Don’t Let Sin Blind You - Exodus 5-8

Exodus 8:16-19 (ESV)

The Third Plague: Gnats

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, so that it may become gnats in all the land of Egypt.’” And they did so. 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 in all the land of Egypt. The magicians tried by their secret arts to produce gnats, but they could not. So there were gnats on man and beast. Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the LORD had said.

The third plague brought on the Egyptians in general and Pharaoh specifically, was gnats.   The Hebrew word can be translated many ways and one was gnats and the other is mosquitos.   Both were plentiful in Egypt.  

The interesting thing about this plaque is that God was creating something different out of the dust of the earth. In the first two plagues He turned water to blood and multiplied a known animal, the frog.  Here God takes dust and makes it into a pesky little animal that would bite and bother the Egyptians.   

Here the Egyptian magicians have finally met their match.  They can’t produce gnats or mosquitos out of dust.  Here they are willing to at least confess this is god-like.  They are still not ready to give glory to Yahweh.  The translation of their phrase can simply mean this is the finger of a god.   

Pharaoh still won’t listen.   Even though his own magic team was now confessing this was quite different, he is not willing to humble himself before Yahweh.   Even though a miracle is performed in front of him, he will not submit to God. Like the religious leaders later would not confess that Jesus was the Son of God, despite, His miracles, Pharaoh’s heart was hardened.  Man wants a miracle to believe in God but still won’t submit to God when they see one.  This is the hardness of man’s heart.  Sin keeps man from seeing the glory of who God is.  Satan has truly blinded their eyes:

2 Corinthians 4:4 (ESV)

In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Don’t let sin cause you to miss seeing the power and glory of God.