The Ten Plagues: The Plague of Gnats

The Ten Plagues: The Plague of Gnats

Introduction:

Over the last three weeks, we have been introduced to one of the most interesting, one of the most fascinating tales in all of God’s Word. Oh, I don’t mean “tall tales” as in Paul Bunyan and his trusty bovine companion Babe the blue bull. I am not talking about Pecos Bill, Johnny Appleseed, or any other folklore from around the world. True, there are some people that read these stories and they chalk these incredible acts up to metaphors, allegories, stories that have deeper meanings but are not meant to be taken literal. Oh friends, not only do we as Christians, believers, followers in Christ need to take these stories as literal, but they are also vital to the overall growth of our faith. Do I believe that God worked through Moses to turn all the water in Egypt to blood? Do I believe that God worked in Moses to spontaneously create trillions of Goliath Frogs to cover the land? Today, do I believe that God gave Moses the power to brings a midst of gnats to blanket the land of Egypt? Do I literally believe these tales, the stories? The answer is a resounding “yes”.

Today we will be reading from Exodus 8:16-19. I will be reading from the English Standard Version of the Bible. Before we do that, I want to give the answers to our “Today’s Thought”. I want to provide for you a thesis statement for today’s message if you will. Fill in these blanks this morning.

God’s power, His preeminence, and his patience are previewed in the plagues.

Do you believe that this morning? Clearly we see God’s power on display in all the plagues of Egypt. We see God’s power over creation. We see His power over the heavens and the earth. We see His power over people and animals. We see His power poured out in His wrath towards the Egyptians and specirfalldy the Pharaoh. Isn’t it amazing that God’s strength protected His people from the plagues but it was also His overwhelming might that brought the strongest nation on planet earth at the time to its knees. No human King can prevail against our God. No human army can thwart His will. No weapon can be fashioned against Him. He cannot be destroyed nor dismayed. Our mighty God cannot be overcome, overpowered, or overwhelmed. No man can reach the depth of His mind and He needs no counsel. Our God does not think, He does not plan, there is no need for Him to prepare as a human because He is always in a state of assurance. He is all knowing. All seeing. Nothing escapes His vision. He hears all. He is everywhere all at once and His presence extends beyond geographic location. His presence stretches between space, time and dimension.

God’s preeminence is seen in the plagues of Egypt. To be preeminent means to surpass all others. It means to be very distinguished. To be preeminent means to stand alone, to tower above, to excel. Our English word “preeminent” derives itself from the Latin “prae eminere”. “Prae” means before and “eminere” means to stand out. Our God certainly lives up to that billing doesn’t He? Have you ever noticed that some words, some of our English words, fall short of what we wish we could say? For example, when I say that I love my wife, I wish there was a bigger word for what I truly mean. I would die for my wife. I would walk through fire, cross vast expanses, crawl on glass to be near her. We throw the word “love” around but that trite little word doesn’t really hold up to the way we feel. When it comes to God, no one compares. No god. No goddesses. No thing. Nothing made by human hands can capture His majesty or contain His awesome wonders.

Preeminent.

Sovereign.

Transcendent.

Matchless.

Supreme.

Unrivaled.

They just don’t quite compare but I think that you get the point. The plagues of Egypt also reveal God’s patience. Oh how patient is our God. We often forget that God is not just trying to save the Israelites. Never ever forget that God is also truing to reveal Himself to the Egyptians. Believe it or not, the plagues against the Egyptians are an amazing act of love. God could have easily have set His people free. He could have sent an angel to have just wiped from the face of the planet the entire Egyptian people.

“Wait a second there preacher? You said that God could have sent one angel and wiped out all of Egypt. Did you means to say ‘angels’?”

No. I said “angel” singular. Just one angel could have taken care of business. In a few weeks we are going to be introduced to a particular angel. In I Chronicles 21:15, we see this very same angel, the “Angel of the Lord”. We see this angel again in 2 Kings 19:35. Let me tell you friends, angels are not to be trifled or toyed with. This angel who in the tenth plague kills all of the first born in Egypt, also kills 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. This angel is not the one to worship however. No. Worship the God who controls him, who created him, who commands him.

God could have just snuffed them out. However, He 10 times sent a message to the land of Egypt. With every plague, with every hardship, God confirmed His presence to the Hebrews and He revealed Himself as the one true God to the Egyptians. Our God abounds in love, is slow to anger, and is long suffering. I know that it is hard to believe, but I believe that God wanted the Egyptians to covert, to leave their wicked idol worship, to turn from their sin, and to follow Him. Why do I believe this? Because that is what God wants from us today. He wants all men to convert, to leave behind their evil, to repent, to cry out to Christ for salvation.

Nevertheless we remain drunk in our sin. We thumb our nose at His grace. We mock His mercy. We live in open rebellion against Him and every day that passes without our destruction is a testimony to His long suffering. Exodus 34:6 reminds us that “the Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.

God’s power, His preeminence, and his patience are previewed in the plagues.

J.I. Packer, one of my all time favorite writers and theologians says this about God’s power, and His preeminence, “The supremacy of God means that He is the ultimate source of truth, wisdom, and purpose in the universe.”

Background and Context:

Before we read our Scripture this morning, let me catch you up on where we have been and where we are going.

Pharaoh has heard a message from God and endured 2 plagues from the Almighty. The message is simple, “let my people go into the desert so that they may serve me”. Other translations will say that God wants His people to be liberated so that they may “worship” Him. The message while plain and clear to the modern day audience falls on Pharaoh’s deaf ears. His heart is hardened which means that God just allowed him to travel a road that he was already walking down. The message has been delivered and now the Pharaoh and his people will have to persevere through two, today three, plagues. The first plague was a plague of blood. This plagued turned all the water in Egypt to blood. Closely mimicking the first miracle of Christ when He turned water into wine. The second plague is that of frogs. Frogs came out from all the dark places to cover the land. Today, the Pharaoh will again be hard hearted and stubborn. He will not let the people go. He will not liberate them. He will not set them free. I had a basketball coach share with me a simple statement that has stuck with me to this very day.

“When you play stupid games, you win stupid prizes.”

A truer statement has never been uttered. Because of his stubbornness and selfishness, the Egyptians will yet again be a delivered a plague. This time it is a plague of gnats. We see captured in the pages of Scripture the invasion of swarms of gnats or flies. Moses, acting as God's spokesperson, is instructed to stretch out his staff and strike the dust of the ground, which then turns into swarms of gnats. These gnats or flies cover the land of Egypt, affecting both humans and animals.

The Egyptian magicians tried to replicate this miracle, but they failed, acknowledging that it was the "finger of God" at work. Despite this, Pharaoh's heart remained hardened, and he did not let the Israelites go, leading to the continuation of the plagues and further suffering for Egypt.

Statement of Belief:

We believe the Bible to be inspired, God breathed, infallible, and authoritative. We believe the Bible is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training believer’s in righteousness. God’s Word gives life. It provides peace in trouble and protection in tribulation. It is alive, active, and cuts to the core of the human soul. Since there is no other book like it, let us stand to show our reverence and respect.

Today’s Thought:

God’s Power, His Preeminence, and His Patience Are Previewed In The Plagues!

Today’s Quote:

“The supremacy of God means that He is the ultimate source of truth, wisdom, and purpose in the universe.”

-J.I. Packer

Today’s Scripture:

Exodus 8:16-19 ESV

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 'Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, so that it may become gnats in all the land of Egypt.'" [17] And they did so. Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and there were gnats on man and beast. All the dust of the earth became gnats in all the land of Egypt. [18] The magicians tried by their secret arts to produce gnats, but they could not. So there were gnats on man and beast. [19] Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God." But Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the LORD had said.

God’s Glory Revealed in the Gnats!

I. God’s Glory Through His Revelation vs. 16-17

Throughout the plagues, we have seen God’s glory revealed. Isn’t it funny that God’s glory can be seen in even the smallest, most insignificant creatures? Isn’t it amazing that God’s glory can be revealed in gnats. Roman numeral one this morning, if you want to fill in the blanks, is God’s glory through His revelation. We will talk about what exactly is being revealed in just a moment.

Scripture tells us in verses 16 and 17 that Aaron stretched out his staff, he struck the dust of the ground and the dust became gnats. The gnats infested man, woman, children and even livestock. If you do some investigating, you realize that the gnats are really a mixture of several different types of insects.

For example, here in the south we call most all fizzy, sugary, bubbly, caffeinated drinks “Coke”. You can say “Gimmie a Coke” and really mean “Gimme a Dr. Pepper” or “Gimmie a Diet Mountain Dew”. Yet, we say “gimme a Coke”.

The same is happening here in Scripture. The author uses the word “gnats” but “gnats” is a general term used for several different insects that live in the region. “Gnats” would include flies, lice, ticks, and mosquitoes.

This is an absolutely amazing, revelatory, miracle. We see put on display God’s power over the entire earth. God is making subject to Himself the laws of spontaneous creation. Aaron stretches his staff over the land, touching the dirt, and in a moment these insects are created and thus released upon the entire nation of Egypt. By the way, it is something to know that the last plague sprang forth from the water, this plague springs forth from the ground, the dust, and the next plague will come from the sky. God is revealing the power He has over the water, the earth, and the air.

Friends, if you ever look at archeological digs in Egypt and witness how the ancient people are depicted, you will notice that the pictures show them with shaved heads. In fact, it was customary, even sanitary for the Egyptians to shave all of their body hair. The reason they did this was to battle these infesting insects. It was to stop the spread of disease. It was to prevent skin infections. These insects are the most annoying parasites that the human body can battle. I have pictured for you this morning a type of gnat which would have certainly been a part of this vermin attack. This Egyptian gnat is called the Pedicures humanus.

This is the PG-13 portion of today’s message. Ready yourselves.

These gnats measure about two millimeters. They are very visible with the human eye but put them under a microscope and they look like a monster from a horror movie. At the end of their legs, they have curved claws which enable them to grip hair, skin, or clothing. They have short antennae and tiny eyes. They lay eggs known as nits and they cluster in the hair or clothing. They can lay 10 eggs a day and a total of 300 during the course of their lives. They feed by sucking blood through their mouths. As this occurs, they transfer blood born illnesses and diseases to the host.

What that means is that when this plague ended for the Egyptians, the long lasting affects would have been seen for years to come as their overall health deteriorated. The Egyptians would have suffered from a plethora of illness including: Dengue Fever, Eastern Equine Encephalitis, Malaria, Rift Valley Fever, West Nile virus, and Zika to name a few.

These gnats are aggressive. They invade the ears, the nose, and the eyes. They hide in the clothing, find dark moist places in the human body, and infest areas where hair might grow. I will let you use your imagination for that one. The gnats, mosquitos, flies, and lice would have come wave after wave after wave upon the Egyptian people. There would have been no escaping their attacks. The people would have fled for their lives, itching and scratching, finding no relief. As they ran they would have been pelted with the nauseating smells of rotting frogs while slipping and sliding through the streets still slippery with puddles of hot blood. Can you imagine how awful this would have been to live through?

It would have been far worse for the animals whose skin lay completely exposed. Imagine their torment as these insects bled them dry, unable to find help, unable to find a moment’s peace. For the of you, like me, who fancy themselves as animal lovers, you could imagine how heartbreaking it must have been to see the suffering of the livestock.

God’s glory was revealed in this plague, as with all the plagues, because it reveals the totality of His power. This deep truth reminds me of Jeremiah’s words captured in chapter 32 verse 17 of the book that carries his name.

Jeremiah 32:17 ESV

‘Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.

II. God’s Glory Through The Magician’s Restriction vs. 18

God’s glory was revealed through revelation of His awesome power. Point two this morning is God’s glory through the magician’s restriction. Let’s remind ourselves of what occurs.

“The magicians tried by their secret arts to produce gnats, but they could not. So there were gnats on man and beast.”

They tried by their “secret arts” but failed to produce gnats. Friends, remember that these magicians were false priests. They were idol worshippers. They were ear ticklers as they only told the Pharaoh what he wanted to hear. While it does not say so in Scripture, it is my estimation that these men were deriving their power from the dark forces of Satan Himself. Satan can mimic God, pervert God’s power, but he cannot replicate fully God’s awesome wonder. Only God can create something from nothing. Only God can create life from dust.

Remember that in Egypt, the climate is aired and dusty. It is a dry climate. Desert surrounds the land as it lays square in the middle of the Middle East. When Aaron held out his staff and brought forth from the dust of the ground gnats, I don’t think our imagination can fully conceptualize that image.

When Moses tells Aaron “the dust will become gnats”, he uses the Hebrew word “haya”, meaning “to come into being or to become”. Essentially, this means the dust itself becomes the biting insects. It does not say that the insects are “like the dust”. This is a very literal transformation. What this really means is that the gnats are everywhere and the dust is nowhere.

The wording may also invoke some references to the Genesis stories. The first would be “for dust you are and to dust you will return.” In this statement dust represents death. People covered in dust (now gnats) might even wish for death. Imagine walking along a path and any dust that might be disturbed is now biting gnats – biting one’s feet, legs, arms, body. There is no getting away from them. Brushing them off simply raises more dust. It does not say that people are dying from gnat bites, but that the suffering is indescribable.

By the way, it is not just the Pharaoh who suffers. It is not just his people. This suffering is extended to the problematic Egyptian priests. A temple priest covered in gnat bites would be too contaminated to perform his duties. Members of the priestly office are renowned for keeping themselves ritually pure. They shaved their heads, wore elegant robes, and bathed frequently. During this plague they are essentially clothed with gnats! A medical document from the ancient Near East suggests one way of getting rid of gnats is to cover oneself with fish spawn. Imagine how desperate the priests would have to be to choose a method that involves covering themselves with fish slime.

This plague is problematic for the priests because it essentially puts a halt to their witchcraft. It throws up a tall roadblock for their shenanigans and tomfoolery. They are found out. They are exposed for what they are, liars. God has a way of exposing our sin doesn’t He. How many times in my own life have I thought that what I was doing in secret would never be exposed or brought to the light? How many times have people lied to me as their pastor, hoping that their lies would cover their tracks. They thought if they could like to me, the pastor, than maybe they could like to God. God would be to busy to notice, to busy to care, or to stupid to fully grasp the depravity of their sin. Oh friends, we might be able to hide for a while. We may even be able to access dark demonic powers and fool everyone around us. Know this, GOD ALWAYS KNOWS. God does not keep the counsel of humans nor does He seek answers from men. He is above our intellect and His intelligence far surpasses our own.

God restricts the magician’s because while they can replicate some of the earlier plagues, they cannot generate life. Only God can make life. Only God can build a man from dirt and breath the breath of life into his lungs made of clay.

Only God!

Oh friends, beware of these false teachers, these magicians. We talked about them at length last week. I would encourage you to go back and listen to that message, specifically the last point, so that you can receive good Godly instruction on who to listen to and who to follow. Im sure that the Pharaoh convinced himself that these men were wise, smart, capable, able. Boy was he ever wrong. Remember Paul’s advice to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4.

2 Timothy 4:3-4 ESV

For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

III. God’s Glory Through The Magician’s Recognition vs. 19

So, God’s glory is revealed through His revelation. That’s point one. Point two is God’s glory through the magician’s restriction. Point three this morning is God’s glory through the magician’s recognition. We see this displayed fully in verse 19 of Exodus 8.

Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God." But Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the LORD had said.

In the first instance, when the magicians attempted to conjure gnats through their secret arts, they were unsuccessful, marking the first time they encountered such a failure. Previously, they had demonstrated the ability to transform a staff into a snake, turn water into blood, and generate an abundance of frogs. The methods employed by the magicians to achieve these feats remain a mystery to scholars, whether through supernatural means, sorcery, or deceptive skills. However, their abilities reach a limit at this point, as they are unable to replicate the transformation of dust into gnats. It raises the question of why they would even attempt it, considering it would exacerbate the prevailing adverse conditions. The crucial issue lies in their capacity to perform their hidden arts, attempting to downplay the notion that these events are the work of God. Despite their ability to recreate previous hardships, creating gnats from dust exceeds their capabilities.

Pharaoh's own officials declare to him, "This is the finger of God," acknowledging the genuine Egyptian origin of this phrase and its recognition of God's mighty power. In Egyptian culture, similar phrases like "the finger of Thoth, the finger of Seth" were used to honor their gods and showcase their authority. Ancient amulets shaped like extended forefingers have been discovered, underscoring the significance of the forefinger in mystical practices. The phrase "the finger of God" is only used once more in the Old Testament, referring to God inscribing the Ten Commandments on stone tablets.

Nevertheless, this signifies a significant progression from the perspective of the magicians, and it is undoubtedly a difficult admission to make. Making such an announcement not only risks incurring Pharaoh's anger but also exposes their limitations. Their positions of influence within Pharaoh's court depend on their ability to demonstrate great and mighty acts, which they have now failed to do. However, it is important to remember that God's intention behind the plagues was for "Pharaoh and his people to come to know the Lord." This purpose appears to be unfolding in this moment. The magicians, confronted with a challenge they cannot overcome, are willing to concede. From this point forward, they will no longer even attempt to replicate any of the forthcoming plagues.

What the Egyptian magicians state verbally is what all of us do when we encounter the power of the one true living God.

“I am not enough.”

The magicians were not stupid men. Dishonest yes but dumb no. They were educated. Learned. You might even say that they were wise in some eyes, especially their own. They were wealthy. They were men of means. Powerful. Nevertheless, when it comes to standing before the true power of the Alpha and the Omega, they did not compare and neither do we.

Like the magicians admission, we are not good enough. We are not strong enough. Smart enough. Wise enough. We are weak. Feeble. Flawed.

It’s funny because we live in a world that prizes power and treasures toughness. On a job interview, you don’t lead with your flaws and failures. You don’t go to your potential employer and tell him or her that you procrastinate, that you sleep on the job, that you are constantly late, and that you can’t do fractions. You lead with your strengths. You tell them the things that you are good at and the ways that you succeed in life.

Imagine the embarrassment of the magicians when they had to tell their boss, the god man Pharaoh that they had come to the end of themselves. Don’t you know that they must have been quaking in their boots at the thought of revealing to Pharaoh that they were tragically untrained and horrible under helped.

This happens in all of our lives doesn’t it? God brings circumstances into all of our lives that reveal to us that we are not good enough, that we are not strong enough, that reveal to us our need for Him. After all, if we were strong enough, good enough, we would not need God, we would be God.

Within 2 Corinthians 12, Paul references a quote from Jesus, affirming, "My grace is enough for you, for my strength is demonstrated fully in weakness." God, being flawless in every aspect, possesses the ability to compensate for any shortcomings we may possess. And indeed, we have numerous areas of weakness.

At the very beginning of this story, God speaks to Moses and Moses tells God that he is not good enough. “I speak to the Pharaoh” Moses says. “Who am I that you should send me to the Pharaoh, send someone else”, Moses tells God. Here you have a character overcome in weakness facing down the Pharaoh who is up to his eyeballs in self assurance. Who do you think will win? The man who acknowledges his weakness and need for God or the man who believes only in himself and has no need for God?

The magicians finally recognized what we all have to recognize. They and we are not God. The magicians are out for the rest of the plagues. The never again try to replicate God’s might. Again Paul warns us against such men, not to trust them or follow them.

2 Corinthians 11:13-15 ESV

For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.

What about you? Have you come to the end of yourself. Have you come to understand that God is revealing Himself to you? He wants to have a relationship with you and He is thankfully sending you sign after sign. Thankfully He is not sending you plague after plague. Can you come to the same realization that the magicians did so long ago? Can you see the finger of God pointing at you, inviting you to know Him?

Brothers and sisters, turn this information into your inspiration. Will you pray with me this morning?

Turn This Information Into Your Inspiration!

Bibliography

Websites:

https://bigiufan29.wordpress.com/2017/10/16/the-plagues-in-exodus-gods-power-and-mercy/

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/slow-to-anger#:~:text=“God%20is%20patient”%20means%20not,(Exodus%2034%3A6).

https://evangelicalfocus.com/zoe/12944/the-plague-of-gnats

https://www.biblewise.com/bible_study/books/exodus8-biting-gnats.php

https://www.gcu.edu/blog/spiritual-life/weekly-devotional-finding-strength-weakness

https://enterthebible.org/passage/exodus-816-19-gnats-everywhere

https://rts.edu/resources/the-third-and-fourth-plagues-gnats-and-flies/

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