We are in chapter eight of Exodus with our word for today. עָרֹב swarm of flies, vermin, pests, noxious insects, horse-fly. It is used 9 times in the Old Testament, 7 times in our chapter. The other two times we find our word is in the Psalms and both times referring to the same event here in Exodus. Let’s look at our word in our chapter. Exodus 8:21-24, 29-31 If you will not let my people go, behold, I will send הֶעָרֹ֑בswarms of flies on you and your servants and your people, and into your houses. And the houses of the Egyptians shall be filled with הֶ֣עָרֹ֔בswarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand. But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people dwell, so that no עָרֹ֑בswarms of flies shall be there, that you may know that I am the Lord in the midst of the earth. Thus I will put a division between my people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall happen.”’” And the Lord did so. There came great עָרֹ֣בswarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh and into his servants' houses. Throughout all the land of Egypt the land was ruined by the הֶעָרֹֽב swarms of flies. Did you pick up on the comment that the land was ruined by the swarms of flies? The fly was especially sacred to the Egyptian god Uatchit which is ironic because God used the swarms of flies to destroy Egypt.
What is interesting about this attack on Egypt from God was that it was the first plague that only the Egyptians would experience. This points our attention to the reality that God’s people had to suffer through the previous plagues of the water turned to blood, the frogs, and the gnats along with the Egyptians. Life was worse instead of better at the beginning. And then they had to suffer along with the Egyptians these first three plagues. Up to this point doing what God wanted them to do made things worse for them. But now that they have got this far things were going to start to get better. These last seven plagues would only be done to the Egyptians while God’s people would escape the plague completely. Think about it. Only God could control the flight pattern of tiny flies and keep them from entering the land of Goshen where the Hebrews lived. We see God’s providential care of his people as they escape each one of these remaining plagues. This also shows God’s credibility in that he predicted he would do this in a very specific way by separating his people from the Egyptians who would only experience the plague. Have you noticed how Pharaoh is staring to try and bargain with God. Pharaoh will offer up four compromises to God’s request to let his people go. We see the first two in our chapter with the flies. Exodus 8:25, 28. When God gives us clear direction it is absurd for us to try and change it. The very idea of the almighty all powerful God asking a mere human creature for permission is absurd but yet there it is. This reminds us he does the same with us. As God’s creation you and I are not only given free will but allowed to make decisions freely in this life. There are a lot of alternatives to God as we see identified in the Bible and from just experiencing life around us. God does not make us know him and follow him. Instead he asks us to. The choice is up to us like it was with Pharaoh. We can try to negotiate what God is asking us to do, flat out disobey it, or actually do what he says. As we will see Pharaoh disobeyed after trying to change God’s direction and the whole nation was destroyed. God loves us and knows what’s best for us. When he asks us to obey him it is in our very best interest to do it. It really comes down to love. What or who do we love? I’ll close with these simple words of Jesus. John 14:15, 21 If you love me, keep my commands…Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
