Bird's-eye view
In this fourth plague, the plague of flies, God escalates His covenant lawsuit against Pharaoh and the gods of Egypt. The central feature of this plague is the miraculous distinction God makes between the Egyptians and His own people. While the land of Egypt is laid waste by swarms of flies, the land of Goshen, where the Israelites dwell, is completely spared. This is a sign meant to teach a theological lesson: Yahweh is God "in the midst of the land," sovereign over all Egypt, not just over a tribal enclave. Pharaoh, feeling the pressure, begins to negotiate. He offers two compromises, both of which are rejected by Moses. Pharaoh wants the benefits of God's mercy without submitting to God's authority. Moses stands firm on the non-negotiable command of God. Though Pharaoh feigns compliance to get relief from the plague, once the judgment is lifted, he hardens his heart yet again, demonstrating that his was a bargain of desperation, not an act of repentance.
This passage is a powerful illustration of the antithesis between the people of God and the world. God sets His people apart, and their worship is often an "abomination" to the surrounding culture. The world is always seeking a compromise, a way to domesticate the faith and make it palatable. But the demands of God are absolute. This account serves as a pattern for the church's engagement with a hostile world: steadfast obedience to God's clear commands, a refusal to compromise on the substance of our worship, and a recognition that worldly sorrow over consequences is not the same as true repentance.
Outline
- 1. The Fourth Plague: Distinction and Judgment (Exod 8:20-32)
- a. The Warning of the Swarm (Exod 8:20-21)
- b. The Sign of Distinction (Exod 8:22-23)
- c. The Plague's Fulfillment (Exod 8:24)
- d. Pharaoh's First Compromise: Worship Here (Exod 8:25-27)
- e. Pharaoh's Second Compromise: Don't Go Far (Exod 8:28-29)
- f. The Plague's Removal and Pharaoh's Deceit (Exod 8:30-32)
Context In Exodus
The plague of flies marks a significant turning point in the narrative. The first three plagues (blood, frogs, gnats) affected both the Egyptians and the Israelites, demonstrating God's power over the foundational elements of Egyptian life: the Nile, the land, and the dust. The magicians of Egypt were able to replicate the first two plagues to some degree but failed at the third, admitting, "This is the finger of God." Now, with the fourth plague, God introduces a new element: separation. He is no longer just attacking the gods of Egypt; He is visibly and geographically separating His people from the Egyptians, setting them apart as His protected possession. This theme of separation will only intensify as the plagues continue, demonstrating that fellowship with God requires being called out of the world. This plague also initiates the first of Pharaoh's bargaining attempts, setting a pattern of false repentance, compromise, and re-hardening that will repeat until the final judgment of the firstborn.
Key Issues
- The Theological Purpose of Distinction
- The Nature of the Swarm
- Compromise and Worldly Conformity
- Worship as an "Abomination" to the World
- The Difference Between Desperation and Repentance
- The Sovereignty of God in Hardening Hearts
The God Who Divides
In our modern world, division is seen as the ultimate evil. The cry is for unity, tolerance, inclusion, and finding common ground. But the God of the Bible is a God who divides. He divides light from darkness, the clean from the unclean, the holy from the profane, and His people from the world. This is not a petty division, but a fundamental one based on His own holy character. The fourth plague is where this aspect of God's character comes to the forefront of the conflict with Egypt. Up to this point, the plagues have been a general misery. Now, the misery becomes highly specific.
God tells Pharaoh that He is going to palah, a Hebrew word meaning to set apart, distinguish, or make wonderful. He is going to draw a line. On one side of the line, chaos and judgment. On the other side, peace and protection. This is not for the comfort of the Israelites alone. It is a sign for Pharaoh. The purpose is "that you may know that I, Yahweh, am in the midst of the land." God is not a local deity whose authority stops at the border of Goshen. He owns the whole earth, including every square inch of Egypt that Pharaoh thinks is his. The division is a demonstration of ownership. By protecting one part, He shows His absolute authority over it all. This is the antithesis, the great division between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent, displayed in history. And it is a warning to all who would try to blur that line through compromise.
Verse by Verse Commentary
20-21 And Yahweh said to Moses, “Rise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh as he comes out to the water, and you shall say to him, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “Let My people go, that they may serve Me. For if you do not let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and on your servants and on your people and into your houses; and the houses of the Egyptians will be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand.
Once again, God commands Moses to confront Pharaoh early in the morning at the water's edge. Pharaoh is likely performing his morning devotions to Hapi, the god of the Nile. Yahweh is confronting this pagan king in his own cathedral. The demand is the same, for it is the central demand of the covenant Lord: "Let My people go, that they may serve Me." Worship is the issue. The threatened judgment is a swarm. The Hebrew word is arov, which means a mixture, likely a swarm of various biting and stinging insects, not just common houseflies. This is a form of de-creation. God created the world with order, separating creatures according to their kinds. This swarm is a chaotic invasion, a mixture that brings ruin. The judgment is comprehensive: it will affect Pharaoh, his officials, his people, their houses, and even the ground they walk on. There will be no escape.
22-23 But on that day I will make a distinction for the land of Goshen, where My people are living, so that no swarms of flies will be there, that you may know that I, Yahweh, am in the midst of the land. And I will put a division between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign will happen.”
This is the heart of the matter. God promises to "make a distinction," to set Goshen apart. The word here for division, or redemption in some translations, is peduth. God is going to ransom His people from this judgment. This is not an accident of geography; it is a sovereign and miraculous act. And the purpose is explicitly theological: so that Pharaoh will know that Yahweh is God in the midst of the land. God is not a tribal deity. He is not the God of the hills and not the valleys. He is the Lord of all the earth, and He is demonstrating His authority over Pharaoh's domain by drawing a line of protection around His people right in the middle of it. The timing is also crucial: "Tomorrow." This removes any possibility of coincidence. God announces the miracle, its nature, its location, its exception, and its timing in advance, so that when it happens precisely as He said, His authorship is undeniable.
24 Then Yahweh did so. And there came heavy swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh and the houses of his servants, and the land was laid waste because of the swarms of flies in all the land of Egypt.
God is as good as His word. The judgment falls just as He promised. The swarm is "heavy," indicating its severity. It fills the most protected places, the house of Pharaoh himself, showing that no amount of worldly power can shield a man from the judgment of God. The result is that the land was "laid waste" or corrupted. This was not merely an annoyance; it was an ecological and economic disaster. The flies would have brought disease, tormented livestock, and made daily life impossible. Egypt is being systematically unraveled by the Creator it refuses to acknowledge.
25-27 And Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God within the land.” But Moses said, “It is not right to do so, for we will sacrifice to Yahweh our God what is an abomination to the Egyptians. If we sacrifice what is an abomination to the Egyptians before their eyes, will they not then stone us? We must go a three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to Yahweh our God as He says to us.”
Under duress, Pharaoh cracks. He summons Moses and Aaron and offers the first of his compromises: "Go, sacrifice... within the land." This is the world's constant offer to the church. "You can have your religion, but keep it private. Keep it civilized. Do it in a way that doesn't offend us." Moses immediately rejects this. The reason he gives is profound. The sacrifices of Israel are an "abomination to the Egyptians." Why? Because the Israelites would be sacrificing animals, particularly cattle, that the Egyptians worshipped as gods, such as the Apis bull. True worship is a direct assault on idolatry. To sacrifice a bull in front of an Egyptian was like desecrating a cathedral in front of a bishop. It would have started a riot, and the Egyptians would have stoned them. Moses is not being evasive; he is stating a fundamental truth. True worship cannot be made compatible with paganism. He reiterates the original, non-negotiable command: three days' journey, away from the idols of Egypt, to worship as God Himself prescribes.
28 And Pharaoh said, “I will let you go, that you may sacrifice to Yahweh your God in the wilderness; only you shall not go very far away. Entreat for me.”
Pharaoh, seeing his first offer rejected, tries a second compromise. He concedes the point about leaving the land, but he adds a new restriction: "only you shall not go very far away." He wants to keep them on a leash. If they are just over the horizon, he can still exert some control. He is willing to bend, but not to break. He will not fully surrender his authority. Then, in his desperation, he reveals his motive. "Entreat for me." This is not the cry of a repentant sinner seeking a new heart. This is the cry of a man in pain who wants the pain to stop. He wants the benefits of Moses' God without submitting to Moses' God. He wants prayer, not pardon.
29 Then Moses said, “Behold, I am going out from you, and I shall entreat Yahweh that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people tomorrow; only may Pharaoh not deal deceitfully again in not letting the people go to sacrifice to Yahweh.”
Moses agrees to pray, demonstrating the mercy of God even to His enemies. He again sets the time for "tomorrow," reinforcing God's precise control over the situation. But he includes a sharp warning. He knows his man. "May Pharaoh not deal deceitfully again." Moses is calling out the king's insincerity before the fact. He is putting Pharaoh on notice that God is not fooled by false promises made in a moment of crisis. This is a call to genuine repentance, a call that Moses knows will likely go unheeded.
30-31 So Moses went out from Pharaoh and entreated Yahweh. And Yahweh did according to the word of Moses and caused the swarms of flies to depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; not one remained.
Moses, the faithful mediator, prays, and Yahweh, the faithful God, answers. The removal of the plague is just as miraculous as its arrival. The flies depart completely; "not one remained." This shows that Yahweh is not a God who unleashes forces He cannot control. He is the sovereign Lord who commands the swarm to come and commands it to go. He does this "according to the word of Moses," elevating the authority of His prophet and leaving Pharaoh with no excuse.
32 Then Pharaoh hardened his heart with firmness this time also, and he did not let the people go.
As soon as the pressure is off, Pharaoh's true character reasserts itself. The crisis is over, and so is his "repentance." The text says he "hardened his heart." This is his own willful, culpable act. He is not a puppet. He is a defiant rebel who, having seen the power of God, chooses to defy it. He received the mercy he begged for, and then he used that mercy as an occasion for further sin. This is the nature of a hard heart. It is not softened by mercy but rather emboldened by it, foolishly thinking that it has gotten away with something.
Application
This passage is a field guide for Christians on how to navigate a world that is hostile to our God. First, we must understand that God has made a distinction. He has set His people apart. We are residents of Goshen living in the middle of Egypt. We should not be surprised when the judgment that falls on the world does not fall on us, nor should we be surprised when our very existence is an irritant to the powers that be. Our purpose is to be a sign, to show the world that our God is Lord "in the midst of the land."
Second, we must be on guard against the compromises of Pharaoh. The world will always try to get us to worship God in a way that is acceptable to it. "Sacrifice within the land." "Don't go too far." These are the temptations to syncretism, to a privatized faith, to a culturally-neutered Christianity. But true worship, centered on the bloody sacrifice of the Lamb of God, will always be an "abomination" to a world that worships itself. We cannot negotiate the terms of our obedience. God's commands are not suggestions.
Finally, we must learn to distinguish between worldly sorrow and true repentance. Pharaoh was sorry about the flies. He was not sorry about his sin. Many people cry out to God when they are in trouble, but the moment the trouble passes, they harden their hearts again. True repentance is a change of mind that leads to a change of direction, and it is a gift of God's grace. Our task is to proclaim the whole, uncompromised truth, and then to pray for our enemies, knowing that only a sovereign work of God can remove the swarms of judgment and soften a heart of stone.