Exodus 8:20-32
Swarms: Scarab, the sacred dung beetle of Egypt, was the symbol of the soul, resurrection and immortality. Judgment came upon this god, known to the Egyptians as Khepera, god of the dawn.
Background Reading:
Fourth Plague – Dung beetles
8:20 Now the LORD said to Moses, “Rise early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh, as he comes out to the water, and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Let My people go, that they may serve Me. 21 “For if you do not let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of Dung beetles on you and on your servants and on your people and into your houses; and the houses of the Egyptians will be full of swarms of Dung beetles, and also the ground on which they dwell. 22 “But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where My people are living, so that no swarms of Dung beetles will be there, in order that you may know that I, the LORD, am in the midst of the land. 23 “I will put a division between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign will occur.”’” 24 Then the LORD did so. And there came great swarms of Dung beetles into the house of Pharaoh and the houses of his servants and the land was laid waste because of the swarms of Dung beetles in all the land of Egypt.
25 Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God within the land.” 26 But Moses said, “It is not right to do so, for we will sacrifice to the LORD our God what is an abomination to the Egyptians. If we sacrifice what is an abomination to the Egyptians before their eyes, will they not then stone us? 27 “We must go a three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God as He commands us.” 28 Pharaoh said, “I will let you go, that you may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only you shall not go very far away. Make supplication for me.” 29 Then Moses said, “Behold, I am going out from you, and I shall make supplication to the LORD that the swarms of Dung beetles may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people tomorrow; only do not let Pharaoh deal deceitfully again in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the LORD.”
30 So Moses went out from Pharaoh and made supplication to the LORD. 31 The LORD did as Moses asked, and removed the swarms of Dung beetles from Pharaoh, from his servants and from his people; not one remained. 32 But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and he did not let the people go.
Exodus 8:20-32
Other slides in this module:
- Life of Moses – Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy
- 300-year gap between Joseph and Moses
- First 40 years of the life of Moses
- Thutmose I, the Pharaoh or king of Egypt
- Miriam kept eye on Moses after he had been placed as a baby in a boat
- Second 40 years of the life of Moses
- God spoke to Moses out of a burning bush
- Moses was asked to take off his sandals by God
- The third 40 years of the life of Moses
- Aaron’s Staff becomes a Snake
- The ten plagues of Egypt
- 1st Plague – Blood
- 2nd Plague – Frogs
- 3rd Plague – Lice or Gnats
- 4th Plague – Dung beetles
- 5th Plague – Pestilence
- 6th Plague – Boils
- 7th plague – Nut – Egyptian Goddess of the Sky
- 8th Plague – Locust
- Ninth plague – Darkness
- Tenth plague – Firstborn die
- Passover commemorates the Exodus from Egypt
- Moses the friend of God
- Pillar of Cloud by Day
- Pillar of fire by night
- The Chariots of the Egyptian army
- Moses crosses the Red Sea
- Moses’ older sister Miriam sings a song
- Waters of Marah and Elim
- Manna means ‘What Is It?’
- Water from The Rock at Massah
- Moses at Mount Sinai
- The Ten Commandments or Ten Words of God
- The Three Annual Feasts of God
- The Feast of Passover
- Feast of Weeks or Pentecost
- Feast of Trumpets or Feast of Shofars
- The Golden Calf, the idol made by Aaron
- Moses with the New Stone Tablets
- 1st five of the Ten Commandments
- 2nd five of the Ten Commandments
- Ark of God
- The High Priest of Israel
- Tabernacle of God
- Aaron and Miriam oppose Moses
- Exploring Canaan by 12 spies
- 37 years in the wilderness
- Aaron’s Rod that budded
- Speak to the Rock “Give Water”
- Death of Aaron
- The Bronze Snake
- Balak Summons Balaam
- Six cities of Refuge for Israel
- Daughters of Zelophehad
- Moses Blesses the Tribes with Three Sermons
- Moses lived for 120 years
- Caleb was the son of Jephunneh
- Joshua – The Fall of Jericho
- Questions and Answers 1-16
- Questions and Answers 17-32
- Questions and Answers 33-49
- Time Line for Life of Moses
- Background Information – Life of Moses
- Next Module – Judges or rulers of Israel
- Resources – Life of Moses
- The Jewish Festival of Sukkot
- Yom Kippur, means “Day of Atonement”
- Rosh Hashanah or Yom Teruah (The Day of the Sounding of Shofar)