IT is beautiful to see how the Lord talked with Moses concerning the work he had taken. He gave to Moses the words that he should speak to Israel; He gave to him each time the message to Pharaoh. Before he went into Pharaoh’s presence, and when he came out from it, the Lord spoke to him. Aaron was his prophet, and he was given to be his spokesman also; and it was Aaron who held the rod. But it was to. Moses that the Lord spoke; and any message that Aaron got from the Lord, was through Moses.
When Moses first went into Pharaoh’s presence, he showed him the two signs that God had given him; but this did not move Pharaoh. Then God sent plague after plague, until Pharaoh at last was glad to have the people go. First was the waters turned to blood. This was no small annoyance to the Egyptians; but Pharaoh would not let the people go. Next, God instructed’ Moses to tell Aaron to stretch his rod over the waters again, and He would bring up frogs that would come into their houses and into their bed-rooms, and their beds, and their ovens, and their kneading troughs. This was such a trial to Pharaoh that he called for Moses and begged him to take the frogs away; and he would let the people go to do sacrifice to the Lord, he said. So Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and entreated the Lord to take away the frogs. But as soon as the frogs. were gone, Pharaoh hardened his heart again. Next, Aaron was to stretch out his rod, and smite the dust of the land with it, and the dust should turn into lice, and be upon man and beast. Think how terrible this punishment would be! The wise men tried to do the same with their rods, but they could not. Then they said, This is the finger of God. Truly, none but God can create life, or bring life out of dust; and these magicians recognized the power of God in this. But Pharaoh only hardened his heart.
Next, God sent swarms of flies, until the whole land was corrupted with them, but He made a wonderful distinction in favor of His people Israel; in the land of Goshen, that part of Egypt inhabited by the Israelites, no flies came. While the Egyptians were tortured with the flies, the Israelites, in the very heart of the land, had no trouble from them.
Pharaoh felt this pest so much, that he called for Moses and Aaron and told them to go and sacrifice to their God, in the land. “No,” Moses said, “we will go three days journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the Lord our God, as He shall command us.” So Pharaoh said, “I will let you go if you take away the flies.” But again he hardened his heart when the flies were removed. Then the Lord sent a dreadful disease upon the cattle of Egypt, and many of them died; but none of the cattle of the children of Israel died. But this made no change in Pharaoh. Then the Lord sent boils and dreadful sores upon man and beast, among the Egyptians; the wise men as well as other men had sores upon them, and they could not stand before Moses and Aaron. Still Pharaoh was unmoved. So the next day the Lord sent rain and hail, and fire mingled with the hail, and fire ran along the ground; and all the men and beasts that were in the field were killed; but those who believed what Moses had told them about it, stayed in, and kept their cattle under cover, and they were not hurt; neither did the hail touch those who were in Goshen.
This punishment was felt so much by Pharaoh that he sent for Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “I have sinned this time; the Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.” And he asked Moses to entreat the Lord to take away the hail, and he would let them go; they should stay no longer. But when the hail and thunder ceased he refused to let them go.
Then Moses told Pharaoh that the Lord would send locusts which would fill their houses and cover the ground, if he would not let the people go. The servants of Pharaoh, hearing this, begged the king to let the people go and serve the Lord their God; they asked him if he did not see that Egypt was destroyed. So the king sent for Moses and Aaron and asked them who would go. They replied that they would go, young and old, with their sons and their daughters, their flocks and their herds, and hold a feast to the Lord. Pharaoh would not consent to this, but said, “Go ye that are men and serve the Lord;” and then he drove them from his presence. He, perhaps, knew well that they would not go and leave their children behind. So God sent the locusts and they ate up every green thing that the hail had not killed.
This affliction was so grievous that Pharaoh sent in haste for Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you.” Then he asked them to entreat the Lord to take away this death only. When this was done, again he hardened his heart. Then the Lord sent darkness so thick and dense that they could not see one another for three days; and they sat still in one place. But the children of Israel had light in their dwellings. Then the king called Moses and said they could go and serve the Lord and take their little ones along; only leave their flocks and herds. But Moses said they would not leave a hoof behind—they must take their cattle to sacrifice to the Lord. Then Pharaoh told Moses to go away; and said he should never see his face again. Moses said this was well said for he would see his face no more.
ML 09/28/1902