We think we've seen it all. Blood, frogs, gnats, and flies. Seriously. What more could there be? Well, as we're about to see ... lots! Today our story picks up with the Lord's next instructions to Moses. "Go to Pharaoh," said the Lord, "and say to him, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, “Let my people go, that they may serve me. For if you refuse to let them go and still hold them, behold, the hand of the LORD will fall with a very severe plague upon your livestock that are in the field, the horses, the donkeys, the camels, the herds, and the flocks.'" (Exodus 9:1-3) I imagine Moses wasn't too surprised. I'm guessing Pharaoh wasn't either. They probably thought they'd seen it all, at least Pharaoh probably did. Moses perhaps had a different perspective, one of awe and fear, for he knew exactly what the Lord could (and would) do.
The next part of our story refers back to Exodus 8:22-23. "But the LORD will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that nothing of all that belongs to the people of Israel shall die." (Exodus 9:4) So once again we've got this clear distinction between Goshen and Egypt, the Israelites and the Egyptians, the people who trust in God, and the people who trust in Pharaoh.
One thing about this plague (the death of the Egyptian livestock) is that, though some people tend to look at it callously, as if it's nothing, it is not meaningless at all. Much of the Egyptians' livelihood lay in these animals, their food, their income, their plows. This was a devastating blow to the Egyptians.
Now Pharaoh heard that Goshen wasn't going to be affected by this plague, but Scripture seems to make it look like Pharaoh didn't really believe this. He had to go check it out for himself. "And Pharaoh sent, and behold, not one of the livestock of Israel was dead." (Exodus 9:7) Were the Israelites' animals really not affected by the disease that slayed the Egyptians'? Pharaoh wondered. Nope, they definitely weren't. Their healthy animals thrived, while the Egyptians' withered and died.
Once more, we see that Pharaoh's "heart ... was hardened, and he did not let the people go." Well, we're half way through this series now. We've seen five plagues strike the land of Egypt, one God who's mighty power surpasses all others, and one perturbed Pharaoh. But don't stop reading just yet. We've got lots more to see before the Israelites finally get to pack up their bags and hit the road!