Bible Study Notes on Exodus 8 – 20181106

WritingIIIExodus 8:1  “…Thus says the LORD…”
He doesn’t use other names, but His own.  He makes sure Pharaoh knows exactly Who he’s dealing with.

2  “…all your territory with frogs”
Not just in and around the palace, but all of Egypt’s territory.  That’s a tall order.  Would be obvious around the water, but not so much in the more desert areas.

6  “…Aaron stretched out his hand…”
Aaron’s rod again.  God activated Moses’s rod at the burning bush for a sign, but after the initial meeting, He’s been using Aaron and his rod.  Wonder if there is a correlation between good things by Moses’s rod and the plagues by Aaron’s?

6  “…the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt”
First plague was water to blood.  Second is frogs.

7  “…magicians did so with their enchantments…”
Magicians replicated that one also.  I think the word translated enchantments is what has people wondering.  Could be that trickery or sleight of hand is meant rather than actual power.

8  “…Entreat the LORD…”
So, the frogs appear to get to him.  The magicians are able to reproduce them, but not remove them.  Pharaoh has to go to God, but he’s not in real repentance.

10  “…Tomorrow…”
Here’s the sign.  Can you imagine?  Frogs everywhere, and he wants one more night with them?  Pride is too high.  Moses gave him a small spot of power, and he chooses to flaunt it.  Humility would have said, thanks, please get rid of them immediately.  But pride said, no, since I’m a bit in charge, just wait until tomorrow.

17  “…it became lice…”
Plague number three.  Lice on everyone and everything.  Like the dust of the land.  That’s a lot of lice.

19  “…This is the finger of God…”
Magicians couldn’t reproduce this one.  Perhaps if it was just trickery, the lice proved to be too small to deal with.  At any rate, they admitted to Pharaoh they couldn’t do it and that a higher power was at work.

20  “…before Pharaoh as he comes out to the water…”
Phrase has been repeated a few times.  Commentaries are unsure what it refers to.  He could have been going to bathe or pay homage to the Nile.  I can see where it would be good to catch him first thing, interrupt his routine, but if he’s going to worship the Nile, God would be saying Pharaoh’s gods aren’t strong enough to stop Him from interrupting.

24  “…Thick swarms of flies came into the house of Pharaoh…”
Plague number four, flies.  Actually swarms of something.  The word is just swarms.  Commentaries are unsure exactly what.  Some same the word means swarms of multiples, like multiple types of insects.  Either way, the swarms were everywhere except in the land of Goshen on the Hebrews.  Another sign it couldn’t just be nature.

25  “…sacrifice to your God in the land”
OK.  You can sacrifice to your god, but you can’t leave.  Didn’t sit well with Moses, so Pharaoh says only don’t go very far away.  Still trying to hold some control over the situation.

32  “…neither would he let the people go”
He supposedly agrees to let them go sacrifice, and Moses warns him about being deceitful.  But after the flies are gone, there’s no reason to keep his word.  Seems odd that he never figures out God could either bring the plague back or create a new one.  Part of the hardness issue.  We get so locked in on having our way, we can’t see what’s right in front of us.



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