2. The signal given by which this plague was summoned, was the sprinkling of warm ashes, from the furnace, toward heaven, (v. 8, 10.) which was to signify the heating of the air with such an infection, as should produce in the bodies of the Egyptians sore boils, which would be both noisome and painful. Immediately upon the scattering of the ashes, a scalding dew came down out of the air, which blistered wherever it fell. Note, Sometimes God shows men their sin in their punishment; they had oppressed Israel in the furnaces, and now the ashes ot the furnace are made as much a terror to them, as ever their task-masters had been to the Israelites.
3. The plague itself was very grievous; a common eruption would be so, especially to the nice and delicate, but these eruptions were inflammations, like Job's. This is afterwards called the botch of Egypt, (Deut. 28. 27.) as if it were some new disease, never heard of before, and known ever after by that name. Note, Sores in the body are to be looked upon as the punishments of sin, and to be hearkened to as calls to repentance.
4. The magicians themselves were struck with these boils, v. 11. (1.) Thus they were punished, both, [1.] For helping to harden Pharaoh's heart, as Elymas for seeking to pervert the right ways of the Lord; God will severely reckon with those that strengthen the hands of the wicked in their wickedness. As also, [2.] For pretending to imitate the former plagues, and making themselves and Pharaoh sport with them. They that would produce lice, shall, against their wills, produce boils. Note, It is ill jesting with God's judgments, and more dangerous than playing with fire. Be ye not mockers, lest your bands be made strong. (2.) Thus they were shamed in the presence of their admirers. How weak were their enchantments, which could not so much as secure themselves! The devil can give no protection to those that are in confederacy with him. (3.) Thus they were driven the field. Their power was restrained before, (ch. 8. 18.) but they continued to confront Moses, and confirm Pharaoh in his unbelief, till now, at length, they were forced to retreat, and could not stand before Moses, to which the apostle refers, (2 Tim. 3. 9.) when he says, that their folly was made manifest unto all men.
5. Pharaoh continued obstinate, for now the Lord hardened his heart, v. 12. Before, he had hardenened his own heart, and resisted the grace of God; and now, God justly gave him up to his own heart's lusts, to a reprobate mind, and strong delusions, permitting Satan to blind and harden him, and ordering every thing, from henceforward, so as to make him more and more obstinate. Note, Wilful hardness is commonly punished with judicial hardness. If men shut their eyes against tbe light, it is just with God to close their eyes. Let us dread this as the sorest judgment a man can be under, on this side hell.
13. And the Lord said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me. 14. For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth. 15. For now I will stretch out my hand, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence; and thou shalt be cut off from the earth. 16. And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to show in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth. 17. As yet exaltest thou thyself against my people, that thou wilt not let them go? 18. Behold, to-morrow about this time, I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even until now. 19. Send therefore now, and gather thy cattle, and all that thou hast in the field; for upon every man and beast which shall be found in the field, and shall not be brought home, the hail shall come down upon them, and they shall die. 20. He that feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses: 21. And he that regarded not the word of the Lord left his servants and his cattle in the field.
Here is,
I. A general declaration of the wrath of God against Pharaoh for his obstinacy. Though God has hardened his heart, (v. 12.) yet Moses must repeat his applications to him; God suspends his grace, and yet demands obedience, to punish him for requiring bricks of the children of Israel, when he denied them straw. God would likewise show forth a pattern of long-suffering, and how he waits to be gracious to a rebellious and gainsaying people. Six times the demand had been made in vain, yet Moses must make it the seventh time, Let my people go, v. 13.
A most dreadful message Moses is here ordered to deliver to him, whether he will hear, or whether he will forbear. 1. He must tell him that he is marked for ruin; that he now stands as the butt at which God would shoot all the arrows of his wrath; (v. 14, 15.) Now I will send all my plagues. Now that no place is found for repentance in Pharaoh, nothing can prevent his utter destruction, for that only would have prevented it. Now that God begins to harden his heart, his case is desperate. "I will send my plagues upon thy heart, not only temporal plagues upon thy body, but spiritual plagues upon thy soul." Note, God can send plagues upon the heart, either by making it senseless, or by making it hopeless—and those are the worst plagues. Pharaoh must now expect no respite, no cessation of arms, but to be followed with plague upon plague, till he is utterly consumed. Note, When God judges, he will overcome; none ever hardened his heart against him, and prospered. 2. He must tell him, that he is to remain in history, a standing monument of the justice and power of God's wrath; (v. 16.) "For this cause have I raised thee up to the throne at this time, and made thee to stand the shock of the plagues hitherto, to show in thee my power." Providence ordered it so, that Moses should have a man of such a fierce and stubborn spirit as he was, to deal with; and every thing was so managed in this transaction, as to make it a most signal and memorable instance of the power God has, to humble and bring down the proudest of his enemies. Every thing concurred to signalize this, that God's name, that is, his incontestable sovereignty, his irresistible power, and his inflexible justice, might be declared throughout all the earth, not only to all places, but through all ages while the earth remains. Note, God sometimes raises up very bad men to honour and power,
