Page:An Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1828) vol 1.djvu/288

256 hearing of their own consciences: he that made their hearts, can make his sword to approach them. 3. That God warns, before he wounds; for he is long-suffering, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

II. Aaron (who carried the mace) is directed to summon the plague by smiting the river with his rod; v. 19, 20. It was done in the sight of Pharaoh and his attendants, for God's true miracles were not performed, as Satan's lying wonders were, by them that peeped and muttered; truth seeks no corners. An amazing change was immediately wrought; all the waters, not only in the river but in all their ponds, were turned into blood. 1. See here the almighty power of God. Every creature is that to us, which he makes it to be, water or blood. 2. See the mutability of all things under the sun, and what changes we may meet with in them. That which is water to-day, may be blood to-morrow; what is always vain may soon become vexatious. A river, at the best, is transient; but divine justice can quickly make it malignant. 3. See what mischievous work sin makes, If the things that have been our comforts, prove our crosses, we must thank ourselves: it is sin that turns our waters into blood.

III. Pharaoh endeavours to confront the miracle, because he resolves not to humble himself under the plague. He sends for the magicians, and, by God's permission, they ape the miracle with their enchantments, (v. 22.) and this served Pharaoh for an excuse not to set his heart to this also; (v. 23.) a pitiful excuse it was. Could they have turned the river of blood into water again, it had been a miracle indeed, then they had proved their power, and Pharaoh had been obliged to them as his benefactors. But for them, when there was such scarcity of water, to turn more of it into blood, only to show their art, plainly intimates that the design of the devil is only to delude his devotees and amuse them; not to do them any real kindness, but to keep them from doing real kindness to themselves by repenting, and returning to their God.

IV. The Egyptians, in the mean time, are seeking for relief against the plague, digging round about the river, for water to drink, v. 24. Probably, they found some, with much ado, God remembering mercy in the midst of wrath, for he is full of compassion, and would not let the subjects smart too much for the obstinacy of their prince.

V. The plague continued seven days, v. 25. In all that time, Pharaoh's proud heart would not let him so much as desire Moses to intercede for the removal of it. Thus the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath, they cry not when he binds them; (Job 36. 13.) and then no wonder that his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

CHAP. VIII. Three more of the plagues of Egypt are related in this chapter, I. That of the frogs, which is, 1. Threatened, v. 1..4. 2. Inflicted, v. 5, 6. 3. Mimicked by the magicians, v. 7. 4. Removed, at the humble request of Pharaoh, (v. 8..14) who yet hardens his heart, and, notwithstanding his promise while the plague was upon him, (v. 8.) refuses to let Israel go, v. 15. II. The plague of lice, v. 16, 17. By which, 1. The magicians were baffled; (v. 18, 19.) and yet, 2. Pharaoh was hardened, v. 19. III. That of flies. 1. Pharaoh is warned of it before, (v. 20, 21.) and told that the land of Goshen should be exempt from this plague, v. 22, 23. 2. The plague is brought, v. 24. 3. Pharaoh treats with Moses about the release of Israel, and humbles himself, v. 25..29. 4. The plague is, thereupon, removed, (v. 31.) and Pharaoh's heart hardened, v. 32.

ND the spake unto Moses, Go unto Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the, Let my people go, that they may serve me. 2. And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs: 3. And the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into thine house, and into thy bed-chamber, and upon thy bed, and into the house of thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thine ovens, and into thy kneading-troughs: 4. And the frogs shall come up, both on thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants. 5. And the spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch forth thine hand with thy rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt. 6. And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt. 7. And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt. 8. Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, Entreat the, that he may take away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may do sacrifice unto the. 9. And Moses said unto Pharaoh, Glory over me: when shall I entreat for thee, and for thy servants, and for thy people, to destroy the frogs from thee and thy houses, that they may remain in the river only? 10. And he said, Tomorrow. And he said, Be it according to thy word; that thou mayest know that there is none like unto the our God. 11. And the frogs shall depart from thee, and from thy houses, and from thy servants, and from thy people; they shall remain in the river only. 12. And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh: and Moses cried unto the, because of the frogs which he had brought against Pharaoh. 13. And the did according to the word of Moses; and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the villages, and out of the fields. 14. And they gathered them together upon heaps; and the land stank. 15. But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the had said.

Pharaoh is here threatened first, and then plagued, with frogs, as afterward, in this chapter, with lice and flies, little despicable inconsiderable animals, and yet their vast numbers made sore plagues to the Egyptians. God could have plagued them with lions, or bears, or wolves, or with vultures, or other birds of prey, but he chose to do it by these contemptible instruments; 1. That he might magnify his own power; he is Lord of the hosts of the whole creation, has them all at his beck, and makes what use he pleases of them. Some have thought the power of God is showed as much in the making of an ant, as in the making of an elephant; so is his providence in serving his own