20Then the LORD said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning, and when Pharaoh goes out to the water, stand before him and tell him that this is what the LORD says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may worship Me. 21But if you will not let My people go, I will send swarms of flies upon you and your officials and your people and your houses. The houses of the Egyptians and even the ground where they stand will be full of flies.
22But on that day I will give special treatment to the land of Goshen, where My people live; no swarms of flies will be found there. In this way you will know that I, the LORD, am in the land. 23I will make a distinctionbetween My people and your people. This sign will take place tomorrow.’”
24And the LORD did so. Thick swarms of flies poured into Pharaoh’s palace and into the houses of his officials. Throughout Egypt the land was ruined by swarms of flies.
25Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God within this land.”
26But Moses replied, “It would not be right to do that, because the sacrifices we offer to the LORD our God would be detestable to the Egyptians. If we offer sacrifices that are detestable before the Egyptians, will they not stone us? 27We must make a three-day journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God as He commands us.”
28Pharaoh answered, “I will let you go and sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness, but you must not go very far. Now pray for me.”
29“As soon as I leave you,” Moses said, “I will pray to the LORD, so that tomorrow the swarms of flies will depart from Pharaoh and his officials and his people. But Pharaoh must not act deceitfully again by refusing to let the people go and sacrifice to the LORD.”
30Then Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD, 31and the LORD did as Moses requested. He removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh and his officials and his people; not one fly remained. 32But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time as well, and he would not let the people go.
“The word occurs only here and in passages based on this context, and its exact meaning is conjectural. ‘Fleas’ or ‘sandflies’ are other suggestions: but ‘mosquitoes’ may be the best translation.” (Cole)
Psalm 78:45 He sent swarms of flies that devoured them, and frogs that devastated them. From this verse we can see these were biting insects.
When I was a young man I purchased a cabin with acreage on a lake in a wilderness area. In the summer you needed to wear long sleeve shirts, pants and a “net hat” because the mosquitoes would devour you! We used to joke that they were the official state bird!
I remember one night we were in the cabin and were heard a woman screaming as she ran up to the door. They had driven off the side of the rustic bridge and had to walk a mile and a half in to the cabin. The mosquitoes were devouring them!
“I will make a distinctionbetween My people and your people.” We don’t know if the Lord made this distinction in the previous plagues but it’s specifically mentioned in this plague.
Look at this verse again, “In this way you will know that I, the LORD, am in the land.”
We don’t see in this plague that the pharaoh refused the request to let the people go. Could it be the pharaoh refused to see Moses and thought he could ignore the Lord?
Have you ever been successful ignoring the Lord?
Blessings, David
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