Exodus 9:1 – 7 “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and tell him that this is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may worship Me. But if you refuse to let them go, and you continue to restrain them, then the hand of the LORD will bring a severe plague on your livestock in the field—on your horses, donkeys, camels, herds, and flocks. But the LORD will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that no animal belonging to the Israelites will die.’”
The LORD set a time, saying, “Tomorrow the LORD will do this in the land.” And the next day the LORD did just that. All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one animal belonging to the Israelites died. Pharaoh sent officials and found that none of the livestock of the Israelites had died. But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened,a and he would not let the people go.”
The fifth plague, the death of livestock, was a judgment on the goddess Hathor and the god Apis, who were both depicted as cattle. As with the previous plague, God protected His people from the plague, while the cattle of the Egyptians died. God was steadily destroying the economy of Egypt, while showing His ability to protect and provide for those who obeyed Him. Pharaoh even sent investigators to find out if the Israelites were suffering along with the Egyptians, but the result was a hardening of his heart against the Israelites. (https://www.gotquestions.org/ten-plagues-Egypt.html)
This is incredible! Egypt is crumbling! Everybody in Egypt has already suffered greatly and now things are about to get even worse. God is about to kill every bit of livestock in Egypt. Not only will there be no livestock to supply meat, but the donkeys and camels used for transportation will also die. Once these animals are lost, where will the Egyptians find replacements and even if they can buy some from another country, how would they pay for them? The common people of Egypt are being hit with one disaster after another. And God is making a clear distinction between the Isaelites and the Egyptians, sparing all the Israelite livestock. But Pharaoh is continuing to pursue his hard line course, no matter what. Why would any ruler be so foolish as to jeopardize the safety of his own people and the economy of his country?
As ancient Egyptian rulers, pharaohs were both the heads of state and the religious leaders of their people. The word “pharaoh” means “Great House,” a reference to the palace where the pharaoh resides. While early Egyptian rulers were called “kings,” over time, the name “pharaoh” stuck. As the religious leader of the Egyptians, the pharaoh was considered the divine intermediary between the gods and Egyptians. Maintaining religious harmony and participating in ceremonies were part of the pharaoh’s role as head of the religion. As a statesman, the pharaoh made laws, waged war, collected taxes, and oversaw all the land in Egypt (which was owned by the pharaoh). (https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/pharaohs)
Pharaoh is a hereditary ruler, trained to believe that he is the divine intermediary between the gods and the Egyptians. During the famine in which Joseph served as administrator, the Egyptians sold all their land to Pharaoh and became Pharaoh’s workers just to survive. From Pharaoh’s standpoint, the lives of these commoners are cheap and he has little or no compassion for them. For Pharaoh, the whole matter is coming down to a power struggle between him as the spokesman for the Egyptian gods and the God of the Israelites, as represented by these two old men, Moses and Aaron. Pharaoh’s pride is so great that he refuses to acknowledge the damage his policies are doing to his country.
APPLICATION: While it’s easy to point fingers at Pharaoh, the question for each of us is this: have we ever blindly pursued a destructive course of action out of pride and arrogance? When we have headed organizations or businesses or groups of people of any sort, how much compassion have we had for those under us? Are we willing to listen to negative feedback, or do we only listen to those who would flatter us? Remember that if you are not willing to hear both sides of a situation, you run the risk of being manipulated.
Where is the evidence of God’s mercy in this situation? God is warning Pharaoh ahead of time about the plague and when it will hit. At any point in the 24 hours preceding the arrival of the plague, Pharaoh can still relent, saving his people. God is giving Pharaoh every opportunity to change his mind, but Pharaoh chooses to harden his heart. Also realize that those who harden their hearts against the One True Living God will ultimately suffer the loss of the things they prize the most.
PRAYER: Father God, please give us soft pliable hearts and ears to hear your leading. Help those of us who head any group to have compassion on those for whom we are responsible and to lead as you would have us lead. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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