the Fourth Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
Day by Day Devotional - Year 1 of 5
Exodus 8:20-32
The fourth plague is that of the poisonous flies. Swarms of them penetrate the houses and ruin Egypt, with the exception of the land of Goshen. In the moral sphere these poisonous flies make us think of scandal-mongering, of jealousies and every source of irritation which intrudes into the family and social relations of the people of the world, but which should find no place in the homes of God’s children.
Pharaoh is now ready to make certain concessions: "Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land!" (v. 25). But that was impossible. The LORD had commanded them to go a three days’ journey into the wilderness (Exodus 3:18). Three days: that is the length of time Jesus remained in the grave, between His death on the cross and the morning of His resurrection. Now the Enemy would very much like to snatch away from us these truths which recall his defeat. By contrast, worship without the remembrance of the cross and resurrection do not worry him in the least. The world admires the life of Jesus and honours good people. It has its own religion, and will accept tolerantly that we have ours also. But the cross and the presence in heaven of a living Christ, which are the very basis of our worship, condemn the world and separate us from it absolutely (Galatians 6:14).
