Exodus - Chapter 8

Exodus 8.1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, Go unto Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me. Exodus 8.2 And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs: Exodus 8.3 And the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into thine house, and into thy bedchamber, and upon thy bed, and into the house of thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thine ovens, and into thy kneadingtroughs: Exodus 8.4 And the frogs shall come up both on thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants. Exodus 8.5 And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch forth thine hand with thy rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt. Exodus 8.6 And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt. Exodus 8.7 And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt. Exodus 8.8 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, Intreat the LORD, that he may take away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may do sacrifice unto the LORD. Exodus 8.9 And Moses said unto Pharaoh, Glory over me: when shall I intreat for thee, and for thy servants, and for thy people, to destroy the frogs from thee and thy houses, that they may remain in the river only? Exodus 8.10 And he said, To morrow. And he said, Be it according to thy word: that thou mayest know that there is none like unto the LORD our God. Exodus 8.11 And the frogs shall depart from thee, and from thy houses, and from thy servants, and from thy people; they shall remain in the river only. Exodus 8.12 And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh: and Moses cried unto the LORD because of the frogs which he had brought against Pharaoh. Exodus 8.13 And the LORD did according to the word of Moses; and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the villages, and out of the fields. Exodus 8.14 And they gathered them together upon heaps: and the land stank. Exodus 8.15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said. Exodus 8.16 And the LORD said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt. Exodus 8.17 And they did so; for Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man, and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt. Exodus 8.18 And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: so there were lice upon man, and upon beast. Exodus 8.19 Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said. Exodus 8.20 And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh; lo, he cometh forth to the water; and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me. Exodus 8.21 Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are. Exodus 8.22 And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there; to the end thou mayest know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth. Exodus 8.23 And I will put a division between my people and thy people: to morrow shall this sign be. Exodus 8.24 And the LORD did so; and there came a grievous swarm of flies into the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants’ houses, and into all the land of Egypt: the land was corrupted by reason of the swarm of flies. Exodus 8.25 And Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron, and said, Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land. Exodus 8.26 And Moses said, It is not meet so to do; for we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to the LORD our God: lo, shall we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, and will they not stone us? Exodus 8.27 We will go three days’ journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the LORD our God, as he shall command us. Exodus 8.28 And Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only ye shall not go very far away: intreat for me. Exodus 8.29 And Moses said, Behold, I go out from thee, and I will intreat the LORD that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, to morrow: but let not Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the LORD. Exodus 8.30 And Moses went out from Pharaoh, and intreated the LORD. Exodus 8.31 And the LORD did according to the word of Moses; and he removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; there remained not one. Exodus 8.32 And Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also, neither would he let the people go.

Exodus : Chapter 8

Reflection on Exodus 8 and the Sovereignty of God

Exodus chapter 8 continues the account of the plagues of Egypt, poignantly illustrating how God distinguishes his people in the midst of judgment. This striking passage describes the plagues of frogs, lice, and flies, highlighting God's sovereign control over nature and worldly events.

Main Themes of the Chapter

This chapter explores key themes such as the escalating conflict between God and Pharaoh, the latter's attempts at compromise, and divine protection over Goshen, the land of his people. God's power is highlighted by the futility of Egyptian magic, which clashes with divine authority. As we meditate on Exodus 8, we are called to reflect on these fundamental truths of our faith.

Scripture Meditation

We invite you to meditate on five biblical passages that shed light on the themes of sovereignty and separation present in this revelatory chapter:

  1. Psalm 105:30-31: "Their land was infested with frogs, even in the royal chambers," he commanded, and swarms of flies and lice invaded all the land."

    This psalm recalls the plagues of frogs and lice described in Exodus 8, highlighting God's power in the history of nations.

  2. Revelation 16:13: "Then I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet."

    This vision uses the imagery of frogs, reminiscent of the plague in Exodus 8:1-15, highlighting God's final judgment on the forces of evil.

  3. Romans 1:18-20: "Therefore God gave them up to sexual impurity, according to the sinful desires of their hearts, to the degradation of their bodies among themselves."

    Paul reflects on how God sometimes allows people to follow their sinful ways, an echo of Pharaoh's hardening of heart in Exodus 8.

  4. Luke 11:20: "But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you."

    Jesus mentions the "finger of God," an expression used by Pharaoh's magicians in Exodus 8:19, emphasizing divine superiority over all false authority.

  5. Matthew 24:24: "For false Christs and false prophets will appear, performing great signs and wonders, to deceive, if possible, even the elect."

    Jesus warns against false miracles, recalling Pharaoh's magicians in Exodus 8:7, calling us to discern truth from deception.

As we immerse ourselves in the teachings of Exodus 8 and the accompanying biblical passages, we are invited to recognize God's sovereignty and experience His protection in our lives. May this meditation nourish our faith and guide us on the path of truth.