Êxodo 8
Charles Spurgeon · Citado em PreceptAustin
Êxodo 8
Spurgeon - There was a suitableness in God’s choosing the frogs to humble Egypt’s kings, because frogs were worshipped by that nation as emblems of the Deity. Images of a certain frog-headed goddess were placed in the catacombs, and frogs themselves were preserved with sacred honors. These be thy gods, O Egypt! Thou shalt have enough of them! Pharaoh himself shall pay a new reverence to these reptiles. As the true God is everywhere present around us, in our bed-chambers and in our streets, so shall Pharaoh find every place filled with what he chooses to call divine. Is it not a just way of dealing with him? (Exodus 8:8 Take Away the Frogs) Exodus 8:2 "But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite your whole territory with frogs. But if you refuse to let them go,- Ex 7:14 9:2 frogs - Ps 78:45 Ps 105:30 Rev 16:13,14 Parallel Passages: Ps 78:43-45 When He performed His signs in Egypt And His marvels in the field of Zoan, 44 And turned their rivers to blood, And their streams, they could not drink. He sent among them swarms of flies which devoured them, 45 And frogs which destroyed (Heb = shachath; Lxx = diaphtheiro) them. Ps 105:30 Their land swarmed (sharats - teemed) with frogs Even in the chambers of their kings. RIBBIT, RIBBIT WHY THE FROGS WOULD CROAK IN EGYPT God explained He will conquer Egypt with croakers. But if you refuse to let them go, behold - The behold (hinneh) is used to gain Pharaoh's attention and focus on the condition that would be fulfilled should he refuse to obey Jehovah's command. The Septuagint translates refuse with the phrase "not willing" (me boule - boulomai = a settled desire, one born of or springing from reason and not from emotion). I will smite your whole territory with frogs - Hebrew literally - “plague all your border with frogs.” Jehovah promises to "inflict a blow" (nagaph) on Egypt with frogs. This same verb nagaph is used to summarize Jehovah's 10 plague on Egypt, Joshua 24:5 recording "Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued (nagaph) Egypt by what I did in its midst; and afterward I brought you out." Moses uses this same verb (nagaph) to describe the 10th plague when "the LORD...passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt when He smote the Egyptians, but spared" the homes of Israel. (Ex 12:27). Mattoon - The Egyptians could not kill the frogs because they believed they were gods, even though the frogs were destroying their comfort and happiness.The Egyptians worshiped the frog as a god of fertility. Now in the plague, the frog's fertility will run wild and produce abundantly. These folks would be miserable. The perpetual croaking would drive them nuts and rob them of any peace and rest. Sin is like this too. It robs us of our peace and joy. It plagues us with guilt. You cannot escape the effects of sin except through the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. When the Nile River cleared up, Pharaoh thought he got rid of God and he had no more worries. Beloved, you can't get rid of God's commands by resistance or holding out. The Lord comes back with the same message to obey His commands. If you don't, you incur new punishment or pressure. NET on whole territory (all your border) - The expression “all your border” is figurative for all the territory of Egypt and the people and things that are within the borders (also used in Exod 10:4, 14, 19; 13:7). Smite (05062)(nagaph) means to give a blow, usually from God and either fatal or disastrous (Ex 8:2, Passover - Ex 12:23, 27, smiting Israel after making a golden calf). Prophecy to Israel she would be struck down because of her disobedience (Lev 26:17). Moses warning Israel would be struck down if they went against their enemies after refusing to go into the promised land (Nu 14:42). Lord causes defeat of Israel's enemies if they obey (Dt 28:7) but defeat (striking down) of Israel if the disobey (Dt 28:25)> Striking one's foot (figuratively speaking) is prevented by walking in wisdom (Pr 3:23). Nagaph - 46v - beaten(1), defeated(17), hurts(1), plagued(1), routed(4), smite(3), smites(1), smote(3), strike(7), striking(1), struck(4), struck down(3), stumble(2), surely*(1). - Ex 8:2; Ex 12:23; Ex 12:27; Ex 21:22; Ex 21:35; Ex 32:35; Lev. 26:17; Num. 14:42; Deut. 1:42; Deut. 28:7; Deut. 28:25; Jos. 24:5; Jdg. 20:32; Jdg. 20:35; Jdg. 20:36; Jdg. 20:39; 1 Sam. 4:2; 1 Sam. 4:3; 1 Sam. 4:10; 1 Sam. 7:10; 1 Sam. 25:38; 1 Sam. 26:10; 2 Sam. 2:17; 2 Sam. 10:15; 2 Sam. 10:19; 2 Sam. 12:15; 2 Sam. 18:7; 1 Ki. 8:33; 2 Ki. 14:12; 1 Chr. 19:16; 1 Chr. 19:19; 2 Chr. 6:24; 2 Chr. 13:15; 2 Chr. 13:20; 2 Chr. 14:12; 2 Chr. 20:22; 2 Chr. 21:14; 2 Chr. 21:18; 2 Chr. 25:22; Ps. 89:23; Ps. 91:12; Prov. 3:23; Isa. 19:22; Jer. 13:16; Zech. 14:12; Zech. 14:18 David Thompson - Now liberals have attacked this plague by suggesting that the reason the frogs came up in such great numbers was because the Nile had been polluted to the point that fish died and that is what drove the frogs up onto the land. However, any logical assessment of what happens here refutes that point. We may make five key observations that would indicate this was not a natural result of polluted water: 1) This happens in conjunction with the hand and staff of Moses and Aaron. Ex 8:6 2) The frogs did not just hang around the banks of the Nile but covered all Egypt. Ex 8:6 3) Pharaoh himself realizes this is a judgment of God. Ex 8:7–not some annual Nile River thing 4) The frogs left all the land and went back to the Nile at God’s command . Ex 8:11 5) The frogs all died in massive numbers at the same time at different places. Ex 8:13 Exodus 8:3 "The Nile will swarm with frogs, which will come up and go into your house and into your bedroom and on your bed, and into the houses of your servants and on your people, and into your ovens and into your kneading bowls. kneading bowls - Ex 12:34 "RIBBIT, RIBBIT" The land of Egypt would not just be teeming with physical frogs, but with peeping, squeaking, croaking, etc sounds all day and night! We think that just the site and presence of the frogs was what was irritating to the people, but frogs make noise and lots of frogs make lots of noise! This would cause a bad case of "frog insomnia!" While the Egyptians may not have heard all of the sounds in the video, it is likely they heard quite a few of them and they were non-stop (Four minutes of various frog sounds). I have constant ringing in my ears and if I focus on it, it is very disturbing. Well, the Egyptians were hearing a "ringing" in their ears and it was more like a repetitious ribbit, ribbit, ribbit!
Êxodo 8
Spurgeon - “Who are you that I should do great things to conquer you? I will even vanquish you by frogs.” There was a suitableness in God’s choosing the frogs to humble Egypt’s king, because frogs were worshipped by that nation as emblems of the Deity. Images of a certain frog-headed goddess were placed in the catacombs and frogs themselves were preserved with sacred honors. These be thy gods, O Egypt! You shall have enough of them! Pharaoh himself shall pay a new reverence to these reptiles. As the true God is everywhere present around us—in our bedchambers and in our streets, so shall Pharaoh find every place filled with what he chooses to call divine. Tony Garland's Commentary on Revelation 16:13 three unclean spirits These are “spirits of demons.” See commentary on Revelation 16:14. See Three: Life, Resurrection, Completeness, the Trinity. like frogs Their comparison with frogs alludes to their uncleanness, being aquatic animals lacking scales (Lev. 11:9-12; Dt 14:9-10). They also recall the plague of frogs in Egypt (Ex. 8:2-13; Ps. 78:45; 105:30). See The Plagues of Egypt and the Tribulation. They are the elect agents to awaken the world to the attempt to abolish God from the earth; and they are frog-like in that they come forth out of the pestiferous quagmires of the universe, do their work amid the world’s evening shadows, and creep, and croak, and defile, and fill the ears of the nations with their noisy demonstrations, till they set all the kings and armies of the whole earth in enthusiastic commotion for the final crushing out of the Lamb and all His powers.39 coming out of the mouth The mouth is the organ which reflects the will as evidenced by one’s words. Fire of judgment came out of the mouths of the two witnesses (Rev. 11:5‣) and a sword comes out of the mouth of Jesus (Rev. 1:16‣; Rev 19:15‣), the latter undoubtedly a reference to the Word of God (see commentary on Revelation 1:16). That which comes forth from these mouths is empowered, influenced, and promulgated by the unclean spirits. “The unclean spirits proceed from the mouths of the unholy triumvirate, suggesting the persuasive and deceptive propaganda which in the last days will lead men to an unconditional commitment to the cause of evil.”40 of the dragon . . . of the beast . . . of the false prophet The three spirits correspond to the three personages of the “antitrinity” : the dragon, the Beast, and the False Prophet. All three work together with a unified goal of drawing the nations to battle. The dragon is Satan and the devil, both names which indicate his slanderous accusations (Rev. 12:9‣). “When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it” (John 8:44). The Beast is known for his blasphemous mouth (Da 7:8, 11+, Da 7:20, 25+, Da 11:36‣; Rev. 13:6‣) and the False Prophet, although appearing like a lamb, speaks like a dragon—He tells those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast (Rev. 13:11‣). Each of these would be highly influential on their own, but aided by unclean spirits, their deception is especially effective. See commentary on Revelation 13:14. COMPARISON OF THE PLAGUES OF EXODUS AND REVELATION PLAGUE EGYPT TRIBULATION #1 - Nile/Water to blood Ex. 7:20+; Ps 105:29 Rev. 8:8-9‣; 11:6‣; 16:3-6‣ #2 - Frogs Ex 8:6+ Ps 105:30 Rev. 16:13‣ (note) #3 - Gnats Ex 8:17+ Rev. 11:6‣??? (note) #4 - Flies Ex. 8:24+; Ps. 105:31 Rev. 11:6‣??? (note) #5 - Livestock Died Ex. 9:6+ Rev. 8:9‣ (note) #6 - Boils Ex. 9:10+ Rev. 16:2‣ #7 - Hail Ex. 9:23+; Ps. 105:32 Rev. 8:7‣; 16:21 #8 - Locusts Ex. 10:13+; Ps. 105:34 Rev. 9:3‣ #9 - Darkness Ex. 10:22+; Ps. 105:32 Rev. 8:12‣; Rev 9:2‣; Rev 16:10‣ #10 - Death of Firstborn Ex. 12:29+; Ps. 105:36 Exodus 8:7 The magicians did the same with their secret arts, making frogs come up on the land of Egypt. Ex 7:11,22 De 13:1-3 Mt 24:24 2Th 2:9-11 2Ti 3:8 Rev 13:14 SATANIC COUNTERFEIT NOT RELIEF BUT MORE FROGS! The magicians did the same with their secret arts, making frogs come up on the land of Egypt. - How did they accomplish this? We simply do not know with certainty but given the phrase with their secret arts it is very possible that Satan gave them the power to produce frogs. Notice they magicians seemingly only made the situation worse than it was. The real power would have been if they had removed the frogs but they could not accomplish that miracle. Cassuto says "without doubt Pharaoh was not pleased with his magicians; he was not asking for a supplementary plague, but for a cure of the affliction. But this was not within their power." The problem was getting rid of them, and that was what the Egyptian magicians could not do. -- J M Boice
Êxodo 8
Spurgeon - When it pleases God by His judgments to humble men, He is never at a loss for means—He can use lions or lice, famines or flies. In the armory of God there are weapons of every kind, from the stars in their courses down to caterpillars in their hosts. The dust of the earth, out of which man is formed, will at God’s command forget its kinship and overwhelm a caravan, while the waters will forsake their channels, invade the tops of the mountains and drown a rebellious race. When the Lord contends against proud men, He has but to lift His finger and countless legions throng around Him, all loyal to their Lord and valiant for His name. Know you not that the beasts of the field are His servants and the stones of the street obey His bidding? Every wave worships Him and every wind knows its Lord. If you would war against Him, it would be well for you to know what His forces are—consider the battle—do no more. In the case before us JEHOVAH has to deal with Pharaoh and He humbles him by frogs. Strange! Singular! One would have thought that such despicable means would never have been used. The Lord began with the proud monarch by turning the waters into blood, but it may be that Pharaoh said in his heart, “What a great man I am! If JEHOVAH comes forth against me, He must needs work a terrible miracle in order to conquer.” He goes his way to his house unhumbled. This time the Lord will deal with him in another style. I grant you that the conflict was still sublime in the truest sense, but in Pharaoh’s estimation the croaking frogs which came up from all the banks of the Nile were a mean sort of adversaries. From every reservoir and marsh, they marched up in countless hordes, entering into his chamber and coming upon his bed and his kneading trough. He could neither sleep nor eat, nor walk abroad, without encountering the loathsome reptiles. The Lord seemed by this to say, “Who are you that I should do great things to conquer you? I will even vanquish you by frogs.” There was a suitableness in God’s choosing the frogs to humble Egypt’s king, because frogs were worshipped by that nation as emblems of the Deity. Images of a certain frog-headed goddess were placed in the catacombs and frogs themselves were preserved with sacred honors. These be thy gods, O Egypt! You shall have enough of them! Pharaoh himself shall pay a new reverence to these reptiles. As the true God is everywhere present around us—in our bedchambers and in our streets, so shall Pharaoh find every place filled with what he chooses to call divine. Is it not a just way of dealing with Him? The Lord has sure ways of reaching the hearts of proud men, and if He does not use frogs today, He can use other means, for He has servants everywhere prepared for each emergency. He knows how to reach the rich and make them sit by the wayside, like Belisarius, begging for an obolus. The strong and healthy man, He can soon place among the invalids and make him cry like a sick girl, “Give me to drink, Titinius.”(Exodus 8:8 Take Away the Frogs) Exodus 8:9 Moses said to Pharaoh, "The honor is yours to tell me: when shall I entreat for you and your servants and your people, that the frogs be destroyed from you and your houses, that they may be left only in the Nile?" The honor is yours to tell me Jdg 7:2 1Ki 18:25 Isa 10:15 that the frogs be destroyed from you and your houses - Ex 8:13 Moses said to Pharaoh, "The honor is yours to tell me - Moses is very respectful, which says a lot about the character of this man Moses. He know that God was on His side. He knew he had the backing of God's power. And yet he is respectful to Pharaoh. Notice Moses is building toward a higher purpose in the next verse which is that ultimately Pharaoh would know there is no one like the LORD. Cassuto - Moses’ reply is characterized both by dignity and complete trust in his God. He knows that the Lord is ready to receive penitents, and if Pharaoh is truly humble, as would appear from his words, the Lord will certainly grant his supplication; and if he is not sincere, the Lord will assuredly prove to him that He is all-powerful. Moses said to Pharaoh, Have this glory over me; my trust in my God is so great that I may leave to you the glory of choosing the time. Mattoon - The phrase "glory over me" in the Hebrew means "Have honor over me and name the time of request and deliverance from the frogs." As cruel as Pharaoh has been, Moses returns good for evil. Currid - Moses’ response at first glance is curious. He says, literally, to Pharaoh, ‘Glorify yourself over me as to when I should pray for you’ (the opening verb is a Hithpael, reflexive). What Moses seems to be saying is, ‘I trust in my God to the point that I will give you the advantage.’ In other words, Pharaoh is given the choice as to the time when the frogs will be removed from the land. (Ibid) When shall I entreat for you and your servants and your people, that the frogs be destroyed from you and your houses, that they may be left only in the Nile? - Moses asks Pharaoh when he wanted the frogs to leave. This almost seems like a silly question, for one would have thought Pharaoh would have answered "Immediately! I've got to get some sleep tonight and these slimy things are keeping me up all night!" But that's not what he requested. Exodus 8:10 Then he said, "Tomorrow." So he said, "May it be according to your word, that you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God. Tomorrow , Pr 27:1 Jas 4:14 there is none - Ex 9:14,29 15:11 De 32:31 33:26 2Sa 7:22 1Ch 17:20 Ps 9:16 Ps 83:18 86:8 89:6-8 Isa 40:25 46:9 Jer 10:6,7 THAT PHARAOH WOULD KNOW - NO ONE LIKE GOD Then he said, "Tomorrow." - Why tomorrow rather than immediately? I am not sure. Thompson has a suggestion why Pharaoh did this - Now one might ask why he didn’t say “right now,” “immediately or today”. Probably the reason is that Pharaoh is biding a little more time. He thinks that if the frogs leave today on their own, he would be off the hook of having to keep his bargain of letting the Hebrews go. He also may have wanted to politicize this event for the people and tell them that tomorrow he was going to do something about the frogs. Probably hidden in this is the fact that it would certainly prove whether or not Moses did have clout with God. If Pharaoh said to Moses, “have the frogs leave tomorrow” and Moses couldn’t do it; then it would prove that he was just another false religious fraud and all the people would see it and know it. So he said, "May it be according to your word, that you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God - Here is the purpose of Moses being respectful and allowing Pharaoh to determine the timing of the departure of the frogs. The miraculous removal of the frogs was designed to open Pharaoh's eyes and show him that there was no one else like the Lord. Ryken - By letting Pharaoh decide when the frogs would croak (so to speak), he was showing his absolute confidence in the power of God. He was not just being polite—he was making a public statement of his faith. Whenever someone performs a miracle, there are always skeptics; so Moses gave Pharaoh the advantage of setting the time, which would prove that his power came from God. Exodus 8:11 "The frogs will depart from you and your houses and your servants and your people; they will be left only in the Nile." Ex 8:3,9 MOSES' PREDICTION The frogs will depart from you and your houses and your servants and your people; they will be left only in the Nile - Moses tells Pharaoh exactly what will happen. When it happens Pharaoh will understand that the hand of God has moved in response to the prayers of a man named Moses. Currid - Moses promises that the frogs will depart from Egypt. However, he does not tell Pharaoh how they will leave, and the fulfilment of this oath occurs in a surprising manner in the next three verses. The frogs will remain in the Nile only. In other words, God will cause them to return to their natural habitat from which they originally sprang. He will once again cause nature to operate according to its normal laws. J Ligon Duncan - Isn’t it interesting that Moses is saying, "Pharaoh, God is going to answer this for you because I want you to know, and He wants you to know that there is no one like the Lord. You’re going to find some things out about the Lord that you didn’t know before, and you’re going to find it out in what He does in this plague." Moses tells Pharaoh that the frogs will depart, but interestingly he does not tell Pharaoh how. He simply tells Pharaoh that the only living frogs left will be the ones in the Nile. Boy, should Pharaoh have attached a caveat to that request. Exodus 8:12 Then Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and Moses cried to the LORD concerning the frogs which He had inflicted upon Pharaoh. Ex 8:8,30 9:33 10:18 32:11 1Sa 12:23 Eze 36:37 Jas 5:16-18 MOSES INTERCEDES Then Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and Moses cried to the LORD concerning the frogs which He had inflicted upon Pharaoh - Cried out (tsaaq) is frequent in Exodus and at very crucial points, especially for prayers in which people cry out of trouble or from danger.Cassuto observes that Moses would have been in real danger if God had not answered this prayer Uses in Exodus - Ex 5:8; Ex 5:15; Ex 8:12; Ex 14:10 (As Pharaoh drew near, the sons of Israel looked, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they became very frightened; so the sons of Israel cried out to the LORD.); Ex 14:15; Ex 15:25; Ex 17:4; Ex 22:23; Ex 22:27. It is translated here in the Septuagint with boao means raise a cry, call or shout of joy, pain, etc, by using one’s voice with unusually high volume. J Ligon Duncan - Moses leaves Pharaoh’s presence and what does he do? He cries out to God in prayer? Why? What’s at stake here? Well, a great deal is at stake here. The revelation, the manifestation of the sovereignty of God, and that calls for Moses to implore the God of Israel, and he cries out to Him. Can you imagine this story being told by former slaves around fires in the wilderness? Now think about this, people who are utterly powerless, people who have been utterly powerless, they’ve had no say about their work, they’ve had no say about their wages. They have had no say about their family life, about their ability to move, about their ability to improve their own situation; and suddenly, they are being told that the most powerful man that they have ever known existed was reduced to the point that he had to go to Moses, their religious leader, to ask him to pray to God, and that the future of the nation of Egypt was not in the hands of Pharaoh. It was clearly placed in the hands of Moses, as he interceded to God. Can you imagine how they would have responded to that? "You mean to tell us, God, that our prayers are more significant in the course of Your designs in the history of nations than are the rulers of those nations?" And God is saying, "You better believe it. You are My people, and I rule the world by My word and spirit. And I choose as one of the instruments of my decree, your prayers to move the course of nations forward, and to reveal My divine plan." Perhaps you are in a situation that makes you feel utterly powerless. Consider this scene. Whatever is powerful at a human level in your experience, cannot match the power according to God’s sovereign mercy, if your prayer of intercession is in accordance with His sovereign will. God’s people may look powerless in this world, but by prayer they are the chosen instruments of the future of time and history. You are never completely powerless in this world when you serve a sovereign God. Cassuto - And Moses cried to the Lord—an expression used specifically for prayer for deliverance from danger (compare, for example, 14:15; 17:4); for Moses’ mission was in great danger if his prayer concerning the frogs which he had appointed for Pharaoh were not answered, that is, according to the customary interpretation, concerning the frogs with which the Lord had smitten Pharaoh, or possibly: concerning the time of the removal of the frogs that Moses had fixed for Pharaoh. His prayer was heard. Currid - The verb ‘to cry out’ is used frequently in the story of the exodus from Egypt. It is always employed in situations of great peril. In Ex 5:15, the Hebrew foremen ‘cry out’ to Pharaoh because of the oppression of the Egyptians. When the Egyptian army bears down on the Hebrews at the Red Sea, the people ‘cry out’ to Yahweh for salvation (Ex 14:10). Here, in this passage, Moses ‘cried out’ to Yahweh because so much was at stake: to show Pharaoh the power of Yahweh and to legitimize Moses’ mission, it was important that Yahweh should answer the prophet’s prayer. Moses had put his word on the line, and it was necessary that the Lord should respond. Cried out (06817)(tsaaq) cry out, to summon. It refers to shouting, complaining loudly, to pleading for relief or justice, calling for help. Gilbrant - The verb occurs nearly fifty times in the Qal with the sense of crying out for help and consolation from suffering or injustice (e.g., 2 Ki. 8:3, 5; Job 19:7; Isa. 42:2). God heard the blood of Abel, which cried out from the ground for justice (Gen. 4:10). Tsāʿaq is frequently used to express the kinds of prayers directed to God in the midst of a despairing crisis. Moses, while leading the Israelites out of Egypt and through the wilderness, faced numerous difficult situations. And with the added complaints of the people, he would often cry out in desperation to the Lord for direction and strength (cf. Exo. 17:4). The verb is used frequently to describe the call for deliverance of the Israelites from the Egyptians and other oppressors (Num. 20:16; Deut. 26:7; Judg. 10:12; Neh. 9:27; Isa. 19:20). Tsāʿaq is also used to describe a lament of sorrow or even regret. When Esau realized that Jacob had beguiled him out of his birthright and that nothing could be done to reverse the situation, "He cried out with a great and exceeding bitter cry" (Gen. 27:34). The laments of the people became great because of the desolation of the land (Isa. 33:7; Jer. 22:20). Rivers of tears flowed continually over the destruction of Jerusalem (Lam. 2:18). Elisha cried when Elijah was taken up to the heavens (2 Ki. 2:12). The lament cry is a loud cry driven with much emotion and is at times coupled with other physical responses. The loudness of such a cry is not for the sake of being heard from a great distance but because of the extreme need for urgent help while in a desperate situation. But unlike a boisterous weeping or wail as a result of pain or grief, tsāʿaq exhibits a certain potential to provide an immediate change in the situation of distress. That is to say, the cry or lament for help is directed to someone or something that can provide help. Most of the time, the cries were directed to God, but there were instances when the lament cry was directed to human intervention in various circumstances and even fewer times to idols (e.g., Isa. 46:7). In time of famine, the Egyptians cried out to Pharaoh for food (Gen. 41:55), and the Israelites, while journeying through the wilderness, cried out to Moses for help and direction (Num. 11:1f). However, almost half of the occurrences of tsāʿaq are directed to God, Who hears them and answers them (e.g., Num. 20:16; Ps. 34:17; 77:1). (*Complete Biblical Library Hebrew-English Dictionary) Tsaaq - 54x in 53v - appeal(1), appealed(1), called the together(1), cried(27), cries(1), cry(14), cry aloud(1), crying(2), summoned(6). Gen. 4:10; Gen. 27:34; Gen. 41:55; Ex 5:8; Ex 5:15; Ex 8:12; Ex 14:10; Ex 14:15; Ex 15:25; Ex 17:4; Ex 22:23; Ex 22:27; Num. 11:2; Num. 12:13; Num. 20:16; Deut. 22:24; Deut. 22:27; Deut. 26:7; Jos. 24:7; Jdg. 4:3; Jdg. 7:23; Jdg. 7:24; Jdg. 10:12; Jdg. 10:17; Jdg. 12:1; 1 Sam. 10:17; 1 Sam. 13:4; 1 Ki. 20:39; 2 Ki. 2:12; 2 Ki. 3:21; 2 Ki. 4:1; 2 Ki. 4:40; 2 Ki. 6:5; 2 Ki. 6:26; 2 Ki. 8:3; 2 Ki. 8:5; 2 Chr. 13:14; Neh. 9:27; Job 19:7; Job 35:12; Ps. 34:17; Ps. 77:1; Ps. 88:1; Ps. 107:6; Ps. 107:28; Isa. 19:20; Isa. 33:7; Isa. 42:2; Isa. 46:7; Isa. 65:14; Jer. 22:20; Jer. 49:3; Lam. 2:18 Exodus 8:13 The LORD did according to the word of Moses, and the frogs died out of the houses, the courts, and the fields. JEHOVAH ANSWERS AFFIRMATIVELY The LORD did according to the word of Moses, and the frogs died out of the houses, the courts, and the fields - Again note this is evidence that this is not natural but supernatural. Frogs don't just die out naturally. NET Note - Just as Moses had told Pharaoh “according to your word” (Ex 8:10), now the LORD does “according to the word” of Moses. J Ligon Duncan - God’s sovereignty in this passage, is actually revealed in mercy in the gradualism of the plagues. Now what I mean by that is that God does not send the plague of death for the first plague. God visits the Nile. God sends the frogs. God sends the insects. God sends the boils. God sends the locusts. God gradually, repeatedly sends messages of warning to Egypt, and those messages themselves entail mercy. You see God’s patience in His not visiting a final judgment immediately, but in sending gradual, repeated, temporal judgments designed to reveal that He is the Lord was designed to revoke repentance. Exodus 8:14 So they piled them in heaps, and the land became foul. and the - Ex 8:24 7:21 Isa 34:2 Eze 39:11 Joe 2:20 FROGS TURN FOUL As one writer says "The land stank!" Consequences remain! This is exactly what sin often does to us (see thought below). So they piled them in heaps, and the land became foul - Piled in heaps reads more literally "they heaped them up, heaps, heaps" which emphasizes the immensity of the dead frog clean-up that was necessary to clear the homes and land! Pharaoh did not ask for their carcasses to be removed. God could have removed them but just killed them. The people still had to engage in removal of the bodies. Became foul is same word used in Ex 5:21+ when the foremen railed at Moses declaring "May the LORD look upon you and judge you, for you have made us odious (baash) in Pharaoh’s sight." Now Egypt had become odious before God! Currid says it this way "This is a reversal of the situation in Ex 5:21, in which the Hebrew foremen complained to Moses that he had caused them to ‘stink’ (same verb) before Pharaoh. God now causes Egypt to stink before him." The same verb was also used in describing the stench from dead fish in the Nile River. (Ex 7:18, 21+) Then the stench was just at the Nile River but now this is a stench over the entire land of Egypt! Use your imagination! I would imagine Pharaoh wished he had also asked Moses to entreat God to remove the dead frogs! After Israel's deliverance and God's provision of manna, this same word is used of manna which "bred worms and became foul; and Moses was angry with them." (Ex 16:20). NET on heaps - The word “heaps” is repeated: חֳמָרִם הֳמָרִם (khomarim khomarim). The repetition serves to intensify the idea to the highest degree—“countless heaps” THOUGHT - When we choose to sin, we don't have the option to choose the consequences. Even when we confess, God may remove some of the pressure of the effects of our sin, but some of the consequences continue. Such was the case with the frogs. The frogs were removed but the decaying bodies left lingering consequences reminding Pharaoh of his sin. The same is often true in our lives. So the moral is, choose life! Choose to trust and obey! Became foul (0887)(baash) means to have a bad smell or to stink. To be repulsive. (All uses in Exodus - Ex 5:21; Ex 7:18; Ex. 7:21; Ex. 8:14; Ex. 16:20; Ex 16:24). The Septuagint uses the verse ozo meaning to stink or give off an unpleasant odor used in John 11:39 in Martha's cry regarding Lazarus “Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days.” Exodus 8:15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not listen to them, as the LORD had said. But when Pharaoh saw- Ex 14:5 Ec 8:11 Isa 26:10 Jer 34:7-11 Ho 6:4 he hardened - Ex 4:21 7:4,13,14 Pr 29:1 Zec 7:11,12 Heb 3:8,15 Rev 16:9 PHARAOH HARDENS HIS HEART But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief - This is a bad "but!" But marks a change of direction and this "but" marks a change in the direction of Pharaoh's heart! The pressure was off, so he reverted to his previous thinking. THOUGHT - We are all a lot like Pharaoh. We confess our sin and promise God we won't do it again, but when the pressure is off and we are tempted again, we fall into the same old sin! Have you ever been there? Most of us can identify with this pattern. God's desire for us is to " lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us." (Hebrews 12:1+) And how can we be motivated to lay aside the sin which easily entangles us? Enabled by the Holy Spirit Who gives us the desire and power (Php 2:13NLT+), we can do it by "fixing (verb means looking away from everything else and focusing) our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of faith." (Hebrews 12:2+) We can do it by putting "on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts." (Ro 13:14+) Notice the pattern for victory over the flesh - (1) Surrender to the Spirit (2) Enabled by the Spirit make Jesus your the focus of your affection. See discussion of The Expulsive Power of a New Affection. There was relief - KJV = "there was respite" The rare Hebrew verb revachah (only other use Lam 3:56) means to be wide or spacious, so the idea is that now that the pressure was off there was relief and freedom for Pharaoh to move about. Little did he know this as only the beginning of these horrors in Egypt. The Hebrew revachah is translated in Greek with the noun anapsuxis (from anapsucho from ana = again ~repetition + psucho = breathe) which literally means a relief from heat and then cooling, refreshing or relaxing. BDAG adds anapsuxis describes the "experience of relief from obligation or trouble, breathing space." It is as if the Pharaoh now had a little "breathing room" so to speak! And old habits die hard! It is used only once in the NT, in Acts 3:20+ to describe the the messianic age (Millennial Kingdom) as a wonderful rest and relief from distressing circumstances especially as they relate to Israel who will have just gone through their most horrible time of sifting called the time of Jacob's Distress or Trouble (Jeremiah 30:7+). he hardened his heart and did not listen to them - Literally "he made his heart heavy." The Greek verb used in the Septuagint is baruno which means to weigh down or burden. God kept His word, but Pharaoh broke his! Hard hearts are hard to break! "Pharaoh, as soon as there is relief in sight, steels his heart, and interestingly condemns himself. He steels his heart against the Lord just as the Lord had predicted." (Duncan) Cassuto - However, Pharaoh’s submission was only a pretence, for the sake of deliverance from an evil plight. When the frogs were removed, 15 [11] and Pharaoh saw that the respite had come, that is, relief from the affliction, he immediately made his heart stubborn, denied his promises, and did not listen to them—to Moses and Aaron—as the Lord had spoken The most common word used for hardening his heart is kabad which has the basic meaning of to be heavy (like "heavy with sin.") When used of Pharaoh's heart it means be morally stubborn regarding a change of action or attitude. Driver adds that kabad stresses the will as being slow to move, unimpressionable, slow to be affected (Ex 8:15; Ex 8:32; Ex 9:7; Ex 9:34; Ex 10:1; Ex 14:4; Ex 14:17) Note it is somewhat ironic that the verb kabad is used here for hardening but is used later for honoring (first God, then parents in Ex 14:18; Ex 20:12)! As the LORD had said - God had told Moses this would happen. NET Note - The end of the plague revealed clearly God’s absolute control over Egypt’s life and deities—all at the power of the man who prayed to God. Yahweh had made life unpleasant for the people by sending the plague, but he was also the one who could remove it. The only recourse anyone has in such trouble is to pray to the sovereign Lord God. Everyone should know that there is no one like Yahweh. (ED: Good point!) David Thompson makes an excellent point - We get a glimpse here as to what a hardened heart actually does. It sees clear direct evidence of God and His power and His Word and His will and yet still refuses to accept it or submit to it. A hardened heart actually knows the Word of God and work of God, but refuses to yield to it. THOUGHT - I had such an experience with an elderly Jewish opthalmologist, Otto Leipmann, who managed to escape Nazi Germany before Hitler began his most aggressive genocide. Someone in the front office (I was head of pathology so problems usually came to me) called on the intercom to tell me there was an elderly Dr Leipmann who wanted to speak with me. I checked the Travis County Medical Society book for pictures and notice he had graduated from the University of Breslau. So I quickly put Zechariah 12:10 on my computer screen and waited for him to be escorted back to my office. After I had addressed his question (which I cannot remember), I ask Dr Leipmann simply to read Zechariah 12:10+ "“I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn." He agreed and slowly read it. Then he looked up and me and he was silent. I asked him "Of Whom do you think the prophet Zechariah was speaking?" He paused and then with a soft voice, almost a whisper, said "Jesus." I could have fell out of my chair! I asked him if he believed in the Messiah and he said "No, I don't." Then he said something that has haunted me ever since (that must have been about 1990-95 (can't remember exact dates). He said "I know but I don't have the faith to believe." You could have picked me up a second time off of the floor (so to speak). I told him I would be praying for him to have the faith to believe that Jesus was the Messiah. We parted and I never saw him again. I tried to follow-up (that was before email) but never with any success. Will I see Dr Otto in Heaven? I certainly pray so. The point of this story is that Dr Otto in my office that day was like Pharaoh. Both knew but neither believed (but I can still hope that some day Dr Otto's eyes were opened before they were closed forever!). HARDENING THE HEART OF PHARAOH Hardened - Study all 18 instances in Exodus which mention the hardening of the heart of Pharaoh. Notice which are prophecy, which are ambiguous as to the hardening agent, which are caused by Jehovah and which reflect the choice of Pharaoh's self-will. I think you will find this an interesting exercise as you wrestle with this subject of God hardening a person's heart. Ex 4:21+ The LORD said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your power; but I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. Ex 7:3+ But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart that I may multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. Ex 7:13+ Yet Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the LORD had said. Ex 7:22+ But the magicians of Egypt did the same with their secret arts; and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the LORD had said. Ex 8:15+ But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not listen to them, as the LORD had said. Ex 8:19+ Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the LORD had said. Ex 8:32+ But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and he did not let the people go. Ex 9:7+ Pharaoh sent, and behold, there was not even one of the livestock of Israel dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go. Ex 9:12+ And the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not listen to them, just as the LORD had spoken to Moses. Ex 9:34+ But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he sinned again and hardened his heart, he and his servants. Ex 9:35+ Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not let the sons of Israel go, just as the LORD had spoken through Moses. Ex 10:1+ Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may perform these signs of Mine among them, Ex 10:20+ But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the sons of Israel go. Ex 10:27+ But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he was not willing to let them go. Ex 11:10+ Moses and Aaron performed all these wonders before Pharaoh; yet the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the sons of Israel go out of his land. Ex 14:4+ “Thus I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will chase after them; and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.” And they did so. Ex 14:8+ The LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he chased after the sons of Israel as the sons of Israel were going out boldly. Ex 14:17+ “As for Me, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them; and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. Summary - 6x Jehovah definitely hardened Pharaoh’s heart. 4x Jehovah gave a prophecy (I will). 5x the agent hardening is not stated. 3x Pharaoh hardened his own heart. The first definite mention of one hardening Pharaoh’s heart is Pharaoh (Ex 8:15). Exodus 8:16 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 'Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, that it may become gnats through all the land of Egypt.'" Stretch - Ex 8:5,17 Geb "father of the earth" PLAGUE #3 GNATS UNANNOUNCED This third plague came as a "supernatural surprise" - Ryken comments that many scholars "have noticed that the first nine plagues come in three sets of three. Before the first plague in each cycle, Moses goes to Pharaoh early in the morning (plagues 1, 4, and 7; see Ex 7:15, Ex 8:20, and Ex 9:13). Before the second plague in each cycle he confronts Pharaoh at his palace (plagues 2, 5, and 8; see Ex 8:1–3, Ex 9:1, and Ex 10:1). The third and final plague in each group comes without any warning or confrontation at all (plagues 3, 6, and 9; see Ex 8:16, Ex 9:8, and Ex 10:21). One advantage of grouping the plagues this way is that attention is drawn to the tenth and final plague, which stands alone as the deadly climax of God’s judgment against the Egyptians and their gods." (PW-Ex) Then the LORD said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 'Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, that it may become gnats through all the land of Egypt.' - First, notice that this plague (unlike the first 2 - Ex ) came without any advanced warning to Pharaoh. Second, notice it is a miracle of creation, dust to gnat. Ryken says "A miracle is a direct act of divine intervention in which God overrules his creation to display his glory." Ps 105:31 says "He spoke, and there came a swarm of flies And gnats in all their territory." The dust to gnats reminds us of Genesis 2:7 "Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being." It is also intriguing that the word dust was used to describe God's judgment on the serpent declaring "cursed are you more than all the cattle...on your belly you will go and dust you will eat all the days of your life." (Ge 3:14) So here was Satan's man Pharaoh who would encounter dust that God made into gnats! And he probably ended up swallowing a few! And later after Israel had been delivered and made a golden calf, Moses ground it up "until it was fine as dust and threw its dust into the brook." (Dt 9:21). Currid on dust of the earth - Why the dust of the earth? This is a common Hebrew expression that reflects great enormity and intensity. For example, when God promises that Abraham will have an immense number of descendants he says they will be as ‘the dust of the earth’ (Gen. 13:16). That same promise is given to Jacob in Genesis 28:14. The point is that the gnats which will descend upon Egypt will be innumerable. The meaning of the Hebrew term for ‘gnats’ is unclear. Many scholars translate it as ‘gnats’, but other suggested translations include ‘vermin’, ‘lice’, ‘maggots’, or ‘mosquitoes’. (Ibid) Ryken - God’s strategy for gaining glory over the gods of Egypt was to defeat them one at a time by demonstrating his control over the creatures that the Egyptians worshiped. (This plague may have been directed against Hathor, Nut) (Ibid) Thompson - “gnat” refers to a tiny biting insect that is able to bite a human or animal and cause burning painful itch and even carry various diseases. Now many believe this was a mosquito type of insect. But for those who have spent time in the south where there is a lot of swampy area and sand, you know that the sand gnats are a painful nuisance.