"LORD of the flies"
Notes
Transcript
The Flies
The Flies
The Lord Calls out His people
Now the Lord said to Moses, “Rise early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh, as he comes out to the water, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Let My people go, that they may serve Me. “For if you do not let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and on your servants and on your people and into your houses; and the houses of the Egyptians will be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they dwell. “But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where My people are living, so that no swarms of flies will be there, in order that you may know that I, the Lord, am in the midst of the land. “I will put a division between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign will occur.” ’ ” Then the Lord did so. And there came great swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh and the houses of his servants and the land was laid waste because of the swarms of flies in all the land of Egypt. Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God within the land.” But Moses said, “It is not right to do so, for we will sacrifice to the Lord our God what is an abomination to the Egyptians. If we sacrifice what is an abomination to the Egyptians before their eyes, will they not then stone us? “We must go a three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the Lord our God as He commands us.” 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. Make supplication for me.” Then Moses said, “Behold, I am going out from you, and I shall make supplication to the Lord that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people tomorrow; only do not let Pharaoh deal deceitfully again in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.” So Moses went out from Pharaoh and made supplication to the Lord. 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 he did not let the people go.
This is also the grand purpose of salvation in Jesus Christ. The exodus from Egypt reveals the pattern of his redemption. Until God’s Spirit comes to set us free, we are held captive by Satan, who keeps us enslaved in our sins. But then—while we are still in bondage—we hear the gospel, in which God says to sin and to Satan, “Let my people go!”1
1 Philip Graham Ryken and R. Kent Hughes, Exodus: Saved for God’s Glory (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2005), 248.
It declares that the death and resurrection of God’s only Son have set us free from sin and death, and on that basis it demands our release from anger, lust, pride, and every other sinful desire. True spiritual freedom comes through faith in Jesus Christ.1
1 Philip Graham Ryken and R. Kent Hughes, Exodus: Saved for God’s Glory (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2005), 248.
Let my people go!
“For if you do not let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and on your servants and on your people and into your houses; and the houses of the Egyptians will be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they dwell.
Verse 21 uses a play on words to say that if Pharaoh did not send the Israelites out, then God would “send” in the flies.1
1 Philip Graham Ryken and R. Kent Hughes, Exodus: Saved for God’s Glory (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2005), 248.
The Biblical term is not limited to houseflies and may in fact refer to several different kinds of flying insects. Perhaps they were mosquitoes or some other kind of biting, stinging insect. A number of ancient sources (such as the Septuagint, which was written in Egypt) indicate that they were “dog flies”—blood-sucking bugs that tormented both man and beast.1
1 Philip Graham Ryken and R. Kent Hughes, Exodus: Saved for God’s Glory (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2005), 248–249.
There were flies everywhere, buzzing in the ears of every Egyptian. The Bible says that they wreaked such havoc that the land was “ruined” (v. 24). Psalm 78 further explains that God “sent swarms of flies that devoured them” (v. 45a). The flies virtually ate the Egyptians alive (which suggests that they were, in fact, of the biting variety). This was all a testimony to the power of God, who is able to use even the smallest creatures with tremendous destructive force.1
1 Philip Graham Ryken and R. Kent Hughes, Exodus: Saved for God’s Glory (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2005), 249.
Now the Lord said to Moses, “Rise early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh, as he comes out to the water, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Let My people go, that they may serve Me. “For if you do not let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and on your servants and on your people and into your houses; and the houses of the Egyptians will be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they dwell. “But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where My people are living, so that no swarms of flies will be there, in order that you may know that I, the Lord, am in the midst of the land. “I will put a division between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign will occur.” ’ ” Then the Lord did so. And there came great swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh and the houses of his servants and the land was laid waste because of the swarms of flies in all the land of Egypt. Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God within the land.” But Moses said, “It is not right to do so, for we will sacrifice to the Lord our God what is an abomination to the Egyptians. If we sacrifice what is an abomination to the Egyptians before their eyes, will they not then stone us? “We must go a three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the Lord our God as He commands us.” 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. Make supplication for me.” Then Moses said, “Behold, I am going out from you, and I shall make supplication to the Lord that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people tomorrow; only do not let Pharaoh deal deceitfully again in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.” So Moses went out from Pharaoh and made supplication to the Lord. 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 he did not let the people go.
Egyptian gods
Khepri - dung bettle lays eggs in dung. as babies are born they seem to be created out of nothing. Khepri moved the newly birthed sun around as a dung bettle. Sun, created out of nothing every morning. Represents creation and rebirth.
Beelzebub - “Lord of the flies” protector and guardian. Luke shows him to be a tool of the devil “prince of deamons”
Beelzebub could not keep away the flies, and Khepri could not raise the dead.
“But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where My people are living, so that no swarms of flies will be there, in order that you may know that I, the Lord, am in the midst of the land.
The fourth plague was miraculous in its severity, miraculous in its timing, and miraculous in the absolute distinction it made between the Israelites and the Egyptians, all of which explains why God called it “this miraculous sign” (Exod. 8:23).1
1 Philip Graham Ryken and R. Kent Hughes, Exodus: Saved for God’s Glory (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2005), 251.
My people
My people
“I will put a division between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign will occur.” ’ ”
God took people who were in such bondage to sin that they were completely unable to deliver themselves. They were as hopeless and as helpless as the Israelites, but God did for them what he did for Israel: He set a redemption for them. He sent a Redeemer to rescue them from their slavery to sin by paying their ransom with his very own blood. Now his cross rightly discriminates between those who are God’s people and those who are not. God’s people are the ones who put their trust in Christ and in his cross, but anyone who does not believe in Jesus Christ remains outside the people of God.1
1 Philip Graham Ryken and R. Kent Hughes, Exodus: Saved for God’s Glory (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2005), 252–253.
The distinction between those who are God’s people and those who are not has at least two practical implications. First, it shows the absolute necessity of coming to Christ in faith. Anyone who does not trust in Christ is outside salvation and will remain under God’s wrath until repenting of sin. Yet even now God invites everyone to enter his salvation and to embrace the love that he has shown in Jesus Christ.1
1 Philip Graham Ryken and R. Kent Hughes, Exodus: Saved for God’s Glory (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2005), 253.
distinction = ransom
God will pay what Israel could not
Compromise
Compromise
But Moses said, “It is not right to do so, for we will sacrifice to the Lord our God what is an abomination to the Egyptians. If we sacrifice what is an abomination to the Egyptians before their eyes, will they not then stone us?
To draw a comparison, sacrificing bulls among the Egyptians would be like holding a pig roast at a synagogue or cooking burgers in front of a Hindu temple.1
1 Philip Graham Ryken and R. Kent Hughes, Exodus: Saved for God’s Glory (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2005), 255.
“We must go a three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the Lord our God as He commands us.”
The reason Moses refused to compromise was because he had made a commitment to do exactly what God commanded. The prophet knew that one of the differences between God’s people and Pharaoh’s people was that God’s people did what God said. Therefore, if God told them to make sacrifices out in the wilderness, then out into the wilderness they would go.1
1 Philip Graham Ryken and R. Kent Hughes, Exodus: Saved for God’s Glory (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2005), 255.
“some are willing to make sacrifices, but unwilling to leave Egypt.”