The Story Through the Bible Exod 8

Second Plague

First a correction - I should have looked at the grammar a little closer and the meanings a little less. Brenda was correct to point out that it looks like two groups wisemen and sorcerers who are collectively called magicians. In Hebrew it’s a more obvious distinction because it is “to the wise men and to the sorcerers” that Pharoah called and the magicians also did it. It was detectable in English I just missed it and because of my focus on the words themselves and how they’re used in other descriptions it seemed clear that there must be three groups. This however is a great time to point to my second favorite verse (First being Prov 25.2)

Acts 17:11 ESV

Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

Again I emphasize your own study and time in the Word is very very important. Don’t just believe me because I said it but read the scriptures and meditate on what they mean.

Now...

Exodus 7:25 ESV

Seven full days passed after the Lord had struck the Nile.

We start a verse back just so that we have a reference here for timeframe. It’s been a week since the first plague happened. This early mention of a time frame without subsequent reference of time when you start a pattern leaves us with the expectation that unless told otherwise we should expect this is how the rest of the events go. A full week between plagues with Pharoah having all the opportunity to not just have a knee-jerk reaction but a continued stubbornness in rejecting God’s request.

Now lets see what we have in store tonight.

Exodus 8:1–4 ESV

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Let my people go, that they may serve me. But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will plague all your country with frogs. The Nile shall swarm with frogs that shall come up into your house and into your bedroom and on your bed and into the houses of your servants and your people, and into your ovens and your kneading bowls. The frogs shall come up on you and on your people and on all your servants.” ’ ”

Here Moses is told to go in to Pharaoh and demand the people be let go - or else -

As we continue we don’t get any dialogue from Pharaoh but he seems to have rejected the demands because in the next verse God commands Moses to command Aaron to enact the plague.

Exodus 8:5–7 ESV

And the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the canals and over the pools, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt!’ ” So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. But the magicians did the same by their secret arts and made frogs come up on the land of Egypt.

Now, why frogs?

As we mentioned before and will continue to point out the plagues are all direct attacks against the polytheistic world of Egypt and specifically some area the Egyptian gods are supposed to have power over. Sometimes it’s very obvious which god. This is one of those times. The Egyptian goddess Heket - of fertility, conception, and birth, and was universally depicted as a woman with the head of a frog or simply as a frog.

This overrun or out of control birthing of frogs from the waters seemingly brings Pharaoh around. Exod 8.8-15

Exodus 8:8–15 ESV

Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, “Plead with the Lord to take away the frogs from me and from my people, and I will let the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.” Moses said to Pharaoh, “Be pleased to command me when I am to plead for you and for your servants and for your people, that the frogs be cut off from you and your houses and be left only in the Nile.” And he said, “Tomorrow.” Moses said, “Be it as you say, so that you may know that there is no one like the Lord our God. The frogs shall go away from you and your houses and your servants and your people. They shall be left only in the Nile.” So Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and Moses cried to the Lord about the frogs, as he had agreed with Pharaoh. And the Lord did according to the word of Moses. The frogs died out in the houses, the courtyards, and the fields. And they gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank. But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart and would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.

This ‘Be pleased to command me” phrase did trip me up and took a bit of my time - I think it would be better as Moses saying - Be glorified in setting the time for me to pray for you - this is a bit of a humble way to offer back to Pharaoh who had to finally acknowledge he was powerless and NEEDED moses to intercede on his behalf, the opportunity to pick when Moses would do it. It’s a power play that makes it clear who is ultimately in power and yet showing they aren’t trying to humiliate him.

The magicians might have been able to duplicate but they couldn’t undo the problem of frogs. When Moses does entreat the lord they have piles and piles of dead frogs that stink. This unfortunately only emboldened the Pharoah who went back on his promise to let the people go.

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No Warning (C-Type): Notice the lack of the formal "Go to Pharaoh and say..." command (like 8:1 and 8:5). This is the first time God strikes without warning, confirming the pattern we identified: Pharaoh has been given two formal opportunities to yield (A-Type: Nile, B-Type: Palace), and now God demonstrates Irresistible Power on His own timetable.

The Specific Creature: The Hebrew word used here, כִּנִּים (kinnim), is debated but is best translated as gnats, mosquitoes, or lice. The exact identity matters less than the source and the effect.

The Attack on the Land: The source of the plague is the "dust of the earth." This is a direct attack on the Egyptian god Geb, the god of the Earth and the source of its harvest and physical security. Yahweh shows he controls the very dust Pharaoh walks on, converting it into a pervasive, irritating enemy that cannot be avoided.

Exodus 8:18–19 (ESV)

The magicians tried by their secret arts to produce gnats, but they could not. There were gnats on man and beast. Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had spoken.

The Magicians' Failure: The magicians successfully replicated the first two plagues (Water to Blood, Frogs), but they utterly fail to replicate this third plague. Why? Because the kinnim were created from the dust of the earth. The magicians' power extended only to replicating existing biological life or transforming water, but not to creating something new from the fundamental elements of the earth itself.

The Ultimate Concession: This failure marks the turning point in the conflict. The magicians are defeated and utter the chilling confession: "This is the finger of God." This term implies a direct, intimate, and powerful act of God—His personal, immediate agency. This is not a force of nature or a trick; it is God himself acting, and the magicians, the world's experts in deceptive power, are forced to confirm it.

The Pastor's Point (Irresistible Power): This plague attacks the personal sphere—the body, hygiene, and daily peace—of every Egyptian. Unlike the frogs (which could be scraped up), gnats/lice are everywhere and penetrate everything, constantly causing irritation and ritual defilement. The C-Type delivery, combined with the failure of the magicians, underscores that Yahweh's power is not just stronger, but different in kind—it is creative and irresistible.

Suggested Manuscript Notes for Gnats/Lice

Title: The Plague of the Finger (Gnats/Lice)

The Pattern Breaks: No Warning. This is the first C-Type plague. God stops asking and starts acting. This is a demonstration of Irresistible Power—Pharaoh no longer controls the timetable for judgment.

The Dust Defiled: The source is the dust of the earth, which targets the Egyptian god Geb (god of the Earth). Yahweh controls the very foundation of Egypt, turning the secure ground into a swarm of tormentors.

The Magicians' Confession: This is the theological climax of the first cycle. The magicians failed because their power was imitative, not creative. Their famous, humbling words, "This is the finger of God," confirm that Moses’s power comes from a different realm—the realm of the Creator. This proves the magicians know they are facing God Himself, yet Pharaoh remains stiff-necked.

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# PLAGUE - WARNING TYPE - LOCATION/CONTEXT - REALM OF DIVINE ACTION

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1 Water to Blood A-Type Meet (Nile) Element - Nile/Water

2 Frogs B-Type Go (Palace) Lifestyle - Fertility/Life

3 Gnats/Lice C-Type No Warning Lifestyle - Irresistible Personal Affliction

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4 Flies/Swarms A-Type Meet (Nile) Element - Air/Distinction

5 Livestock B-Type Go (Palace) Lifestyle - Property/Wealth

6 Boils C-Type No Warning Lifestyle - Irresistible Personal Health

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7 Hail A-Type Meet (Court/Field) Element - Sky/Storms

8 Locusts B-Type Go (Palace) Lifestyle - Sustenance/Harvest

9 Darkness C-Type No Warning Power - Sun/Ra

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