Gold for the heart - Exodus 8-10

Exodus8

There is no god like our God

1 And the LORD spoke to Moses, Go to Pharaoh, and say to him, The LORD says, Let my people go, that they may serve me. 2 And if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will strike all your borders with frogs: 3 And the river will swarm with frogs that will come into your house, and into your bedchamber, and on your bed, and in the house of your servants, and on your people, and in your ovens, and in your kneading troughs: 4 The frogs will come up on both you and on your people, and on all your servants. 5 And the LORD spoke to Moses, Say to Aaron, Stretch out your hand with your rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up on the land of Egypt. 6 And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt.

God’s humor is wonderful.
This plague says to them, ‘You want frogs instead of me, here, have some frogs.’

Jeremiah 2:19 Your own wickedness will correct you, and your backslidings will reprove you: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that you have forsaken the (the LORD your Maker), and that my fear is not in you, says the Lord GOD of hosts.

7 And the magicians did the same thing with their enchantments, and brought up frogs on the land of Egypt. 8 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said, Beg the LORD, that he may take away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may do sacrifice to the LORD. 9 And Moses said to Pharaoh, Glory over me: when shall I ask for you, and for your servants, and for your people, to destroy the frogs from you and your houses, that they may remain in only the river?

The forces of evil do not help but make things worse…more frogs instead of getting rid of the frogs.

10 And he said, Tomorrow. And he said, It will be according to your word so that you may know that there is none like the LORD our God. 11 And the frogs will depart from you and from your houses and from your servants and from your people; they will remain only in the river. 12 And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh: and Moses cried to the LORD because of the frogs that he had brought against Pharaoh. 13 And the LORD did according to the word of Moses; and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the villages, and out of the fields. 14 And they gathered them together in heaps: and the land stunk. 15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart, and did not listen to them; as the LORD had said. 16 And the LORD said to Moses, Say to Aaron, Stretch out your rod, and strike the dust of the land that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt. 17 And they did it; Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and struck the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man, and in the animals; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt. 18 And the magicians did the same with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: so there were lice on man and on the animals. 19 Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the LORD had said.

The supernatural is not always from God.
The power of evil is very limited.
Occult forces only duplicated the first miracles of God.
Supernatural power is used to deceive people into false systems.
The miracles of God in Exodus show God’s control over all nature.
Christ’s miracles were the same. He controlled all the forces of nature including death.

20 And the LORD said to Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh; behold, he comes out to the water; and say to him, The LORD says this, Let my people go so that they may serve me. 21 And if you do not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and on your servants and on your people and in your houses: and the houses of the Egyptians will be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they are. 22 And that day I will divide the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell so that no swarms of flies will be there; to the end you may know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth. 23 And I will divide/redeem between my people and your people: this sign will be tomorrow.

These flies were scarabs or beetles, also a deity of the Egyptians.
God said His purpose was that Pharaoh and the Egyptians would know that He was the only true God.
He is here, not somewhere far off in the universe.

Psalm 96:5 For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.

24 And the LORD did this; and there came a grievous swarm of flies into the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants’ houses, and in all the land of Egypt: the land was corrupted because of the swarm of flies. 25 And Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron and said, Go, sacrifice to your God in the land. 26 And Moses said, It is not fitting so to do; for we will sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to the LORD our God: look, if we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes; will they not stone us? 27 We will go three days’ journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the LORD our God, as he commands us. 28 And Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that you may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only do not go very far away: entreat/pray/beg for me. 29 And Moses said, Behold, I go out from you, and I will entreat the LORD that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people tomorrow: but do not let Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more by not letting the people go to sacrifice to the LORD. 30 And Moses left Pharaoh, and entreated the LORD. 31 And the LORD did according to the word of Moses; and he removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; not one remained. 32 And Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, he would not let the people go.

Just like sacrificing a cow in India today would incite riots, the Egyptians held animals sacred.
God removed every last fly/beetle; not one remained.
God is thorough in what He does.
His absolutely perfect every moment, all the time.
These plagues parallel the plagues He will send in Revelation: two witnesses like Moses and Aaron (Revelation 11:3): Blood is the eighth plague of Revelation’s trumpet judgment— the sea turns to blood. Darkness is the ninth plague of Egypt and the fifth angel’s vial in Revelation 16. Revelation 16’s sores are the sixth plague of Egypt. The seventh plague of Egypt is hail with fire (Revelation 8). Revelation 9:20, they don’t repent either.

Psalm 18:30 As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a shield to all those that trust in him.

Exodus 9

1 Then the LORD said to Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh and tell him, The LORD God of the Hebrews says this, Let my people go, that they may serve me. 2 For if you refuse to let them go, and still hold them, 3 Behold, the hand of the LORD is on your livestock which is in the field, on the horses, on the asses, on the camels, on the oxen, and on the sheep: there will be a very deadly disease. 4 And the LORD will divide between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt: and nothing will die of all that belongs to the children’s of Israel. 5 And the LORD appointed a set time, saying, Tomorrow the LORD will do this thing in the land. 6 And the LORD did this the next day and all the livestock of Egypt died: but not one of the livestock of the children of Israel died. 7 And Pharaoh sent and saw that not one of the livestock of the Israelites died. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened and he did not let the people go.

The army of Egypt was keeping these people enslaved in Egypt by military force.

8 And the LORD said to Moses and to Aaron, Take handfuls of ashes from the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh. 9 And it will become small dust in all the land of Egypt, and will become a boil with sores breaking out on man and on animal throughout all the land of Egypt. 10 And they took ashes from the furnace and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward heaven; and it became a boil with sores breaking out on man and on animal. 11 And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boil was on the magicians and on all the Egyptians.

These were ashes from the altar used for human sacrifice. The ashes of innocent victims made sores on the people, the people who had sacrificed them to demons.

God hardened the heart of an unbelieving king to show His glory and bring many people to Himself

12 And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them; as the LORD had spoken to Moses. 13 And the LORD said to Moses, Get up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh and say to him, The LORD God of the Hebrews says this, Let my people go so that they may serve me. 14 For at this time I will send all my plagues on your heart, and on your servants, and on your people; that you may know that there is none like me in all the earth.

God made the heavens and earth and all that is in them.
Pharaoh’s were considered gods; his magicians could duplicate God’s first five plagues.
Other gods never fed 5,000 with five loaves of bread and two fishes. They never walked on water or raised the dead.
Only Jesus was resurrected.
There is none like the LORD in all the earth.

Psalm96:5 For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.

Jeremiah 10:10 But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God, the eternal King. At His wrath the earth trembles; the nations cannot endure his wrath.

15 For now I will stretch out my hand to strike you and your people with disease; and you will be cut off from the earth. 16 Definitely for this reason I raised you up to show my power in you; and that my name may be engraved throughout all the earth. 17 Do you still exalt yourself against my people that you will not let them go? 18 Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very severe hail, such as has not been in Egypt since its foundation until now. 19 So send and gather your livestock, and all that you have in the field; for on every man and animal that is found in the field and will not be brought home, the hail will come down on them and they will die. 20 He that feared the word of the LORD among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his livestock flee into the houses: 21 And he that did not regard the word of the LORD left his servants and his livestock in the field.

This was God’s judgment against Apis, the bull god that the Egyptians worshipped.
The British Museum has on display embalmed, mummified bulls from Egypt.
If it can be killed it is not a god.
Fear of God’s word protected the people and their livestock.
In Revelation 17 God will send a similar judgment on the whole earth.
God always warns before judgment and gives a way out.
He raised Pharaoh up to show His power.

22 And 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 animal, and on every herb of the field throughout the land of Egypt. 23 And Moses stretched out his rod toward heaven: and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along the ground; and the LORD rained hail on the land of Egypt. 24 So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, so severe that there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. 25 And the hail struck throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and animal; and the hail struck every herb of the field, and broke every tree of the field.

This judgment exposed and judged their false goddess of the sky. God showed that He alone controls the sky.
The correct translation is ‘hellfire and brimstone’ rain.
Each time a volcano erupts we have proof of hell because the Bible says hell is a lake of fire and brimstone inside the earth.
Notice that even on threat of death they did not listen.

Revelation 16:21 And there fell on men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent (a hundred pounds): and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for its plague was exceedingly great.

Revelation 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and male prostitutes, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, will have their part in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

God is righteous; everything He does is right

26 Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, there was no hail. 27 And Pharaoh sent and called for Moses and Aaron and said to them, I have sinned this time: the LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked. 28 Entreat/beg the LORD (for it is enough) that there be no more mighty thunderings and hail; and I will let you go, and you will stay no longer. 29 And Moses said to him, As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will spread abroad my hands to the LORD; and the thunder will stop, and there will be no more hail; that you may know that the earth is the LORD’s. 30 But as for you and your servants, I know that you still will not fear the LORD God.

The correct rendering of the word ‘thunderings’ is ‘voices of God.’ The Egyptians believed in a supreme being who was too busy to deal with earth so he delegated to many sub-gods. This judgment showed the Egyptians that was false.

Deuteronomy 32:4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

31 And the flax and the barley were struck down: for the barley was in the ear, and the flax was in bud. 32 But the wheat and the spelt were not struck: for they were not grown. 33 And Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh and spread out his hands to the LORD: and the thunders and hail ceased, and the rain was not poured on the earth. 34 And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were stopped, he sinned still more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants. 35 And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, he would not let the children of Israel go, as the LORD had spoken by Moses.

This tells us that this judgment took place in February. Flax is rye. It ripens in February.

Revelation 9:20 And the rest of the men that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the works of their hands, not to worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood that cannot see, or hear, or walk.

Exodus 10

1 And the LORD said to Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might show these my signs before him: 2 And that you may tell in the ears of your son, and of your son’s son, the things I have worked in Egypt, and my signs that I have done among them; that you may know how that I am the LORD.

God loved Pharaoh and desired that he believe and be saved from eternal damnation (2 Peter 3:9).
Pharaoh hardened his own heart against God before God hardened his heart.
God wants the children of Israel to know that He is the only true God, the only one that created, sustains, and controls all things.

3 And Moses and Aaron came in to Pharaoh and said to him, The LORD God of the Hebrews says this, How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, that they may serve me. 4 For if you refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring the locusts into your territory: 5 And they will cover the face of the land so that no one will be able to see the ground: and they will eat the rest of what has escaped, what remains to you from the hail, and will eat every tree that grows for you out of the field: 6And they will fill your houses, and the houses of all your servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; something which neither your fathers, nor your grandfathers have seen, since the day that they were on the earth until this day. And he turned himself, and went out from Pharaoh.

James 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will lift you up.

Luke 18:14 for every one that exalts himself will be abased; and he that humbles himself will be exalted.

7 And Pharaoh’s servants said to him, How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve the LORD their God: Do you still not know that Egypt is destroyed? 8 And Moses and Aaron were brought in to Pharaoh again: and he said to them, Go, serve the LORD your God: but who are they that will go? 9 And Moses said, We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds we will go; for we must hold a feast to the LORD. 10 And he said to them, The LORD will certainly need to be with you if you try to take your little ones along! I can see through your wicked intentions. 11 Not that! The men go now and serve the LORD; for that is what you did desire. And they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.

Pharaoh tried to keep the men’s families hostage so that the Israelites would return.

12 And the LORD said to Moses, Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up on the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, everything that the hail has left. 13 And Moses stretched out his rod over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind on the land all that day and all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts. 14 The locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in every border of Egypt: It was the worst locust plague in Egyptian history, and there has never again been one like it. 15 For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the ground was dark; and they ate every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees that the hail had left: no green thing remained in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt. 16 Then Pharaoh hurried to call for Moses and Aaron; and he said, I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against you. 17 Now therefore I beg you to forgive my sin only this once, and beg the LORD your God, so that he may take this death away from me. 18 And he went out from Pharaoh, and entreated the LORD.

God hears and answers; He rules over all

19 And the LORD turned a mighty strong west wind, which took away the locusts, and threw them into the Red sea; not one locust remained in all the borders of Egypt. 20 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go. 21 And the LORD said to Moses, Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, darkness that may be felt. 22 And Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days: 23 They did not see one another or any rise from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.

God sent deep darkness to judge their worship of the sun god RA, their chief deity.

1John 1:5…God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

24 And Pharaoh called to Moses and said, Go, serve the LORD; only leave behind your flocks and your herds: let your little ones go with you also. 25 And Moses said, You must give us sacrifices and burnt offerings to sacrifice to the LORD our God. 26 Our livestock also will go with us; not a hoof will be left behind; for from them we must take to serve the LORD our God; and we do not know with what we must serve the LORD until we get there. 27 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart and he would not let them go. 28 And Pharaoh said to him, Get away from me, beware you do not see my face again; for the day you see my face you will die. 29 And Moses said, You have spoken right, I will never see your face again.

Moses was never to see Pharaoh’s face again. We will always see the LORD’S face.

Revelation 1:16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and his face was as the sun shines in his strength.

Revelation 22:4 And they will see his face; and his name will be in their foreheads.

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SUMMARY: Exodus 8-10

There is no God like our God
He has a wonderful sense of humor
He hardened an already hardened heart to bring many to Himself
He is righteous, everything He does is right.
He hears and answers
He rules over all