is just telling Moses, I am God, I got it. Moses still said, “Lord send someone else.” The Lord who has been so patient with Moses during these two last chapters he finally said, “Your brother will be used to speak for you.” 

God says, “Go” but we say, “No”

There are many times I know God has wanted me to go and talk to a certain person, or help someone out. Out of all those times, how many do I listen and go? I am so quick to say, “No.” I even will think, “God there probably is someone else more qualified.” All Christians are so quick to use an excuse. Instead we need to be more willing and say thank you Lord for allowing me to be used by you. Romans 12:1 says, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” Ask yourself what are some things you think God may have wanted you to do but you made an excuse? What are some things that you are afraid of? What is holding you back from being used by God? What are some ways you could be used by God?

The Burning Bush

Exodus 3

Moses fled from Egypt to get away from that life and out of fear and now he is in the wilderness as a Shepherd. Moses spent 40 years of his life in the enjoyment of royalty in Egypt and now was seeing the opposite. He spent 40 years in the wilderness where it was sometimes lonely. Moses was watching the flock by Mount Horeb and the Lord appeared to Moses by a burning bush but the bush was not being consumed by the fire. Immediately as God spoke Moses hid his face because he realized this was God.  

God’s speaks and Moses Questions

God told Moses the plan. He said, “He has heard and seen the affliction of his people.” He was going to use Moses to help in the process of delivering the Hebrews out of the bondage of Egypt. Remember Israel has been in slavery now for over 400 years.  Moses did not jump up right away with excitement over the Lord’s calling, he actually made an excuse. He said, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out?” In all reality, Moses was raised and trained for this mighty task. He was Moses the boy saved out of the river, raised in a position of leadership. He was making an excuse because he was in the wilderness for 40 years, maybe he was hoping that he would have been forgotten. God responded with, “I will be with you.” Don’t worry about who you are just have faith and know that I have your back. God even said, “You will see that I am God.” Meaning once everything happens you will realize that I am God. 

Excuse #2

Moses could not take God’s answer for the first excuse, so he had to make another. As he was racking his brain for any excuse, he finally thought of one and said, “Well, who shall I say sent me?” God responded, “Tell them, The Great I Am, sent you.” God does not need some introduction other than He is God, the only God. Egypt during this time was a very religious culture. They believed in a lot of different gods. There was Ra the sun god as well as many others. They would even put Pharaoh as a deity or god in their religious system.  God told Moses that not only will Israel be set free but also will leave with the possessions of Egypt. Egypt will be so glad to get rid of you guys that they will be giving you their stuff. Also the Hebrews may not believe right away but they soon will see God’s mighty hand in this.

I always think what this might have been like. Moses being able to hear God, I wonder what went on through his mind? I wonder about this conversation between God and Moses and how patient God was with him. He could have been, “I asked you and you are making excuses, I can use anyone, and I will.” God still worked with Moses and all his doubt that he had. I think we all may not have a burning bush experience literally but we still have those times that God may speak to us. It may be the Holy Spirit directing us to go and share the Gospel with someone. It may be that we need to not do that sin. It may be that we are called to serve God. Either way do we answer the call. I am reminded of the story of Jonah who was called by God to be a prophet. He was called to go to a not so fun area called Nineveh, but instead ran away to the complete opposite direction. Do you run away from God’s call and make excuses or do you answer by saying, “I will Go”?  

Stand up for the Lord.

Exodus 1

We now start a new book, Exodus. The first five books of the Bible were written by Moses. Exodus is such a great book dealing with God’s saving of his people from the bondage of slavery but more importantly God’s redemptive plan for mankind which is in Christ. It will be helpful in reading this book as always looking to and through Christ.

Just like the last words of Jacob were for his sons and their children to be fruitful and multiply and that is what they did. Israel grew so strong and so many that the land was full of them. There were more people of Israel than there were Egyptians. Because of this growth fear came into the heart of the Egyptians. Pharaoh placed taskmaster over Israel and made them slaves to the Egyptians. Really fast, while reading this you may stop and ask, “Why are they slaves now, life was going good, God moved Israel to Egypt to save them from the famine but why this?” As sometimes it is hard to read scripture and try right then and there to figure out the why, the advice that was given to me was to keep on reading. We will see how awesome God is through this book.

Birth Controlled… verses 15-22

Because the Hebrews were growing in number the Egyptians wanted them to be strong and many so if a Hebrew woman was giving birth to a boy the midwives were to kill him, but if it were a girl then the child could live. The two midwives who were told to do this did not listen because they feared God and not man and desired to do what was right in the eyes of the Lord. God blessed the midwives and there were more and more Hebrews. They were just having babies after babies. This of course angered Pharaoh so he just told his people to do this evil deed and kill the Hebrew boy babies. 

Satan will do whatever he can to stop God’s plan, historically we do not know how many babies were killed by the Egyptians but we do know that despite what Satan tries to stop God is still in control and has a plan in the making. Also what if someone in authority told you to do something that you knew was not right and was not only bad but against what God says for us to do? What would you do? Why would you do that thing? These midwives were told to kill and said. “No way!” What if someone in authority asked you to steal, cheat, lie, or do something worse? When you stand for the Lord you are not alone. He has your back. 1st Corinthians 15:58 says, “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” When you stand up for the Lord, you may be alone in this world (or at least feel like that) but God sees that and honors that.