Lord of the Flies

Lord of the Flies Exodus 8:16-32 Context • In the first two plagues, God has been attacking the gods and goddesses of the Nile. • At the height of the plague of frogs, Pharaoh asks Moses to intercede and promises to release the Israelites. • But Pharaoh reneges, hardens his heart, and hopes life will simply return to normal. • In plagues 3-4, God ceases His attack on Egypt’s religion and stakes His claim to the land and the air. • We will cover these two as a pair and The Plagues • Gnats: 1. 3 No’s: No Warning, No Replication, No End 2. Unsure of the precise insect (see Psalm 105:31) 3. “All the dust” – pervasive in every way • Flies: 1. Pattern of announcement resets 2. “Swarms” – Uncertain what it means precisely 3. Ruinous (8:24; see Genesis 6:17; 18:28) and pervasive (the air was filled as a jug is filled with water) 4. Explicit Israelite Protection – God says literally that Israel will be ransomed from this plague (see Psalm 130:7) Pharaoh’s Response 1. Pharaoh Ignores – He ignores the plague, the LORD, and his own advisors. 2. Pharaoh Bargains: • • • Unacceptable Offer: sacrifice within the land (8:25) Uncanny Egotism: Pharaoh starts issuing commands and shifting into the first person (8:28) Moses’s Reply: Pharaoh’s misplaced self-confidence and subtle shift is not lost on Moses; for the first time, we begin to see a beneficial shrewdness in Moses’s leadership development Applications • Because Yahweh is LORD of all, disaster comes upon those who ignore His rule (see Matthew 25:24-30). • Because Yahweh is LORD of all, He does not bargain with His subjects (see John 14:6).