Exodus chapter 8

The second plague: frogs. The third plague: gnats. The fourth plague: flies.

 


 

PLAGUE #2. FROGS

 

VERSE 1. The LORD spoke to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh, and tell him, ‘This is what the LORD says, “Let my people go, that they may serve me.

 

VERSE 2. If you refuse to let them go, behold, I will plague all your borders with frogs.

 

VERSE 3. The river will swarm with frogs, which will go up and come into your house, and into your bedroom, and on your bed, and into the house of your servants, and on your people, and into your ovens, and into your kneading troughs.

 

VERSE 4. The frogs shall come up both on you, and on your people, and on all your servants.” ’ ”

 

VERSE 5. The LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your rod over the rivers, over the streams, and over the pools, and cause frogs to come up on the land of Egypt.’ ”

Stretch out your hand. The LORD God could have achieved this plague by any number of ways.

However, he chose to do it in a way that involved Moses and Aaron. Aaron was to stretch out his hands.

It wasn’t that Aaron’s hands were “blessed” or “miraculous.” Rather, it was that God chose to use a visible sign to indicate his invisible power.

 

VERSE 6. Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt.

 

VERSE 7. The magicians did the same thing with their enchantments, and brought up frogs on the land of Egypt.

The magicians did the same thing. How is it that these magicians are able to do the same miracles?

Even in our day, nobody can miraculously generate hordes of living frogs.

 

VERSE 8. Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, “Entreat the LORD, that he take away the frogs from me and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice to the LORD.”

 

VERSE 9. Moses said to Pharaoh, “I give you the honor of setting the time that I should pray for you, and for your servants, and for your people, that the frogs be destroyed from you and your houses, and remain in the river only.”

 

VERSE 10. Pharaoh said, “Tomorrow.” Moses said, “Let it be according to your word, that you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God.

that you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God. These plagues have an evangelistic purpose.

The Old Testament foresees Gentiles coming to faith in the One God of Israel and bringing gifts to Jerusalem. Here are the key Bible verses about this »

 

VERSE 11. The frogs shall depart from you, and from your houses, and from your servants, and from your people. They shall remain in the river only.”

 

VERSE 12. Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and Moses cried to the LORD concerning the frogs which he had brought on Pharaoh.

 

VERSE 13. The LORD did according to the word of Moses, and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the courts, and out of the fields.

 

VERSE 14. They gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank.

 

VERSE 15. But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart, and didn’t listen to them, as the LORD had spoken.

The LORD God said he would harden Pharaoh’s heart. What does this mean? Read more »

 

PLAGUE #3. GNATS

 

VERSE 16. The LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your rod, and strike the dust of the earth, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.’ ”

 

VERSE 17. They did so; and Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and struck the dust of the earth, and there were lice on man, and on animal; all the dust of the earth became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.

 

VERSE 18. The magicians tried with their enchantments to produce lice, but they couldn’t. There were lice on man, and on animal.

tried … but they couldn’t. Finally, the magicians are not able to mimic the miracles of the LORD.

 

VERSE 19. Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is God’s finger;” but Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he didn’t listen to them, as the LORD had spoken.

The LORD God said he would harden Pharaoh’s heart. What does this mean? Read more »

 

PLAGUE #4. FLIES

 

VERSE 20. The LORD said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh; behold, he comes out to the water; and tell him, ‘This is what the LORD says, “Let my people go, that they may serve me.

 

VERSE 21. Else, if you will not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you, and on your servants, and on your people, and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground they are on.

 

VERSE 22. I will set apart in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there, to the end you may know that I am the LORD on the earth.

I will set apart in that day This is an obvious sign that the LORD God is with the Hebrew people.

the land of Goshen. This is an obvious sign that the LORD God protects his people. The plague excludes their territory.

 

VERSE 23. I will put a division between my people and your people. This sign shall happen by tomorrow.” ’ ”

 

VERSE 24. The LORD did so; and there came grievous swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants’ houses. In all the land of Egypt the land was corrupted by reason of the swarms of flies.

 

VERSE 25. Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron, and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God in the land!”

 

VERSE 26. Moses said, “It isn’t appropriate to do so; for we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to the LORD our God. Behold, if we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, won’t they stone us?

 

VERSE 27. We will go three days’ journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the LORD our God, as he shall command us.”

 

VERSE 28. Pharaoh said, “I will let you go, that you may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness, only you shall not go very far away. Pray for me.”

Pray for me. Mighty Pharaoh is beginning to realize that before the LORD God of Moses, he is utterly powerless.

 

VERSE 29. Moses said, “Behold, I am going out from you. I will pray to the LORD that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, tomorrow; only don’t let Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the LORD.”

 

VERSE 30. Moses went out from Pharaoh, and prayed to the LORD.

 

VERSE 31. 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. There remained not one.

 

VERSE 32. Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and he didn’t let the people go.

The LORD God said he would harden Pharaoh’s heart. What does this mean? Read more »

 


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EXODUS

CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 3940

RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize, Pharaoh’s Heart, Moses’ fast

Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.