The Plague of Gnats
Exodus 8:16-19
May 15, 2022
When 9-11 happened, I was in Portland waiting for a ride to the airport to catch a flight home.
You know the story. The ride didn’t come. The planes didn’t fly. And like so many, I had a very
long drive home. But that is not what I want to talk about. Do you remember how America
reacted to 9-11? Churches were full. Extra prayer meetings were happening all over the place.
Everyone was talking about God, and about our need to pray. I remember watching a news lady
on TV pray for our nation. I am guessing she was real new at praying. I got idea that she had
no idea to whom she was talking. She kept saying, “We wish for peace. We wish for…” I wonder
if God was like, well now that we know what you wish for, is there anything you would like to Me
for?” Until that time, we were hearing a lot of talk about the separation of church and state, it
seemed like too many folks on TV were embarrassed to even mention the name of God. But, all
of a sudden, it was okay to talk about God and our need for His help. Now we knew we needed
help, so we called for prayer. The story of the plague of gnats sort of reminds me of the fair
weather Christians after 9-11.
Let me back up and set the stage for today’s story.
Before the first plague (the blood), Moses and Aaron went to meet Pharaoh at the Nile and
warned him about what was coming. Before the second plague, they again warned him about
what was about to happen. Now, before the third plague, the plague of gnats, there is no
warning. God just gives the command and it happens. Once again, we see Aaron’s staff at
work. A staff, or a shepherd’s crook as it was called, is seen in many of the drawings that depict
Pharaoh. To the Egyptians, the staff was a symbol of Pharaoh absolute authority. It was
Pharaoh saying to the people that he was in total authority over them. He could even decide
whether they lived or they died. In hieroglyphics, one of the symbols you would need if you
wanted write the word for ruler was a shepherd’s staff. Time after time Moses and Aaron come
before Pharaoh with a shepherd’s staff in hand. This time, however, they are not even instructed
to go before Pharaoh. The Lord told them to raise their staff and hit the ground. What God did
then was truly a demonstration of His undeniable power.
16 ¶ So the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Raise your staff and strike the ground.
The dust will turn into swarms of gnats throughout the land of Egypt.’ ”
17 So Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded them. When Aaron
raised his hand and struck the ground with his staff, gnats infested the entire land,
covering the Egyptians and their animals. All the dust in the land of Egypt turned into
gnats.18 Pharaoh’s magicians tried to do the same thing with their secret arts, but
this time they failed. And the gnats covered everyone, people and animals alike.
19 “This is the finger of God!” the magicians exclaimed to Pharaoh. But Pharaoh’s
heart remained hard. He wouldn’t listen to them, just as the LORD had predicted.
- How much warning did God seem to give Pharaoh about the plague of gnats? What are your
thoughts about why God sometimes gives warnings and sometimes chooses not to do so?
God had already given warning that Pharaoh’s disobedience, his refusal to do what God asked
him to do, would result in dire consequences. God had already clearly demonstrated to Pharaoh
that disobedience results is very unpleasant results. Likewise, God has already told us that the
payday of our sin death. Sin destroys.
- How invasive is dust? How problematic would it be in your house if every dust particle
became a gnat? (8:16)
Dust will get on every exposed surface and remain there until it is removed by some force
greater than it is. Can you imagine that every speck of dust in your house suddenly became a
gnat? That many gnat would be so invasive that there would be nowhere you could easily go to
find relief from this hoard of gnats. This would be a very hard to believe, constant irritation that
would become the focus of your day. No one is coming to work today. Nothing will be built
today. No one is cooking much. No one is cleaning house or working on the farm, we are all
focused on finding relief from these gnats. And, besides the gnats, the smell of dead frogs is so
strong that the stench filled the air. - What do you think Aaron was thinking and feeling when he was told to “Raise your staff and
strike the ground?” What was he expecting God to do?
16 ¶ So the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Raise your staff and strike the ground.
The dust will turn into swarms of gnats throughout the land of Egypt.’ ”
I think Aaron knew full well that he was about to see God do something else that would be
amazing. Whatever God was about to do, Aaron knew it would like nothing he had ever seen
before. And, to top it all off, God was going to do this great thing when Aaron struck the ground
with his stick. - What are you doing to obey the Lord’s instructions? What are you expecting God to do
through your acts of obedience?
Some of us are teaching God’s word. We do this through the classes we offer, the Bible studies
we lead, the conversations to have, and the words of encouragement we give to others. We do
this through the meals we serve, the clothes and furniture we share, the floors we clean, the
tables we wipe, and the construction projects in which we serve. We obey Him in the offerings
we give, through our participation in classes and studies, and the examples we set.
I am expecting God to use our labor and His Spirit to deliver a message of hope and life-change
to people who need to know that God loves them. - How did Moses and Aaron respond to God’s instruction? What are the benefits of long-term,
faithful service to the Lord?
17 So Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded them. When Aaron
raised his hand and struck the ground with his staff, gnats infested the entire land,
covering the Egyptians and their animals. All the dust in the land of Egypt turned into
gnats.As was their custom, Moses and Aaron obeyed the Lord. As a result of their faithful
obedience they saw God at work in a marvelous way. When we obey we see God working in our
lives and in the lives of other people. When Moses and Aaron did what God said to do, the gnats
infested the entire land. The Hebrew wording here could refer to gnats, lice, or fleas. I don’t
know exactly which insect they had, but they had them everywhere.
- How would you think Moses, Aaron, and the Israelites were managing to escape
discouragement with these plagues? How are godly people impacted by the sins of rebellious
people?
Until now, and apparently including this plague of gnats, the Israelites had experienced at least
some of these irritations and inconveniences intended for the Egyptians.
They would have to focus on the bigger picture in order to defend themselves against
discouragement. If they could remember that God was at work trying to free them and reach
the Egyptians at the same time, enduring these discomforts would be more tolerable.
When friends, neighbors or family members rebel against God, the people who are not rebelling
have to endure much of the pain and suffering that results from the sin of the people about
whom they care.
When the father comes home drunk and mad, the whole family suffers. When the son or
daughter struggles with drugs, the whole family pays a price. - How did Pharaoh’s magicians try to mimic what God had done with the gnats? What does
this teach us?
18 Pharaoh’s magicians tried to do the same thing with their secret arts, but this
time they failed. And the gnats covered everyone, people and animals alike.
The magicians failed to use their secret arts to produce gnats. Evil has a limit that is much,
much lower than what God do. - How did these magicians label this plague of gnats? In what ways do you think their
assessment of the situation with Israel might be starting to change?
19 “This is the finger of God!” the magicians exclaimed to Pharaoh. But Pharaoh’s
heart remained hard. He wouldn’t listen to them, just as the LORD had predicted.
The magicians identify these gnats as “the finger of God.” They knew the source of their own
power, and now they admit that the God’s power was greater than their source of power. I think
the magicians are starting to consider God. The right starting point for faith in God is recognizing
God at work. When you really believe that you see “the finger of God” you are heading in the
right direction. How convinced are you that God had His hand in the details that
broken you to brokenness?