Exodus 9

1-7. Fifth Plague (Murrain).

1-5. Liberation demanded (warning).
6. Plague inflicted.
7-. Plague verified.
-7. Liberation refused.

1491 B.C.

(God is opening the eyes of the Egyptian people that He is not pleased with the way that they treated the children of Israel. As each plague comes and passes, the people feel the hardship, just as Pharaoh and his servants. Sure, God told Abraham that his seed would go into captivity for four hundred years; but it was not God's idea to have the Egyptians break their backs and minds. So after these first four plagues that have hit Egypt, the people are starting to see that there is a true God of the Israelites. Remember that the purpose of these plagues was that the Pharaoh and the Egyptians would know that there was a true God. That same message goes for our generation as much as it applied to these Egyptians. Our Heavenly Father is the power of all powers, and the controller of all forces that exist.)

Exodus 9:1 Then the LORD said unto Moses, "Go in unto Pharaoh, and tell him, 'Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, 'Let My people go, that they may serve Me.

(To most Bible teachers today, they teach the first part, but forget the last, "that they may serve God". God needs faithful servants, for that is how He gets the work done. When you accept our Lord Jesus Christ, that is what you are to do, serve God. Salvation is the starting point to where you make the commitment to service by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. When you serve God, then you get the blessings. The work comes before the pay, and that is God's way. Sure the salvation is at no cost to you, but there was a heavy price that was paid by the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross. He took the stripes, and you take the healing and cleansing. However, the blessings of God to his children come as they are faithful servants to our Heavenly Father and His Work.)

2 For if thou refuse to let them go, and wilt hold them still,

3 Behold, the hand of the LORD is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep: there shall be a very grievous murrain.

(This plague will only hit those people and cattle that are in the field. Make a mental note of what this is leading to. "Murrain" is a pestilence, in the sense of destroying. Murrain will cause those animals and people to die. God is telling the Egyptians that if you heed to the God of Israel and believe in what He is trying to tell you, than you'll get your animals and servants out of the field and back home in their houses.

God is trying to teach the Egyptian farmers discipline in the ways of God. In other words, to listen to what God says and then respond to His direction. He is saying; if they follow the ways of your gods, and Satan, you are going to lose your life, that of your animals and your crops. If you do not hearken to God, you and they die; if you do, you live.

Sure we all will fall short of God measure at one time of another, and we see where we have come short of God's Word and standard, that is the time for repentance in Jesus name. Jesus came to this world in the flesh for one reason, and that was to pay that price at the cross, that would allow you to come back into fellowship with our Heavenly Father. That price was paid for all people that would believe, the tribe of Judah, Gentile, and Kenite alike.)

4 And the LORD shall sever between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt: and there shall nothing die of all that is the children's of Israel.' ' "

(This is a type of how it shall be in our end generation. God is going to put that line of protection between His elect and those with the seal of God in their forehead [mind], and those with the seal are going to be protect, but those without that seal will be turned over by God to the destroyer.

In Exodus the sixth chapter, God used the word "I" eighteen times, to let us know that it would be He that would bring the children of Israel out of bondage. In Moses day, that was bringing the children of Israel out from under the bondage of the Egyptians. God declared it, and He let Moses know exactly how it would be done long before it happened. Then all the way along, God was telling Moses what He would do, and what Moses should say and act. God was completely in control, and from the hardening of Pharaoh's heart to the Plagues that followed. So just as those plagues came, so will the prophecies dealing with our generation be fulfilled as they were written.

Those Egyptians farmers in the field saw the frogs come and fill the field just as Moses said, and they were there with the water turned to blood. It was not pleasing to fight those lice and flies, and watch your crops being destroyed, and they are catching on that what Moses' God says comes true. The God of these Hebrews is the God of all gods. Now Moses has told them to trot their horses and mules and all their other animals into the barn, and God will protect them there. They will be under the protection of the God of the Hebrews, when God's destruction comes on the field or world. Many of them are becoming believers, but Pharaoh and many others are not.

God is giving the Egyptians a choice of being obedient to Him, or suffer the consequences of going against His Word, and warnings of those plagues that will happen. This is an individual thing, not up to your family, the city council, or in this case, Pharaoh. God is giving them a way out, just as He gives us a way out by studying and believing in His Word and putting on all the armor of God that is given us through His Word.)

5 And the LORD appointed a set time, saying, "To morrow the LORD shall do this thing in the land."

(God has His appointed time for each of His prophecies, and those prophecies will take place right on time. The destruction that comes is always announced ahead of time so that those that believe Him can be protected. God is making it clear here through Moses that the appointed time God set will be tomorrow. This gives those that believe and prepare for the pestilence [the destruction] time to get that milk cow into the barn, and the sheep into the fold. It can't be any clearer, "Tomorrow the destruction shall come in the land, in the field, in the world." Get it? This is the warning to us living today also for we are in that time of the fifth trump, and the sixth will sound very shortly. Get prepared, get sealed and ready for Satan and his fallen angels are coming and they will destroy all those left in the field.

God not only told us what was going to happen, but He tells us also when it shall happen. You have the warning today, you have the events of each of the seals and of the trumpets, and Jesus Himself told us in detail how it will come to pass in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21, which is backed up by the book of Revelation, and all the prophets of the old Testament. God told us everything that we need to know about the false Christ, Satan, in his role as the Antichrist. God gave us the season, but not the exact time. The point is that as we approach the season, we are to prepare ourselves for the exact time. It is a matter of doing what we are to do before it come, get sealed in your mind, before Satan arrives, and these Egyptian farmers getting the cattle in and out of the field before tomorrow when the destruction of the pestilence comes.

The period here to deceive the people will be for five months, and there was only one way to protect yourself, as we read above, in Revelation 9:4. It is no different today than it was in Moses day, as he is giving the warning to these Egyptian farmers and to Pharaoh.)

6 And the LORD did that thing on the morrow, and all the cattle of Egypt died: but of the cattle of the children of Israel died not one.

7 And Pharaoh sent, and, behold, there was not one of the cattle of the Israelites dead. And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go.

8-12. Sixth Plague (Boils).

8,9. Yahaveh command (no warning).
10. Plague inflicted.
11. Plague not imitated.
12. Yahaveh's hardening (1st occ.)

8 And the LORD said unto Moses and unto Aaron, "Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh.

9 And it shall become small dust in all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast, throughout all the land of Egypt."

10 And they took ashes of the furnace,

(i.e. one of the altars on which human sacrifices were sometimes offered to propitiate their god Typhon, [i.e. the Evil Principle])

and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward heaven; and it became a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast.

(Moses took the ashes and went to Pharaoh, and tossed these ashes into the air one handful at a time. These painful boils grew on Pharaoh and on all the people, and opened to allow the puss to flow from their sores.)

11 And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boil was upon the magicians, and upon all the Egyptians.

12 And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had spoken unto Moses.

(As each of these plagues come and go, instead of yielding to God and letting these plagues pass from him, Pharaoh is determined to continue holding the children of Israel. The first plague messed over the water supply, and the second brought a stink on the land with all the frogs. Then came the trouble that masses of flies and insects cause in polluting everything, with the killing of all the people and animals in the field in the fifth plague. But now God is starting to mess over their bodies personally, with the puss flowing boils, and still Pharaoh's heart is even more so hardened. Moses sprayed the ashes in the face of Pharaoh, and left him there to fester over his boils for the night in pain.)

13-35. Seventh Plague (Hail).

13-19. Warning given.
20,21. People's regard and disregard.
22-26. Warning fulfilled.
27-35. Pharaoh's regard and disregard.

13 And the LORD said unto Moses, "Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, 'Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, 'Let my people go, that they may serve Me.

14 For I will at this time send all My plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like Me in all the earth.

(Moses told Pharaoh the reason why all these plagues are done to him. What was the purpose? "that thou mayest know that there is none like Me in all the earth." Friend, there is only one choice beside knowing and serving the one true God, and that will end you into the lake of fire. God loves His kids, and sometimes He has to put hardship on His people to get them to shape up. These Egyptians had drifted into worshipping all sorts of animal, fish and plant life, including the heavenly bodies of the universe. God had to do something to let them know just how far they had drifted.

Stop and look at some of the ways and things that people are worshipping today, for it has just about come that far today. Pharaoh was the world government of that day, and His government was protecting the many forms of heathen worship. They completely lost sight of the one true God. God shook them through these plagues so that they would know that it is no accident this is happening to them, each of the plagues are foretold in advance and withdrawn at God's appointed time.)

15 For now I will stretch out my hand, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence; and thou shalt be cut off from the earth.

(Friend, this is a prelude to what it shall be like at the edge of that lake of fire, as written about in Revelation 20:14, 15. If you are part of the book of Life, you will pass that time and enter into the eternity, but if you are ignorant enough to follow Satan, and fall for his deception, you will march with in right into the lake of fire after the great white throne judgment of our heavenly Father.

Revelation 20:14, 15 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

If you end up in the lake of fire it is because you chose to be there, by your own actions and deeds.)

16 And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up,

(= preserved you, through all the plagues and till the end.)

for to shew in thee My power; and that My name may be declared throughout all the earth.

(God wants His name declared throughout all the earth ages, all the generations that shall come to the time of the sounding of the seventh and last trump. That includes our generation. These plagues are an "ensample" or example of how it shall be in the time of the end, to keep you and I focused on His name and His power. Our power even today is in the "name of Jesus Christ", and His Holy Spirit gives us the strength and power that we need to live our lives.

I Corinthians 10:11, 12; Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world [age] are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall."

Exodus 9:16 is also a cross reference to Romans 9:17; For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh, "Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew My power in thee, and that My name might be declared throughout all the earth." So Paul made all these events of the Plagues part of the New Testament. God raised Pharaoh up for this very moment. God can take a hunk of clay we call these flesh bodies, and He can form that person into a king, or make him a slave. He can shape that hunk of clay into a beautiful vessel to be admired, or to be made into a chamber pot. God was using Pharaoh's hard heart for the sake of getting the attention of the Egyptians to save their souls.)

17 As yet exaltest thou thyself against My people, that thou wilt not let them go?

18 Behold, to morrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail,

(Plague directed against Isis and Osiris, see 12:12. This is Egypt, and it hardly ever has a hail storm.)

such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even until now.

19 Send therefore now, and gather thy cattle, and all that thou hast in the field; for upon every man and beast which shall be found in the field, and shall not be brought home, the hail shall come down upon them, and they shall die.' ' "

(This will be a different type of hail storm, and again God is giving the Egyptians a way out. He is saying, if you believe I am God, then you bring every man and beast in from the field, and they will be protected, but if you do not, then leave them out there and they will die. Get your horse in the barn and save his life.)

20 He that feared the word of the LORD among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses:

21 And he that regarded not the word of the LORD left his servants and his cattle in the field.

(This is exactly as the people of the world are today, we can believe on God and have our possessions blessed, or we can leave those possessions in the hands of the world [the field] and they will be cured. You will be taken advantage of by people that could care less about you and your well being, for all they can think of is their worldly state in life. If they are ever blessed, they make it the hard way. It is back to your choice, you choose blessings of God, or cursings of God.)

22 And the LORD said unto Moses, "Stretch forth thine hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt."

23 And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the LORD rained hail upon the land of Egypt.

(Only the hand of God could cause this to happen. This is as it shall be in the last battle that God shall bring against the earth age.

Compare Ezekiel 38:21 "And I will call for a sword against him throughout all My mountains, saith the Lord God: every man's sword shall be against his brother." His mountains are His nations.

Ezekiel 38:22 And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an over flowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstones.

God is using the same method of teaching those that are coming against His people on the last day of this earth age, as He is using here in Exodus against Pharaoh. This happens at the battle of Hamon-gog, when Russia and their allies are marching against the nations of the house of Israel [not referring to the Jews]. Notice that the pestilence and the blood are also mentioned.

Ezekiel 38:23 Thus will I magnify Myself, and sanctify Myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the Lord. "

God then tells us why he will destroy this massive army on their northern borders.)

24 So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail,

(= fire catching hold of itself like a chain.)

very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.

25 And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field.

(There wasn't a living thing left in all the land of Egypt, as the land was stripped clean. Only God could do this, and yet protect each of those that believed and stayed at home.)

26 Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, was there no hail.

(The hand of God protected each and every one of them. God take care of His own, does He take care of you?)

27 And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, "I have sinned this time: the LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.

(Pharaoh is starting to see the light, for he can see that Moses and God gave them the opportunity to save the livestock and their crops, but they did listen.)

28 Intreat the LORD (for it is enough) that there be no more mighty thunderings and hail; and I will let you go, and ye shall stay no longer."

29 And Moses said unto him, "As soon as I am gone out of the city, I will spread abroad my hands unto the LORD; and the thunder shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail; that thou mayest know how that the earth is the LORD's.

(This is the power that God had placed in Moses hands, and that power can cause the plagues to start, or make them end. This power is as the two witness of the end generation will witness, as we read in Revelation 11:6 "These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as thy will." The earth and all the powers and forces of the earth are the Lord's and He can place the control in his Prophets hands. He owns everything, and God can bless you and make you prosper on this earth. His blessings come to those that serve Him.)

30 But as for thee and thy servants, I know that ye will not yet fear the LORD God."

31 And the flax and the barley was smitten: for the barley was in the ear, and the flax was bolled.

32 But the wheat and the rie were not smitten: for they were not grown up.

33 And Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and spread abroad his hands unto the LORD: and the thunders and hail ceased, and the rain was not poured upon the earth.

34 And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants.

35 And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, neither would he let the children of Israel go; as the LORD had spoken by Moses.

(Literally by the hand of Moses, hand being put for instrumentality. Moses knew in advance before he raised his hand to stop the rain, that Pharaoh would harden his heart. God told him that before he first entered into Pharaoh's house and said one word to him. So in the next study we are going to find out about the eighth plague, that of the Locust.)

Next Chapter

Back to Exodus index