FROGS, LICE AND FLIES

BOOK OF EXODUS

CHAPTER 8

            Greetings to you, Daily Bread readers!  Welcome back to our study of the book of Exodus.  In our last story, God sent a plague into Egypt that turned all the water of the land into blood because Pharaoh would not let the children of Israel free.

            God sent Moses back to talk to Pharaoh again.  This time the message was that if Pharaoh didn’t let God’s people go, He would send frogs into Egypt.  He said, They will come up out of the river and go into your house, into your bedroom, and on your bed, into your servants houses, and among all your people.  They will be in your ovens, and where your food is, and everywhere. 

            God told Moses to tell Aaron, Stretch out your hand with your staff over the streams and rivers and ponds and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt.  And Aaron did what Moses said.  Imagine if you will, frogs in your own house, all over your kitchen, in the oven, even in your bed.  How disgusting. 

            Well, those crafty magicians of Pharaoh’s did the same thing and brought frogs up onto the land of Egypt.  It didn’t take long for this to annoy Pharaoh a bit, and he called for Moses and Aaron and said, Ask the Lord to take the frogs away from me and my people and I’ll let the people go so they can do sacrifice to Him. 

            Moses was very happy about this and to make sure that credit was given to God, he asked Pharaoh, When do you want this to happen?  Pharaoh answered, Tomorrow.  Moses said, It will be as you say so that you will know there is none like the Lord our God.  The frogs will leave you and your servants and your people, and remain in the river only.

            Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh and Moses prayed to the Lord with Pharaoh’s request.  The Lord answered Moses’ prayer, and the frogs died.  They gathered them together in piles and the land stank terribly. When Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart again and didn’t keep his promise to let God’s people go.

            So the Lord said to Moses, Tell Aaron to stretch out his staff and strike the dust of the land so that it becomes lice throughout the land of Egypt.  Aaron did what Moses said and the dust of Egypt became lice on man and beast.  You know, it makes a person itch just thinking about it.  It seems silly to want more lice, but Pharaoh’s magicians tried to do the same thing with magic, but they couldn’t.  They told Pharaoh, This is the finger of God, meaning only God could do this.  But Pharaoh’s heart was still hardened and he would not listen.

            Next, the Lord said to Moses, Get up early in the morning and go to Pharaoh at the river again, and say to him, God says, Let my people go, so they may serve me, and if you don’t, watch tomorrow, I will send swarms of flies on you and your servants and your people and into your houses and all over the land.  But I will protect Goshen, where my people live, and no flies will be there.       

            The next day the Lord sent the flies and the land of Egypt was filthy with them.  Now a few dozen flies can ruin just about anything, but swarms of them must have been horrendous.  They irritated Pharaoh enough to call for Moses and Aaron again and he said, Go and sacrifice to your God here in this land. 

            Moses said, We will go three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the Lord our God as he will command us.  Pharaoh relented, I’ll let you go, only ask for me, that you don’t go very far away.  Moses answered, I’ll ask the Lord to take the flies away tomorrow, but don’t lie again and not let the people go.  He left Pharaoh’s presence and entreated the Lord, and the Lord removed the swarms of flies so that not a single one remained.  And you guessed it, Pharaoh hardened his heart this time too, and would not let God’s people go.

            Four plagues have been brought upon Pharaoh now and he acts like it’s a game between him and God, but we all know that trying to deceive God will only end in disaster.  Come along with us next time as Daily Bread continues to follow Moses through his mission for God to deliver His people from the bondage of Egypt.

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