Exodus 8:1-32 KJV
1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, Go unto Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me.
2 And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs:
3 And the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into thine house, and into thy bedchamber, and upon thy bed, and into the house of thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thine ovens, and into thy kneadingtroughs:
4 And the frogs shall come up both on thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants.
5 And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch forth thine hand with thy rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt.
6 And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt.
7 And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt.
8 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, Intreat the LORD, that he may take away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may do sacrifice unto the LORD.
9 And Moses said unto Pharaoh, Glory over me: when shall I intreat for thee, and for thy servants, and for thy people, to destroy the frogs from thee and thy houses, that they may remain in the river only?
10 And he said, To morrow. And he said, Be it according to thy word: that thou mayest know that there is none like unto the LORD our God.
11 And the frogs shall depart from thee, and from thy houses, and from thy servants, and from thy people; they shall remain in the river only.
12 And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh: and Moses cried unto the LORD because of the frogs which he had brought against Pharaoh.
13 And the LORD did according to the word of Moses; and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the villages, and out of the fields.
14 And they gathered them together upon heaps: and the land stank.
15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.
16 And the LORD said unto 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.
17 And they did so; for Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man, and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.
18 And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: so there were lice upon man, and upon beast.
19 Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.
20 And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh; lo, he cometh forth to the water; and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me.
21 Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are.
22 And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there; to the end thou mayest know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth.
23 And I will put a division between my people and thy people: to morrow shall this sign be.
24 And the LORD did so; and there came a grievous swarm of flies into the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants' houses, and into all the land of Egypt: the land was corrupted by reason of the swarm of flies.
25 And Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron, and said, Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land.
26 And Moses said, It is not meet so to do; for we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to the LORD our God: lo, shall we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, and will they not stone us?
27 We will go three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the LORD our God, as he shall command us.
28 And Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only ye shall not go very far away: intreat for me.
29 And Moses said, Behold, I go out from thee, and I will intreat the LORD that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, to morrow: but let not Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the LORD.
30 And Moses went out from Pharaoh, and intreated the LORD.
31 And the LORD did according to the word of Moses; and he removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; there remained not one.
32 And Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also, neither would he let the people go.

What side of God's glory do you want to be on? The side with Pharaoh with a harden heart, or harden heart that believes in God and murmurs and complains? We want to look first at the glory of God that was being shown to Pharaoh. Pharaoh an enemy of God, who seen the plagues of God, only to call his magicians to perform this plagues on Egypt. When they copy the first two plagues God causes, they omitted it that it was the hand of God and back off from performing any plagues. In other words, the magicians knew it was not their power to control these plagues from even multiplying. The second side of God's glory has to do with God's people who murmur and complain about what God does not seem to be doing for them. Yesterday lesson was about God going before Joseph's family to Egypt one seeking not complaining and the other two full of complaints. The story of manna is post in the continual scripture section below.

Now we got two stories of God's wrath and God's blessing. The goodness of God verses the wrath of God to children of obedience and disobedience. Pharaoh would not let the people go instead he was about causing them more stress with increasing their work load, before the first plague even came. Yet with the first plague came doubt if it was really a God, so Pharaoh called his magicians to perform each plague, and when the second plague was finished, the magicians said it was not their hand but the hand of God these plagues were being done. They were willing to back off and concede to God. Pharaoh ruler of the land was not willing to back off from fighting against God. The people of Israel did not see God making their life easier because of the plagues or before receiving the manna from heaven that they grumbled about their circumstances.

We want to look at the world around us as being simple when it comes to God. We ask, we seek and the doors are open, but what did it take for us to understand we are the one's that had to ask God, to seek God and hear his response of not always now, or only receive a pacifer for the day. God demonstrated his wrath to Pharaoh who kept his heart harden, when God delivered him from each plague, providing the pacifer, but not the cure to his harden heart. Showing Pharaoh he could remove the discomfort of the plague if he seek him and seek him he did when he begged Moses to remove each plague. The children of Israel instead rejoiced with each blessing God gave, even when they murmured first against God. Both Pharoah and Israel receiving the pacifer but not the full blessing of God. Children would get to the promise land only to know God's blessing, but none of them were the original one from the land of Egypt only offspring, except a few.

What is my point the blessing and glory of God come into all our lives whether we harden our hearts to him or receive of his blessings with praise. Until we fully turn our heart toward God, we living in a time of disbelief and discomfort in need of comfort seeking with the minimum our heart and mind the knowledge of God's existence. Until we fully receive his word, his truth, and thanksgiving for his blessings he gives, we are not going to receive the full blessings of God. Praising and honor God, glorifies God. The glory of God demonstrated in each plague and end of plague, to need of bread to receiving of manna.

Most of us can praise God with our lips with no trouble, but it is our heart that is the issue. We praise in mockery but it honors God, or do we praise him fully understanding God is a God of blessing to his children that receive it with gladness of heart. God would use manna to teach the people the daily blessings he bestows on each us that sit done to a daily meal, no matter what it looks like. In the hills of va and wv, the mountains seem to have the most luminous clouds at times, and yet when God appears in a cloud with his glory before Israel before they give them manna, I can't help but think of our clouds and wonder about it all. Not in doubt but in reality of the struggle of faith perhaps even in the wilderness. After all the magicians did a miracle or two to only admit it had to be the hand of God. Do you want to be a person that performs negatively or one that gives out love. The magicians were not going to take responsibility for the evil of one plague. God in his mercy and grace kept the blessings for his children as they trek through the wilderness, in their daily living. The plague for them was the wandering in the desert with no relief from the heat, the sun, or the feeling of thirst and eventually hunger. God was teaching them to trust him for their daily needs. God's glory in a cloud, a phenomon, no, but it shows that trust and belief probably came in the morning for someone of them with the manna laying on the ground.

The glory of God being seen was not enough to frighten the children of Israel, but enough to make them listen and to watch and see what God was going to do. Most of us fear God that know him, and yet we know we can go to him with our needs, our wants and desires. We can also make intercession for others as well. Knowing God will not fulfill our will but will give us the desires of our heart in due season. Sometimes what we may think is our desires in truth we see later it is not. The blessings of Egypt came with a price of slavery, the price of the wilderness journey came with a walk with God into the promise land by the tribe and by the individual. Desires fully meet with a land flowing with milk and honey.

Wherever we are in our relationship to God as believers, we have to ask are we believers as God's children or his enemies. What had the magicians learned about God that they back off. What did Pharaoh not perceive in the state of harden heart, because of his cruelty to God's people. What were the blessings on the road to the promise land. Our road is never easy, even if we enjoy the blessings of man and God. Yet the blessings of man can end in slavery where the blessings of God brings us to a place that we will be truly king and queens in his house and in his glory as sons and daughters to the king.

Our journey with obedience to God's word, obedience to Christ to love and forgive. Our obedience because we love and submit to his ways. Not for our salvation. Our salvation comes through faith in God, yet our actions speak whose child we are. Whether we are like Pharaoh with a harden heart who only receives God's glory and blessings when it benefits us, or whether we are children in need of a pacifer starting out, and finally receive God's word and right relationship with him through his Son our redeemer Jesus Christ. I talk alot about Jesus being his word that came in the flesh to redeem us, but do you see the word being invoke in the lives of the children of Israel to produce faith, and attitudes like Pharaoh. God's word will either bring you to your knees to receive the full measure of it, or take you only a little ways in the journey of life, only for you to harden your heart to the truth of his word. Where are you today?

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for your blessings, and gift of your Son that we desire to obey and honor you, instead of being like Pharoah. Thank you for the manna from heaven that came by your word through your words given in instruction to Moses to teach the people the importance of living by your word. Help us to live by your word to glorify your name. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: Exodus 16:1-18 KJV
1 And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.
2 And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:
3 And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.
4 Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.
5 And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.
6 And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, At even, then ye shall know that the LORD hath brought you out from the land of Egypt:
7 And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the LORD; for that he heareth your murmurings against the LORD: and what are we, that ye murmur against us?
8 And Moses said, This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD.
9 And Moses spake unto Aaron, Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before the LORD: for he hath heard your murmurings.
10 And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.
11 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
12 I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God.
13 And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host.
14 And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground.
15 And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.
16 This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents.
17 And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less.
18 And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.