In the fifth conflict, the Lord said to Moses, “Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt” (8:16). When Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod and smote the dust of the earth, “it became lice in man, and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt” (v. 17). Formerly, the dust of Egypt produced grain that could be used for food. But in this plague the dust became lice that caused great discomfort to the Egyptians. The lice were extremely irritating. However, the plague of the lice was not only a punishment, but also a revelation that, ultimately, the dust of Egypt produces lice, not grain for food.
In these plagues God was both wise and merciful. He did not use a powerful weapon to teach the Egyptians a lesson once for all. Instead, He used something very small. If God had suddenly destroyed all the Egyptians, there would have been no warning, no reminder, and no revelation. In His wisdom and mercy, God used lice to expose the situation of the living in Egypt and to encourage His people to get out of Egypt.
God does the same thing in principle today. Again and again He shows us that Egypt is not lovable, and He reminds us not to remain in Egypt. He causes us to see that life in Egypt is disgusting. The water brings forth frogs, and the dust produces lice. He knows that if His people are clear about the situation in Egypt, they will desire to be separated from it. By means of plagues God’s people come to realize that their living should not be the living of the world, but the living unto God in the wilderness.
The plague of the frogs unveils the nature of the water in Egypt, whereas the plague of the lice unveils the nature of the dust in Egypt. The dust becoming lice indicates that the source of the supply of our living in the world eventually becomes a cause of irritation. Today people throughout the world depend upon water and dust for their living. Without these, it is impossible to have the life supply. Although water and dust were created for us by God, they have been taken over by Satan and used for his own evil purpose. Therefore, in His judgment, God exposed the actual nature of the water and dust in their fallen condition. He changed the water into blood and the dust into lice.
The first three plagues—the plagues of the blood, the frogs, and the lice—unveil to us the nature, meaning, and result of living in the world. Those who keep on living in the world will encounter death, trouble, and irritation. We all need to receive such a revelation of the living in the world today. May this vision make such a deep impression upon us that we never forget it.
Pharaoh’s magicians tried to bring forth lice, but they were unable to do so. They admitted to Pharaoh that it was the finger of God that caused the dust of Egypt to become lice. They did not say that it was the hand of God, but the finger of God. This indicates that Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews, was almighty. To their understanding, God had only to use His finger to do something that they were not able to do. However, Pharaoh’s heart remained hard, stubborn, and he hearkened not to Moses and Aaron, as Jehovah had said.
My burden in this message is not to teach the saints that they should not love the world. My burden is to point out the picture portrayed in the book of Exodus. Consider how the plagues of the blood, the frogs, and the lice expose today’s world. Do you still want to settle down in the world? Do you still regard it as the best place for you to dwell? If we are impressed with the picture given in the book of Exodus, we shall desire to get out of today’s Egypt. In His mercy, God has shown us a vivid picture that unveils the nature, meaning, and consequence of living in the world. He desires to rescue us from the world and to bring us to Himself at Mount Horeb, the mount of God. At this mountain, we have no plagues of blood, frogs, and lice. Instead, we have light, revelation, purpose, the presence of God, and a future filled with God’s supply. What a contrast between life in Egypt and life at Mount Horeb! Do you want to be in Egypt with the blood, the frogs, and lice, or do you want to be with God at Mount Horeb? No one needs to advise us to leave the world. If we see the picture portrayed in Exodus, we shall spontaneously loathe the world, flee from it, and be gathered to the Lord at the mountain of God.