Scripture Reference: Exodus 8:20-10:29
1. Bargaining – Continued
Please read Exodus 8:20-32 for the background to this section.
God’s wrath (verse 24). Just as God promised, the next day great swarms of flies invaded the land, entering the homes of the people and even the palace of the king. But the flies were more than just an immediate nuisance to the people, for their coming caused some long-range problems as well. The swarms of insects no doubt carried disease germs that affected the people, and it’s possible the insects deposited their eggs on the vegetation and the larva that came out ate the plants and thus ruined the land. Some students think that the fly was especially sacred to the Egyptian god Uatchit, so the plague was also God’s way of dishonoring another one of the false gods of Egypt.
Pharaoh’s offers (verses 25-32). During the time of the plagues, Pharaoh offered four compromises to Moses and Aaron. The first two are recorded here, during the plague of the flies; the third came during the locust plague (Exodus 10:7-11); and the fourth occurred during the three days of darkness. The fact that Pharaoh even thought he could bargain with God is another evidence of his pride. What is mortal man, even the king of a great nation, that he should dare to negotiate the will of God? These offers were all part of Pharaoh’s hypocritical scheme to outwit Moses and Aaron, for his heart was still stubborn and unyielding. He wasn’t interested in either the will of God or the welfare of the Jews; all he wanted was to stop the plagues.
God’s people face similar “Egyptian compromises” today as we seek to serve the Lord. The enemy tells us we don’t have to be separated from sin because we can serve God “in the land.” God’s reply is found in 2 Corinthians 6:14-18. “Don’t go too far away,” the enemy whispers, “or people will call you a fanatic.” James 1:27 and James 4:4 demolish that proposal. True service to God means giving Him authority over all our possessions and all the people in our family for whom we’re responsible. Not to do so is to disobey Mark 10:13-16; Ephesians 6:4; and Deuteronomy 6:6-13. Once we start to negotiate the will of God and see how close we can get to the world, we have already disobeyed Him in our hearts.
In his first proposal, Pharaoh offered to let the Jews hold their worship feast in the land of Egypt, an offer Moses and Aaron rejected. They knew that some of the animals the Jews would sacrifice were sacred to the Egyptians, and what began as a meeting for solemn worship would quickly turn into a riot. The Jews were a separate people, living in Goshen, a land that had been set apart by God, and they had to separate themselves a three days’ journey from Egypt in order to please the Lord.
Pharaoh’s second offer was that Israel leave the land but not go too far away. The appendix to his offer (“Plead for me.”) shows that his real concern was to get rid of the swarms of flies. On the surface, it looks like Moses and Aaron accepted this second offer, because Moses promised to get rid of the flies. Perhaps they thought they could travel farther once they got out of the land, but surely they both knew that Pharaoh wouldn’t keep his word. Pharaoh had a habit of begging for help when he needed it and then changing his mind once the plague was removed. God answered Moses’ prayer and removed the flies, but Pharaoh only hardened his heart even more.
To Be Continued
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD 