Judgement 3: Laced with Lice

Exodus 8:16-19 

16 So the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your rod, and strike the dust of the land, so 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 struck the dust of the earth, and it became lice on man and beast. All the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.
    18 Now the magicians so worked with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not. So there were lice on man and beast. 19 Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh's heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, just as the Lord had said.

The lice mentioned here (כֵּן kēn) are most likely gnats, but the word also refers to lice; what is important is that a swarm of very small and annoying bugs sprung out of the dust of the earth from which man was formed by God (Genesis 2:7).  These gnats filled the land, lacing it with lice or annoying it with gnats; either way, think of a few gnats you may run into, then what it would be like to not be able to escape them flying in your nose, ears, mouth, and eyes wherever you ran to hide.  Such was this plague meant to demonstrate God’s power of creation and command to strike fear into the captors of God’s people.  These gnats swarmed on the animals as well, no doubt causing further irritation with them flailing about.  Pharaoh called his magicians again, but this time they could not imitate even the smallest gnat from dust as God had.  They worked furiously, but could only conclude that this was the finger of God reaching down and touching the earth to make this phenomenon.  Yet still Pharaoh chose to further deny and have his heart hardened by the Lord before his face.  He refused to listen and submit in obedience to God’s word of command.  Even now many remain in their sin of disobedience with hard hearts, and unless called by God, are hardened further by Him in their rejection of His word - both in written and living forms.  Their sin-driven hearts produce deaf ears and blind eyes unless their Creator’s finger reaches down in grace to touch their hearts of stone.  Many are laced with the lice of lies from Eden’s garden as they have chosen the lie and have not been sovereignly chosen to escape by the Spirit’s unveiling of His word of truth.