I welcome everyone to the 10th chapter of the book of Exodus. So far, we have read about seven plagues that God sent to Egypt, both as devices of judgement to Pharaoh for his rebellion and devices of mercy to him for his repentance. Each time God removed the plague, Pharaoh hardened his heart more and more. Seeing that he was unrepentant, God then sponsored his rebellion. God allowed him to have what he sinfully desired — a hard heart against God and His people.
Let’s go a reviewing…!
THE DEADLY DISASTERS CONTINUE…
There are 18 instances in Exodus that mention the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart. The Bible considers the heart to be the centre of human personality, producing different emotions and desires. The heart is the home of grief (John 14:1), desires (Matt. 5:28); joy (Eph. 5:19); understanding (Isa. 6:10; Matt. 13:15); thoughts and reasoning (Gen. 6:5; Heb. 4:12; Mark 2:8), and most importantly, faith (Heb. 3:12; Rom. 10:10; Mark 11:23). Also, Jesus mentioned that whatever comes out of our mouth – good or bad – begins in the heart (Luke 6:43-45). Pharaoh’s sins and pride made his heart hard against God. This led to the unleashing of more plagues.
Moving on…
- PLAGUE 8: LOCUSTS LOOM
Exo. 10:3-4 So Moses and Aaron came in to Pharaoh and said to him, “Thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, that they may serve Me. Or else, if you refuse to let My people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your territory.
Notice the following:
- Loyalists’ Lamentation:
Pharaoh’s servants lamented the coming devastation and urged him to let the Israelites go. They knew that the land would be destroyed, but they blamed Moses for being a “snare” unto them. They didn’t acknowledge God or blame Pharaoh. Why accuse Moses as though He was the one who disobeyed God, or sent the plagues? - Limited Liberation:
Seeing that Moses would not compromise anything concerning their freedom, Pharaoh suggested that only the men should go. He wanted to hold their wives and children as hostages. But Moses wouldn’t give room for that. It is all or none, everybody or nobody. Pharaoh’s ego was bruised, and he threw Moses and Aaron out of his palace. - Lifeless Lands:
Pharaoh’s pride has always been detestable to God. As Moses prophesied, the land became infested by locusts, consuming every green leaf and source of food. The wheat and the spelt that were not ruined in Exo. 9:32 became a feast for the locusts. In short, Egypt’s food supplies were totally devastated. The ground became dark – literally the colour of the locusts. - Loathsome Lies:
Pharaoh repeated the same thing he did in Exo. 9:27-28. He said the words of repentance but did not actually repent. The deception is in the statement: “please forgive my sin only this once”. He was trying to give Moses the impression that he had finally come to his senses, and that he would let the people go. But he had no intention of letting them out. God saw his heart, and hardened it more.
- PLAGUE 9: DENSE DARKNESS
Exo. 10:21 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, darkness which may even be felt.”
Notice the:
- Bizarre Blackout:
In this ninth plague, darkness fell on all the land of Egypt — except in Goshen. Darkness is the symbol of evil, chaos, and judgement. This was not a normal darkness, it had a supernatural element to it that could be felt. It was an oppressive darkness, thick enough to be felt like a substance. It was horrifying. The candles, lamps and torches of the Egyptians could not cast out the darkness. God is Light (1 John 1:5) and He can withdraw His presence as a form of judgement. What will be left is darkness which can be felt. - Midnight Misery:
Everywhere was so dark that the Egyptians could not see one another. They remained motionless for three days. Oh what a misery! It was just as if they were physically blind. The Israelites in Goshen had light in their dwellings. It is possible that candles, lamps and torches worked in Goshen, but I want to believe that God Himself was their Supernatural Light. After all, He will be the Source of light in the coming city of God (Rev. 21:23). Once a believer is sealed with the Holy Spirit, His light cannot be removed (1Pet. 2:9; Eph. 5:8). - Pharaoh’s Proposal:
Pharaoh made a final offer to Moses. He suggested that all the Israelites (with their wives and children) could go into the wilderness for worship, but that they must leave their livestock behind. How comfortable it was for Pharaoh to bargain with his Creator. Partial submission isn’t submission at all. However, as usual, Moses was absolutely unwilling to compromise on any point. The deliverance was meant for all of Israel and their belongings. Not even a hoof would be left behind!
Dear Gogolights, like I’ve written previously, these plagues foreshadow the judgments that God will unleash in the end times. In the Great Tribulation, He will again punish the sinful nations with darkness (Rev. 8:12, Isa. 13:10, Joel 3:15, Mark 13:24, Rev. 16:10). Unbelievers will be ultimately cast out of God’s presence and will experience total darkness (Matt. 8:12; Matt. 22:13; Matt. 25:30). God will judge those who embrace darkness with more darkness.
Let us commit more to the preaching of the gospel of salvation. Till tomorrow when we meet again, stay blessed.
Grace to you, Church!
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.