Episode 361 - "Humbled Before God" - Exodus 9:1-12
Ex. 9:1 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, “Let my people go, that they may serve me. 2 For if you refuse to let them go and still hold them, 3 behold, the hand of the LORD will fall with a very severe plague upon your livestock that are in the field, the horses, the donkeys, the camels, the herds, and the flocks. 4 But the LORD will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that nothing of all that belongs to the people of Israel shall die.’” 5 And the LORD set a time, saying, “Tomorrow the LORD will do this thing in the land.” 6 And the next day the LORD did this thing. All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one of the livestock of the people of Israel died. 7 And Pharaoh sent, and behold, not one of the livestock of Israel was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go.
The Sixth Plague: Boils
Ex. 9:8 And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from the kiln, and let Moses throw them in the air in the sight of Pharaoh. 9 It shall become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and become boils breaking out in sores on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt.” 10 So they took soot from the kiln and stood before Pharaoh. And Moses threw it in the air, and it became boils breaking out in sores on man and beast. 11 And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils came upon the magicians and upon all the Egyptians. 12 But the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them, as the LORD had spoken to Moses.
In this episode we’re looking at the fifth and sixth plagues the LORD brought upon Egypt. This plague the LORD sent upon the Egyptians' livestock offers a few interesting details. First, the LORD’s message, delivered through Moses to Pharaoh, includes a warning that a “very severe plague” would fall upon the Egyptians’ livestock but not touch those of the Hebrew people. A very severe plague? Weren't the other plagues very severe? I suspected this was perhaps an interpretive discretion by the English translator. But it is a literal rendering of the Hebrew text. The point is that it should get Pharaoh’s attention, correct? How much worse could it be?
Next, the LORD set the time for when it would happen. It’s not Moses giving Pharaoh the opportunity to challenge the LORD by letting him dictate the time of the plague. This is the LORD telling Pharaoh, “It’s going to be really bad if you don’t let the people go, and the clock is ticking.”
Finally, Pharaoh sent delegates to confirm the LORD’s promise that the plague would not affect the livestock of the Hebrews. I’m surprised he bothered. When had the LORD failed to do what he has promised? Why would a person not finally relent and respond to the LORD’s grace when time after time the LORD had proven himself faithful to his word? The same question applies to us today.
What stands out to me in the plague of the boils is that Pharaoh’s magicians could not stand before Moses. The LORD’s discipline is clearly meant to humble those who oppose him. This is not the LORD being mean. It’s intended to correct the rebellion.
We observe an apparent problem in the sixth plague since it would affect animals as well. Weren’t “all” the livestock killed by the fifth plague? I think there are at least a few possibilities to explain this. First, as we read through this, it feels like each plague starts soon after the previous one ends. But the text makes no such claim. Plenty of time could pass between, allowing them to acquire more livestock and work animals. Pharaoh may even have “acquired” livestock from the Hebrews, since their livestock weren’t affected by the fifth plague.
As we’ve walked through six of the ten plagues, I hope you’re getting the picture that God is not a sadistic divine force who enjoys bringing pain upon both humanity and other living things. Rather, this is a God who is making himself known and worthy to follow and worship. If we position ourselves against him, he can and will find ways to keep us from standing in opposition to him.