Exodus 8:16-32: "Don't Mock God Again"

Let's start today by reminding ourselves about the frogs, and where things stand with Yahweh, and Moses, and Aaron, and Pharaoh. Exodus 8:1 (I didn't realize how different the Hebrew numbering was until I'd finished last week; my bad; English Bibles 8:5):

(8:1) and Yahweh said to Moses,

"Say to Aaron,

'Stretch out your hand with your staff upon the rivers, upon the branches of the Nile, and upon the pools, and bring up the frogs upon the land of Egypt,"

(2) and Aaron stretched out his hand upon the waters of Egypt,

and the frogs came up,

and they covered the land of Egypt,

(3) and the magicians did thus/the same thing with their sorceries,

and they brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt,

(4) and Pharaoh called to Moses and to Aaron,

and he said,

"Plead to Yahweh, that he would take away the frogs from me and from my people,

and I will release the people, that they may sacrifice to Yahweh,"

(5) and Moses said to Pharaoh,

"Kindly tell me when I should plead for you and for your servants and for your people, to cut off the frogs from you and from your houses?

Only in the Nile they will remain,"

(6) and he said,

"Tomorrow,"

and he (Moses) said,

In accordance with your word, in order that you shall know that there is no one like Yahweh our God/Elohim," (7) the frogs will leave from you and from your houses and from your servants and from your people.

Only in the Nile they will remain,"

(8) and Moses went out, with Aaron, from with Pharaoh,

and he cried out to Yahweh concerning the matter of the frogs that he had agreed to with Pharaoh,

(9) and Yahweh acted in accordance with the word of Moses,

and the frogs died from their houses, from the villages, and from the fields,

(10) and they gathered them in heaps upon heaps,

and the land stank,

(11) and Pharaoh saw that there was relief,

and he made his heart/resolve heavy,

and he didn't listen to them,

just as Yahweh had spoken.

During the plague of the frogs, Pharaoh's resolve completely weakened. He was like a tick that my brother popped, under pressure. But, in the end, he manages to stuff his guts back inside, and glue himself shut. And our story leaves off, with Pharaoh's resolve once again heavy.

With this, we come to new stuff. Verse 12. And here, Exodus uses gapping again, maybe. If Moses and Aaron go Pharaoh again, and warn him about what happens, we don't know about it. Instead, we jump right into another plague.

Verses 12-15:

(12) And Yahweh said to Moses,

"Say to Aaron,

'Stretch out your staff,

and strike the loose dust of the earth, that[1]it becomes gnats in all the land of Egypt,'"

(13) and they did thus,

and Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff,

and he struck the loose dust of the land,

and gnats came against[2]the humans and against the cattle.

All the loose dust of the land became gnats in all the land of Egypt,[3]

(14) and the magicians did thus with their sorceries/magic to release/bring out[4]the gnats,

and they weren't able,

and there were gnats against the humans and against the cattle,

(15) and the magicians said to Pharaoh,

"The finger of God/Elohim, this is,"

and the resolve of Pharaoh strengthened,

and he didn't listen to them,

just as Yahweh had spoken,

Here, for the first time, we see the magicians completely fail. They don't have the ability to release gnats. And so they, for the first time, "acknowledge" Yahweh. What Moses is doing, is not simple sorcery or magic. What he is capable of, is beyond their dark arts. And so they rightly conclude that this is the finger of God.

Now, you'd think this would persuade Pharaoh. These are skilled magicians. They know what they're talking about. And if they recognize God's finger, wouldn't you believe them? Wouldn't you weaken?

With healings, and signs, and wonders, this is the moment you're looking for. When people stop, and realize, there is no other explanation for what just happened. God did this. People find themselves caving, and humbling themselves, and coming to God.

But Pharaoh doesn't. Instead, he deliberately strengthens his resolve. The frogs have been too much for Pharaoh. But the gnats, are no match for Pharaoh. They're not enough.

And so we jump right into another plague. Verse 16-20:

(16) and Yahweh said to Moses,

"Rise early in the morning,

and station yourself before Pharaoh.

LOOK! [When he is] Going out to the waters, say to him,

"Thus has said Yahweh: "Release my people, that they may serve me,

(17) because if you aren't releasing my people, LOOK! I shall cause to be released[5] against you and against your servants and against your people and against your houses[6]flies,

and[7]the flies will fill up the houses of the Egyptians,

and, what's more, the land on which they are on,

(18) and I will separate out on that day the land of Goshen

which my people are standing upon it so that there won't be there flies,

in order that you shall know/acknowledge that I [am] Yahweh in the midst of the land,

and I will make a distinction between my people and your people.

Tomorrow this sign shall happen,"[8]

(20) and Yahweh did thus,

and heavy flies came to the house of Pharaoh and the house of his servants,

and in all the land of Egypt, the land was ruined/spoiled[9]from the presence of the flies,

Let's pause here. For the first time, Exodus tells us that God treats the Egyptian people, and his people, differently. Maybe, He has been all along. But here, for the first time, we are told about it.

And God does this so that Pharaoh will finally acknowledge who Yahweh is. Let's reread verse 18:

(18) and I will separate out on that day the land of Goshen

which my people are standing upon it so that there won't be there flies,

in order that you shall know/acknowledge that I [am] Yahweh in the midst of the land,

God's name "Yahweh" means, "He will be, what He will be." For Moses, we've seen that "He will be" with Moses, speaking through him, acting through him. He will be with him. Here, Yahweh will be, whatever He wants to be, in the midst of the land of Egypt.

There is a defiance to this. God can do, and will do, whatever He wants, right in the heart of Egypt. And who will stop him?

It's like when Jesus is teaching openly in Jerusalem, at a time when the Judeans want him killed. And the people of Jerusalem look at this, astonished. How can Jesus possibly get away with this? Why doesn't someone do something about this? (John 7:25-27).

No one can do anything about God. He's too much to handle. If you're fighting God, or resisting God, this should terrify you. But if you're God's people, walking rightly with Him? This is good news.

God is greater than any superpower. God is great, in every land. He can walk around, do what He wants, anywhere. There is no border wall that will keep him out. Who would try? The Egyptian gods haven't even been mentioned. Magicians? At their best, they only offered a cheap imitation.

And here, we find Pharaoh acknowledging this. He caves, again. He's like a tick that my brother popped, a second time. Verse 21:

(21) and Pharaoh called to Moses and Aaron, saying,

"Go! Sacrifice to your God/Elohim in the land,"

Pharaoh here offers a compromise to Moses. He will allow the people to sacrifice to "your God"-- but inside the boundaries of Egyptian-controlled territory.

In verses 22-23, we read Moses' response:

(22) and Moses said,

"[It is] not right to do thus,

because an abomination/offensive thing to the Egyptians we will sacrifice to Yahweh our God.

LOOK! We will sacrifice an abomination/offensive thing to the Egyptians before their eyes,

and won't they stone us?

(23) A journey three days walk we must walk in the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to Yahweh our God,

just as He is saying[10]to us,"

One of my commentators talks about how Egyptians, historically, were super picky about things like cleanliness, and sacrifices. And something like that seems to be in play here. Moses says that what the Israelites are planning to do, is going to be extremely offensive to Egyptians. Whether that's because of the nature of the sacrifice, or because of the God they are sacrificing to, isn't said. But Moses knows, on two fronts, that this is not a compromise he can make.

First of all, the Egyptians will stone them.

And second, Yahweh has already told all of them, repeatedly, where He wants to be served-- out in the wilderness.

If that's really what Yahweh wants, then probably, that's what Moses should do. Right? Is the kind of God you want to test, or only partially obey?

Verse 24:

(24) and Pharaoh said,

"I am releasing you, that you may sacrifice to Yahweh your God in the wilderness.

Only,[11]don't actually go far.

Pray on my behalf,"[12]

It's really obvious from verse 24 that Pharaoh has no personal relationship to Yahweh. Yahweh is not "his" God. But Pharaoh knows that Yahweh "is" (=exists; cf. Heb. 11:6). He acknowledges that Yahweh is behind all of this, and he asks Yahweh's servant Moses to help.

It's a weird place for Pharaoh to be. But maybe we seen this in our own lives, as well. People going through tough times will go out of their way to let you, one of God's people, about it. They're hoping that you will pray for them. And when they do that, recognize that they are showing an openness to God. There is a movement toward him-- and an open door, at some point, for evangelism.

So Pharaoh finds himself vulnerable, and making concessions. He has a weak "heart." He's still not giving in completely-- he tries to put a limit on how far they can go. But the flies are more than he can handle.

Verse 25:

(25) and Moses said,

"LOOK! I am going out[13]from with you,

that[14]I may plead to Yahweh,

and that the flies may turn from Pharaoh, from his servants, from his people tomorrow.

Only,[15]may Pharaoh not again deceive/cheat/mock,[16]by not releasing the people to sacrifice to Yahweh,

Moses here calls Pharaoh to watch him "go out" from Pharaoh. He's going to do, what the Israelites need to be allowed to do.

And when he goes, he will leave as a blessing to Pharaoh. He will pray for the one persecuting him.

Only, however, Moses also adds a qualification to this. Once already, Pharaoh has "mocked," by promising to release God's people, and going back on his word.

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On mocking, hiphil of תָּלַל DBL: (1) "To cause an object to hold a mistaken view, which clearly implies speaking a lie (Gen. 31:7; Ex. 8:25 [EB 29]; Job 13:9; Jer. 9:4 [EB] 5). OR, (2) "to mock, make a fool of, deceive in a way that mocks or scorns an object (Jdg 16:10, 13, 15). HALOT glosses as "to mock, trifle with." Sirach 13:7: "He will embarrass/mock you with his delicacies, until he has drained you two or three times, and finally he will laugh at you."

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Who has Pharaoh mocked? He's mocked Moses. And he's mocked Yahweh.

One of the things we talked about in the Nahum series was that God expects nations, and leaders, to keep their word. If we as a nation made a nuclear treaty with Iran under Obama, God expected Trump to honor that agreement. If we as a nation made a treaty with the Taliban to leave Afghanistan under Trump by a specific date, God expected Biden to honor it.

And when nations break their word, God gets really angry.

If God gets angry when Biden doesn't keep the U.S.'s promise to the Taliban, how do you think He feels when Pharaoh breaks his promise to Moses, to release God's people?

Pharaoh is on thin ice.

So Moses cautions Pharaoh-- don't mock God a second time. Release the people to serve Yahweh. And fully release them, to serve Yahweh the right way, in the right place.

Verse 26:

(26) and Moses went out from with Pharaoh,

and he pled to Yahweh,

(27) and Yahweh did/acted according to the word of Moses,[17]

and the flies turned from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people.

There wasn't left over one,

(28) and Pharaoh made his heart/resolve heavy also this time,

and he didn't release the people.

Moses acts uprightly toward Pharaoh. He keeps the promise he made to Pharaoh, praying for him. And God answers his prayer. God frees Pharaoh and all his people from the flies.

And what does Pharaoh do?

He mocks God, a second time. Notice that Pharaoh does this entirely of his own will. God has promised, at some point, that he will strengthen Pharaoh's heart/resolve. But God hasn't need to, yet. Pharaoh makes his own bad choices, and sets himself up for more brutal plagues. He's the tick that won't stay popped.

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For an application today, I'd like to slow down, and focus on this idea of mocking God. Let's turn to Galatians 6:1-8 (NRSV):

6 My friends,[a] if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill[b] the law of Christ. 3 For if those who are nothing think they are something, they deceive themselves. 4 All must test their own work; then that work, rather than their neighbor’s work, will become a cause for pride. 5 For all must carry their own loads.

6 Those who are taught the word must share in all good things with their teacher.

7 Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. 8 If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit.

Why did Jesus come to earth? One of the main ways the NT talks the point of Jesus' mission, is to frame it in terms of freedom. Jesus came to free us (Luke 4:18-19). And part of this freedom, has to do with freedom from Sin. Sin is like this evil master that ruled over us, and Jesus freed us from our slavery to Sin (Rom. 6:6-7). We are no longer stuck, helpless, unable to avoid sinning.

Our problem, maybe, is that we don't live this way. Sin is deceptive. It offers easy, quick pleasure. It gratifies our flesh. And you maybe have sins that you just aren't going to get rid of.

But at the same time, you know they're wrong. You know they bother God. You do your best to kill your conscience, and quiet that voice, but you're losing the battle: your conscience is killing you.

What, then, do you do?

What most Christians do in this situation, is act like a popped tick. And I say this, from experience. You'll go crawling to God, begging for mercy, trying to claim God's promise that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, and He will forgive us and cleanse us (1 John 1:8-9).

And then a day later, or a week later, you find yourself willfully, deliberately meandering your way back to the sin.

Now, let me pause, and say, I'm not talking about sin, like you snap at your spouse or your kids, or you make a wrong turn on the road and drop a four letter word. I mean, don't do those things. Apologize if you do them.

But I'm talking about the types of sin that the NT says will kill you. The kind that keep you from inheriting eternal life-- sexual immorality, impurity, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, jealousy, fits of rage, envy, drunkenness (Gal. 5:5:19-21).

You're having an affair, and you don't really stop. You go through life, with an explosive temper. And you don't really plan to fight it. You look at porn two days a week, and it's been that way for years. You get drunk every single Friday night, and every Saturday, nursing the hangover, you ask God for forgiveness.

If you're caught in this cycle, what you are really doing, is mocking God.

I'm sure there's a million ways you'd rather frame it. But you're mocking God. You're not taking the concrete steps you need to take, to become free from this sin. You're not truly repenting. You aren't crawling to your wife, and confessing your affair to her. You're not canceling your Netflix, so you stop watching those trashy shows. You don't throw away the liquor in your cabinet, and get that temptation out of your house when you're feeling sad and lonely, and you know you won't stop at 1 or 2.

And God knows all of this. God knows your heart. You're not fooling him. He's not surprised, when you slip back in to your sin later that week.

God is not mocked. He will not let you mock him. If you sow to please your flesh, in the end, it will kill you. It will keep you from inheriting eternal life.

What you should do, instead, is sow to please the Spirit. Every day, you wake up, and you talk to the Spirit, asking Him to do the things the Bible says He will do. "Spirit, please walk in step with me (Gal. 5:16), please lead me (Rom. 8:14), please fill me (Eph. 5:18). May my thoughts and actions and words be pleasing to you" (Gal. 6:6-8). Do this, and you will live. Do this, and you will find freedom (Gal. 5:16).

So if you're stuck this morning, let us help (Gal. 6:1-2). We will gently, humbly, help you get out of this. We ourselves, know what it's like to be caught. We know how easy it is, to let this happen. We won't criticize you, or condemn you. What we will do, is help you take the concrete steps you need to take, to be truly freed, and to stop mocking God.

But you need help. And you need to stop.

Translation:

(12) And Yahweh said to Moses,

"Say to Aaron,

'Stretch out your staff,

and strike the loose dust of the earth, that[18]it becomes gnats in all the land of Egypt,'"

(13) and they did thus,

and Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff,

and he struck the loose dust of the land,

and gnats came against[19]the humans and against the cattle.

All the loose dust of the land became gnats in all the land of Egypt,[20]

(14) and the magicians did thus with their sorceries/magic to bring out the gnats,

and they weren't able,

and there were gnats against the humans and against the cattle,

(15) and the magicians said to Pharaoh,

"The finger of God/Elohim, this is,"

and the resolve of Pharaoh strengthened,

and he didn't listen to them,

just as Yahweh had spoken,

(16) and Yahweh said to Moses,

"Rise early in the morning,

and station yourself before Pharaoh.

LOOK! [When he is] Going out to the waters, say to him,

"Thus has said Yahweh: "Release my people, that they may serve me,

(17) because if you aren't releasing my people, LOOK! I shall cause to be released[21] against you and against your servants and against your people and against your houses[22]flies,

and/that[23]the flies will fill up the houses of the Egyptians,

and, what's more, the land on which they are on,

(18) and I will separate out on that day the land of Goshen

which my people are standing upon it so that there won't be there flies,

in order that you shall know that I [am] Yahweh in the midst of the land,

and I will make a distinction between my people and your people.

Tomorrow this sign shall happen,"

(20) and Yahweh did thus,

and heavy flies came to the house of Pharaoh and the house of his servants,

and in all the land of Egypt, the land was ruined/spoiled[24]from the presence of the flies,

(21) and Pharaoh called to Moses and Aaron, saying,

"Go! Sacrifice to your God/Elohim in the land,"

(22) and Moses said,

"[It is] not right to do thus,

because an abomination/offensive thing to the Egyptians we will sacrifice to Yahweh our God.

LOOK! We will sacrifice an abomination/offensive thing to the Egyptians before their eyes,

and won't they stone us?

(23) A journey three days walk we must walk in the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to Yahweh our God,

just as he is saying[25]to us,"

(24) and Pharaoh said,

"I am releasing you, that you may sacrifice to Yahweh your God in the wilderness.

Only,[26]don't actually go far to walk.

Pray on my behalf,"[27]

(25) and Moses said,

"LOOK! I am going out from with you,

that[28]I may plead to Yahweh,

and that the flies may turn from Pharaoh, from his servants, from his people tomorrow.

Only,[29]May Pharaoh not again deceive/cheat/mock,[30]by not releasing the people to sacrifice to Yahweh,

(26) and Moses went out from with Pharaoh,

and he pled to Yahweh,

(27) and Yahweh did/acted according to the word of Moses,

and the flies turned from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people.

There wasn't left over one,

(28) and Pharaoh made his heart/resolve heavy also this time,

and he didn't release the people.

[1]weqatal. [2]same preposition ("b") as the frogs coming "against/on" Pharaoh." BHRG 39.6.1.b. A good example of this is Jer. 52:3, where Zedekiah rebelled "against" the king of Babylon. When "b" functions to create social contact, "this relationship often has a negative effect on the landmark" [subject]. [3]normal Hebrew word order (Robert Holmstedt). [4]same verb used in commands to "release" the people from Egypt. [5]hiphil of the same verb. "release," then "cause to be released" [6]"houses" can mean either the literal building, or as representative of family groups. [7]weqatal. [8]gapping again. We aren't told that Pharaoh refused. [9]see Jer. 13:7; 18:4. [10]here's a good example of a yiqtol being used imperfectively, to describe Yahweh's open-ended call for them to serve/sacrifice to him. [11]putting a qualification/condition on it. [12] בַּעַד DBL: 6. LN 90.36–90.42 for benefit of, on behalf of, to, toward, i.e., a marker of a participant who is benefited by an event or on whose behalf an event takes place (1Sa 7:5, 9)[12] [13] the qatal of the same verb root for "release/cause to go out." Moses calls Pharaoh to watch him "going out." [14]weqatal. [15]Moses echoes with his own qualification/condition. [16] hiphil of תָּלַל DBL: (1) "To cause an object to hold a mistaken view, which clearly implies speaking a lie (Gen. 31:7; Ex. 8:25 [EB 29]; Job 13:9; Jer. 9:4 [EB] 5). OR, (2) "to mock, make a fool of, deceive in a way that mocks or scorns an object (Jdg 16:10, 13, 15). HALOT glosses as "to mock, trifle with." Sirach 13:7: "He will embarrass/mock you with his delicacies, until he has drained you two or three times, and finally he will laugh at you." [17] this is how prayer works, ideally. A beautiful picture again. [18]weqatal. [19]same preposition ("b") as the frogs coming "against/on" Pharaoh." BHRG 39.6.1.b. A good example of this is Jer. 52:3, where Zedekiah rebelled "against" the king of Babylon. When "b" functions to create social contact, "this relationship often has a negative effect on the landmark" [subject]. [20]normal Hebrew word order (Robert Holmstedt). [21]hiphil of the same verb. "release," then "cause to be released" [22]"houses" can mean either the literal building, or as representative of family groups. [23]weqatal. [24]see Jer. 13:7; 18:4. [25]here's a good example of a yiqtol being used imperfectively, to describe Yahweh's open-ended call for them to serve/sacrifice to him. [26]putting a qualification/condition on it. [27] בַּעַד DBL: 6. LN 90.36–90.42 for benefit of, on behalf of, to, toward, i.e., a marker of a participant who is benefited by an event or on whose behalf an event takes place (1Sa 7:5, 9)[27] [28]weqatal. [29]Moses echoes with his own qualification/condition. [30] hiphil of תָּלַל DBL: (1) "To cause an object to hold a mistaken view, which clearly implies speaking a lie (Gen. 31:7; Ex. 8:25 [EB 29]; Job 13:9; Jer. 9:4 [EB] 5). OR, (2) "to mock, make a fool of, deceive in a way that mocks or scorns an object (Jdg 16:10, 13, 15). HALOT glosses as "to mock, trifle with." Sirach 13:7: "He will embarrass you with his delicacies, until he has drained you two or three times, and finally he will laugh at you."

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