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Exodus 8:28–32
“The LORD did as Moses asked, and removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; not one remained. But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and did not let the people go” (vv. 31–32).
Pharaoh’s attempts to bargain with the Lord and have Israel worship within the boundaries of Egypt and not outside it failed when Moses refused to go against God’s explicit orders for Israel to sacrifice in the wilderness (Ex. 8:25–27). Thus, the king saw that he could find relief from the plague of flies (vv. 20–24) only if he granted Moses’ request for the Israelites to take a three days’ journey into the wilderness (see 5:3). Thus, in today’s passage, the king of Egypt says that he will let Israel go as long as the nation does not travel very far and as long as Moses pleads with God to remove the flies (8:28).
Whether Moses actually believes that Pharaoh will be true to his word is unclear. Certainly, it is possible that he thinks that the king has finally been compelled by God’s mighty hand to free Israel, as the Lord promised when He spoke to Moses at the burning bush (3:20). On the other hand, Moses specifically tells Pharaoh not to “cheat again” by not fulfilling his promise, indicating that the leader of Israel is not fully sure that now Israel will be free (8:29). Either way, Moses does pray to the Lord as Pharaoh has asked, and God removes the flies that have been troubling Egypt (vv. 30–31). Incidentally, it seems that this plague of flies may have been especially troublesome to the Egyptian king, for he says to Moses, “Plead for me” (v. 28), possibly demonstrating that he has suffered from the flies in a way that he did not suffer from the earlier plagues of blood, frogs, and gnats (7:14–18).
Unsurprisingly, however, Pharaoh goes back on his word once the flies are gone and does not permit Israel to go into the wilderness to worship the Lord (8:32). He refuses to keep his promise, and any intent of change that he may have possessed when he promised Israel’s freedom to Moses is short-lived. Matthew Henry comments that “some sinners . . . in a pang of conviction, part with their sins, yet are loath they should go very far away; for, when the fright is over, they will return to them again.” We see this time and again, do we not? Many people pledge to us that they will change and then do not follow through on their promises. Moreover, how many times in our own lives do we promise God that we will cease a particular sin and then do not follow through? Pharaoh’s example warns us that people can be far too quick to return to their old ways, so may we keep our promises to change when we make them.
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
Matthew Henry comments also that “reigning lusts break through the strongest bounds, and make men impudently presumptuous and scandalously perfidious. Let not sin therefore reign; for, if it do, it will betray and hurry us to the grossest absurdities.” When we allow sin to reign over us and do not fight against it and put it to death, we are asking for a relapse. But if we run from sin and temptation, we can find victory over it.
For Further Study
- Exodus 7:14
- Proverbs 26:11
- Matthew 12:43–45
- 2 Peter 2:21–22