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The Hardened Heart
Pharaoh was not impressed – at least not enough – by God turning the water of the Nile into
blood
Second plague: the invasion of frogs + too many frog legs - Exodus 8:1 – 7
Psalm 105:26ff
The frog god “Heget” was a life and fertility symbol - she had the head of a frog
Well, enough of frogs so Pharaoh relents…kind of – Exodus 8:8 – 14
Why did Moses let Pharaoh select the time for the frogs to leave?
To prove to him and the nation that Jehovah was the living God and that He is in control
An interesting question: Why did Pharaoh not ask for immediate deliverance from the frogs?
Why postpone recovery until the next day?
The answer: Your guess is as good as mine!!
But no surprise, Pharaoh hardened his heart to God's power - Exodus 8:15
Third plague, the dust of the ground to become gnats
This time Pharaoh's court magicians couldn't duplicate it and admitted it was God – Exodus 8:16
– 19
That the dust became gnats was perhaps a judgment against Set, an Egyptian god of the desert,
storms, disorder and violence
God’s power was seen because He could give life to insignificant dust and use that life to punish
the people of Egypt
Consider: The Egyptians in general, and the priests in particular, were fanatical about
cleanliness
The priests frequently washed and shaved their bodies in order to be acceptable to their gods
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Imagine the priests when their bodies were invaded by unclean gnats that made life miserable
for them…and their gods could do nothing to deliver them!
But, it is not over yet…
Seven more plagues to come…
Or Else is being realized…
Fourth plague: Flies – Exodus 8:20 - 32
Moses met Pharaoh in the morning as he came from the water
Same message: "Let My people go"
OR your land will be covered with "swarms of flies"
In Psalms the writer speaks of these problems brought on Egypt – Psalm 78:45
To the ancient Egyptians, the biting fly symbolized tenacity and persistence. A military
decoration known as the "Order of the Golden Fly" or "Fly of Valor" was awarded to their
soldiers for bravery in battle
A new twist was that this plague was to affect everyone and every place in Egypt…EXCEPT for
the land of Goshen where God’s people lived - Genesis 45:10; 47:27
God protected His people from the flies by exempting the Israelites from this plague
In doing so, He emphasized that "I, the LORD, am in this land" – Exodus 8:22
Moses states that this plague would begin tomorrow – Exodus 8:23
As a result, the arrival of the swarms" could not be seen as coincidental
The plague begin at Pharaoh’s house and then on the rest of the people – Exodus 8:24
Again, Pharaoh sees the light – well kinda - and makes a suggestion – Exodus 8: 25 – 32 (discuss)
James K. Hoffmeier suggested that the Egyptians might have objected to Israel's sacrificing
for any one of three reasons:
(1) They might have objected to sacrificing cattle because they viewed them as sacred
(2) They might have objected to sacrificing sheep because of their aversion to shepherds Genesis 46:34
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(3) They might have simply objected to the sacrificial rites of Israel
Whatever the reason for the objection, Moses' protest said that it would be inappropriate to
offer God pure offerings in a pagan land
Moses therefore insisted on Israel's going on a three days' journey into the wilderness in order
to make their sacrifices to the Lord
Of course it was not to be…8:32
We need to consider these lessons and see what application we can make for today
God's people were in bondage in Egypt
Today, many people are in bondage to sin – things they cannot seem to give up
The most dangerous bondage is that of the hardening of the Heart – Exodus 8:15
Some people suffer from a dangerous condition called "hardening of the arteries"
This medical condition is "a chronic disease in which thickening and hardening of the arterial
walls impair blood circulation"
A person who has this disease is in danger of suffering a stroke or a heart attack
An even more deadly disease is the "hardening of the heart" – it can bring eternal death
How can our hearts be hardened?
The New Testament says that some have their consciences "seared as with a hot iron" - 1
Timothy 4:2; also note Acts 19:9; Hebrews 3:8, 13, 15; 4:7
If one persistently refuses to hear the Word of God in spite of the evidence for its truth, this
is evidence of a hard heart
We must remember that the hardening of the heart is more dangerous than the hardening of
the arteries because it can lead to eternal death!
God's Word speaks of His love that can soften a hard heart
The story of the cross and the Christ who died for us can soften a hard heart that has been
erected between man and God's mercy
We need to come to Him in faith and obedience…exposing our softened heart to His grace