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Daily Devotions

Exodus

Exodus 
Day 
Day 65

"You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; Your right hand has held me up." Psalm 18:35

Text: Exodus 8 : 20-23

THE FINGER OF GOD

How long the plague of lice lasted, we were not told. But the conclusion of the mortified Egyptian magicians was hard to set aside. With growing alarm, they had concluded that all these plagues that had been unleashed on the land of Egypt was no less than the finger of God! The God of the Hebrews was not to be taken lightly!

ANOTHER OPEN CONFRONTATION

Pharaoh did not act on the advice given to him by his magicians. He still continued to be his hardened self. Stubbornly he held on. He planned to carry on with his life as normal. He chose to ignore the sufferings endured by all in Egypt!

“And the LORD said to Moses, ‘Rise early in the morning
and stand before Pharaoh as he comes out to the water.
Then say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD:
‘Let My people go, that they may serve Me. Or else,
if you will not let My people go, behold, I will send
swarms of flies on you and your servants, on your people
and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians shall be
full of swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand.'”
EXODUS 8:20-21

If frogs and lice were not frightening enough, how about swarms of flies? Imagine the problems that the flies would bring to the land! (The Scriptures do not describe any attempt by the magicians to conjure up flies)!

A CLEAR DISTINCTION MADE

Had Pharaoh felt some small measure of comfort that what the Egyptians had to endure, so had the Hebrews? The plagues of frogs and lice apparently afflicted all in Egypt. Would that not include the Hebrews too? As if to answer this unspoken question, the Lord gave this word to Moses to deliver to Pharaoh.

“And in that day I will set apart the land of Goshen,
in which My people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there,
in order that you may know that I am the LORD in the midst
of the land. I will make a difference between My people
and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall be.”
EXODUS 8:22-23

What a sign this would turn out to be! The God of the Hebrews would now distinguish between His people and Pharaoh’s people!

Did God allow His own people to suffer with the Egyptians in the first three plagues? Apparently so! But His purposes would be quite different. The suffering of the children of Israel was God’s hand of chastening upon them (Cf. Proverbs 3:11-12). They had allowed despair instead of faith to reign! They must develop a greater faith in God!