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.
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning and present yourself to Pharaoh, as he goes out to the water, and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Let my people go, that they may serve me. Or else, if you will not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and your servants and your people, and into your houses. And the houses of the Egyptians shall be filled with swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand. But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people dwell, so that no swarms of flies shall be there, that you may know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth. Thus I will put a division between my people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall happen.”’” And the LORD did so. There came great swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh and into his servants’ houses. Throughout all the land of Egypt the land was ruined by the swarms of flies.
Comment: Lesson 1 taught by the gnats – God could do things that the magicians couldn’t. They had already been taught a lesson similar to this but the gnats are the ‘nail in the coffin lid’. The magicians had previously been able to cause the objects which were problems but they couldn’t solve the problems.
Lesson 2 taught by the flies – God could protect His own in the midst of a huge countrywide plague. There were no flies in Goshen, where the Israelites were based!
Prayer: There are so many things in our life on earth that we don’t understand. Help us to rest in the assurance of Your Control rather than ‘happenings/chance/accidents’ even when doubt is easier than faith!
As I read it! 