The Fifth Plague: Livestock

Exodus 9:1-7

Let’s take a moment and recap and catch ourselves up in our study of Exodus:

In Exodus 1, we discussed,

Israel’s existence in Egypt, the circumstances around Jacob and his family coming to arrive and dwell in Goshen

Israel’s oppression under a ruthless Pharaoh

Israel’s cry to the Lord to bring them deliverance—and the women God used to preserve life

In Exodus 2, we discussed.

The birth of Moses (Moses’ mother)

Moses’ days in Egypt and how was forced to flee to Midian

Moses’ days in Midian, where he married and began 40 years of shepherding

In Exodus 3, we discussed,

The call of Moses

The complaints of Moses

The promises of God to deliver Israel through Moses and Aaron

In Exodus 4, we discussed

More of Moses’ excuses, God’s signs He would perform to force Pharaoh’s hand and let His people go

Moses traveling to Egypt, the need to act on obedience (circumcision of his son)

Moses and Aaron’s reunion and the message to the elders

In Exodus 5 we discussed

Moses first encounter with Pharaoh

The complaints of the people of Israel and Moses’ lament at being chosen

In Exodus 6 we discussed

God’s reassurance and promise to Moses that He would redeem and free His people

God’s 7, “I will statements,” He gave to Moses

In Exodus 7, we discussed

Aaron’s family, his rod (the rod of God, staff of Moses)

Staff’s into serpents

Pharaoh’s heart becoming hard

In Exodus 7 (latter portion), we began to learn of the 10 plagues of God’s judgment against Pharaoh)

Plague 1: Blood in the Nile

In Exodus 8, we learned of the plagues 2, 3, and 4

Frogs

Lice,

Flies

Each one of these plagues was God, not only proving Himself as the One True Living God, but that He alone was the Redeemer, Deliverer, and Savior of His people. In each of these we Pharaoh’s heart grow harder and harder. When his sorcerers couldn’t mimic, deceive, or copy the first few judgments, Pharaoh resorted to manipulation and deceit, further hardening his heart and bringing God’s judgment.

Our last look (8:20-32), as we looked at the plague of flies, we learned of the dangers of compromise as Pharaoh tried to entice Moses to compromise on the Lord’s commandment.

As we read about God’s next plague of judgment against Pharaoh and Egypt, we will learn of the danger and sin of idolatry

(READ Exodus 9:1-7)

The ancient Egyptians were idolatrous people. At the leading of Pharaoh, the Egyptians openly rejected and refused to confess and believe in the only living and true God, Yahweh.

The ancient Egyptians believed the spirit of, “some god,” lived in every thing and in every area of life. Idolatry ruled and controlled their lives. The extent of the Egyptians idolatry ran from man himself (humanism) over to four-footed animals and creeping things. Not only were the Egyptians idolatrous people, they were brutally savage in their treatment of others (i.e. the nation of Israel)—when the Egyptians (or we) become bound and shackled to idolatry, we will fight to hold onto to the enslavement of these idols.

In all we’ve talked about from the start of Exodus, up to this point (Exodus 9) God had displayed and shown His longsuffering and patient endurance with the Egyptians. From the start, God was demanding repentance, that they turn from idolatry and sin, recognizing Him as the One, True, living-God, and to relinquish their oppression of the nation of Israel…and when they refuses to repent, He was enacting and executing justice against sin and chastising them.

What’s interesting to see here—at this point—God was not wiping them out, as they were guilty of doing so; rather He was chastising them through the plagues on them and their nation. Why? Again, we see God’s attribute of longsuffering in action—He was still ready to offer the Egyptians and Pharaoh the opportunity to repent. Yet again, we will see Pharaoh harden his heart, refuse to repent, and continue their evil of oppressing, brutalizing, and enslaving God’s people—who at this point in history were the only people upon earth still following the only living and true God—Yahweh

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I (v.1) God’s Word and His will declared

Exodus 9:1 “Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and tell him, ‘Thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews: “Let My people go, that they may serve Me.” (SEE BIBLE CLASS NOTEBOOK ON GODS WILL)

(CONTEXT)

Remember what just happened during the plague of the flies;

Pharaoh cried out for deliverance from God’s judgment of the flies

Exodus 8:25 “Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God in the land.””

Pharaoh was “allowing” Moses to go the wilderness

Exodus 8:28 “So 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. Intercede for me.””

Moses warned Pharaoh about being deceitful

Exodus 8:29 “Then Moses said, “Indeed I am going out from you, and I will entreat the Lord, that the swarms of flies may depart tomorrow from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people. But let Pharaoh not deal deceitfully anymore in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.””

The Lord relented on the judgment of the flies

Exodus 8:31 “And the Lord did according to the word of Moses; He removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people. Not one remained.”

Pharaoh, however and again, was deceitful and hardened his heart; refusing to release and free God’s people

Exodus 8:32 “But Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also; neither would he let the people go.”

What’s happening now?

God is STILL acting upon His nature of longsuffering—not wanting, not desiring even the worst sinner or the most evil person to perish

2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

God is again, sending Moses—His messenger—back to Pharaoh to proclaim God’s Word and His will

God is again, giving Pharaoh and the Egyptians another opportunity to repent

Note the message and proclamation

“the Lord God of the Hebrews”

700 years prior to this—nearly every person had forsaken and denied God, but God’s purpose (will) would not be defeated—(man was created to be in a relationship of worship & fellowship with Him), so God

Called Abraham and from him, created whole new race of people who were to fulfill His purposes on earth. The Hebrews were to be God’s

Witnesses on earth

Witnesses to the only living and true God

Witnesses to the promised land of heaven

Witnesses to a great nation of people

Witnesses to the promised Seed—the coming Savior—Jesus Christ

Now, this nation that God created, that He is the God of—was under oppression, persecution, and enslavement

God despises slavery—despises the oppression of ANY man, yet

God especially despises the oppression of His people, those who believe and follow Him

“Let My people go...”

God’s message has and always will be centered on redemption—on deliverance of man from bondage, slavery, and the tyrannical yoke of sin

God’s message has and always will be centered on reconciling those who He created in His likeness and image after they’ve gone astray and are lost

“that they may serve me.”

God’s purpose for His children has and always will be to sanctify them to a life of servitude, a life of liberty, a life of worship and fellowship with Him

(CHRIST CONNECTION)—

How do we see God’s longsuffering/patience in the ministry of Jesus Christ?

He ministered to the woman at the well (John 4:1-42)

He ministered to the woman who touched the hem of His robe (Mark 5:25-34)

He ministered to the woman who was about to be stoned (John 7:53-8:11)

He ministered to the tax collectors and the sinners (Mark 2:15-16)

He ministered (and ate with) Judas (John 13:1-17)

He reattached the guard’s ear (Luke 22:47-52)

He saved the thief on the right (Luke 23:39-43)

He healed blind Bartimaeus, healed the lepers, the deaf, the lame (Mark 10:46-52)

He ministered to Pharisees & Sadducees (John 3:1-21, Mark 5:21-43, Luke 19:1-10)

He ministered to Saul/Paul—a terrorist towards Christians and Christ, and to His church (Acts 9)

How do we see God’s patience and longsuffering in the purpose of Jesus Christ

Christ stepped out of perfect glory (Philippians 2:7-8 “but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” )

He stayed on cross until His death (John 19:30 “So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.” )

He arose from the grave to give life (The gospels’ account of the resurrection)

(CONNECTION YOU and ME)

Think about the different things you and I cry out to God for:

Salvation

Forgiveness of sin

Strength and help during times of trial/tribulation, or persecution/hardships

Restoration of our marriages, our relationships with our children, or our relationships with others

Seasons of loneliness/suffering, seasons of anxiety/stress, seasons of loss

And then when God

Saves us

Forgives us our sins

Provides the strength and wisdom to combat and overcome trials/tribulations/hardships

Restores marriages, relationships with our children and others

Removes the heavy yoke of loneliness/suffering; removes the burdens caused by anxiety/worry/stress; provides comfort/peace/rest in times of loss

Are there times like Pharaoh?

In our own lives

How many people, when God restores, then decide to keep their grave clothes on; return to idolatry, return to our pride, return to our anger, return to our judgment/criticism and condemnation of others; return to walking in the flesh—instead of fighting against these things

John 11:43-44 “Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.””

How many people “make decision” for Christ, yet don’t walk/live/pursue to live in the strength of God’s grace and mercy, and choose rather to continue to live for themselves

Deuteronomy 6:16 ““You shall not tempt the Lord your God as you tempted Him in Massah.”

Matthew 4:7 “Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ ””

In relationships,

(As husbands) Profess to follow Christ, but miss the Biblical narrative to lead wives to sanctification, and give themselves over to misplaced pride, where instead of spiritually leading their families, they claim authority and autonomy in the name of submission.

(As wives) In restoration, they profess to follow Christ, yet refuse to relinquish control, criticism, and pull against their husband’s leading of the family?

(As parents) Profess to follow Christ, yet provoke their kids to anger, putting unnecessary yokes/burdens/expectations on them

What we are to know about God’s character and attribute of longsuffering

Pharaoh’s heart was far from God—yet God was still patient and longsuffering that he might repent

Believer’s hearts belong to God—yet, as believers, we are still prone to fall and fail b/c of our sinful nature, and the believer at times may:

Become backslidden

Become distracted/deceived

In either case, God’s attribute of patience/longsuffering he had for Pharaoh and hearts like his, is the same He has for every person (lost or saved), b/c God is

Unchanging

Consistent

Faithful to Himself

And His call is still the same

Repentance

What are we to know about God’s Word and His will

God’s Word—is what God uses to draw man to Himself; it is the gospel message of Jesus Christ; and God’s Word is what God uses to reveal who He is, His divine nature and attributes, His justice against sin, and His mode and means of restoration—His only begotten Son

God’s will—in relationship to God the Greek word translated “will,” is “thelema”. This word carries the meaning of strong desire

God’s “strong desire” then is that no one should die in sin without Christ (again see 2 Peter 3:9)

God’s “strong desire” also then is that believers be sanctified progressively, through the work of the Holy Spirit

1 Thessalonians 4:3 “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality;”

Romans 8:29 “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.”

II (v.2-3) God’s warning of judgment

Exodus 9:2-3 “For if you refuse to let them go, and still hold them, behold, the hand of the Lord will be on your cattle in the field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the oxen, and on the sheep—a very severe pestilence.”

(CONTEXT)—2 Things

(As before) This was ONLY the warning of the judgment to come;

The judgment had yet to fall on Pharaoh and Egypt

There was still time to make the decision to repent

There was still time to listen and obey God’s commands (His Word)

(As before) The judgment was to fall if Pharaoh refused to acknowledge God and obey what God commanded:

Livestock would be struck with a disease—the Hebrew word for this is “deber”—which alludes to

General diseases or plagues

Pestilence or plague that attacks domestic animals/plants

(NIV) Simply translates this into a “terrible plague”

The judgment was to strike all the livestock

Horses/donkeys

Camels/cattle

Sheep/goats

The judgment would effect:

Egypts economy and day to day life as larger livestock were used for transportation and work and the smaller for their skins and wool; while cattle for food

Egypt’s industry would be greatly affected

(CONNECTION—You and Me)--As God allowed Pharaoh freedom to make his decision, God also allows us the freedom to make the decision—allows us to make the decision to obey His Word or to disobey His Word

The entire cannon of God’s Word, again, contains God’s message of redemption and hope for man—Jesus Christ

And He allows man (you and me) to make the decision to place their faith and trust in Jesus Christ

The entire cannon of God’s Word, again, contains God’s commandments, statutes, and ways in which He desires man to follow Him

And He allows man (you and me) to make the decision to obey or disobey what He commands and how He calls us to live

The entire cannon of Scripture, however, does NOT say that we are void the consequences of those decisions (NOTE A SIMILARITY IN BOTH)

There are consequences of blessing in obedience; In surrender and in the obedience to keep God’s Word, to love the Lord, to walk in His ways, and to hold fast to Him,

Our

Enemies are defeated—they are scattered

Trials/tribulations are overcome

Strongholds/hardships are destroyed

Sin & shame is removed

We are

Shielded/protected

Led/guided/directed

Able to stand against the waves of evil & sin

We are

Sanctified

There are consequences of chastisement/discipline in our disobedience

Our

Enemies will overtake us

Trials/tribulations overtake us

Strongholds/hardships remain

Sin comes crouching at the door

We are

Unguarded

Choosing the be led by our flesh, rather than the Spirit

Not able to stand against the waves of evil & sin (see Peter walking on water to Jesus)

We are

Sanctified—***note this for the believers life in light of Hebrews 12:5-11)***

Hebrews 12:11 “Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”

Deuteronomy 11:22-28 ““For if you carefully keep all these commandments which I command you to do—to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, and to hold fast to Him—then the Lord will drive out all these nations from before you, and you will dispossess greater and mightier nations than yourselves. Every place on which the sole of your foot treads shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the River Euphrates, even to the Western Sea, shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand against you; the Lord your God will put the dread of you and the fear of you upon all the land where you tread, just as He has said to you. “Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you today; and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known.”

III (v.3-5) The Purpose of the judgment

Exodus 9:3-5 “behold, the hand of the Lord will be on your cattle in the field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the oxen, and on the sheep—a very severe pestilence. And the Lord will make a difference between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt. So nothing shall die of all that belongs to the children of Israel.” ’ ” Then the Lord appointed a set time, saying, “Tomorrow the Lord will do this thing in the land.””

(CONTEXT)—Why was God sending this particular judgment on Egypt? Because of their idolatry—their idolatry of worshipping animals

The Egyptians

Believed the spirit of some god lived in every living thing upon the earth

Had then taken some of these animals and molded them into images of wood, stone, and metal

Created idols as symbols of the gods whose spirits indwelt the animals

Created these idols and they worshipped these idols, prayed to these idols

God therefore

Used the judgment of this plague to rebuke/ridicule and put down the false worship of animals

Used the judgment of this plague to prove He was the only living true God—and that false idols

Neither have or possess power

Neither provide of sustain life

Neither were real or had any control

What’s the proof of this? How do we know God is sovereign over all created things?

No animal of the Israelites died or were afflicted

God set the time of the judgment—the very next day

(CONNECTION—You and Me)

We must recognize what idolatry is:

Matthew Henry states, “Idolatry begins when we as people find it difficult to worship what we cannot see” (Matthew Henry)

Adrian Rodgers states, “Idolatry is wrong because it gives a distorted or false picture of God. An idol is a material thing, and no idol can represent the invisible, spiritual God. Jesus said in John 4:24, ‘God is a Spirit.’ I know the King James Version includes the indefinite article, but the literal translation is, God is spirit.’ That is, spirit is His very essence.

We must recognize

Idolatry as sin—it’s a terrible evil

Idolatry is foolish—absolutely foolish

We must understand

Idolatry for what it is—Those things in our lives; the thoughts, attitudes, and actions in our lives, which we enthrone in place of Christ—those things we place on a throne to worship, where Christ ought to be enthrone in our

You and I must recognize the idols in our lives or those things which have the potential to be an idol in your life

“Things”

Money & Wealth

Fame & Popularity

Relationships

Spouse

Children

Friendships (B/F or G/F)

“Attitudes”

Pride

We idolize ourselves—

We idolize our supposed right to judge others, see ourselves as better than others

Selfishness

We idolize our accomplishments

We idolize how good we are compared to others

We idolize our religious activity—serving and doing with a “look at me” attitude

Fear/worry/anxiety—we focus and enthrone our anxiety instead of dethroning it and placing it at the feet of Jesus

“Actions”

Sports we play

Technology we give ourselves over to

We even idolize what reminds us of God—anything that steals our hearts away from God, is an idol

Exodus 20:4 ““You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;”

What we must listen to what God’s Word says related to idols, images, etc.

Leviticus 26:1 “‘You shall not make idols for yourselves; neither a carved image nor a sacred pillar shall you rear up for yourselves; nor shall you set up an engraved stone in your land, to bow down to it; for I am the Lord your God.”

1 John 5:21 “Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.”

IV (v.6) The day of judgment

Exodus 9:6 “So the Lord did this thing on the next day, and all the livestock of Egypt died; but of the livestock of the children of Israel, not one died.”

(CONTEXT)-Simply put, b/t verse 6 & 7, Pharaoh refused to obey, relent, and let God’s people go

Egypt’s livestock were ruined—ALL the livestock of Egypt died

Israel’s livestock remained— “not one died”

(CONNECTION—You and Me)

Simply put, again—God’s call is repentance, the turn from idolatry and false-worship and a turn to Himself

V (v.7) The response to the judgment

Exodus 9:7 “Then Pharaoh sent, and indeed, not even one of the livestock of the Israelites was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh became hard, and he did not let the people go.”

(CONTEXT)

Note that Pharaoh sent officials to investigate the cattle of the Israelites—to see if they were infected and had died

There was most likely an intention to steal and replenish Egypt’s with Israel’s

Pharaoh discovered just what was told to him

Pharaoh’s response? Despite how he could (should have) easily see that Lord had power over Egypt’s false gods, that animals and lives of the Egyptians were not under the control of animal gods, idols, or false gods,

His heart grew hard when it should have been softened and led to repentance

He still would not obey God

He still would not repent of his idolatry and greed

(WORSHIP TEAM)

Edward Welch is quoted as saying this about idolatry: “The purpose of all idolatry is to manipulate the idol for our own benefit. This means that we don’t want to be ruled by idols. Instead, we want to use them… Idolaters want nothing above themselves, including their idols. Their fabricated gods are intended to be mere puppet kings, means to an end… Idols, however, do not cooperate. Rather than mastering our idols, we become enslaved by them and begin to look like them. As idols are deaf, dumb, blind, utterly senseless, and irrational, so “those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them” (Psalm 115:8)… How can these lifeless idols exert so much power? They dominate because of a powerful but quiet presence that hides behind every idol, Satan himself.”

Martin Luther states “Whatever your heart clings to and confides in, that is really your God, your functional savior. ”

Jesus Himself speaks very clearly concerning idolatry:

Matthew 6:21 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Let’s not be fooled: Idolatry is a snare in each of our lives. In taking our eyes off of Jesus Christ and the things of Heaven, our eyes will ultimately lead our hearts toward idolatry:

Peter’s walk on water then his sinking—Peter’s focus turned away from Christ, and he

Made an idol out of fear; out of the waves—they became more important than Christ

We can even make idols of the things we are afraid of

When becoming bound and shackled to idols and idolatry, we will fight to hold onto those idols (whatever they may be—and there are numerous things which mine crafts/makes into an idol). In doing so:

Our own hearts gradually become hard and resistant towards God and the things of God, including others

In our hearts gradually becoming hard and resistant towards God and the things of God and fighting to hold onto our idols—we end up hurting others as well. Idolatry so shackles a person, they will hurt and harm others to keep a hold of their idols we lose or do not have the love God calls us to have for others

In our hearts gradually becoming hard and resistant towards God and the things of God, as believers we can become like the church in Ephesus that Christ Himself addresses in Revelation 2:4 “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.”

Losing or having “left your first love” is to lose your tender, intimate walk with Christ; the joy of God’s salvation has grown dim. Somewhere in your heart, their is a weed/root of idolatry that needs pruning, so you can say as David in Psalm 51:12 “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.”

To those who are lost—living to the things of this world, idolizing and making gods of the things of this world—you must know, there can be no satisfaction in things that have no life and provide no life. Ask yourself, what have your idols EVERY REALLY accomplished for you…other than capturing your affections and you becoming a slave to them

As believers we must know we are not immune to the allurement of idols & that we must keep our focus on the Christ

Colossians 3:1-2 “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.”

What then are we to do:

We must do as David says:

Psalm 139:23-24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.”

We must do follow what Samuel admonishes Israel to do:

1 Samuel 7:3-4 “Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you return to the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among you, and prepare your hearts for the Lord, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.” So the children of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and served the Lord only.”

The call

“Return to the Lord with all your hearts...”

Make the turn—the turn of repentance—wholly, with our WHOLE hearts—not leaving anything behind

“…put away the foreign gods and Ashtoreths from among you...”

Identify any idols/sin exists in your heart (allow conviction to have its place)

Recognize what they are and what they are doing

“…prepare your hearts for the Lord...”

Confess these idols/sins in your heart

“…and serve Him only...”

Possess focused devotion to follow the Lord

The blessing

“…and He will deliver you...”

Forgiveness & restoration

From the blessing

“…and the children of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and served the Lord only.”

Walk in obedience (THINK OF TRAVIS)

Defeat of our enemies/battles/trials

1 Samuel 7:10 “Now as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. But the Lord thundered with a loud thunder upon the Philistines that day, and so confused them that they were overcome before Israel.”

Peace

1 Samuel 7:13 “So the Philistines were subdued, and they did not come anymore into the territory of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.”

What are the idols in your heart—in your heart that you are putting on a throne, other than Christ?

What are the idols in your heart—that you are enslaved to---the one’s you keep returning to?

What are the treasures in your heart—that you are holding more dear than the Savior?

Come lay them down at foot of the cross