Next come the gnats. This time there is no warning to Pharaoh. It has been made perfectly clear to him what he has to do, and he has refused.
As well as speaking for Moses, Aaron is also using the rod for Moses. He strikes the ground and gnats spring up from all over the land of Egypt.
This time the magicians were unable to replicate the miracle. They told Pharaoh that it must be God who was doing this, so Pharaoh is being steadily backed into a corner, and will eventually have to acknowledge the Lord. However, that time had not yet come, and Pharaoh continued in his stubbornness.
Next Moses is told to go to the river to meet Pharaoh. Pharaoh probably went there either to worship at some shrine or to bathe. See that Moses is having to maintain contact with the enemy. When the enemy refuses to yield, and we have not been told by God to back off, we must continue the confrontation, dealing with the enemy directly.
This time Pharaoh does get the chance to let the people go. If not there will be swarms of flies all over the land. Note that the whole people suffered because of Pharaoh's stubbornness. If we live in rebellion against God it is not just us who will suffer, but those around us as well.
This time there is a difference, the land of Goshen, where the Israelites lived, will not be affected. God is making it steadily clearer who is in charge, and what He is doing. When troubles hit a nation sometimes Christians will be affected like everyone else (though they will/should react differently from everyone else), at other times there will be a clear distinction between the people of God and the rest.
Pharaoh seems to relent again, but is trying to compromise with God by getting the Israelites to sacrifice in Egypt. Moses is having none of it. So Pharaoh seems to agree to let the people go. Moses warns him not to be deceitful like the last time. However, Pharaoh again acted in the same way as before.
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