EXODUS: The Lord God Sends the Fifth Plague in Egypt; "Thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews: 'Let My people go, that they may serve Me. For if you refuse to let them go, and still hold them, behold, the hand of the Lord will be on your cattle.'"

He sent Moses His servant, and Aaron whom He had chosen. They performed His signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham. (Psalm 105:26-27) 

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and tell him, ‘Thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews: “Let My people go, that they may serve Me. For if you refuse to let them go, and still hold them, behold, the hand of the Lord will be on your cattle in the field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the oxen, and on the sheep—a very severe pestilence. (Exodus 9:1-3) 

First, the Lord God attacked the "lifeblood" of Egypt, turning the water in the rivers to blood; then He attacked them with the image of one of their many gods, frogs; then He attacked their bodies with lice; then He attacked them and the land with swarms of flies; now, He would destroy a very important part of their livelihood and one of their symbols of wealth, their cattle.

In ancient Egypt, just as with the Hebrews and in most societies today, " in addition to its usefulness in agricultural work, domestic cattle provided many products very much used: meat, milk, grease, blood, skin, bone, manure, horns, tendons." But even more so in Egypt during this time, "Very much a symbol of wealth, of power and source of prestige, herds in general, and cattle in particular are very often represented in the tombs, notably to the Old Kingdom. Livestock always appears in a good position in the list of the tributes perceived by Pharaoh, as well as in the spoils of his conquests." (read "Cows, Oxen and Bulls in the Ancient Egypt")

The Lord God continued by not just declaring what He would do to the cattle in Egypt, but also what he would do to the cattle of the children of Israel; "And the Lord will make a difference between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt. So nothing shall die of all that belongs to the children of Israel.”’” Then the Lord appointed a set time, saying, “Tomorrow the Lord will do this thing in the land.” (Exodus 9:4-5) 

Just as the Lord God had said regarding the plague of the flies, "I will make a difference between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall be.” (Exodus 8:23) He was going to do the same regarding the plague of the cattle. For those who fear the Lord and who meditate on His name. “They shall be Mine,” says the Lord of hosts, “On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.” Then you shall again discern between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him. (Malachi 3:16-18)

Just like the Lord God was making a difference between His people and Pharaoh's people, between the one who serves God and one who does not serve Him, He has clearly made that same distinction today.  Those who have accepted God's free gift of salvation through faith in Christ Jesus as their Savior and Lord, Jesus promised, “If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you." (John 14:15-17)

Those of us who are saved, God has filled us with His Holy Spirit; after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. (Ephesians 1:13-14) But, those who have not accepted God's free gift of salvation through faith in Christ Jesus, they are still operating based on their natural way of thinking; and, the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (I Corinthians 2:14)

So the Lord did this thing on the next day, and all the livestock of Egypt died; but of the livestock of the children of Israel, not one died. Then Pharaoh sent, and indeed, not even one of the livestock of the Israelites was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh became hard, and he did not let the people go. (Exodus 9:6-7) Pharaoh's problem was he refused to believe in the God Who performed the wonders and the signs in Egypt. His natural mind would not allow him to believe, even though the works proved that God was real.

Christ Jesus once told the disciples that when they saw Him, they were also seeing the Father. Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves." (John14:9-11)

Well, the Lord God was doing the same thing through Moses and Aaron, and all Pharaoh had to do was believe God for the sake of the works themselves. If Pharaoh had tried to believe, then God would have responded, "I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." (Isaiah 36:25-26) But instead, the heart of Pharaoh became hard, so the Lord God would continue to demonstrate His power and authority through yet more plagues...