Once God ended the frog fest, Pharaoh said no again. Next, God sent gnats. So many gnats that it was unbearable, but Pharaoh, even though magicians could no longer keep up, simply ignored God’s message. So, God turned up the volume from gnats to flies. God took it a step farther, Flies for the Egyptians but not the Israelites.
Now there could be no question, Pharaoh either relented or God would systematically ruin Pharaoh and ruin Egypt.
Moses confronted Pharaoh. Pharaoh knew He had to choose. He agreed to let the people leave–but Pharaoh never intended to honor his word. Pharaoh was going to make sure that God, Moses, the Israelites, and the Egyptians knew he was not afraid of God. Sadly, God did not care, the Israelites were caring less by the day, The Egyptians, on the other hand were beginning to fear God and Israel, even though they had not raised a hand in anger.
In God’s plan, Moses was establishing God’s omnipotence. Moses was establishing His authority as the leader, and He was clearly laying out the unquestionable truth that Israel would be leaving–it was only a matter of time. What Pharaoh had yet to grasp, was that time was short.
We cannot question God’s power and authority in our lives. He is in charge. When we follow Him, he will bring us to the place of having a full and meaningful life. If we ignore or reject him, we will see the consequence advance upon us. At any time, we can repent and return, but until we do, the consequence will only increase, and our lives will not have joy or peace. We need simply to trust and follow God and avoid the pain of disobedience and independence from God.
God Bless You
16 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the ground,’ and throughout the land of Egypt the dust will become gnats.” 17 They did this, and when Aaron stretched out his hand with the staff and struck the dust of the ground, gnats came on people and animals. All the dust throughout the land of Egypt became gnats. 18 But when the magicians tried to produce gnats by their secret arts, they could not.
Since the gnats were on people and animals everywhere, 19 the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hard and he would not listen, just as the Lord had said.
The Plague of Flies
20 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning and confront Pharaoh as he goes to the river and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me. 21 If you do not let my people go, I will send swarms of flies on you and your officials, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians will be full of flies; even the ground will be covered with them.
22 “‘But on that day I will deal differently with the land of Goshen, where my people live; no swarms of flies will be there, so that you will know that I, the Lord, am in this land. 23 I will make a distinction[b] between my people and your people. This sign will occur tomorrow.’”
24 And the Lord did this. Dense swarms of flies poured into Pharaoh’s palace and into the houses of his officials; throughout Egypt the land was ruined by the flies.
25 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God here in the land.”
26 But Moses said, “That would not be right. The sacrifices we offer the Lord our God would be detestable to the Egyptians. And if we offer sacrifices that are detestable in their eyes, will they not stone us? 27 We must take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God, as he commands us.”
28 Pharaoh said, “I will let you go to offer sacrifices to the Lord your God in the wilderness, but you must not go very far. Now pray for me.”
29 Moses answered, “As soon as I leave you, I will pray to the Lord, and tomorrow the flies will leave Pharaoh and his officials and his people. Only let Pharaoh be sure that he does not act deceitfully again by not letting the people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord.”
30 Then Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord, 31 and the Lord did what Moses asked. The flies left Pharaoh and his officials and his people; not a fly remained. 32 But this time also Pharaoh hardened his heart and would not let the people go.
Walking With God 