Exodus 8:20-32 - The Fourth Mighty Sign - The Swarms of Flies
Notes
Transcript
The Word Read
The Word Read
Please remain standing for the reading of the Holy Scripture. Hear the Word of the Lord from Exodus 8:20-32:
Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God within the land.” But Moses said, “It would not be right to do so, for the offerings we shall sacrifice to the Lord our God are an abomination to the Egyptians. If we sacrifice offerings abominable to the Egyptians before their eyes, will they not stone us? We must go three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the Lord our God as he tells us.” So Pharaoh said, “I will let you go to sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness; only you must not go very far away. Plead for me.” Then Moses said, “Behold, I am going out from you and I will plead with the Lord that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, tomorrow. Only let not Pharaoh cheat again by not letting the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.” So Moses went out from Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord. And the Lord did as Moses asked, and removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; not one remained. But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and did not let the people go.
Behold, brothers and sisters, this is the Word of the Lord. Please be seated.
Exordium
Exordium
Dear Church,
I invite you to open Holy Scripture to Exodus 8:20-32 this morning. Today, we come to the fourth mighty sign or plague. We’ve discussed how these mighty signs were a cosmic, spiritual battle between Yahweh, Pharaoh, Egypt, and their pantheon of gods. On this, Geerhardus Vos (a Dutch American Theologian) wrote that there was a demonic background to the conflict between Yahweh and the all the gods of Egypt. He stated, “The plagues… are inextricably mixed up with the Egyptian idolatry. This idolatry was nature-worship, embracing the good and beneficent as well as the evil and baneful aspects of nature. Jehovah, in making these harm their own worshippers, shows His superiority to this whole realm of evil.” By the end of this cosmic, spiritual war, both the Egyptians and people of Israel will know that Yahweh is the one true God. The cosmic battle continues to rage in the fourth plague as flies swarm Pharaoh, his servants, and the people of Egypt.
The sermon title is , “The Fourth Mighty Sign - The Swarms of Flies.” There are two sections to this sermon, 1) Exodus 8:20-24 - Swarms of Dog-flies , and 2) Exodus 8:25-32 - True Allegiance.
Exodus 8:20-24 - Swarms of Dog-flies
Exodus 8:20-24 - Swarms of Dog-flies
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning and present yourself to Pharaoh, as he goes out to the water, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Let my people go, that they may serve me. Or else, if you will not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and your servants and your people, and into your houses. And the houses of the Egyptians shall be filled with swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand. But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people dwell, so that no swarms of flies shall be there, that you may know that I am the Lord in the midst of the earth. Thus I will put a division between my people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall happen.” ’ ” And the Lord did so. There came great swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh and into his servants’ houses. Throughout all the land of Egypt the land was ruined by the swarms of flies.
The scene begins with the Lord commanding Moses to go to the water, most likely the Nile River, and to present himself to Pharaoh. By this point, Pharaoh has got to be thinking, “Oh no… Moses again.” All the interactions with Moses have not gone well. For some time, the Nile was turned to blood. Then, frogs swarmed the land. Then there were the gnats.
We see what Yahweh wants to communicate to Pharaoh in Exodus 8:20-23. The first part of Yahweh’s speech, Exodus 8:20-21, is straightforward. “Let my people go or I will send swarms of flies on you, your servants, and all the people.” We might read this and think, “Wow, that’s pretty annoying, but is it really a mighty sign or plague? It seems more like an inconvenience?” How many of us have experienced this: It’s summer, and the sun is just coming up. Our alarms haven’t gone off yet. In an instant, you are awakened by **buzz**. It’s annoying, but how are swarms of flies a plague?
Let me take you over to Psalm 78:45 for the answer.
He sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them, and frogs, which destroyed them.
Did you catch what the swarms of flies did? They devoured or ate the people of Egypt. These flies were most likely dog-flies. Dog-flies were bloodsucking flies. They would have bitten the Egyptians, and those bites were painful. These swarms of flies were not just annoying but harmful. Yahweh brings this supernatural mighty sign upon Pharaoh, his servants, and the people of Egypt.
However, did you catch Exodus 8:22-23?
But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people dwell, so that no swarms of flies shall be there, that you may know that I am the Lord in the midst of the earth. Thus I will put a division between my people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall happen.” ’ ”
Another supernatural miracle will accompany the mighty sign, and the people of Israel will be spared from the painful dog-flies. The land of Goshen was in the northeastern portion of Africa, east of the Nile River, near Saudi Arabia. Yahweh, the great God of covenant, will ensure His people do not suffer from this plague. This does not mean that the people of God never suffer. We have story after story of Christians suffering. We know Christians were not spared during the Bubonic Plague. We know Christians succumb to the flu, COVID, and various other diseases. We know that Christians have not been spared during hurricanes, earthquakes, tornados, and various other natural disasters. However, here, the people of God are spared from suffering.
What is the purpose of God sparing His covenant people from the fourth plague - that Pharaoh may know Yahweh is in the midst of the earth. Pharaoh had previously asked, “Who is this god, Yahweh?” Yahweh now says, “I am Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, and I am here.” As the people of Israel are trapped between the Red Sea and the army of Egypt, Yahweh tells Moses twice,
And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”
The world's most powerful nation will be defeated, not by the people of Israel, but by the great God of Heaven. Yahweh will get the glory over the Egyptians, and they will recognize Him. God will get the glory of the Egyptians.
Today, we ask questions regarding God getting glory over His enemies. God, when will you get glory over the Devil who blinds the minds of unbelievers right now? God, when will you get the glory over the world that is in outright rebellion? The answer: one day, God will get the full victory when His Kingdom is consummated. When the Son of God returns in glory and power, then God will get the final victory over His and our enemies. We see this promise in Philippians 2:10-11:
so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
We live with a heavenly perspective and an understanding that the Lord will defeat all His enemies one day. Christ will be revealed at His glorious return, and He will give all the glory to His Father.
In Exodus 8:23, Yahweh will divide the Egyptians and the people of Israel. The word for division here is used 4 times in the Old Testament.
He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name!
O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption.
Why, when I came, was there no man; why, when I called, was there no one to answer? Is my hand shortened, that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver? Behold, by my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a desert; their fish stink for lack of water and die of thirst.
God is creating a division between the two because redemption is given to the people of Israel. There is judgment and redemption in these plagues. The plagues bring Yahweh’s judgment upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians. The story reaches its climax as the Passover is instituted, and the Lord strikes down the firstborn sons of the Egyptians but spares the firstborn sons of the Israelites because He sees the blood of the lambs on their doorposts. Then, the people of Israel were finally delivered, and Pharaoh told Moses and Aaron to leave. There is judgment upon Egypt and deliverance/redemption for the people of Israel.
There is a strategic process in these plagues. 1) Decreation - Yahweh is de-creating Pharaoh, the Egyptians, and the land of Egypt; 2) Dethroning - God is dethroning the Egyptian gods that the Israelites idolatrously worshipped; and 3) Creation - God is creating a people for Himself for His glory.
The same process happened to us. We had to experience a de-creation, a bringing low, sitting under the judgment of God whereby we saw our sin as treason against God. Next, God dethroned our idolatrous worship. Human beings were created for worship and did not worship God through Christ. Instead, we worshipped idols of our own making. Finally, we experienced creation. The Holy Spirit caused our hardened hearts to be tender and soft so that we could receive the Gospel of God with gladness. We became a new creation saved by Christ for God’s glory. There is a division between those who know Christ and those who do not. God, just like in this passage, has created the division.
Finally, in Exodus 8:24, Yahweh’s words become true as dog-flies fill the land, biting the people and ruining or destroying the land. Judgment is upon the land of Egypt.
Exodus 8:25-32 - True Allegiance
Exodus 8:25-32 - True Allegiance
Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God within the land.” But Moses said, “It would not be right to do so, for the offerings we shall sacrifice to the Lord our God are an abomination to the Egyptians. If we sacrifice offerings abominable to the Egyptians before their eyes, will they not stone us? We must go three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the Lord our God as he tells us.” So Pharaoh said, “I will let you go to sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness; only you must not go very far away. Plead for me.” Then Moses said, “Behold, I am going out from you and I will plead with the Lord that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, tomorrow. Only let not Pharaoh cheat again by not letting the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.” So Moses went out from Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord. And the Lord did as Moses asked, and removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; not one remained. But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and did not let the people go.
The swarms of flies are too overwhelming for Pharaoh to bear. He summons Moses and Aaron to tell them to go sacrifice to their God but within Egypt. We see Pharaoh saying, “You can have a national holiday, but you will return to work quickly after the sacrificing.” There is a compromise here; Pharaoh will give them some of what they want, but they must still be under his authority.
I’m sure we can think of how compromises fill our daily lives. Sin constantly seeks to make compromises with us. “You can still worship Christ but remember you’re comfortable with me. Remember, return to me. Don’t go too far away.” Sin is serious and grave. Christ died on the cross for our sins. Our sins sent Christ to the cross.
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,
who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
We cannot, and must not, make compromises with sin. Scripture commands us to put to death what is earthly in us (Colossians 3:5). Furthermore, we are told in Romans 8:13 that “if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” Sin is no joke and not something to take lightly. We must fight and mortify the remaining sin within us. As Moses did not compromise with the Pharaoh, we did not compromise with sin.
The world also seeks to make compromises with us. “You can worship Christ on Sunday but do not bring Christ with you during the week. Do not bring Him into the workplace. Do not bring Christ into this organization. Keep Him out of this place. Also, don’t be too holy because you won’t fit in here.” The world seeks to make the same compromise as Pharaoh. You can worship, but I still must have some authority over you, says the world. We cannot and must not make compromises with the world. We pursue holiness with white-hot faith, seeking to mortify the sin that remains in us. We humbly and boldly declare the Gospel in our workplaces, groups, coffee shops, and organizations in which we have membership. As Moses did not compromise with the Pharaoh, we do not make provisions to compromise with the world.
Do you ever ask, “Why shouldn’t I compromise with sin, the flesh, and the world? Have you ever stopped and thought about this? Why shouldn’t we compromise with things that may make us feel good?” The reason is simple: Christ has set us free from the power of sin and the world. Jesus says these words, which are recorded in John 10:10:
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
Why do we not compromise with sin and the world? Christ has given us abundant life so that we may live freely unto Him, and the joy and life He gives us is our deepest satisfaction.
In verse 26, Moses refuses to compromise with Pharaoh. The reasoning is simple: “Our offerings will be an abomination in the sight of the Egyptians, and you will kill us. We need to do a three-day journey into the wilderness.” In the fifth century, a small Jewish colony performed sacrifices at Yeb, an island in the Nile River. The sacrifices were such an abomination to the Egyptians that they slaughtered the small colony. There is real reason to fear from Moses’ perspective.
Pharaoh agrees but still seeks control. “You can go, but do not go too far away. Oh, and plead to Yahweh to take away these swarms of flies.” Moses says he will intercede, which he does, but warns Pharaoh not to cheat them again. Pharaoh already said they could leave once, but he went back on his word. The swarms of flies disappear by the hand of Yahweh, and Pharaoh, once again, does not let the people of Israel leave. He hardens his own heart. Pharaoh is morally responsible for the hardening of his own heart. Pharaoh does not want the consequences of his sin. Sadly, he has not, nor will he, truly repent of sin. Behind God hardening Pharaoh’s heart, and Pharaoh hardening his own heart, is a redemptive purpose - the people of Israel will be delivered and redeemed.
The word “sacrifice” appears four times in these verses. If you have your Bible open, you’ll want to jump over to Hebrews 9:22. The book of Exodus closes with the glory of Yahweh filling the Tabernacle. The book of Leviticus opens with instructions on sacrifices—the burnt offering required the death of cattle, sheep, goats, or birds; the peace offering needed the death of cattle, sheep, or goats; the sin offering required the death of cattle, sheep, goats, or birds; the guilt offering needed the death of rams. Then, on the great day of Atonement, sacrifices were made with the death of a ram, a bull, and a goat.
Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
We knew a woman who came to Christ. As a new believer, she was confused about why Christians spoke and sang so much about blood. “Why do you all talk and sing so much about blood?” It didn’t make sense to her as a new Christian. We love to talk to one another about the blood of Christ. We love to boldly declare to a lost and dying world the sacrifice of Jesus because it is their only hope. We love to sing of the blood of Christ because it is our only hope. We love to talk, declare, and sing of the once and for all sacrifice of King Jesus. We love our great prophet, priest, and king, Jesus, who shed his blood for our sins.
Conclusion
Conclusion
What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
For my cleansing this I see: nothing but the blood of Jesus; for my pardon this my plea: nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Nothing can for sin atone: nothing but the blood of Jesus; naught of good that I have done: nothing but the blood of Jesus.
This is all my hope and peace: nothing but the blood of Jesus; this is all my righteousness: nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Now by this I'll overcome: nothing but the blood of Jesus; now by this I'll reach my home: nothing but the blood of Jesus.
O precious is the flow that makes me white as snow; no other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus.
