And 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. And 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.Exodus 8:16 -17

Here we see God sending the 3rd Plague on Egypt, after Pharaoh continually hardens his heart and refuses to let the Israelites Go. This Plague is going to be a little different from the other ones, as we don’t see a parallel to this one in Revelation. Now while KJV translates this as “lice” other English translations write it as “gnats”. So what we know is this was a large amount of tiny insects that just covered everything and most likely tormented them

Imagine everywhere you go and everything you own is covered with gnats, they are in your eyes , your mouth, they are in your food and water. You can’t escape this torment, life becomes unbearable

And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: so there were lice upon man, and upon beast. Exodus 8:18

Now another major difference with this plague, is that the magicians of Egypt couldn’t replicate this miracle from God. Imagine the shock and defeat to the ego centric Pharaoh , who believes he is God on the Earth. He is coming to the realization that there is One greater than him who is in complete control

As we go through this Pandemic, and natural disasters, I wonder do people today come to this realization? What is it going to take for God to get your attention? What point in your life do you have to come to, to realize you are not in control?

Then 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. Exodus 8:19

Pharaoh’s own magicians declared that this is the “Finger of God”! Imagine the reaction Pharaoh must of had when he heard this. As God foretold, even though there was a mountain of evidence for God, Pharaoh hardened his heart!

This is the same as Atheists today, its not an evidential issue with God, its a moral issue. They have hardened their hearts, they have deafened their ears, they have blinded their eyes, because they dont want to submit to their Lord and Creator!

And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh: and Moses cried unto the LORD because of the frogs which he had brought against Pharaoh. And 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.And they gathered them together upon heaps: and the land stank. Exodus 8:12-14

So Pharaoh told Moses that he would let the Israelites Go, also Pharaoh asked Moses to pray to Yahweh to remove the frogs. So basically Pharaoh was admitting that Yahweh was the true living God, at least he knew in his head, but what about his heart?

This is the issue most people have who reject God, its really not an evidential issue its a moral issue. We have all kinds of evidence that God exists such as the creation of the universe, morality, intelligent design, ect. However most reject God because of a personal issue not evidence.

But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said. Exodus 8:15

Just as God kept his promise and removed the plague of frogs, then Pharaoh hardened his heart and rejected God afterwards. This I believe is like many false converts in Christianity today, they want the grace of Christ, but dont want the relationship. So when they believe they are saved, then they totally abandon the faith and live as they please. 

And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. Revelation 6:13-14

As I said previously , the plagues of Exodus line up with the Seals in Revelation. Here we see a reference to the frogs in Revelation being released by God. Perhaps the Holy Spirit is giving us further insight on the symbolic meaning of the “Frogs” in the Exodus.

The frogs in Revelation are demons being released, which is interesting because Frogs are considered unclean animals in the Old Covenant. Perhaps the frogs being released on Egypts are symbolic of demons being released on the land. 

While we read through the Exodus and Revelation, think about how the Old and New Covenants line up together and reveal God’s wrath and deliverance Amen!

And 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. And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs: Exodus 8:1-2

The second plague has now come upon Egypt by the power of God. At first glance it appears this plague seems unintentional, like just an infestation of a rodent. However their is deeper meaning and significance to this plague. As stated before , every plague was a specific challenge to the false deities of Egypt

Frogs were actually considered sacred in Egypt during this time. It was actually a crime to kill them, much like the Hindus with cows. So imagine the Egyptians response when their sacred reptile, was literally covering their land, their houses, their rooms, everywhere they went their were frogs. The uncleanliness of the frog contaminated all their food and living spaces

And 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: And the frogs shall come up both on thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants. And 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. Exodus 8:3-5

Notice God gave Pharaoh a chance to repent, however he didnt and the plague of frogs would fill the land of Egypt. Again God allowed Moses the ability to make this miracle happen , to prove Gods power and authority over all the false Egyptian gods

And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt. And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt. Exodus 8:6-7

Notice God allowed the Egyptians magicians to summon frogs also. Why would He do this? Perhaps to test the hearts of the Egyptians, what are their true intentions? Just like people today, most just seek whatever benefits them today, not the truth

Then 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. And 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? Exodus 8:8-9

Has Pharaoh now had a change of heart? Has Pharaoh truly repented to the true Living God? He has told Moses he would let the Israelites Go if God removes this plague from Egypt. Time will tell if Pharaoh is being truthful or trying to deceive God

Thus saith the LORD, In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood. Exodus 7:17

Now God is going to reveal to Pharaoh and all of Egypt that He is the true living God by signs and wonders. He is going to unveil plagues upon Egypt, now these plagues are not just random acts of wrath. These plagues will specifically challenge the false Egyptian gods and prove that they are all false and powerless against Yahweh

Water, as we know is a main source of life. So when the water supply goes , so does the civilization. God is going to get Pharaoh’s attention quickly, by transforming the water supply into blood, now the Egyptians have nothing to drink or bathe, most importantly Egypt believed they had a deity of the water that supplied all their needs. They are finding out its Yahweh who is the true Creator of the Heavens and The Earth

And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall lothe to drink of the water of the river. And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water, that they may become blood; and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone. Exodus 7:18-19

Also God will allow Moses and Aaron to perform these miracles, why? So maybe Pharaoh would actually listen to them. Just as God performed miracles through Prophets and Apostles , God will perform miracles through Moses and Aaron to reveal He is the true God

And Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. Exodus 7:20-21

Think about this, all of Egypt including Pharaoh is watching you and God has asked you to touch the water with a rod and it will turn to blood. Moses and Aaron by faith were obedient to God and he did exactly as he said he would. Notice it says Pharaoh and all his servants witnessed this miracle happen, this was the first huge defeat for Pharaoh

And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; as the LORD had said. And Pharaoh turned and went into his house, neither did he set his heart to this also. Exodus 7:22-23

Pharaoh had some sorcerers that practiced magic, most likely by demonic power. And God allowed these sorcerer to be able to turn water into blood also. Because of this Pharaohs heart became hardened again and he rejected God once again

And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed. Revelation 8:8-9

Now as you study the book of Exodus and the book of Revelation, you will see that the Plagues of Egypt and the Seven Seals almost line up perfectly with each other. Is it a coincidence, I think not. 

You can check out my full commentary on Revelation at unashamedofjesus.org/revelation

And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet. Thou shalt speak all that I command thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land. Exodus 7:1-2

Remember Moses , the man who didn’t think he was even capable of standing before Pharaoh because of his speech impediment , is now going to be appear god-like to Pharaoh because of Yahweh. Think about that! Moses has been trying to run away from this task God has called him to do, and God is going to make Moses appear powerful and mighty to Pharaoh

We should learn from Moses, instead of focusing on our weaknesses or our faults, focus on how powerful our God is! When Moses looked at himself, he saw a weak and old man, but when Pharaoh sees Moses he sees a dangerous threat! Why? Because God is living inside of him

And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. Exodus 7:3-4

So you might ask how? How is God going to use an old and weak man like Moses to take down and powerful nation like Egypt? God is going to use signs and wonders, no matter how powerful a nation is , they are nothing compared to the power of God Almighty

We are going to see the “Plagues of Egypt” where God will reveal He is greater than all the false gods of Egypt. While Pharaoh will rely on his fake deities to save him, the true Living God will reveal himself in signs and wonders!

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Philippians 4:13

Just like Moses, regardless of who you are and what your limitations or disabilities may be, we can have strength through Christ! God is in complete control, rely on God and allow him to lead you through your calling Amen!

Then the LORD said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land. Exodus 6:1

Things seemed very bleak for the Israelites right now, think about this a man named Moses returned to Egypt after 40 years of hiding in the wilderness, he confronted Pharaoh which just made him angry, and now Pharaoh is oppressing the Israelites even more severely than before. Moses feels defeated, he was called by God but sees noway how this is going to work

Notice how God responded to Moses, God is going to use Pharaoh and this impossible circumstance to reveal his Glory! Moses has no idea how God is going to accomplish this but God promised! This is faith, we may not know all the details but we know God is in complete control!

And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD: And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them. Exodus 6:2-3

I find this very interesting, how did God reveal himself to Abraham , Isaac, and Jacob? If you read through my commentary on the book of Genesis, you will see God incarnate Jesus revealed himself to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

unashamedofjesus.org/genesis

Through this journey of the Israelite’s deliverance from slavery , God is going to reveal the foreshadows of Christ! Just as Moses by God will deliver the Israelite’s from the slavery of Egypt, Jesus has freed us from the slavery of sin and death!

And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers. Exodus 6:4

Next God reveals how He is going to establish the Mosaic Covenant , better known as the Old Covenant. And he also reveals the Promised Land of Canaan, which is modern day Israel

These are foreshadows of Christs New Covenant and the New Heavens and Earth to come! Through The Law God it will reveal our sinful nature and our need for Christ, these things will all be revealed through the Exodus Amen!

But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the LORD. Exodus 5:17

Pharaoh did not respond well to Moses request to let the Israelites Go and worship Yahweh. In fact this drove him to anger, Pharaoh punished the Israelites by making it harder for them to complete their work by not providing them with the straw they needed to produce bricks. 

Pharaoh basically mocked the Israelites by saying there desire to worship God made them lazy or weak, isnt this what the world tells us today. When we rely on God to provide all our needs, when we get on our knees to pray and cry out to our Lord, the world calls us lazy and weak. However just like Pharaoh, the world is going to find out who truly is in control

And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh: And they said unto them, The LORD look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us. Exodus 5:20-21

The Israelites were also really mad at Moses and Aaron, because they decided to put their faith in God, there life became much harder. This is the same we see today, many believe when they become a Christians, that life is going to become easier, well Jesus actually taught the opposite

Jesus said “ We will be hated by everyone because of him “ (Matthew 10:22) Jesus also said not only will we face persecution by possible death (Matthew 24:9) Yes the more you put your faith in God, the more Satan will persecute you!

And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all. Exodus 5:22-23

Moses cried to God, why are you doing this God? But Moses doesnt understand , just like we dont understand, God is not persecuting us, Satan is. We are in a Spiritual Warfare for your soul (Ephesians 6)

God has given us salvation through Jesus Christ, he never promised an easy life. But remember this, just as God is going to demonstrate to Egypt, God is still in complete control Amen!

And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness. Exodus 5:1

So the time has finally come for Moses and Aaron to confront Pharaoh and demand that he lets their people go! This is a bold request to be made by Moses, however He is answering his call by God to do this. The same is when you go to preach the gospel to unsaved people, as commanded by our Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:19) 

Notice their reason for the request, so the Israelites may worship God! Simple as that, the Israelites want their freedom of religion, their right to worship the true God of Israel. This is a right, that many of us take for granted on a daily basis! While in some countries Christians will risk their lives to attend a Church service, other Christians refuse to attend a Church service under their own authority

And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go. Exodus 5:2

Notice Pharaohs response, Who is Yahweh? This is probably the same response many non believers will give when you preach them the gospel. Their eyes and ears are blinded, they live in darkness because they dont have the Holy Spirit. Pharaoh declares “He doesnt know Yahweh”

Well atleast Pharaoh is being honest, while many profess to know Christ, Jesus said He doesn’t even know many of them (Matthew 7) God is going to introduce himself personally to Pharaoh, as He is going to send the plagues which will reveal Gods sovereignty and He truly does exist!

And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days’ journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword. Exodus 5:3

Notice Moses and Aaron had the Fear of God, their telling Pharaoh if you reject God he will display his wrath upon you. Many today don’t want to Fear God and even talk about Gods wrath. They try to create a God in their own image or mind that doesn’t judge or shouldnt be feared, this is not Biblical

The Fear of Yahweh (The Lord) is the beginning of wisdom and understanding (Proverbs 9:10) Many dont know God because they dont fear God, they have no reverence or respect for him. Pharaoh is about to find out all about the true Living God, as the Bible says “ Its a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God” (Hebrews 10:31) Amen!