Exodus 8:16 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.’” 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. The magicians tried by their secret arts to produce gnats, but they could not. So there were gnats on man and beast. 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.
This plague came unannounced. This time God did not show Pharaoh the mercy of a warning and an invitation to repentance. These magicians could use occult powers to change a rod into a snake, to turn water into blood, and to summon frogs – yet they could no bring forth lice. This is the finger of God: When the magicians said this to Pharaoh, it showed they knew there was a power greater than their own, yet it was a power that they did not honor and serve. The hardness of Pharaoh’s heart is shown when he would not even listen to the analysis of his own advisers. There was no rational reason why he insisted on resisting and rejecting the LORD God. (Guzik)
It is to be noticed that the third plague, whatever it was, came without warning. It was God’s judgment on Pharaoh for hardening his heart and breaking his promise (Exodus 8:15); and he was not given the option of avoiding it by submission to God’s will. (Ellicott)
Any study of this passage will fall on a discussion on whether the plague was gnats, lice, or mosquitoes. I don’t really think this matters and needs much if any discussion. The point(s) that are important:
- God did not warn Pharaoh
- The power of God was displayed
- The impact of this plague affected all of Egypt, man, and beast
- Secret arts of the magicians could not produce the same
- The magicians recognized the finger of God in this plague
- The magicians advised Pharaoh of this
- Pharaoh’s heart was hardened
- Pharaoh would not listen
What causes a heart to become so hard that it cannot reason or see logic and cause and effect? Heart blindness to God, the Word of God, and things of God harden the heart. While on a walk this morning I was thinking about pride and what it can cause us to think, say, and do. Jealousy, envy, anger, hatred, arrogance, boastfulness, and self-reliance all have root in pride. It is a terrible seed to allow to find root in our hearts and minds. Being able to recognize this in ourselves is not as easy as one would think. It has so many avenues by which it can infect our thinking, words, and actions that most of the time we would blindly think, walk, or talk pridefully. I do know this, left on our own we would continually become more and more prideful without God’s Word and the indwelling Holy Spirit’s discernment. Pride will tell us that we are good enough or doing enough and allow us to become neglectful and complacent towards God’s Word and things of God. Pride will convince us that we have grown and matured to a level where little time in God’s Word is required anymore. Pride in our hearts will rob honor and glory due to Jesus Christ. How many families, friendships, marriages, jobs, neighbors, church membership, etc…. have been fractured due to pride?
How is a person to examine their heart and mind for pride? Ask God to expose it and hunger for and willingly read His Word with an expectation of being shown. David said it like this; “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”
This is the heart and mind of what it would be like to seek and desire to honor and glorify Jesus Christ in all that is thought, said, and done at all times.