SERIES C --- EXODUS FROM BONDAGE --- LESSON 06
FROGS, GNATS, AND FLIES
THE HEART OF THE KING
From Exodus 8
[Take a message to Pharaoh for Me,] Adonai told Moses. [Tell him that he must let My people go to worship Me. If he refuses, I will fill the whole land with frogs. They will infest the Nile River and come up into the Egyptian houses. They will go even into the bedrooms of the Egyptians and their servants and jump into bed with them. The Egyptians will find frogs everywhere, even in their ovens and kneading bowls.] But Pharaoh would not let the people go to worship Adonai. Adonai told Moses what Aaron should do. [Point your rod toward the rivers, canals and pools of Egypt so that frogs will come to every part of the land.] When Aaron obeyed, frogs covered the land. But the magicians of Egypt used their secret magic and also caused frogs to come upon the land. Pharaoh was alarmed and called for Moses and Aaron, begging them to take the frogs away. [Ask your YHVH to remove the frogs and I will let your people go to worship Him,] he promised. [When should YHVH remove the frogs?] Moses asked. [You set the time and then I will pray for YHVH to destroy the frogs at that time. They will remain only in the Nile River.] [Take them away tomorrow!] said Pharaoh. [It will be done as you say,] Moses replied. [Then you will know that there is no one like our Elohiym. Tomorrow the frogs will die, except in the Nile River.] When Moses left with Aaron, he begged Adonai to destroy the frogs as Pharaoh had asked. Adonai answered Moses’ prayer and the frogs throughout the land died. The people piled the dead frogs into heaps and a terrible smell came over the land. But as soon as the frogs were gone, Pharaoh’s heart grew hard and he refused to let the people of Israel go, just as Adonai had said. Once again Adonai Commanded Moses. [Tell Aaron to hit the dust of the ground with his rod,] Adonai said. [When he does, the dust will turn to gnats throughout Egypt.] As soon as Moses and Aaron obeyed, the land was infested with gnats. They covered the Egyptians and their animals. Pharaoh’s magicians tried to do the same with their secret magic, but this time they failed. [This is the finger of YHVH!] the magicians cried out to Pharaoh. But Pharaoh was so stubborn that he would not listen to them, just as Adonai had said. [Go to meet Pharaoh early tomorrow morning,] Adonai told Moses. [Meet him at the Nile River as he comes to bathe. Tell him to let My people go or I will send swarms of flies upon him and his people. The houses of Egypt will be filled with flies and the ground will be covered. But from now on, I will make a difference between the homes of the Egyptians and the land of Goshen, where the people of Israel live. There will be no flies in Goshen and Pharaoh will know that I am Adonai over all the earth. Tomorrow he will realize that I am treating My people and his people differently.] The next day Adonai did exactly as He had said. There were flies everywhere; from Pharaoh’s palace to his servants’ houses and the flies were ruining the land. Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron. [Go,] he said. [Take your people to sacrifice to your YHVH. But stay in Egypt.] [No,] said Moses. [We can’t stay in Egypt. Your people hate our sacrifices. If they see us, they will kill us by throwing stones at us. We must make a three-day journey into the wilderness to sacrifice there to our YHVH as He Commanded.] [Then go!] Pharaoh ordered. [But don’t go too far. Now ask your YHVH to take away these flies.] [I shall ask Adonai to take away the flies,] said Moses. [But you must never deceive us again after promising that we can go to sacrifice to Adonai.] When Moses left Pharaoh, he prayed for Adonai to remove the flies. Adonai answered his prayer and took the swarms of flies away from Pharaoh and his people. But Pharaoh became stubborn again and refused to let the people of Israel go.
COMMENTARY
ISRAEL: EGYPT’S BUILDERS
Imagine swarms of frogs in your home, your bedroom, your bed itself! Pharaoh was repelled by the plague of frogs, but when they were removed, he hardened his resolve not to let the Israelites go. How would Pharaoh respond as YHVH brought other plagues to prove His power over all the powers of Egypt? Why was Pharaoh so reluctant to let the Israelites go? He may not have liked the Israelites very much, but they were certainly needed to get a lot of Pharaoh’s work done. The Israelites were used for the hardest backbreaking labour; brick making and building construction. The Egyptians wanted to be spared work like that, so slaves and prisoners of war did it for them. If the rulers needed more workers, they would take away the privileges of a group of foreigners living in the country and use them for slave labour. The Israelites did much of building the store-cities. Since taxes were paid in grain, flax and farm animals, places were needed to store them before they could be used or sold by the government. The store-cities were used for that purpose. They were very important in the life of the country. Driven hard by the taskmasters who supervised them, slaves were doomed to a life of unending labour for as long as they lived. Only someone very powerful could help them, and that happened very rarely. There was one good thing about the Israelites’ labour. When they arrived in Palestine, they already knew how to construct buildings and houses to shelter themselves. They had been forced to learn it in Egypt. No wonder Pharaoh didn’t want to let them go. They were the cheap labour that helped keep the country going!
Thought for Today: Sunday December 25:
Let us rest in YHVH Elohiym. The time devoted to Him is meant to be peaceful, not stressful. We do not have to perform in order to receive His Love. He has boundless, unconditional Love for all of us. I think it must grieve Him immensely to see His children working for acceptance and Love; always trying harder and harder, yet never feeling good enough to be Loved. Let us be careful that our devotion to Him does not become another form of works. He wants us to come into His Presence joyfully and confidently. We have nothing to fear, for we wear His Own Righteousness. Let us gaze into His Eyes, then we will se there are no condemnation, only Love and delight in what He see. Let us take this blessing as His Face shines radiantly upon us, giving us Peace.
The life of the nation is secure only while the nation is honest, truthful, and virtuous. -Frederick Douglass
We are quick to proclaim that we can do all things in Messiah Yeshua, and that our God provides for all our needs, but do we really believe that when hard times come?
https://thebarkingfox.com/2022..../12/24/menu-selectio
We are quick to proclaim that we can do all things in Messiah Yeshua, and that our God provides for all our needs, but do we really believe that when hard times come?
https://thebarkingfox.com/2022..../12/24/menu-selectio
Just think of this:
IF our greatest need had been information – YHVH would have sent us an educator
IF our greatest need had been technology – YHVH would have sent us a scientist
IF our greatest need had been money – YHVH would have sent us an economist
IF our greatest need had been pleasure – YHVH would have sent us an entertainer
But our greatest need was forgiveness, thus, YHVH sent us a Saviour – Yeshua Moshiach! Let us give Praise to Elohiym for this precious Gift.
Whenever people talk about "gender roles" in the Bible, the term "helpmeet" is bound to come up. But what does this word actually mean?
https://www.americantorah.com/....2021/02/26/what-does
The sun has set, and Sabbath has started in Michigan. <3 We are celebrating what YHVH did to save His people and prepare the world for our Messiah and savior, Yeshua. Shabbat shalom!
SERIES C --- EXODUS FROM BONDAGE --- LESSON 05
A TEST OF POWER
WHEN WATER BECAME BLOOD
From Exodus 6:1-13, 28-30; 7
[Now you will see what I plan to do with Pharaoh,] Adonai said to Moses. [He will not only want to see the Israelites leave, he will want so much to have them go that he will drive them out.] Adonai said also to Moses, [I am the Almighty YHVH who appeared to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob even though they did not know Me by My Name, YAHVEH. I made My Covenant with them with a promise that they and their descendants would have the land of Canaan, where they lived. I have listened to My people groan because of their bondage to the Egyptians and I have remembered My Covenant with them. [Tell the descendants of Jacob, whose other name was Israel, that through My great Power, I will bring them out of their bondage. With My arm stretched forth, sending severe judgments upon Egypt, I will free them from slavery and redeem them. I will make them My people and I will be their YHVH. Tell My people that they will know that I am Adonai, their YHVH Elohiym, YHVH Elohiym Who will free them from Egypt’s bondage and will bring them to the land I promised to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob for a possession.] Moses reported to the people what Adonai had said. But the people were so downhearted because of their slavery that they would not listen to him. [Return to Pharaoh,] Adonai told Moses. [Tell him to let My people go from Egypt.] [I am such a poor speaker that even my own people have not listened to me,] Moses protested. [How can I expect Pharaoh to listen?] But Adonai ordered Moses to go back to his people and to Pharaoh and insist that the people go free from Egypt. [I am YAHVEH,] Adonai said. [Tell Pharaoh what I have told you. You will be like a god to Pharaoh and your brother Aaron will be like a prophet. What I Command, you will speak and Aaron will relay the message to Pharaoh. You will insist that My people go free. But I will let Pharaoh have his stubborn way, refusing to let them go, so that I may show My mighty miracles. But even with mighty miracles, Pharaoh will cling stubbornly to your people. Then I will lay My hand of judgment on Egypt and bring out My people with great power. The Egyptians will learn that I am YHVH when they see what I will do to them.] Moses was eighty years old at this time and Aaron was eighty-three. Whatever commands Adonai gave them, they obeyed. Adonai reminded Moses and Aaron that Pharaoh would demand a miracle when they went to see him. [When he does, Aaron will throw his shepherd’s rod before Pharaoh and it will become a snake. Through this miracle you will prove that YHVH has sent you.] Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did what Adonai had told them. When Aaron threw his rod to the floor, it became a snake. But Pharaoh brought in his magicians and they did the same with their magic. The rods of the magicians also became snakes, but Aaron’s snake swallowed theirs. Pharaoh still stubbornly refused to listen, just as Adonai had said. [Pharaoh’s heart is hard; he refuses to let My people go,] Adonai told Moses. [Return to meet him in the morning as he stands by the river. Take your rod with you and tell him that I have sent you. Tell him that I demanded that My people go to serve Me in the wilderness but that he has not obeyed. You will then tell Pharaoh that I am Adonai. Strike the water of the Nile River with your rod and it will turn to blood. The fish in the river will die and the water will smell so bad that the Egyptians will refuse to drink it. Then you will instruct Aaron to reach out his rod toward all the waters of Egypt; the rivers, canals, ponds and pools and even the water stored in wood and stone vessels. When he does, all of the water of Egypt will turn to blood.] Moses and Aaron obeyed Adonai completely. While Pharaoh watched, Aaron struck the water of the Nile River with his rod and the entire river turned to blood. The fish died and the water became so foul that the people could not drink it. Throughout the land of Egypt, the water turned to blood. But Pharaoh’s magicians also used their magic to turn water to blood. And Pharaoh stubbornly refused to listen to Moses and Aaron, as Adonai had said he would and returned to his palace. The Egyptians dug wells along the Nile for water to drink, for they could not drink the water of the Nile. But Adonai kept the water as blood for seven days.
COMMENTARY
THE NILE RIVER
When Moses came again to Pharaoh to restate YHVH’s Command, the Egyptian demanded a miracle. Moses told his brother, Aaron, to throw down his rod and it became a serpent. The Egyptian magicians seemed to duplicate the feat! This passage tells how YHVH won that first test of power. And it contains YHVH’s promise of such great acts of judgment that the Egyptians would know that He is Adonai. Bathtub and swimming pool, washing machine and cow wash, animal trough and watering can; the ancient Egyptians used the Nile River for almost everything. It was the centre of their lives. The land around the Nile was dry; very little rain ever fell; and the river was just about the only source of water. That made it the source of life. Without it, food could not be grown or man and animals kept alive. So, the people lived near the river and almost nowhere else. Even today, most Egyptians live on a tiny part of the land; all along the banks of the Nile. The land to the east of the river holds the barren lonely hills of the Red Sea. To the west, only the flat windswept wasteland of the desert stretches as far as the eye can see. No trees grow anywhere. But the river overflows each summer and leaves silt behind that makes the soil rich and black. Vivid green fields spread out on nearby land, with huge yellow clusters of dates and fluffy cotton and sugar cane stalks dancing in the hot wind. Wonderful sights follow the path of the Nile. To the south, water cuts through deep, narrow canyons. Their towering walls are so high, the sun’s rays cannot get through and the river below lies in dim shadow. Giant waterfalls and wild foaming water fade into huge, quiet bays. Surrounding these bays grow thick, lush grass taller than a man. The Nile begins in the south and flows toward the north. Lake Victoria, the giant body of water that is its source, is the second largest fresh-water lake in the world. Only Lake Superior is larger. From where it begins in the south to where it empties into the Mediterranean Sea in the north, the Nile travels over three thousand miles; farther than the trip from New York to California. The ancient Egyptians thanked the river through their god Hapi, [pronounced HAY- pee]. This god of the Nile was fat just as the land was [fat] with crops and happy as the people were happy with prosperity. He even changed colours along with the river. The Nile became green at low tide and so did Hapi. When the river was red with silt as it overflowed, he just as easily turned red. Hapi was a favourite god of the Egyptians. No temples were erected to him and no taxes collected for his benefit. It was very easy for the people to show their gratitude and believe he stayed happy. And the Nile River kept flowing, making it possible for the Egyptians to live.
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