Exodus 9:8,9
Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Take for yourselves handfuls of soot from a kiln, and let Moses throw it toward the sky in the sight of Pharaoh. “It will become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and will become boils breaking out with sores on man and beast through all the land of Egypt.”
Up to this point all the plagues were external: river turned red, pests and death of livestock. It was all uncomfortable. However, this next plague is personal. The boils are on the egyptians. It reminds me of Job. When satan first attacked him, he took away his wealth and family. It was horrible. The second attack was described by satan to be worse, he took his health. This is what’s going on in Exodus. The boils are on them. God has a way of getting our attention. If we are going down a destructive path, He will warn us. A boat drifting lazily down Niagara River is headed for trouble and destruction. There will be plenty of warning to rescue the passengers. There will be signs and boats maneuvering about giving warnings. So, also we might feel a particular direction is pleasant and desirable. However, bad things may be near. Proverbs 16:25 says, “There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.” What’s interesting about this is that we often think our way is right. Sometimes it’s circumstancial. The general way could be fine, but in our particular instance, it’s bad. Or the way may be bad and we are just unaware. God will warn us. There is a limit to our warnings. If we continure to stubbornly ignore, His warnings become fewer and and more difficult to hear. The bible calls it becoming “dull of hearing”. Our intentional ignoring is our becoming spiritually deaf. His warnings don’t come with large signs declaring “this is God and …” His words generally come in a whisper. However, His attempts to warn us can be more dramatic. Today’s passage is an example. Our health may be effected. This doesn’t mean all of our health issues are from God. But it could be. If we were ignorantly floating down Niagara River, we would want to be warned. We should see our circumstances as such. Ask “Lord, are You trying to tell me something?” He cares more about us than we do ourselves. Get into the bible, ask for Godly advice, get plugged into a good church. Submit your life to Him. He will do good things.