1 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and speak to him, `Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, “Let My people go, that they may serve Me. 2 “For if you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them, 3 behold, the hand of the LORD will come with a very severe pestilence on your livestock which are in the field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the herds, and on the flocks. 4 “But the LORD will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that nothing will die of all that belongs to the sons of Israel.”‘” 5 The LORD set a definite time, saying, “Tomorrow the LORD will do this thing in the land.” 6 So the LORD did this thing on the next day, and all the livestock of Egypt died; but of the livestock of the sons of Israel, not one died. 7 Pharaoh sent, and behold, there was not even one of the livestock of Israel dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go.
God wanted Pharaoh to know that these plagues were no coincidence, so He set a date, and He also said that the Israelites would be unaffected by the next plague. Then it came, and Pharaoh sent a messenger to check on the livestock of the Israelites, and it was just as God had said. There was no more denying that God was doing these things. Yet Pharaoh remained obstinate. Pharaoh is a great example of everything not to do. When God is trying to get your attention, listen. Don’t try to fit Him into your mold, and make Him jump through a bunch of hoops just to get through to you. We are to fit into His mold, and obey His voice.