Sixth Plague: Boils / Sixth Action to Dismantle a Mindset

Sixth Plague: Boils / Sixth Action to Dismantle a Mindset

Exodus 9: ⁸ So the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Take for yourselves handfuls of ashes from a furnace, and let Moses scatter it toward the heavens in the sight of Pharaoh. ⁹ And it will become fine dust in all the land of Egypt, and it will cause boils that break out in sores on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt.” ¹⁰ Then they took ashes from the furnace and stood before Pharaoh, and Moses scattered them toward heaven. And they caused boils that break out in sores on man and beast. ¹¹ And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were on the magicians and on all the Egyptians. 

 

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GOD decided to skip the warning again. HE told Moses and Aaron to take handfuls of ashes from an Egyptian furnace and to scatter them in the air in front of Pharaoh. The ashes would become fine dust that would cause boils on humans and animals.

 

My Observations:

• GOD told Moses to scatter the ashes, not Aaron.
• GOD multiplied the ashes from a few handfuls to a large dust storm.
• The magicians were afraid to admit that this plague was far too great for them, so they hid themselves.

 

“So that you may know that I am the LORD,” was the goal of GOD all along. HE wanted Pharaoh to surrender his hold on the people by his godlike actions. GOD made a visible distinction between the Egyptians and the children of Egypt. HE made boils appear on the Egyptians and their animals that I believe they stole from the Israelites.

 

I believe GOD was making the hidden known by visible sores. You could not help but notice who was an Egyptian and who was an Israelite. I notice the magicians were singled out specifically. They could mimic a couple of plagues, but could not admit they needed GOD to save themselves from the boils, so they hid. The mindset of not being able to admit they needed GOD remained hidden in their hearts, but was clear by their actions. GOD was making the hidden known.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD remind Moses about the plague of the boils?
• Have you hidden something from everyone and are trying to hide it from GOD?
• How is GOD making a distinction between your deliverance and those HE is delivering you from?