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PAGE 172
Israel
Set Apart from the Judgment Process
"And in that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, in which My people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there, in order that you may know that I am the Lord in the midst of the land. I will make a difference between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall be."
(Bible Study Online Article Covers : Exodus 8:22,23)
Short Recap?
In the last article, we discovered that God had unleashed His fifth plague against Pharaoh and the Egyptian kingdom. This "plague" dealt with God releasing a swarm of flies upon the land where the Egyptians dwelled:
"And the Lord said to Moses, 'Rise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh as he comes out to 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 and your servants, on 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.'"' -- Exodus 8:20,21
Who Was God Attacking: Kheper - Baalzebub or Uachit?
Also, in the previous article, we'd touched on some things when it came to which Egyptian deity God was directing this "plague of flies" towards. Now remember that we'd learned that although "Kheper the Beetle god" is the main deity that is found within the consensus when it comes to this "recorded account." I'd also pointed out that two more deities are, at times, mentioned amongst others when it comes to this "plague" as well.
And those two deities mentioned are known as "Baalzebub (Beelzebub), the lord of the Flies," the pagan god that the Philistines had served. The second deity would be "Uachit, the Fly god." Now, keep in mind that when it comes to "Uachit," very little is known about this deity, and it's not entirely clear whether the Egyptians served a pagan deity with this name. But know that if they did serve this deity, it would probably be the logical choice when it comes to this particular "plague."
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Baalzebub - Really?
Now, I was surprised to see Bible scholars assigning "Baalzebub (Beelzebub) the lord of the Flies" to this "recorded account." And the reason why I was surprised deals with the fact the "Baalzebub" was a god that the Philistines' had served - not the Egyptians. And honestly, it's tough for me personally to see the prideful Egyptians serving a "pagan god" that belonged to a different nation. Not to say that it's not possible - but
I'm going on the record by stating - that I highly doubt it. So I took a long way around to point out that even though I don't wholly agree with this choice, I'm going to pick and stick with "Kheper the Beetle god" for the time being.
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Moving Forward
However, it's time for us to move forward. In the last article, we began to examine the instructions God gave to Moses regarding the new judgment plague He was about to unleash against Pharaoh and the Egyptians. In the previous article, we were able to take a look at the first part of what God had told Moses, and now we are going to explore the second part briefly:
"And in that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, in which My people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there, in order that you may know that I am the Lord in the midst of the land. I will make a difference between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall be." -- Exodus 8:22,23
Now, I want you to know that I find the second half of what the Lord had to tell Moses very interesting, for we now find God taking things up another notch when compared to the "judgment plagues" He'd already brought against the Egyptian kingdom.
Now, the thing that I want you to notice is how the Lord talks about limiting the plague to affect just the land that the Egyptians occupied and not the area where the Israelites dwelled: "And in that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, in which My people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there."
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Israel Set Apart
As I stated earlier, this part of God's statement is intriguing, as one might have assumed that the Israelites were exempt from the judgment process being carried out against the Egyptians. After all, this is the primary approach that most Bible teachers tend to take when teaching this "recorded event." For one would just assume that God was already keeping the Israelites separate from the "judgment plagues."
But if He were already keeping the Israelites separated up to this point from within the "judgment process," why mention this detail about them being "set apart" now - if it were already happening? I mean, after all, the Lord had already enacted five moves from within the "judgment process." So, again, why mention it now?
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It's A Personal Thing
First, know that God is mentioning this "separation" at this time to reveal to the Israelites that there's something deeper, something more meaningful to what He's doing. God wanted them to see that this "judgment process" was more than keeping His promise to Abraham. It was more than the Egyptians reaping what they had sown against Israel. He wanted the Israelites to know that the situation with the Egyptians had now turned personal.
And, of course, it's easy for us to see how personal God is when it comes to those who are in His covenant when it comes to those who have chosen to follow in His ways. We must remember that God will always keep His promises, and it doesn't matter if those promises are old or new; know that God's Word will never expire.
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For God It's Personal
We Should Already Know This
It helps tremendously that we have access to this Sacred Record, for it affords us the ability to see how God moved and how He kept His promises through a 1600-year process. The Word of God also shows us a "record" of recorded prophecies that were foretold and how those same prophecies were eventually fulfilled. Also, keep in mind that the Israelites didn't have access to a Testament of such at this point. But know that they were still fortunate, for we now find God beginning to reveal some things to them as He continues to deal with the Egyptians on their behalf.
So this thing with the Egyptians is now personal, and God will show Israel that as long as they remain obedient and in His covenant, He will always provide and protect them. And the same is true for us today, for we must know that God is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore. And since He did it for those who were in the Abrahamic Covenant, He will do the same for us today, who are in His "New Covenant" that was made possible through the sacrifice and acceptance of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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The Slaves of the World
But the "slaves of the world" simply don't understand this side of God, for they see a God that's jealous, angry, and vengeful. Know that it's hard for them to see the Lord for what He truly is, which is a loving, caring, and protective God. The reason why the "slaves of this world" view Him as such is that they have given themselves over (sold their souls) to serve the world instead of the "God" that has poured so much value and love into them as gifted individuals.
And since the Word of God warns and teaches us to be set apart from the world they have chosen to serve the "worldly slave" becomes offended by those who speak out against the things and people that they're serving. Therefore, they now consider themselves the opposition against those who speak out against them, and if this so happens to include the Almighty God as well - then so be it.
But understand it's no different from a person who has given their mind over (selling their soul) to make a living by breaking the law. For such individuals, this would soon develop into a disdainful and arrogant attitude against those who have vowed to stop them (law enforcement). Because of this, they now consider anyone who stands against them as the enemy.
In the next Bible Study Online Article:
Oh well, enough of my ranting - it's time to move forward, and we will move ahead in the following article, for we will discover that God will finally unleash this "plague of flies" upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians. So, how will Pharaoh respond to this particular "plague?" Will he ask Moses to pray for him again? Will he finally give in to Moses' demands? Will Pharaoh remain stubborn, prideful, and steadfast in his pagan beliefs?
May God blessings be upon you, and thank you for your support
Related - Bible Study Online Articles - Links
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Moses & the Swarm of Flies Plague
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Continue Reading - Bible Study Online - Current Series:
172) <-CURRENT BIBLE STUDY ONLINE PAGE->
173) How Far Are You Willing to Go
175) Although Exempted - The Israelites Still Had to Endure
176) Go & Serve Your God - Wait A Minute...
177) The God of Israel vs The Egyptian Bull Cults
179) The Plague of Boils
181) God tells Pharaoh - You Owe Me Everything!
183) God vs Nut the Sky goddess
184) Moses Tell Your God - I've Sinned
185) The Lord Giveth and Taketh
186) God Tells Moses - Keep A Record
188) Pharaoh's Moment of Intervention
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