The third plague upon the Egyptians came with no warning.
Pharaoh’s magicians were unable to reproduce this plague and they said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God!” But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, just as the Lord had said (See Exodus 8.16-19).
To speak of “the finger of God” signifies God alone is responsible for this plague, not Moses or Aaron.
Jesus used the phrase when confronted by hardhearted religious leaders.
He said, “If it is by the finger of God that I cast out the demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Luke 11:20).
Matthew’s Gospel further explains what is meant by the “finger of God.”
Jesus said, “But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Matthew 12:28).
The “finger of God” is nothing less than the activity of the Holy Spirit in the lives of humans.
We should be in awe of God’s nature and character to realize that he involves himself in the affairs of humans.
God is not the “unmoved mover” of philosophers. He is not a mere force of nature, as new age proponents declare.
He is a personal Being who loves to form relationships with people. The years that Jesus spent on earth reveal this awesome aspect of God’s character.
John wrote, “The Word became flesh and lived among us” (John 1.14).
It is worth noting the magicians’ attitude in contrast to that of Pharaoh’s hardheartedness.
God’s willingness to guide humans is often met with resistance. Why is that so? Here are four ideas to consider.
(1) Surrendering self-will and self-sufficiency can be difficult because it feels like giving up control.
(2) Our culture teaches the belief that relying on others is a sign of weakness.
(3) When we surrender self-will to God’s direction, we are required to acknowledge our limitations and ask for help.
(4) To surrender self-sufficiency can feel like losing a part of our identity, which can be challenging to accept.
The Fourth Plague: Flies
While living in Louisiana, I returned home from vacation to find that my small house was inundated with hundreds of big black flies.
I discovered that a rat the size of a squirrel had found a box of d-Con rat killer and met its demise in the wall of my bathroom.
Pharaoh was on the banks of the Nile when Moses said, “Let my people go, so that they may serve me,
“Because if you will not let my people go, I will send swarms of flies on you, your officials, and your people, and into your houses.
The houses of the Egyptians shall be filled with swarms of flies, as will the land where they live” (Exodus 8.20-21).
Based on my experience with flies, I would have advised Pharaoh to let Jehovah’s people go.
Let’s not forget that God wanted the Egyptians to know that he alone was God, not the Egyptian idols.
The gift of knowing the reality of the One True God is crucial, regardless of what measures God may need to take to dispel the falsehoods presented by lesser gods.
God gave the Egyptians two signs that accompanied the plague of flies.
First, he made a distinction between his people and the Egyptians.
Second, he delayed the plague of flies for one day. This delay gave Pharaoh time to change his mind and accept God’s guidance.
Ancient Views of the “Gods”
Jehovah was not one of Egypt’s local gods. Gods were thought in the ancient world to possess no power except on their own home ground.
Jehovah was not on his “home turf,” but exercised considerable power over the Egyptian gods. This must have been very confusing to the Egyptian populace.
When one nation conquered another, it was believed that the god of the conquering nation was more powerful than the defeated foe.
When Jehovah conquered the mighty Egyptian army and set the Hebrews free from slavery, it was as much a statement about the Egyptian gods as their army.
This phenomenon was true for Israel as for other nations. When they made alliances with other nations during the time of the Prophets, they also swore faithfulness to the gods of the more powerful nations.
Time and again, the Prophets called upon Israel to trust Jehovah and refuse to make alliances with the nations.
When we depend on something other than God to solve our problems, we fall into the same error as those to whom the Prophets spoke.
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross, and I discuss this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
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