Daily Devotions
Psalms
Psalm 78:45a "He sent swarms of flies among them..."
Day 142 – Psalm 78
“He sent swarms of flies among them…” Psalm 78:45a
A GREAT SPIRITUAL BATTLE
The psalmist Asaph noted the plagues that God had sent against Egypt. The plagues may be studied as a great spiritual battle between God and the deities worshipped by the ancient Egyptians.
“He sent swarms of flies among them, which devoured them,
And frogs, which destroyed them.”
Psalm 78:45
1. The plague of flies (Exodus 8:20-32 The fourth plague)
Isis was worshipped as a deity of fertility.
The fly was held in sacred regard by the ancient Egyptians. Numerous flies represented great fertility in the land.
What if God were to send countless swarms of flies among the Egyptians? What if they did not bring fertility but death? What if the flies carried diseases that contaminated food and brought diseases that would devour the land?
2. The plague of frogs (Exodus 8:1-15 The second plague)
Heqt was worshipped as the deity of frogs.
The frog was also regarded as sacred. Many wore scarabs of frogs as amulets to protect them from evil.
What if God were to send countless frogs into the land? What if these frogs did not bring them protection? Instead the multitude of frogs added to the destruction of the land.
3. An interesting juxtaposition
The psalmist did not follow the Biblical order of the plagues mentioned in the Book of Exodus. Did Asaph mean to put these two plagues together on purpose? The frog’s natural food was flies. Did Asaph hint at the folly of the mythological pantheon of Egyptian deities who were obviously helpless against the power of the Lord God of Israel?
LESSONS THAT ISRAEL WAS MEANT TO LEARN
Asaph knew that the children of Israel were inclined to the worship of idols. Israel had been living in ancient Egypt for over four hundred years. It was more than possible that some of the people would have been influenced by the worship of the Egyptians. God had to show them His great power so that He might establish for Israel that He was the only God to be feared and worshipped.