Plagues II: From Flies to Locusts

Exodus 8:20-10:20
I. Context
• Who are the main characters in this passage? What do we know about them?
• Moses:

• Pharaoh:

• When does this passage take place?

• This passage is a continuation of the previous passage and there does not appear to be any contextual support
for a break in time between the 3rd plague (gnats) and the 4th plague (flies). Based on Chapter 12, these events
are occurring during the first month of the Hebrew calendar, which was during our months of March and April.

• Where does this passage take place?

• The entirety of this passage takes place in Egypt; however, there is a distinction made between the land of
Goshen, where the Israelites lived (the eastern section of the Nile delta [Ryrie, Gen. 45:10]), and the rest of
Egypt, which was inhabited by the Egyptians.

• What is going on? (Summary of Events)

• The 4th Plague: Swarms of Flies (8:20-32)
• The Lord tells Moses to tell Pharaoh of the coming plague of flies that would cover Egypt except for the
land of Goshen, where his people lived (8:20-23)
• The Lord sent the plague upon Egypt the next day, just as he had warned Pharaoh (8:24)
• Pharaoh tries to compromise with Moses by offering to allow them to offer sacrifices without leaving
Egypt, but Moses insisted on leaving Egypt. (8:25-27)
• Pharaoh agrees to let them go if Moses will pray for relief from the flies. (8:28)
• Moses prayed to the Lord and the flies left, but Pharaoh went back on his offer (8:29-32)
• The 5th Plague: Disease on Livestock in the Field (9:1-7)
• The Lord tells Moses to warn Pharaoh of the coming plague that would kill all the Egyptians’ livestock in
the fields, but not the livestock of the Israelites (9:1-4)
• Since there is livestock in the next plague, those brought in from the field must have survived. (Ryrie)
• The next day, the Lord sent the plague and all the livestock in the fields died, except for the Israelites’.
Pharaoh’s heart was still hardened and he would not let them go (9:5-7)
• The 6th Plague: Boils on the Egyptians and their animals (9:8-12)
• The Lord tells Moses and Aaron to toss handfuls of furnace soot into the air in Pharaoh’s presence and it
would become a dust over the whole land of Egypt, causing painful boils on all the Egyptians (9:8-9)
• They obeyed and boils covered people and animals, but Pharaoh’s heart was still hardened (9:10-12)
• The 7th Plague: Massive Hail Storm throughout Egypt (9:13-35)
• The Lord tells Moses that if he failed to let the Israelites go this time, then the Lord would send the “full
force” of his plagues so that they would no there was none like the Lord in the earth (9:13-14)
• The Lord (through Moses) reminds Pharaoh that he could have wiped the Egyptians from the earth, but he
didn’t so that the Lord’s power to be known throughout the earth and his name proclaimed (9:15-19)
• The Lord sent a violent hailstorm that destroyed all of Egypt, but left Goshen intact (9:20-26)
• Pharaoh calls Moses and Aaron and “admits” his sin and offers to let the people go and worship the Lord if
Moses would pray for the hail to stop. (9:27-32)
• When Moses does pray, Pharaoh again goes back on his word and did not allow them to leave (9:33-35)
• The 8th Plague: Swarms of Locusts (10:1-20)
• The Lord tells Moses to warn Pharaoh of the coming plague of locust because of his refusal to humble
himself before the Lord and for not letting his people go as the Lord commanded (10:1-6)
• Pharaoh’s officials began to reason with him, pleading with him to concede (10:7)
• Pharaoh ask Moses who would be leaving, but when Moses replied “everyone,” Pharaoh accused Moses of
being “bent on evil”, saying that only the men should be allowed to leave (10:8-11)
• Moses stretched out his hand over Egypt and an east wind blew all day and night, bringing with it swarms
of locusts that devoured all remaining crops and fruit left from the hail, and the land was barren (10:12-15)
• Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and asked them to pray for relief from the locusts (10:16-17)
• Moses prayed and a west wind carried off the locusts, but Pharaoh’s heart remained unchanged (10:18-20)
 II. Interpretation

• What principles are illustrated in this passage? What would you consider the theme of this passage?

• How is God involved in this passage? Is he in the foreground or background? What do we learn of his character?

• The plagues not only demonstrate God’s sovereignty over Pharaoh, the Egyptians, the Israelites, and nature, but
also, as Ryrie points out, over the gods of the Egyptians. Examine the following chart, adapted from the Ryrie
Study Bible: How does this view of the plagues illustrate congruency in God’s character? (Hint: 10 Commandments)

Order Plague Scripture Affected? Announced? Egyptian gods involved (Ryrie) Replicated?
Hapi: spirit of the Nile
1st Nile River turned to Blood 7:14-24 Everyone YES YES
Khnum: guardian of the Nile
Heqt: form of a frog
2nd Frogs 7:25-8:15 Everyone YES YES
Hapi: spirit of the Nile
Uncertain; perhaps an attack on the
3rd Swarms of Gnats/Lice 8:16-19 Everyone NO NO
Egyptian priests
Uatchit: a god who manifested
4th Swarms of Flies 8:20-32 Egyptians YES NO
himself as a fly
Apis bill revered. Sacred bulls and
5th Disease of the Livestock 9:1-7 Egyptians YES NO
cows Ptah, Mnrvis, Hathor
Sekhmet: goddess with power to heal
6th Boils 9:8-12 Egyptians NO NO
Serapis: healing god
Seth: protector of crops
7th Hailstorm 9:13-35 Egyptians YES NO
Nut: sky goddess
Isis: goddess of life
8th Locusts 10:1-20 Egyptians YES NO
Seth: protector of crops

• Why do you think that God allowed the Israelites to be affected by the earlier plagues, but not by the later ones?

• What is the real issue between God and Pharaoh? What is God teaching Pharaoh though this? Why?

• What changes in Moses have you noticed so far? How do you think these changes came about?

III. Application
• God is demonstrating both his sovereignty over all things, natural and supernatural, as well as his faithfulness to his
people. As heirs to this relationship through Christ, we also can rest in God’s sovereignty over our world, including
our negative circumstances, as well as his faithfulness to us as his children to never leave us nor forsake us.
• Sometimes God’s people are affected by his judgment of the wicked. How should this affect our attitude when we
face challenges not of our own doing?
• Throughout scripture, God chooses ordinary, and often weak, people to accomplish his will. Are you walking in
obedience to what God has set before you? Are you allowing him to do in you and through you all that he desires?