{"id":5199,"date":"2022-09-06T00:25:10","date_gmt":"2022-09-06T00:25:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/?p=5199"},"modified":"2022-09-06T00:25:10","modified_gmt":"2022-09-06T00:25:10","slug":"flies-madcow-and-boils","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/flies-madcow-and-boils\/","title":{"rendered":"Flies, Madcow, and Boils"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0<\/sup>Then the\u00a0Lord<\/span>\u00a0said to Moses,\u00a0\u201cRise up early in the morning and present yourself to Pharaoh, as he goes out to the water, and say to him, \u2018Thus says the\u00a0Lord<\/span>,\u00a0\u201cLet my people go, that they may serve me.<\/span>\u00a021\u00a0<\/sup>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.<\/span>\u00a022\u00a0<\/sup>But on that day\u00a0I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people dwell, so that no swarms of flies shall be there,\u00a0that you may know that I am the\u00a0Lord<\/span>\u00a0in the midst of the earth.[e<\/a>]<\/sup><\/span>\u00a023\u00a0<\/sup>Thus I will put a division[f<\/a>]<\/sup>\u00a0between my people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall happen.\u201d\u2019\u201d<\/span>\u00a024\u00a0<\/sup>And the\u00a0Lord<\/span>\u00a0did so.\u00a0There 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

25\u00a0<\/sup>Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, \u201cGo, sacrifice to your God within the land.\u201d<\/span>\u00a026\u00a0<\/sup>But Moses said, \u201cIt would not be right to do so, for the offerings we shall sacrifice to the\u00a0Lord<\/span>\u00a0our God are an\u00a0abomination to the Egyptians. If we sacrifice offerings\u00a0abominable to the Egyptians before their eyes, will they not stone us?<\/span>\u00a027\u00a0<\/sup>We must go\u00a0three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the\u00a0Lord<\/span>\u00a0our God\u00a0as he tells us.\u201d<\/span>\u00a028\u00a0<\/sup>So Pharaoh said, \u201cI will let you go to sacrifice to the\u00a0Lord<\/span>\u00a0your God in the wilderness; only you must not go very far away.\u00a0Plead for me.\u201d<\/span>\u00a029\u00a0<\/sup>Then Moses said, \u201cBehold, I am going out from you and I will plead with the\u00a0Lord<\/span>\u00a0that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, tomorrow. Only let not Pharaoh\u00a0cheat again by not letting the people go to sacrifice to the\u00a0Lord<\/span>.\u201d<\/span>\u00a030\u00a0<\/sup>So Moses went out from Pharaoh and prayed to the\u00a0Lord<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a031\u00a0<\/sup>And the\u00a0Lord<\/span>\u00a0did as Moses asked, and removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; not one remained.<\/span>\u00a032\u00a0<\/sup>But Pharaoh\u00a0hardened his heart this time also, and did not let the people go.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Then the\u00a0Lord<\/span>\u00a0said to Moses,\u00a0\u201cGo in to Pharaoh and say to him, \u2018Thus says\u00a0the\u00a0Lord<\/span>, the God of the Hebrews, \u201cLet my people go, that they may serve me.<\/span>\u00a02\u00a0<\/sup>For if you refuse to let them go and still hold them,<\/span>\u00a03\u00a0<\/sup>behold,\u00a0the hand of the\u00a0Lord<\/span>\u00a0will fall with a very severe plague upon your livestock that are in the field, the horses, the donkeys, the camels, the herds, and the flocks.<\/span>\u00a04\u00a0<\/sup>But the\u00a0Lord<\/span>\u00a0will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that nothing of all that belongs to the people of Israel shall die.\u201d\u2019\u201d<\/span>\u00a05\u00a0<\/sup>And the\u00a0Lord<\/span>\u00a0set a time, saying, \u201cTomorrow the\u00a0Lord<\/span>\u00a0will do this thing in the land.\u201d<\/span>\u00a06\u00a0<\/sup>And the next day the\u00a0Lord<\/span>\u00a0did this thing.\u00a0All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one of the livestock of the people of Israel died.<\/span>\u00a07\u00a0<\/sup>And Pharaoh sent, and behold, not one of the livestock of Israel was dead. But\u00a0the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go.<\/span><\/p>\n

8\u00a0<\/sup>And the\u00a0Lord<\/span>\u00a0said to Moses and Aaron, \u201cTake handfuls of soot from the kiln, and let Moses throw them in the air in the sight of Pharaoh.<\/span>\u00a09\u00a0<\/sup>It shall become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and become\u00a0boils breaking out in sores on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt.\u201d<\/span>\u00a010\u00a0<\/sup>So they took soot from the kiln and stood before Pharaoh. And Moses threw it in the air, and it became boils breaking out in sores on man and beast.<\/span>\u00a011\u00a0<\/sup>And\u00a0the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils came upon the magicians and upon all the Egyptians.<\/span>\u00a012\u00a0<\/sup>But the\u00a0Lord<\/span>\u00a0hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them, as\u00a0the\u00a0Lord<\/span> had spoken to Moses. (Exodus 8:20-9:12)<\/span><\/p>\n

Introduction<\/b><\/p>\n

So these three plagues are the second cycle of judgments. Remember these judgments come in three cycles of three with one grand finale. The plague of flies begins the second cycle with God telling Moses to go to Pharaoh in the morning, and the plague of boils closes out the second cycle by coming without warning. In the first cycle, the plagues were performed through Aaron and Aaron\u2019s staff. In this second cycle, it is through Moses that God performs these miracles and he does them without a staff. In the third cycle we\u2019ll see that they are done through Moses stretching out his hand or staff – and his staff was called the staff of the LORD. So basically the cycles are increasing with intensity going from Aaron, to Moses, to God performing these judgments.<\/span><\/p>\n

In this cycle the intensity increases from inconvenience and discomfort to actual damage done to persons and property. There are now actual, tangible costs brought on through these plagues. Yet, it wasn\u2019t a plague of death, and the land was still able to survive, though it was harmed. It will be left desolate after the third cycle.<\/span><\/p>\n

In this cycle, the flies harm the land of Egypt, the death of the livestock harms the wealth of Egypt, and the boils harm the health of Egypt.<\/span><\/p>\n

In verse 22 of chapter 8, there is a familiar refrain that comes up in various forms throughout these judgments that God says to Pharaoh through Moses. God says, \u201cBut 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.\u201d That phrase: \u201cthat you may know that I am the LORD\u2026\u201d has been stated several times to Pharaoh. And this time it is not just \u201cthat you may know that I am the LORD,\u201d but\u00a0 it is that also that He is the LORD \u201c<\/span>in the midst of the earth, or in the midst of the land.\u201d<\/span><\/i> God\u2019s judgments are not secret and the purpose of His judgments is always that He may be known and rightly feared. The purpose of God\u2019s judgments are always to display His power and might and righteousness, and that His glory and name would be famed. Pharaoh, as THE representative deity in the most idolatrous empire of ancient Egypt continued to refuse to acknowledge what was plain to Him. We know that God\u2019s purposes with Pharaoh was not simply to be acknowledged as a deity among many others in the Egyptians system. But it was to acknowledge that He was God of all, and that beside Him there is no other. It was to confess that Yahweh is not one god among many, but that He is totally different and other than the rest, and all the gods of Egypt are false gods or evil spirits to be rejected. It was for Pharaoh to cease being a god unto himself.<\/span><\/p>\n

But we know, Pharaoh\u2019s heart was hardened and He would not repent. Let us be warned of the absolute dangers of a hardened heart: the sinful heart of man will utterly refuse to repent let unto itself. There is no amount of suffering and pain and torment that can change the human heart, so much so, that in the eternal judgment of sinners in hell, not one, despite the absolute torment and suffering, will repent in hell. Such sinners, like Pharaoh, will continue to harden their hearts and despise the Lord.<\/span><\/p>\n

Each week through these judgments we are reminded of the hardening of Pharaoh\u2019s heart, and each week we must be warned and reminded against having hard hearts. It is one of the most fearful and dangerous places a person can be. This means we must be vigilant in putting sin to death. To allow sin to linger or remain, and to grow comfortable with its presence in your life is your heart hardening. There must be no sins that are acceptable in our lives. Each one must be brought to Jesus Christ for forgiveness and put to death by the power of the Holy Spirit.<\/span><\/p>\n

So God was judging Pharaoh and Egypt so that it would be known that He is the LORD and He is in the midst of the land. And the LORD would continue to increase the severity of judgments until it was accomplished. The redeemed cannot out-sin the grace of God, and the damned cannot harden their hearts beyond the judgments of God. God\u2019s purposes will be accomplished. God was breaking down and judging the entire Egyptian world with judgments of water, land, and sky; with judgments that destroyed comfort, persons, property, finances, false gods, and military strength. It was a historic and monumental fall, and God did it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rushdoony puts it this way, \u201cEgypt was in process of being broken, religiously and economically. At the end of an era or age, collapse in these two areas is commonplace. To witness this, the breakup of a false faith and a false economy, means to witness the coming collapse of a culture.\u201d I think that quote gives us some things to ponder on in the time and place in which we live. So let\u2019s look at each of these plagues for a moment.<\/span><\/p>\n

Flies<\/b><\/p>\n

The first plague of this second cycle is the swarms of flies that come up on the land and into the houses of all the Egyptians and even the ground upon which they stand. So imagine trying to breathe with these swarms in your homes, and so much of them that even with the flies you\u2019re basically stepping on them everywhere you go. It\u2019s hard to imagine how awful that would\u2019ve been. If we get one fly in the house, it\u2019s war until that thing is dead. But these swarms also ruined the land it says. So likely what that is is that it was some kind of insect which also ate away at some of the crops. The Hebrew doesn\u2019t require that it be a fly that we typically think of, just that it was swarms of insects. It was something different than that of the gnat family, and it was something different than the locusts which come later, it was some sort of fly insect, which harmed crops as well. In fact, they were probably some sort of fly that even bit the people. Psalm 78:45 seems to possibly indicate that saying, \u201cHe sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them\u2026\u201d So the main point here is that these were not just nuisance flies, but harmful flies, at least harmful to the land.<\/span><\/p>\n

There is a unique interaction in this plague and that is that Pharaoh tells Moses that the Hebrews may offer sacrifice to their God in the land of Egypt. This of course was NOT what God commanded, so Pharaoh was not submitting to Yahweh, but continuing to disobey. Pharaoh thought that it would be enough to acknowledge that Yahweh was a god who could receive sacrifice from the Hebrews, as one of many gods, and as a god who was under Pharaoh, and under Pharaoh\u2019s permission to be worshiped. This of course, would not fly. Pharaoh wanted to find relief while still maintaining sovereignty and divine status. But such is not repentance.<\/span><\/p>\n

Moses of course did not fall for this offer of compromise. He knew that animal sacrifice was an abomination to the Egyptians and the Hebrews would likely be persecuted for it. But more importantly, this was not what God commanded. The Hebrews were to go out of the land to the mountain of God to make sacrifice and worship. And there is no compromise with the commands of God. Certainly this is one small place where we can see the Regulative Principle of Worship, where we are to worship God only as He has commanded. Moses did not have the authority to make this compromise. They could not sacrifice there in Egypt because God had told them to go out to the mountain of God.<\/span><\/p>\n

And so, the king, the Pharaoh, no matter how much authority and power that he had, did not have the authority to alter the worship of God. And that is true with every ruler in every age. We honor their authority with respect and with prayers, but they may not stick their hands into altering the worship of God. Not even in the slightest thing. God says how He is to be worshiped and that\u2019s the end of it. So Moses would not make this compromise. Pharaoh had to learn that His authority was limited, and that it would soon be taken away altogether. Such is the fate of those who oppose the worship of the true and living God.<\/span><\/p>\n

Livestock<\/b><\/p>\n

The next plague is the plague that comes upon the livestock in the fields. We will see livestock later on in the narrative, and that is because this plague was on livestock that was in the fields, implying any livestock that was sheltered or taken out of the fields was not hit with this plague. This is probably the most devastating plague so far, at least in terms of the economic impact that this would\u2019ve had.<\/span><\/p>\n

In ancient times the amount of healthy livestock one had, was a good indicator of their level of wealth, both as an asset and as a form of currency. Throughout the Old Testament healthy and fruitful livestock are seen as a blessing for the people of God, thinking of Psalm 144 that we sing, for example; whereas, loss of livestock or death of livestock is seen as a curse. And obviously that\u2019s exactly what it is in this case. It wasn\u2019t total destruction yet, because Egypt could go and purchase livestock from other nations, this of course would\u2019ve been very costly and would\u2019ve hurt quite a bit.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rushdoony says that \u201cDestruction of an enemy\u2019s property is an act of war. God\u2019s war against Egypt is carried on in their own land, and Egypt is helpless to combat it.\u201d If the gods of Egypt did not realize it yet, they do now, that Yahweh has declared war on them, and there is nothing they can do about it. Egypt had many gods relating to livestock and all sorts of various animals, such as the goddess Hathor who is depicted as a cow, or Apis, the bull god, a god of fertility and power. They and their power are laid waste.<\/span><\/p>\n

With the death of the livestock, it was now no longer a matter of inconvenience and humiliation; it was an economic disaster.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is interesting that this plague comes right after Pharaoh tries to make this false deal for the Hebrews to sacrifice in the land of Egypt. It is as if God is saying, \u201cyou won\u2019t let my people go and sacrifice as I have said? You think that animal sacrifice is an abomination? Okay, well I will sacrifice all your livestock out in the fields.\u201d God has essentially made their whole fields abominations to them.<\/span><\/p>\n

A. W. Pink makes a spiritual application from this passage, saying that the livestock is an extension of the works of the Egyptians. A lot of these animals would have been used for work, or other economic uses. And with their death, we are shown that the works of the Egyptians will be destroyed and will not endure. Which is representative of the fact that the works of the wicked in every time and place will be destroyed and will not endure. Jesus Christ came to destroy the works of the devil. While the works of the godly, done in righteousness endures through the fire of testing and judgment. Egypt is under the fires of testing and judgment and they are not holding up.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is something Christians can take comfort from. No matter how much power prominence the wicked have, their wicked deeds will be destroyed. The faithful Christian mother who changes diapers and feeds her family in honor to Jesus Christ – her works, however small they may seem, will outlast the greatest humanistic accomplishments of powerful but wicked men. The greatest things you seek to accomplish in the flesh without Jesus Christ, will be burned up like chaff. But the smallest unseen things done in faith will endure.<\/span><\/p>\n

Boils<\/b><\/p>\n

The final plague of this second cycle is the plague of boils inflicted upon the Egyptians. This one comes without warning. Moses takes soot from the kiln, throws it into the air which becomes like fine dust resulting in these awful boils on the skin of the Egyptians. Last week we talked about the striking of the dust that turned into gnats being a symbol of the curse and of death being everywhere on everyone. Here again we see that, but it is now escalated and intensified to a greater degree of suffering.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is interesting that this is done with soot from the kilns. This is very likely a reference to the kilns from which the Hebrews were forced to make bricks, making it very plain this is judgment\u00a0 and redemption for the suffering of God\u2019s people. The sorrows of the Hebrews are turned against the Egyptians.<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to that, this would\u2019ve been a great affliction upon the Egyptians who were greatly concerned with cleanliness and healing. The Egyptians were basically like the doctors of the ancient world. They had a goddess of healing, which has failed them, which could not heal them from these terrible boils on the skin. They were unclean and sick and without healing. Only Jesus Christ is the great physician. Health comes from God. And only Jesus Christ bears the curse of sin, and brings healing in His wings. The goddess Sekhmet could not heal them now.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is a plague that we see God inflict upon other wicked men in other ages.<\/span><\/p>\n

So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and harmful and painful\u00a0sores came upon the people who bore\u00a0the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.<\/em><\/p>\n

The fifth angel poured out his bowl on\u00a0the throne of the beast, and\u00a0its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in anguish<\/span>\u00a011\u00a0<\/sup>and cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores. They did not repent of their deeds. (Revelation 16:2, 10-11)<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Just as Pharaoh did not repent, neither did those who bore these judgments of Revelation. The judgments of God are not only spiritual, but also physical; just as God\u2019s mercy also are. The same word for boils here in Exodus is the same word used in Leviticus at various places to describe skin diseases and uncleanness, leprous type diseases, which we know was a big deal in the Mosaic law. It was uncleanness which meant separation from God. You could not be in His presence with this uncleanness. So it is no coincidence that when Jesus ministers in the gospels, one of the things that He does is heal lepers, showing us that it is Jesus who makes sinners clean, and it is Jesus who brings us into the favorable presence of God. All of our sins and rebellions are as oozing, disgusting, boils of uncleanness before God that cannot be healed, but by Jesus Christ.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is also significant that we are told the Magicians were afflicted with these boils, and so they could not stand before Pharaoh. In the last plague of the first cycle, the Magicians could not replicate it and so were defeated. In the last plague of the second cycle, the Magicians are afflicted and driven out from the presence of Pharaoh, driven out of the palace. After their defeat in recognizing the finger of God, they yet did not repent, and so were driven out, and thus their folly was made plain to all. They are defiled and unclean.<\/span><\/p>\n

Distinctions are Being Made<\/b><\/p>\n

One of the main themes we see in this second cycle is that distinctions are being made. God is separating His people from the Egyptians. The first cycle of plagues affected even Hebrews, by all indications, but this second cycle of plagues did not affect them. The land of Goshen was spared from the flies. Not one of the animals in the fields of Goshen died. And it was the Egyptians who were afflicted with the boils.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is to clearly show the divine hand of God in these judgments. The lowly and despised Hebrew slaves were spared these judgments, while even the house of Pharaoh cannot escape these plagues. It was clear that their God was fighting for them.<\/span><\/p>\n

God is making His people a set apart people. They were to come out from the land of Egypt. So God also does this today through the saving grace of Jesus Christ. The gospel continues to sound forth as a trumpet throughout the earth and sinners are hearing and being saved. And many such sinners who are saved through the preaching of the gospel are called and brought out of great lives of sin. Many are saved out of drunkenness, out of sexual immorality, out of lives of crime, and out of false religions to be made totally different. God continues to make distinctions between His people and those of the world. Even in judgments God still does this. For example, many physical judgments come upon those who practice all sorts of sexual immorality, and amidst that, those who obey God and do not live as those do are spared of these judgments.<\/span><\/p>\n

And history is working toward a great and final day of judgment in which all men will stand before God where God will judge each one and the sheep will be separated from the goats. Distinctions between God\u2019s people and the wicked will be made once and for all, and will forever remain.<\/span><\/p>\n

We may be comforted by this fact also, that though in time and history God judges societies of men and nations and groups of people, God is able and often pleased to spare His people in the midst of such judgments. In the midst of famine God is able to provide bottomless jars of flour and oil. In the midst of great disease God is able to preserve His people in health, though they walk among the dead and dying. In the midst of war and persecutions God is able to hide and shelter His people. Indeed, many times good and godly Christians die amidst societal judgments, but the Church as a whole is always preserved, and refined as through fire. But even through death, which eventually comes to all of us, God\u2019s people are preserved through Jesus Christ. Since Jesus bore the curse and defeated death, that means that to depart from the body is to be with Christ. And though our outer-selves are wasting away, they will one day be resurrected and renewed, glorified forever in Jesus Christ.<\/span><\/p>\n

How wonderful the mercy of God is that He always preserves His people through judgment. Why was the land of Goshen where the Hebrews dwelt exempt from these judgments? Many of the Hebrews had forgotten the God of their fathers and worshiped the gods of Egypt. Why were they yet preserved? It was the great and mighty mercy of God. Israel had earned no mercy, but God was merciful. The receiving of mercy comes not from merit, but from the fact that God is merciful. He is full of mercy. And He loves to give it. And He loves to give lots of it. And He ALWAYS gives it to those who do not deserve it. Even unto those who deserve it least. Why has God been merciful to you? Is it because you have earned it? Is it because you deserve it? Is it because you are not as bad as \u201cthose people\u201d? Don\u2019t even think it for a second. It is because God is merciful.<\/span><\/p>\n

In fact, God is so merciful that there is mercy even in His warnings and judgments. God does not have to provide warning. God does not have to inflict temporary judgments that sinners live through. Yet God did, and does.<\/span><\/p>\n

God\u2019s warnings are mercy, because warnings are opportunity for salvation. Warnings are opportunity for repentance. In the plague of flies and of livestock, God warned that He would make a distinction between His people and Egypt and that the land of Goshen would not be touched with these judgments. And God told them that it would happen \u201ctomorrow.\u201d In other words, God gave them 24 hours to prepare for these judgments. And how would one prepare for these judgments? By forsaking the gods of Egypt, trusting that what Yahweh said was true, and going to the land of Goshen to join themselves with the people of God, and make that their new identity. And I believe that there were some Egyptians who did this and so were saved and spared and made into a new people, because at the Exodus, in chapter 12 we are told that with the Hebrews came out also a mixed multitude with them. How merciful God is! To even save these wicked and perverse Egyptians, who persecuted His people, now made a part of His people. This is such a beautiful picture of the coming gospel age, in which peoples of every tribe, nation, and tongue will come unto the Lord; in which Christ is proclaimed as Savior to all men everywhere, and God makes a people for Himself, a great mixed multitude to be recipients of His grace.<\/span><\/p>\n

And were an Egyptian to heed this warning, it would\u2019ve taken true faith in God. Because what if it didn\u2019t happen as God said and the gods of Egypt come through and save Egypt? Well those Egyptians are traitors and are now slaves, if not put to death. So it would\u2019ve been faith and a change in religion. How God loves saving people so much, that even in the Old Testament era it was not just Israel then, but even then God was saving people from other nations.<\/span><\/p>\n

This opportunity of salvation found in coming to the people of Israel is typological of salvation that is found in coming to the True Israelite, who is Jesus Christ. There is great mercy, salvation, and forgiveness from sins to be found in fleeing from our sins, idols, and the world and unto Jesus Christ. And there, in the shelter of Jesus Christ we are saved, we are preserved, we are redeemed, we are made new, we are saved from the wrath of God. May the warnings of God be mercy to you, and not greater condemnation. So come out of the world, come out from your sins, forsake your idols and false gods, and heed the warnings God has given that He will judge every man, and find mercy in Jesus Christ.<\/span><\/p>\n

Click HERE for sermon audio<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0Then the\u00a0Lord\u00a0said to Moses,\u00a0\u201cRise up early in the morning and present yourself to Pharaoh, as he goes out to the water, and say to him, \u2018Thus says the\u00a0Lord,\u00a0\u201cLet my people go, that they may serve me.\u00a021\u00a0Or else, if you will not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":685,"featured_media":5201,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1766,274,461,1764,557,1767,678,679,699,707,765,1765,836,934,1757],"class_list":{"0":"post-5199","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-boils","9":"tag-christ","10":"tag-exodus","11":"tag-flies","12":"tag-god","13":"tag-goshen","14":"tag-jenkins","15":"tag-jesus","16":"tag-joshua","17":"tag-judgment","18":"tag-lord","19":"tag-madcow","20":"tag-moses","21":"tag-pharaoh","22":"tag-plagues","23":"entry"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/07EXODUS1-superJumbo.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":5235,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/hail-locusts-and-darkness\/","url_meta":{"origin":5199,"position":0},"title":"Hail, Locusts, and Darkness","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"September 19, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Click HERE for sermon audio \u00a0Then the\u00a0Lord\u00a0said to Moses,\u00a0\u201cRise up early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh and say to him, \u2018Thus says the\u00a0Lord, the God of the Hebrews, \u201cLet my people go, that they may serve me.\u00a014\u00a0For this time I will send all my plagues on you\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sermon"","block_context":{"text":"Sermon","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/sermon\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/istockphoto-1223343075-170667a.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5108,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/making-bricks-without-straw\/","url_meta":{"origin":5199,"position":1},"title":"Making Bricks Without Straw","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"August 1, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0Afterward Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, \u201cThus says the\u00a0Lord, the God of Israel, \u2018Let my people go, that they may hold\u00a0a feast to me in the wilderness.\u2019\u201d\u00a02\u00a0But Pharaoh said,\u00a0\u201cWho is the\u00a0Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? 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