Daily Scripture Reading Exodus 8:8-24

There are many people who deny the existence of God. We Christians should explain why we believe in God, offer proof for the existence of God, and answer legitimate objections to the belief that God exists. However, some Christians fall into the trap of thinking that everyone who denies the existence of God does so because they have not been presented with sufficient evidence for the existence of God. The story of Pharaoh and Moses illustrates that is not always the case.

When Moses asked Pharaoh to release the Israelites, Pharaoh asked who Yahweh is. Yahweh began performing miracles to prove His strength and power. Aarons staff was turned into a serpent. Then the water in the Nile River was turned into blood. Next, Yahweh smote the land of Egypt with frogs.

Ex. 8:8 ¶ Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said, “Entreat Yahweh that He may cause the frogs to depart from me and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice to Yahweh.”

Don’t miss the fact that Pharaoh promised to allow Israel to leave if he was granted relief from the frogs.

Ex. 8:9 And Moses said to Pharaoh, “May the honor be yours to tell me: when shall I entreat for you and for your servants and for your people, that the frogs be cut off from you and your houses, that they may remain only in the Nile?”

Take note of the word “when”. Moses allowed Pharaoh to choose when the frogs would disappear. If Moses had simply asked Yahweh to make the frogs disappear, then when the frogs disappeared, Pharaoh could have reasonably claimed the frogs left on their own. By allowing Pharaoh to choose the time when they would leave, it was harder for Pharaoh to pretend that the frogs left without divine intervention.

Ex. 8:10 ¶ Then he said, “Tomorrow.” So he said, “May it be according to your word, that you may know that there is no one like Yahweh our God.

Notice the phrase “that you may know”. The purpose of letting Pharaoh choose the time was to prove the supremacy of Yahweh.

Ex. 8:11 And the frogs will depart from you and your houses and your servants and your people; they will remain only in the Nile.”

Ex. 8:12 Then Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and Moses cried out to Yahweh concerning the frogs which He had set upon Pharaoh.

Ex. 8:13 So Yahweh did according to the word of Moses, and the frogs died out of the houses, the courts, and the fields.

Ex. 8:14 So they piled them in heaps, and the land became foul.

Once again we see the word “foul”. This is the same word the author of Exodus used to describe the Nile River when it was turned into blood.

Ex. 8:15 Then Pharaoh saw that there was relief, and he hardened his heart with firmness and did not listen to them, as Yahweh had spoken.

Prior to this, Pharaoh simply refused to allow Israel to leave. This time, Pharaoh broke a promise when he refused to allow Israel to leave.

Ex. 8:16 ¶ Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, that it may become gnats through all the land of Egypt.’”

Ex. 8:17 And they did so; and Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and there were gnats on man and beast. All the dust of the earth became gnats through all the land of Egypt.

Ex. 8:18 Then the magicians did the same with their secret arts in order to bring forth gnats, but they could not; so there were gnats on man and beast.

Think about the words “but they could not”. The magicians tried to bring forth gnats, but they were unable to do so.

Previous to this, the miracles the magicians were able to imitate were turning a staff into a serpent, turning water into blood, and bringing forth frogs. Staffs, water, and frogs are large enough that the magicians were able to manipulate them and create the illusion that they were doing the same thing Moses and Aaron were doing. However, they could not bring forth gnats because gnats are too small, and they were not able to control them enough to create the illusion that they were bringing forth gnats.

Ex. 8:19 And the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened with strength, and he did not listen to them, as Yahweh had spoken.

Ponder what the magicians said to Pharaoh. They told Pharaoh that God was working through Moses and Aaron. In other words, they told Pharaoh that God exists. However, Pharaoh refused to believe them. The problem was not that Pharaoh did not have enough evidence that God exists. The problem was Pharaoh did not want to believe in God.

In our society today, there are many people who claim God does not exist. Some of those people have legitimate questions that need to be answered. However, some of the people who deny the existence of God do not do so because of lack of evidence. Instead, some deny the existence of God because they do not want God to exist. They do not want to obey God, so they refuse to acknowledge the existence of God.

Ex. 8:20 ¶ 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.

Ex. 8:21 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.

Ex. 8:22 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.

Ex. 8:23 And I will put a division between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign will happen.”’”

Ex. 8:24 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.

We Christians should explain why we believe in God, offer proof for the existence of God, and answer legitimate objections to the belief that God exists. However, some Christians fall into the trap of thinking that everyone who denies the existence of God does so because they have not been presented with sufficient evidence for the existence of God.

The story of Pharaoh and Moses illustrates that is not always the case. Pharaoh did not resist God because he lacked evidence that God exists. The plague of gnats made it very clear Yahweh is God. However, Pharaoh did not want to believe in God, because he did not want to obey Yahweh.

Likewise, there are many people today who have sufficient evidence that God exists, but they deny His existence because they do not want to obey God.

How can you tell whether an atheist truly lacks evidence for the existence of God or is simply suppressing the reality that God exists?

Who do you know who claims they do not have sufficient evidence that God exists, but in reality they simply do not want there to be a God?

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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”