Day 6 – Swarms of flies

God vs Khepri

Early in the morning, while the Lord was out by the water, He sent Moses to Pharaoh without Aaron.

Moses once again demanded that Pharaoh let God’s people go and warned him of the plagues to come. God then changed His strategy by setting apart the Egyptians from the Israelites. Exodus 8:22 “I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people dwell, so that no swarms of flies shall be there”.

Khepri is an Egyptian deity who symbolizes the rising of the morning sun, creation, and renewal of life. The name Khepri means “he who comes into being” and he is often depicted as a beetle rolling the sun just as a dung beetle rolls dung.

The following day, a massive swarm of flies invaded the homes of Pharaoh, his servants, and the entire land of Egypt. This plague brought a new level of devastation and discomfort. As a result, the magicians disappeared, and Pharaoh adopted a new approach by bargaining with God to maintain his authority over Him. Pharaoh demanded that the flies be eradicated and set terms and conditions for the Israelites to perform their sacrifice within Egypt. He now recognized the power of God and even sought assistance from the Egyptian gods and goddesses. The Lord granted his request, but Pharaoh’s pride prevented him from allowing the people of God to leave.

God displayed His power by preventing flies from bothering the Israelites, and Khepri was vanquished. The Egyptians began to recognize God’s might, but Pharaoh was blinded by his own authority.

God 4 and the Egyptian gods 0.

Prayer: Father, we are blessed to see Your creation every day. Thank You for creating me perfectly and for helping me to accept my imperfections so that I can represent Your love for every living soul. Amen.

Written by Mari Swanepoel

www.womenoftheword.co.za