Exodus 22: Property & social responsibilities

by Water On Thirsty Land | Feb 18, 2019 | Bible Studies, Deep Bible Studies, Deep Study Series, Exodus Series

So far, we have reviewed how the Israelites were delivered from slavery, the beginning of their journey, the 10 commandments, and now in Exodus 22, we begin to explore additional laws God gave the Israelites about property and social responsibilities.

Exodus 22

Protection of Property

Exodus 22 has many laws about how to handle different situations in their time. God gave very specific laws so that it was easier for His people to develop and maintain a just and stable society. These laws helped them to resolve conflict while still keeping the community unified.

It is important to remember that this was a new community growing into its own. God was laying the foundation for them to start fresh and build a holy community, and the laws set would have been relevant to situations they faced back then.

There is one in particular that really sticks out to me as a confusing law.

'“If a thief is caught breaking in at night and is struck a fatal blow, the defender is not guilty of bloodshed; but if it happens after sunrise, the defender is guilty of bloodshed… '

Exodus 22:2-3

What this means is that if someone gets robbed in the middle of the night, killing the thief is considered self defense. If it happens during the day, it is considered murder. The justification of this is that if a thief is armed and dangerous, it is self-defense if you kill him - but in the dark you cannot tell if he is armed and dangerous. Killing an unarmed thief in the daylight is just plain murder.

Social Responsibility

At this time, arranged marriages were the norm. Fathers would arrange specific marriages for their daughters especially. The husband-to-be would pay a "bride price", or dowry, to the girl's father to take her as his wife.

'“If a man seduces a virgin who is not pledged to be married and sleeps with her, he must pay the bride-price, and she shall be his wife. If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, he must still pay the bride-price for virgins. '

Exodus 22:16-17

If a man slept with an unwed virgin daughter, the girl was considered "damaged goods" because she is no longer a virgin. It would be like stealing from the father because he would now be unable to get the "full bride price" for his daughter. To make up for this "theft" the man who defiled her would have to pay the full bride price to her father.

If the father determined that the man would be able to take good care of his daughter, the man and daughter would marry. If the father determined that the man would not be able to take good care of his daughter he would take payment and keep his daughter. In these cases, it would likely be more difficult to find a good husband for her, even at a lower price, which would cause further hardship for the daughter and her family.

'“Whoever sacrifices to any god other than the Lord must be destroyed. “Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt. '

Exodus 22:20-21

God called on His people to treat the foreigners in their community with common decency, but He also called for the destruction of those who worshiped idols in the promised land.

'and when the Lord your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy. Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, for they will turn your children away from following me to serve other gods, and the Lord ’s anger will burn against you and will quickly destroy you. '

Deuteronomy 7:2-4

We are to love our neighbors and in loving them we are called to bring everyone to God. Foreigners in the promised land were expected to live by God's rule. If they did not, then the Israelites were commanded to destroy them for their false idols.

'When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you. '

Deuteronomy 20:1

Exodus 19-21: 10 Commandments

by Water On Thirsty Land | Feb 15, 2019 | Bible Studies, Deep Bible Studies, Deep Study Series, Exodus Series

In Exodus 19-21 we see the 10 Commandments for the first time. These are detrimental to the people of Israel, and although we receive updates to the commandments later from Jesus, there is much to be learned from the original commandments. In order to understand the commands Jesus gives us we must also learn the history that led up to that point. That is where Exodus 19-21 comes in.

Exodus 19

‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”

Exodus 19:4‭-‬6

The first thing that comes to my mind is...this sounds like what God seems to remind me of every day; "You have seen over and over again what I can do. Obey my commands and you will be blessed."

God wants our obedience. He wants us, no matter where we are, where we have come from, what He has pulled us out of, no matter what, to obey Him so He can bless us and call us His own. He proves to us time and again what He is capable of and what He will do for us when we listen and obey, but our human nature is inherently sinful and this proves much harder for us than He intended it to be when He created us before sin was brought into the world. This is why it is called faith. Have faith that it is worth it to obey Him. Have faith that our God is good and He will provide and care for us.

God knows that it is hard for them to do what God commands and to trust Moses as well, so He again tests them telling them they cannot step even one foot onto the mountain in which He will show Himself or they will die. He wants His people to show Him that they will do what He tells them.

Exodus 20

The Ten Commandments

Exodus 20 provides for us the original 10 commandments given by God to the Israelites.

• You shall have no other gods before me.
• Show respect to God and refuse to prioritize anything or anyone else above Him.
• You shall not make for yourself a carved image.
• Life your life in whole-hearted devotion to God.
• You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
• Guard your speech to speak respectfully of God. Never use His name for your own agenda.
• Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy.
• Allow time for meditation with proper rest and relaxation.
• Honor your father and mother.
• Treat your parents with respect.
• You shall not murder.
• Recognize God's control over life and death.
• You shall not commit adultery.
• Honor the vow of faithfulness to both God and spouse.
• You shall not steal.
• Guard against taking what is not yours.
• You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
• Respond to others with integrity and respect.
• You shall not covet.
• Be satisfied with your own possessions and resources.

Do all of these laws apply to Christians?

Many of the original commandments were updated by Jesus while He dwelt on the earth, but these commandments are all still relevant to Christians today. Exodus gives us the historical backdrop for the commands God gives us to live by. We should not brush off the 10 commandments and think they are outdated or unimportant. History still holds value, and this is no exception.

So while the commands were updated later by Jesus, and they are not the societal law or even the norm, learning these commandments and their history allows us to learn more about God and grow closer in relationship with Him. We get to learn more about what it means to be set apart for Him and how He calls us to live.

How can I apply this in my life?

Put God before all things and make time for God every day. Show respect to others and to God while you play. Don't curse God or threaten others. Be satisfied with what you have, work hard to gain what you do not have, and do not be selfish or expect anything from others. Also, remember to keep time for rest, relaxation, and godly meditation. Take time to be and grow with God, and to let yourself rest.

'And do not go up to my altar on steps, or your private parts may be exposed.’'

Exodus 20:26

Cultural fun fact: In that time, pagan religions had steps leading up to their altars. By God banning the use of steps, the Israelites would be less likely and less tempted to include pagan rituals in their worship. As far as the private parts being exposed, this may be in relation to the shrine prostitutes that would be at the pagan altars. This could be a kind of mocking of the pagan rituals, kind of like saying "if you want to act pagan, I will shame you like a pagan."

Exodus 21

Law Concerning Servants

'“If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free, without paying anything. '

Exodus 21:2

In this time, servants were poverty-stricken people who would sell themselves into service to pay off debts, and to secure food and shelter for themselves and their families. It was not slavery. This was a way that the wealthy would help the poor. This was much like an employee-employer relationship.

'“If a man sells his daughter as a servant, she is not to go free as male servants do. '

Exodus 21:7

The selling of women was with the intention of the daughter marrying into the family. If the father of the household married the daughter to his son, he was called to care for and protect her as his daughter.

Law Concerning Violence

'“If people are fighting and hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demands and the court allows. But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise. '

Exodus 21:22-25

This particular verse is often used by many who are opposed to abortion. I will make it clear that I will not be discussing abortion here, but I thought it was a great note to point out that this statement is actually describing unintentional harm to the pregnant woman and her child.

God's laws about violence are to hold yourselves and each other accountable. They are to discourage violence against one another, and to be held accountable for your herds and animals if they should grow violent.

Something that is important to understand is that later on Jesus' law of love exceeds the expectations of these basic rules for when Christians are mistreated. Jesus exceeded the expectation of "eye for an eye". He died in our place. He died so that we may live and be made holy and forgiven in the sight of God.

Exodus 14-18: Deliverance

by Water On Thirsty Land | Feb 14, 2019 | Bible Studies, Deep Bible Studies, Deep Study Series, Exodus Series

Exodus 14-18 is where we get to see the beginning of the Israelite's freedom, their incredible deliverance by God from slavery, and their reaction to the blessings being given them. Exodus 14-18 is a pivotal part of the history of mankind as well as of God's people.

Exodus 14

Pharaoh very quickly regretted letting the Israelites go one God had delivered them out of slavery. He chased after them and God gave Moses the power to part the Red Sea, bring the Israelites through the trenches, Egyptian soldiers following close behind, and delivered them to the other side while ultimately destroying the Egyptians that had chased after them.

'And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will pursue them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord ." And they did so. '

Exodus 14:4

God wanted everyone, Israelites and Egyptians, believers and non-believers, to know that He is Lord Almighty and He is all powerful. He wanted them to know that He is greater than the Egyptians many false gods.

One very interesting thing is that Egyptian history does not document any of these events. The Egyptians were a very proud people and it was actually not uncommon for a Pharaoh to not report on their failures and defeats. It was also pretty common for them to change official records and stories so that the official records were more in their favor.

Exodus 15

The Song of Moses and Miriam

' Your right hand, O Lord , glorious in power, your right hand, O Lord , shatters the enemy.'

Exodus 15:6

The right hand of God refers to His power and authority, which ultimately becomes the seat of authority occupied by Jesus.

' "Who is like you, O Lord , among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?'

Exodus 15:11

It was actually not until after the Exodus that Israelites started to really understand that there is only one God.

Why are songs included in the Bible?

Music has a central role in worship. Throughout scripture, God requests songs be sung for Him. This song during the Exodus was likely a joyful outburst of praise and worship as the Israelites had just been saved and set free.

Who was Miriam?

She was a priestess, sent with her brothers, Aaron and Moses, to lead Israel. God used her and spoke through her, which gave her a sort of authority. She is who led the worship after the Exodus.

Exodus 16

Bread from Heaven

Once the Israelites were delivered from slavery, God led them out into the wilderness. While in the wilderness the Israelites began to again test God. Even after all God had done for them they still did not trust in Him. They groaned and complained, and because they continued to test God, God tested them. Moses reminded the Israelites that their grumblings against them (Moses and Aaron) were actually grumblings against God since Moses and Aaron were leading them in God's will.

'And Moses said, "When the Lord gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the Lord has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him—what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the Lord ." '

Exodus 16:8

God told the Israelites that each day they can only gather enough food for that day, and no more. This was a test to see if they would listen. When someone would keep leftovers, in the morning is was rotten. On the sixth day, they were told to gather 2 days' worth and save the second portion for the next day, which was the first observance of the Sabbath; a holy day of rest and no work. God wanted them to rest and not have any work on the seventh day.

'See! The Lord has given you the Sabbath; therefore on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Remain each of you in his place; let no one go out of his place on the seventh day." '

Exodus 16:29

'Now the house of Israel called its name manna. It was like coriander seed, white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey. Moses said, "This is what the Lord has commanded: 'Let an omer of it be kept throughout your generations, so that they may see the bread with which I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.'" And Moses said to Aaron, "Take a jar, and put an omer of manna in it, and place it before the Lord to be kept throughout your generations." As the Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron placed it before the testimony to be kept. The people of Israel ate the manna forty years, till they came to a habitable land. They ate the manna till they came to the border of the land of Canaan. '

Exodus 16:31-35

God provided them with manna to eat every day for 40 years while they wandered the wilderness. Then, when they came to the promised land of Canaan He told them to keep a small amount of manna that He would preserve through generations so that future generations could see what God had fed them in the wilderness.

Exodus 17

Water from the Rock

God's people continue to put Him to the test, complaining to Moses about what they do not have. So God, again testing them in return tells Moses to go with the elders of Israel to the rock at Horeb and strike it with his staff and He will make water flow from it.

The Amalekites Defeated

The Amalekites were descendants of Esau who made a living raiding other tribes and killing for their pleasure. They came to attack the Israelites, and God had Joshua take some men to fight the Amalekites. While they fought, Moses went up on the mountain with his staff. Whenever Moses had his hands raised with his staff, the Israelites would prevail. When he would rest his hands, Amalek prevailed. When Moses grew too weary to keep his hands up, Hur (Miriam's husband) and Aaron sat him on a rock and held his hands up to steady them until Joshua overwhelmed Amalek.

'And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The Lord Is My Banner, saying, "A hand upon the throne of the Lord ! The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation." '

Exodus 17:15-16

Exodus 18

Jethro's Advice

Jethro, Moses's father-in-law, heard of everything that had happened to Moses and the Israelites, and came to Moses with Moses' wife and children to provide a burnt offering to God. Moses did as his father-in-law had recommended, and Jethro went back home.

'Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God and bring their cases to God, and you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do. Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. And let them judge the people at all times. Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. If you do this, God will direct you, you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace." '

Exodus 18:19-23

Exodus 10-13: Passover

by Water On Thirsty Land | Feb 13, 2019 | Bible Studies, Deep Bible Studies, Deep Study Series, Exodus Series

Exodus 10-13 covers the last few great plagues of Egypt, as well as the miraculous Passover to spare God's faithful people. Why are the events of Exodus 10-13 so important? Why should this history hold such significance in our lives even today? Find out as we explore these chapters together.

Exodus 10

The Plague of Locusts

'They covered the face of the whole land, so that the land was darkened, and they ate all the plants in the land and all the fruit of the trees that the hail had left. Not a green thing remained, neither tree nor plant of the field, through all the land of Egypt. '

Exodus 10:15

Pharaoh agreed to let Moses and Aaron go worship by themselves, but would not let their families or herds come with them. He continued to refuse to let the Israelites go, and his heart is again hardened.

The Plague of Darkness

'So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was pitch darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the people of Israel had light where they lived. '

Exodus 10:22-23

Pharaoh agreed to let them take their families, but now refuses to let him take the herds with them.

Exodus 11

The Final Plague Threatened

God tells Moses that after this last plague, Pharaoh will not just let them leave, but drive them out completely. He gives the Israelites favor with the Egyptians and they are given much gold and silver in anticipation of being run out of the land.

'and every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the slave girl who is behind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the cattle. '

Exodus 11:5

Moses warned Pharaoh of the coming plague but still hardened his heart and would not let them go.

Exodus 12

The Passover

For the Passover, the Israel households marked their door frames with lamb's blood so that when the tenth plague comes their households will be passed over and their firstborns will be saved. The plague comes, and all of the Egyptian's firstborn sons are killed. The Egyptian's then convince Pharaoh to let the Israelites go, but when they have started to leave he changes his mind and chases after them to bring them back as his slaves.

'then tell them, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord , who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.’ ” Then the people bowed down and worshiped. '

Exodus 12:27

Why are the Passover Feast instructions so detailed?

Obedience is a huge part of the Passover story. Obeying God was critical because their lives depended on it. The strict and specific instructions were used as a tool for the Israelites to show their faith and trust in God and his instruction.

1. Unleavened Bread: The Israelites would not have had time to make leavened bread. The unleavened bread of Passover is often referred to as "Bread of Affliction" to signify the hardship of slavery and the hasty transition to freedom.
2. Karpas: This is a green leafy vegetable that symbolizes the initial flourishing of the Israelites in Egypt. Parsley, celery and boiled spring potatoes are often used to represent the karpas.
3. Maror: Typically romaine lettuce or horseradish, this symbolizes the bitterness of slavery.
4. Charoset: This is a paste-like mixture of fruit, nuts, honey and sweet wine that symbolizes the mortar used by the Israelites when laying bricks for Pharaoh's monuments.
5. Shank Bone: Traditionally a roasted lamb bone, this piece is never eaten. Originally it represented a blood sacrifice that at that time would have been made in the Holy Temple. Now it is a visual reminder of what happened right before the Exodus.
6. Egg: The egg again signifies a sacrifice that would have been offered in the Holy Temple, and now symbolizes new beginnings and rebirth. The egg, also, is not eaten during the ritual, but some families serve hardboiled eggs as appetizers to remind them that, even while you embark on new journeys you must remember the hardships that brought them there.
7. Chazeret: This is very much like maror, and is usually lettuce or root vegetables. It also signifies the bitterness of slavery.

Sandwiches called "korech" are made from the unleavened bread, maror and charoset which embodies the bitterness of the Israelites over their hard labor, and the spiritual affliction they suffered while enslaved.

The foods eaten as The Passover Seder are tangible reminders of the hardships of slavery and the exaltation of the Israelites in Exodus.

The Exodus

'The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Sukkoth. There were about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children. Many other people went up with them, and also large droves of livestock, both flocks and herds. With the dough the Israelites had brought from Egypt, they baked loaves of unleavened bread. The dough was without yeast because they had been driven out of Egypt and did not have time to prepare food for themselves. '

Exodus 12:37-39

The Israelites plundered the Egyptians of their gold, silver, and clothing. They were rushed out with the herds, families, and unleavened breads. Pharaoh finally told them to leave after 430 years in Egypt.

Passover Restrictions

• Only those in God's family can partake.
• It must be eaten inside the house, and the meat must never leave the house.
• Do not break the bones.
• If a foreigner wants to participate, he must have all the males of his household circumcised. All males of all households must be circumcised in order to eat the Passover Fest.

The restrictions are set because God wanted to fix this event into the history, culture, religion, and daily mindset of His people for all generations.

Exodus 13

Consecration of the Firstborn

'“Consecrate to me every firstborn male. The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to me, whether human or animal.” '

Exodus 13:2

God had saved the Israelite's firstborns during the Passover, and He asks them to dedicate each firstborn to Him as a way to show their appreciation and devotion to Him for saving them.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread

'Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the Lord . Unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days; no leavened bread shall be seen with you, and no leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory. You shall tell your son on that day, 'It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.' And it shall be to you as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the law of the Lord may be in your mouth. For with a strong hand the Lord has brought you out of Egypt. You shall therefore keep this statute at its appointed time from year to year. '

Exodus 13:6-10

This "sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes" is a figure of speech, like we would say "the words is on the tip of my tongue". This figure of speech meant that the Passover would symbolize the mighty power of God on behalf of His people.

Why did God always call for a sacrifice?

Since impurity is unacceptable in the presence of God, death occurs when anything impure comes into the presence of God. God would request that the animals be sacrificed in place of themselves. Jesus ultimately fulfilled this sacrificial system when He died on the cross. He was the ultimate sacrifice, making us pure in the sight of God.

Exodus 5-9: The Great Plagues

by Water On Thirsty Land | Feb 11, 2019 | Bible Studies, Deep Bible Studies, Deep Study Series, Exodus Series

Exodus 5-9 covers the beginning of the great plagues of Egypt. Moses and Aaron have been appointed by God, and they have been pleading with Pharaoh to release the Israelites and give them their freedom. Exodus 5-9 is a grim record of the beginning of disaster, death, and heartbreak for the Egyptians due to Pharoah's hard heart.

Exodus 5

'Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the Lord , the God of Israel, says: ‘Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the wilderness.’ ” Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord , that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go.” '

Exodus 5:1-2

Pharaoh immediately rejects God. He tells Moses and Aaron to go work and denies them the right to go worship. Moses and Aaron are giving Pharaoh a chance to do the right thing before God forces Pharaoh to release His people.

In that time it was actually not uncommon for Hebrews to leave on pilgrimage to worship. The fact that Pharaoh will not let them go shows he had no intention of easing the Israelites and that he has no regard for God.

Pharaoh gives the Israelites more work and makes life much more difficult for them because Moses requested to let them go worship.

'Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Why, Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Is this why you sent me? Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and you have not rescued your people at all.”'

Exodus 5:22-23

One of the most important lessons throughout scripture is that we will suffer. We suffer so that we will come closer to God.

Exodus 6

'God also said to Moses, “I am the Lord . '

Exodus 6:2

'“Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord , and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord .’ ” '

Exodus 6:6-8

Moses is not immediately obedient to God and keeps complaining and giving excuses when God tells him to do things for Him. Moses brings another problem to God, and God again responds telling Moses about Himself. God is reminding Moses that He is God, He will keep His promises, and that He is all powerful.

'It was this Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said, “Bring the Israelites out of Egypt by their divisions.” They were the ones who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt about bringing the Israelites out of Egypt—this same Moses and Aaron. '

Exodus 6:26-27

Moses and Aaron were not well received by either the Egyptians or the Israelites, no one listened to or believed them, and they really didn't even believe in themselves, but God chose to use them of all people to completely alter history and save the Israelites from enslavement.

Exodus 7

'You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country. '

Exodus 7:2

God was more concerned with obedience than skill. He provided them with the skills they needed, God just needed Moses and Aaron to obey Him. He prepared Aaron and Moses for many years and now expected them to do as they were bid.

'“When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Perform a miracle,’ then say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,’ and it will become a snake.” '

Exodus 7:9

Aaron did as God instructed, turned his staff into a snake, and Pharaoh summoned his "magicians" and they mimicked the miracles with their "secret arts", but then Aaron's snake staff ate the magician's staves. Pharaoh still would not listen.

The First Plague

'This is what the Lord says: By this you will know that I am the Lord : With the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood. The fish in the Nile will die, and the river will stink; the Egyptians will not be able to drink its water.’ ” '

Exodus 7:17-18

Moses and Aaron turn the Nile into blood as the Pharaoh is bathing, which kills all the fish and makes the river stink and makes the water undrinkable. Moses turns all the water in Egypt to blood. When they did this, the magicians mimicked this and made some water red and the Pharaoh hardened his heart even more.

Exodus 8

The Second Plague

'The Nile will teem with frogs. They will come up into your palace and your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and on your people, and into your ovens and kneading troughs. The frogs will come up on you and your people and all your officials.’ ” '

Exodus 8:3-4

The Pharaoh's magicians again mimicked the frog plague with demonic "arts", but the Pharaoh told Moses and Aaron to pray to "their God" to get rid of the frogs. In the Egyptian culture, their "gods" were not expected to fix or undo what another god had done. So Pharaoh telling them to pray to God was simply because he knew that his "gods" could not do it themselves.

'Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Pray to the Lord to take the frogs away from me and my people, and I will let your people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord .” Moses said to Pharaoh, “I leave to you the honor of setting the time for me to pray for you and your officials and your people that you and your houses may be rid of the frogs, except for those that remain in the Nile.” '

Exodus 8:8-9

Moses and Aaron asked God to get rid of the frogs, and God did as they asked and all of the frogs died. When Pharaoh saw this, he hardened his heart again.

The Plague of Gnats

'Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the ground,’ and throughout the land of Egypt the dust will become gnats.” '

Exodus 8:16

Just as God created man from dust, He created gnats from the dust. This was the first plague to force the magicians to acknowledge God. The demonic tricks the magicians had been using could not duplicate God bringing life from the dust.

Even though the magicians told Pharaoh it had to be by the hand of God, Pharaoh still hardened his heart more and refused to listen.

The Plague of Flies

'If you do not let my people go, I will send swarms of flies on you and your officials, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians will be full of flies; even the ground will be covered with them. “ ‘But on that day I will deal differently with the land of Goshen, where my people live; no swarms of flies will be there, so that you will know that I, the Lord , am in this land. I will make a distinction between my people and your people. This sign will occur tomorrow.’

Exodus 8:21-23

In the Egyptian culture it was normal for an entire society to be held accountable for one person's sins. The whole of Egypt being punished for Pharaoh's hard heart would have been expected. Also, as we learned in Job, often innocent people will suffer because of someone else's sins. The consequences do not always fall directly or only on the sinner.

Pharaoh demanded that Moses and Aaron go pray for God to get rid of the flies. They did, and God listened, but again Pharaoh hardened his heart all the more and refused to let them go worship as he said they could.

Exodus 9

The Plague on Livestock

'the hand of the Lord will bring a terrible plague on your livestock in the field—on your horses, donkeys and camels and on your cattle, sheep and goats. But the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and that of Egypt, so that no animal belonging to the Israelites will die.’ ” '

Exodus 9:3-4

This plague was to show the Egyptians that only God was in control of their entire lives, wealth, well-being, and all that they had. Pharaoh still hardened his heart and would not release the Israelites.

The Plague of Boils

'So they took soot from a furnace and stood before Pharaoh. Moses tossed it into the air, and festering boils broke out on people and animals. '

Exodus 9:10

It is said that the soot here was representative of the soot that covered Israelite laborers. Pharaoh again refused to let them go. The soot now inflicted disease on the Egyptians.

The Plague of Hail

'Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning, confront Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord , the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me, or this time I will send the full force of my plagues against you and against your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth. For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth. But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. '

Exodus 9:13-16

God is giving Moses, Aaron, and Pharaoh a very important warning about the next plague. Some Egyptians feared the Lord and brought in their slaves and livestock to protect them, but Pharaoh did not and many slaves and livestock, and anyone else who was outside was killed by the hail storm. The fields were destroyed, and all their crops.

Pharaoh then admits he has sinned and that he was wrong, and most importantly that the Lord is in the right - but when Moses and Aaron prayed and God halted the storm, Pharaoh again hardened his heart and refused to release the Israelites.

Exodus 1-4: Moses & Aaron

by Water On Thirsty Land | Feb 11, 2019 | Bible Studies, Deep Bible Studies, Deep Study Series, Exodus Series