Mensa Otabil - Fourth Plague (10/10/2025)
Welcome to a brand new week, and we are back to the book of Exodus. As you know, we are tracking the story in Exodus, and we are now in the plagues. This week, we look at the fourth and fifth plagues and see what lessons we can learn from them until we witness God deliver the children of Israel from captivity.
Exodus chapter 8, verses 20 and 21: «And the Lord said to Moses, 'Rise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh as he comes out of the water. Then 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, your servants, your people, and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand.'»
As you study the Bible, it is always important to understand the internal logic of the scripture. There is a logic and a progression in scripture, and it’s vital to pay attention to it as you study the Bible. Remember, God had said that Pharaoh would harden his heart, and when Pharaoh hardened his heart, the Lord would escalate His actions.
In the plagues, you see an escalation, a buildup of the plagues. I want you to imagine that Pharaoh wakes up in the morning and goes to the river to have his bath. In other instances, Moses has met him while he is in the river, but this time he encounters Moses before getting to the river.
Moses interrupts his royal procession with a demand from God, and if you have studied the passage, the demand remains the same: «Let my people go.» The reason the demand is unchanged is that God hates oppression; He does not want powerful human beings and institutions to bully the weak or powerless. Whenever there is oppression, especially against those who identify with God, the Lord steps in to deliver. God hates oppression.
There are three things I want you to note. The first is the ultimatum: «or else.» This is the alternative God offered Pharaoh: let my people go, or else there is a price to pay when we choose to disobey God. There is always an «or else.» God wants you to go to heaven, but if you don’t, there is an «else,» an alternative that you will face. Always remember, God will offer you His best option, His best plan, but there is always an «or else» — an alternative you may enter into.
The second thing to note is the nature of this plague. The Bible calls it the swarm of flies. It resembles the previous plague, which involved flies coming from the dust, but this is a swarm of flies. They differ from the earlier plague, and the key word is «swarm.» In the original sense, it means a mixture. So, this is not just one kind of fly but different types of biting and infectious flies. They come in various forms and swarm the people of Egypt.
God clarifies that they will be upon you and your people. This plague is the first time that a plague will directly affect Pharaoh; it will hit him personally. Most times, the plagues have affected the land, but this time, it is upon him, his servants, his people, his houses, and his ground, beginning with him. In this escalation, God is targeting Pharaoh, and these swarms of flies will attack him. You can see how God orchestrates the whole process of this fourth plague. May we learn from the Lord and never face the «or else» of His alternative.
Let’s pray. Say with me, «Heavenly Father, deliver me from stubbornness. Help me to yield to Your instructions. In Jesus' name, Amen.»