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Daily Devotions

Exodus

Exodus 
Day 
Day 64

"He teaches my hands to make war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze." Psalm 18:34

Text: Exodus 8 : 16-19

A LONG WAR

Did Pharaoh think that the removal of the plague of frogs ended the war? The war was far from over. God’s demand for the release of the children of Israel had not been met yet!

Pharaoh had not counted on the kind of power that God had! Neither had he figured out just how “creative” God could be in displaying his power! Pharaoh did not give Moses a further audience. But that did not mean that Moses was at a loss as to what to do next.

THE NEXT BATTLE PLAN

Once again, God took the initiative. He gave clear instructions to Moses as to what he should do next.

“So the LORD said to Moses, ‘Say to Aaron,
‘Stretch out your rod, and strike the dust of the land,
so that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.’
And they did so… All the dust of the land became lice throughout
all the land of Egypt.”
EXODUS 8:16-17

The frogs were at worst, a nuisance! Lice was a different plague altogether! Lice could cause uncomfortable diseases! All of Egypt was afflicted by lice!

THE FAILURE OF THE EGYPTIAN MAGICIANS

The magicians, of course, tried to replicate this deed. (Why they would want to make more lice appear is beyond comprehension)! They imitated the sign of turning a rod into a serpent. They could turn water into blood. They could even conjure up frogs. (Let us give them the benefit of the doubt that they could do all that)! They failed miserably when they tried to conjure up lice!

“Now the magicians so worked with their enchantments
to bring forth lice, but they could not. So there were lice
on man and beast.”
EXODUS 8:18

ADVICE GIVEN TO THE PHARAOH

Pharaoh had refused to listen to Moses! He hardened his heart against accepting the proclamation of Moses as he spoke about the God of the Hebrews. Would he perhaps listen to his court advisers? They were convinced that Moses was right!

“Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, ‘This is the finger of God.’
But Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them,
just as the LORD had said.”
EXODUS 8:19

Pharaoh’s heart continued to grow hard because he had willed it so! No one, and certainly not God, should be blamed for the spiritual condition of his heart.