Dave Burnette's Commentary

Exodus Chapter 8

Written By: God through Inspiration
Penned By: Moses
Date Penned: (1450-1410 BC)
Overview: The Record of God's Deliverance of Israel (c 1-40)
Theme: Israel in Egypt (c 1-12)
Message: The Plagues Continue in Egypt (v 1-32)

Exodus 8 Commentary

(8:3-4) The Plague of Frogs -  Moses predicted that the houses of Egypt would be infested with frogs. The poor of Egypt lived in small, mud-brick houses of one or two rooms with palm-trunk roofs. The homes of the rich, however, were often two or three stories high, surrounded by landscaped gardens and enclosed by high walls. Servants lived and worked on the first floor while the family occupied the upper floors. Thus, if the frogs got into the royal bedrooms, they had infiltrated even the upper floors. No place in Egypt would be safe from them.

(8:15) Pharaoh Hardens His Heart - After repeated warnings, Pharaoh still refused to obey God. He hardened his heart every time there was a break in the plagues. Through his stubborn disobedience, he brought suffering upon himself and his entire country. While persistence is good, stubbornness is usually self-centered. Stubbornness toward God amounts to rebellion against him. Rebellion not only will bring you grief but also may affect those who stand with you.

(8:19) The Plague of Lice - Some people think, If only I could see a miracle, I could believe in God. God gave Pharaoh just such an opportunity. When lice infested Egypt, even the magicians agreed that this was God's work ("the finger of God")- but still Pharaoh refused to believe. He was stubborn, and stubbornness can blind a person to the truth. When you rid yourself of stubbornness, you may be surprised by the abundant evidence of God's work in your life

(8:25-29) Pharaoh Attempts to Compromise - Pharaoh wanted a compromise. He would allow the Hebrews to sacrifice, but only if they would do it nearby. God's requirement, however, was firm: The Hebrews had to leave Egypt. Sometimes people urge believers to compromise and only partially obey God's commands. But commitment and obedience to God cannot be negotiated. When it comes to obeying God, half measures won't do.

(8:26) The Hebrews Offends the Egyptians -  " We shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians" means the Israelites would be sacrificing animals that the Egyptians regarded as sacred, and this would be offensive to them. Moses was concerned about a violent reaction to sacrificing these animals near the Egyptians.


Dave Burnette's Life Application

Almost Persuaded


Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today we Continue in the book of Exodus with Chapter 8 . In today's text we see Pharaoh is not moved after the river of Blood and the Plague of Frogs, Lice, and flies is unveiled. Yesterday we looked at the hardening of Pharaohs' heart and the starting of the plagues but today the power and reality of the God of Israel being the one true God. This causes Pharaohs' heart to be softened and he is almost persuaded to repent but at the last minute he changes his mind. In making application I see how when God confronts us with Himself to us it brings conviction. This conviction brings us to a point of repentance. A humble surrender to the truth of God would have stopped the Plagues and suffering of him and his people. The lesson to be learned is if God convicts us we should repent lest we pay even a bigger price for our disobedience. How about you? If God convicts you do you repent? Let us learn from our text today and the example of Pharaoh that if God convicts we must repent.

 

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Exodus 8


Exodus 8

 1And 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.

 2And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs:

 3And 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:

 4And the frogs shall come up both on thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants.

 5And 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.

 6And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt.

 7And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt.

 8Then 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.

 9And 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?

 10And 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.

 11And 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.

 12And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh: and Moses cried unto the LORD because of the frogs which he had brought against Pharaoh.

 13And 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.

 14And they gathered them together upon heaps: and the land stank.

 15But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.

 16And 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.

 17And 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.

 18And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: so there were lice upon man, and upon beast.

 19Then 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.

 20And 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.

 21Else, 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.

 22And 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.

 23And I will put a division between my people and thy people: to morrow shall this sign be.

 24And 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.

 25And Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron, and said, Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land.

 26And 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?

 27We will go three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the LORD our God, as he shall command us.

 28And 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.

 29And 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.

 30And Moses went out from Pharaoh, and intreated the LORD.

 31And 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.

 32And Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also, neither would he let the people go.