Today our story takes an exciting twist. For the past two plagues, we've watched anxiously as blood has rushed down the river banks and frogs have infested every speck of space in Egypt. But our Israelites have still remained firmly in bondage. I can just see Moses scratching his head. What's a guy to do? Well, to put it simply enough, wait. And wait Moses did. Until his Master's call, that is.
This is where things begin to get interesting. Unlike the last two times, Moses does not approach Pharaoh, make a plea for the Hebrews' freedom, and threaten a plague. Pharaoh had his chance; now it's the Lord's turn.
Now while Moses and Aaron are stretching out staffs and bringing up gnats as thick as the dust on the ground (and remember, Egypt was a hot, dry land, so it had a lot of dust), Pharaoh storms around his palace, angrily swatting at bugs. "Stupid Moses. Stupid Israelites. Stupid bugs," I can just hear him muttering. Suddenly, he remembers his tradition. Moses and Aaron did their plague, so it was time for Pharaoh to summon his magicians to do the same thing. But Pharaoh's in for a bit of a surprise when he sees what will happen.
But the big question is: did Pharaoh get it? Could this be done the easy way, or would Pharaoh insist on continuing the hard way?
So, as the blood red sun dips below the horizon, we sigh. It's been another long day in Egypt. Gnats have infested the countryside. Pharaoh's magicians have tried and failed. They've confessed the true power behind the plagues. Pharaoh's heart has been hardened and his ears stopped to his magicians' confession. Gnats still buzz annoyingly, and we wonder if they're ever going to go away. Yep. Just another day Egypt ... until tomorrow, that is ...
This is where things begin to get interesting. Unlike the last two times, Moses does not approach Pharaoh, make a plea for the Hebrews' freedom, and threaten a plague. Pharaoh had his chance; now it's the Lord's turn.
"Then the LORD said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, so that it may become gnats in all the land of Egypt.’” And they did so. Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and there were gnats on man and beast. All the dust of the earth became gnats in all the land of Egypt." Exodus 8:16-17Okay then. We've seen blood. We've seen frogs. But were any of us really prepared for ... gnats?! Now, over the many times I've read this, I suppose I've never really thought about what gnats are. The Holman Christian Standard Study Bible sheds a bit more light on this. "Researchers have debated about exactly what kind of troublesome insects these were: gnats, fleas, mosquitoes, or ticks." So, in other words, we don't really know! But the bottom line is that they were troublesome. Whether they were mosquitoes or ticks, actual gnats or fleas, they were not harmless, painless, troubleless bugs. They were down-right annoying.
Now while Moses and Aaron are stretching out staffs and bringing up gnats as thick as the dust on the ground (and remember, Egypt was a hot, dry land, so it had a lot of dust), Pharaoh storms around his palace, angrily swatting at bugs. "Stupid Moses. Stupid Israelites. Stupid bugs," I can just hear him muttering. Suddenly, he remembers his tradition. Moses and Aaron did their plague, so it was time for Pharaoh to summon his magicians to do the same thing. But Pharaoh's in for a bit of a surprise when he sees what will happen.
"The magicians tried by their secret arts to produce gnats, but they could not. So there were gnats on man and beast." Exodus 8:18Whooee! Those counterfeiting magicians couldn't copy this plague! No, siree. Oh, they tried all right. But they failed. Boy, did they fail. The Bible doesn't record Pharaoh's response to his magicians' sudden lack of power, but, interestingly enough, it does record the magicians'. They realize they can't produce gnats, so something must be the matter. Then it hits them. Like a boulder catapulted from miles away, it suddenly smashes into their heads, and they understand.
"Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.”" Exodus 8:19You think? Gee whiz, it sure took them a while! But they finally realized it. Moses and Aaron weren't doing this by their secret arts, by their weak, human power; they were doing it only by the power of Yahweh, the Great I AM.
But the big question is: did Pharaoh get it? Could this be done the easy way, or would Pharaoh insist on continuing the hard way?
"But Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the LORD had said." Exodus 8:19I should have known. The Lord had already said that Pharaoh's heart would be hardened, so I shouldn't be surprised that Pharaoh's heart was indeed hardened. I wonder what Moses and Aaron's reaction to Pharaoh's responses were. Were they surprised? Frustrated? Prepared? Doubtful? Completely understanding? But God's Word doesn't record their response, simply their actions. And all their actions in this scenario demonstrate complete obedience.
So, as the blood red sun dips below the horizon, we sigh. It's been another long day in Egypt. Gnats have infested the countryside. Pharaoh's magicians have tried and failed. They've confessed the true power behind the plagues. Pharaoh's heart has been hardened and his ears stopped to his magicians' confession. Gnats still buzz annoyingly, and we wonder if they're ever going to go away. Yep. Just another day Egypt ... until tomorrow, that is ...