The Pulpit Commentary — Exodus — Volume 1 — Section 202

dust, gne.ts e.nd flies burst from their 1mp10, and spring into perfect existence. They "Yivify instantaneously on the dust absorbing moisture enough to discolour it. As the flocd advances slowly onwards, a ble.ck line of moving insects on the extreme verge moves with it" (Osburn). There is a terrible "tick" described by Sir Samuel Baker, which lives in bot B1Lnd e.nd dust, and preys on the blood of animals. "From the size of a grain of sand, in its natural state, it swells to the size of a hazel nut," and is "the greatest enemy to man and beast." Here, then, was a new horror, the intolerableness ol the plague being increased by the insignificance of the enemy, and the hopelessness of fighting it Jown. Note- I. 'l'nrs PLAGUE OAME FROM THE LA'l>""D, AB THE TWO FORMER FROM THE RIVER. Aaron "smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice (Kinnim) in man, and in beast" (ver. 17). 'l'his was a new blow at Egyptian idolatry, the earth being worshipped as well as the river. The suddenness, extent, and fearfully aggravated character of tha plague, and its appearance in immediate connection with Aaron's act in smiting the earth, proved it to be of supernatural origin, while cognate with the phenomena of tha country. 1. At the stroke of God's anger, trouble may be ma.de to break forth upon ns from any quarter of our existence. Now, the river; again, the dust. The quarter it comes from is not likely to be that from which we are expecting it. 2. Troubles spring not from the dust (Job v. 6); but they may be ma.de to rise so thickly around us that it may almost seem as if they did spring from it. 3. The most insignificant agencies (and circumstances) may be made the means of severe retribution. It ia intensely painful to be ma.cl.a to suffer through things which we despise. 4. God's retributions are often such as strike home to our tenderest points. The Egyptians- especially the priestly classes-were extremely clea.nly, and this pl.a,,"lle, if it was one of vermin, must have boen a grievous iniliction to them. II. 'l'HE THIBD PLAGUE CAME UNANNOUNCED. We forfeit our claim to warnings by acting presumptuously (Prov. :x.rix.. 1). Ill. lT LED THE MAGICIANS TO GIVE UP THE OONTEBT (ver. 19). We :find them still standing before Pharaoh (eh. ix. 11), but from this point we hear of no more attempts at imitation. They may have abandoned the contest-1. l<'rom a. sense of slw.11W. The paltriness of their attempts at imitating the miracles of Moses and Aaron was so apparent, that the magicians must almost have blushed at them. They would rather give up the attempt than expose themselves to more humiliations. 2. From astoni,S:km.ent. As experts in magical arts, they knew very well the difference between false miracles and real ones. They a.re confounded to :find men who can work wonders of so stupendous a cha.meter, and this, manifestly, by the real assistance of Deity. 3. From fear and pain. They had no interest in courting a continuance of these terrible plagues, which they recognised as true works of God. They were as painful to them as to others, and they dreaded the consequences of perseverance in so unequal a conflict. We see from this (1) That involuntary testimony to the truth is often extracted from those whose inclinations would lead them to oppose it. There are remarkable examples in the life of Christ, e.g. "Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles. If we let him thus alone, ell men will believe on him," etc. (John xi 47, 48); and in the lives of the Apostles, e.g. Acts iv. 16; xvi 17. The confessions of the demons in Christ's history are of the same order. Many testimonies of an extraordinary kind have come from unbelievers. (2) That there are great differences in degree of moral hardihood. Pharaoh held out, but the magicians gave in. They were not converted to the truth, in the sense of becoming servants of Jehovah, but they thought it prudent not to go further in open opposition. Even this degree of submission saved them from being hardened as Pharaoh was subsequently. IV. THE PLAGUE RAD NO GOOD EFFECT ON PHA..BAOH (ver. 19). In itself, it was as likely to have produced submission as the previous one, and Pharaoh had now, in addition, the testimony of his own magicians to the reality of the wonder. But to place against this, there was the fact that he had already submitted, and had broken his promise. It was doubly hard to submit again, and stronger means would be required to bring him to the point of a second entreaty. Thus do the influences that work for our good ~a.dually lose their power over us, because so frequently resisted. Every time a. vow is ma.de and l roke~, a good resolution formed, and not kept, it is rendered. harder to repeat the act.-J. O, OU, VIII, 16-19.] THE DOOK OF EXODUS. 101