Day 32 —  WOW, we are beginnng a new month! We’ve been reading for 1/12 of a year! Praise God. I hope that it’s become a GOOD habit that will continue.

   Day 33 – Exodus 7 – 9  (Powerful proofs, pests, plagues and pestilence)

So far, Moses and Aaron have approached the ruler of Egypt with a demand and a warning. But Pharaoh replies, “WHO is this God that I should obey him? No! And get out!”  And he makes Israel’s slavery even worse.

The brothers (Moses at 80 and Aaron at 83), perform the 3 signs that God showed Moses by the burning bush, but Pharoah is not impressed. “Ha! my magicians can do the same thing!” (And, surprisingly, they do!)  And the heart of Pharoah is hardened.

LET MY PEOPLE GO!  Moses & Aaron stretch their staff over the mighty, worshipped Nile River… and it turns to blood (Plague #1) . Pharaoh’s sorcerers do the same. (WHY don’t they reverse the plague instead of worstening it??!!!) After 7 days, God withdraws the plague. Pharoah’s heart remained hard.

Chapter 8 begins with a repeat demand, LET MY PEOPLE GO! The brothers stretch out the rod over Egypt’s water sources and collections… and they swarm with frogs (Plague #2). The waters, homes, and even drinking pots all are filled with these “sacred” creatures, that the people cannot kill – similar to the cows in India.  (Again the court magicians can make frogs appear!!! But NOT go away.)

EEEKKKKK! Pharaoh pleads with Moses to make them “go away” and he will let the people go away too.  Moses is faithful (he prays). God is faithful (frogs all die the next day). BUT, Pharoah hardens his heart, changes his mind, and says, “No Go!”

LET MY PEOPLE GO!  Then there follows two similar plagues (#3 & #4), both attacking the “bug” gods of the Egyptians. First comes swarms of gnats, and this time Egypt’s finest magicians CANNOT duplicate the gnats. “Hey, King, this is the finger of God!” they proclaim.  BUT Pharaoh’s heart is hardened. He would not listen.

LET MY PEOPLE GO!  Nope! So comes the plague of flies, and this time the Hebrews in Goshen are spared!  Whoa!  Pharaoh calls Moses and says, “Okay, okay, you can sacrifice to your God.” Moses reiterates that they must go out of Egypt to do that.  “Okay, okay!! Just make these flies go away!”

Moses warns him as he leaves, “But don’t cheat this time!” Pharoah waves him away.  Moses prays and God responds. Not a single fly is left. Again… Pharoah hardens his heart. “No flies? Ahhh. But NO GO to the Hebrews.”

LET MY PEOPLE GO!  Or else a plague (#5) will kill YOUR livestock, chariot horses, donkeys, camels, herds & flocks, but NOT those in Israel.  And it was so. Pharaoh even sent people to see if the Hebrews in Goshen were spared. They were!  The wicked king (even seeing all the dead animals) hardens his heart further.

Plague #6 comes without a demand or a warning. Moses throws handfuls of soot from a kiln into the air in Pharoah’s sight and voila! boils all over him, his court & magicians, and the people of Egypt. (The magicians must have had lots on their feet, because they could not even stand up.  Fitting!)

This time GOD hardens Pharoah’s heart. No more chance to repent.

LET MY PEOPLE GO!  As Pharoah resists, God says to him,

“By now I could have put out my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth. But for this purpose I have raise you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.”

Then God promises to send something on them (#7), that ONLY the God of Heaven can do. Gigantic hail from heaven, and lightning that will run like fire along the ground. This is no sickness, or over-population of algae, amphibians and bugs. This is power from heaven.  In his mercy, God advises the people to bring inside their animals and themselves and they will be safe. Those who listen and obey are saved.

Moses reaches out his staff towards heaven… and the LORD sends thunder, and hail, and fire down from heaven; heavy hail such as has never been seen before, crushing the men and beasts who remained outside, as well as the flax and barley crops.  Except in Goshen.

Pharoah cries before Moses;

• “I have sinned
• The Lord is right
• I and my people are wrong
• Plead with the Lord. There has been enough hail & thunder
• I will let you go. You will stay no longer.”

‘Yeah, right, Pharoah!”  Moses knows the king doesn’t fear God, but again shows God is merciful and prays for the judgment from heaven to stop. (The not-yet-sprouted wheat had been spared.)

And guess what? Pharoah reneges again. His heart is like stone.