About Jesus      Steve Sweetman

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ch. 10:1-20   ch. 10:10-26

The Plague Of Locust (ch. 10:1 - 20)

 

Once again, in verse 1 God tells Moses to return to Pharaoh.  And again, God tells Moses that He has hardened Pharaoh's heart.  There is something else mentioned in the verse that gives us yet another reason why God was hardening Pharaoh's heart through these acts of judgment.  The reason given here is that Pharaoh's heart would get even harder, so God could do even more terrible things to Pharaoh and Egypt.  That's amazing.  God would actually harden someone's heart through devastating plagues so He could perform even more devastating plagues.  

 

Verse 2 gives us yet another reason for these mighty acts.  It was so Israel, and the generations to come, would know that there God is the only true God and that He can perform such mighty acts.  Another thing the generations of  Israel should know is that God dealt harshly with Egypt, and for their benefit.  This would be important for the future generations to know.  God could, and would do the same for any future generation of Israel.  This would be important for the present day state of Israel to know, but for the most part, they don't.  God will do the same as He did in Moses day at the end of this age in the Great Tribulation. 

 

In verse 3 Moses and Aaron head off to see Pharaoh again.  This time, besides asking him to let Israel go free, they ask him how long will he refuse to be humble.  Humility on the behalf of man is important to God.  Pharaoh wasn't being humble.  He was exerting himself as if he were God, and actually, Egypt saw their Pharaoh's as gods.  So in one sense of the word, Pharaoh was playing the part that any Pharaoh would do.  It is interesting to note that the anti-christ in the Great Tribulation will do the same as Pharaoh.  He exerts himself as a god. 

 

From verses 4 through 6 Moses and Aaron explain to Pharaoh about the plague of locust that will come on the land of Egypt if he refuses again to let Israel go free.  The locust where be everywhere, to the extent that the Egyptians would not see the ground they walk on, and if there is any vegetation left from the prior plagues, they'll be gone as well.  Again, I can't help point out how this is a type, a symbol, a prophecy of what things will be like in the Great Tribulation.

 

In verse 7 we see that Pharaoh's officials have now been convinced.  They try to convince Pharaoh to let Israel go to worship their God.  They ask Pharaoh, "can't you see that our land is ruined?"   Pharaoh is the last one in the land to come to his senses, but of course that is because this is really a spiritual battle between God and satan.  Satan does not care about the land.  He only cares about destroying Israel.  You can now see the extent to God's judgment in Egypt.  Their land is ruined. 

 

In verse 8 we see that Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh.  That seems to suggest that they were called to Pharaoh.  They did not come on their own account.

 

In verse 9 Pharaoh asks who would be going to worship.  Moses basically says, everyone, including their cattle.

 

In verses 10 and 11 Pharaoh appears to show concern for the Jews.  He says that they are bent on evil.  That's the way the NIV puts it.  The alternate rendering would be that trouble seems to follow the Jews.  With this in mind, Pharaoh tells Moses that only the men can go.  Obviously he is saying that so the men would return to their families. 

 

As a result of what Pharaoh told Moses and Aaron, God had Moses initiate the plague of locust.  The locust came from and easterly wind and filled the whole land of Egypt.  Notice this time, it was Moses who performed the miracle.  Sometimes Aaron performs the miracle and sometimes Moses performs the miracle.

 

Verses 16 and 17 state that Pharaoh had another burst of so-called repentance. He asks Moses and Aaron to forgive him for his sin against their God.  Then he asks that the plague of locust be taken away.  Such repentance of convenience is not true repentance, and God knows it, and He will act accordingly.  You can't fool God.

 

In verses 18 through 20 Moses prays to God.  God takes away the locust and hardens Pharaoh's heart even harder. 

 

The Plague Of Darkness (ch. 10:21 - 26)    

 

In verses 21 to 23 God had Moses stretch forth his hand to make darkness cover the whole land of Egypt.  Note again, that it was Moses who did this.  Earlier we saw Aaron perform miracles, but for the last few Moses performed the miracles.

 

The text states that the darkness was so dark that they could feel it.  There's a couple of ways that Bible teachers have seen this.  Some say that in real dark darkness, as in an underground cave, you can "almost" feel the darkness.  Others have said that this darkness may have some spiritual significance, as in evil spiritual darkness, especially when things are dark for three days.  Some suggest that there might be some correlation to Jesus being dead for three days.  Whatever  the case, the land was dark, so dark that people could go no where, that is, everyone except for the Jews.  They had light in their homes.

 

In verse 24 Pharaoh summoned Moses in to see him.  Note that there is no mention of Aaron this time.  Pharaoh told Moses that all Israel could go, only that they were to leave their cattle.  Well, that would mean the Jews would have to leave the way in which they made a living and that they would have to return to Egypt.  Pharaoh still wanted Israel to return from their time of worship n the desert. 

 

In verses 25 and 26 Moses refuses.  They need some of their livestock to offer in sacrifice.  Moses is just as stubborn as Pharaoh.  So it is good to be stubborn at times.  God can use any character trait that someone might have.  Every character trait has its good side and its not so good side. 

 

At this, Pharaoh was very upset.  In verses 27 and 28 Pharaoh tells Moses to leave his presence immediately and never come back.  He told Moses that if he ever saw him again, he would kill him.  Anger is now filling the heart of Pharaoh.  I wonder what Moses thought.  Did he trust God sufficiently not to be bothered by Pharaoh's threat?  By now you would think that Moses would have full trust in his God.

 

In verse 29 Moses agrees with Pharaoh.  He told Pharaoh that he would never see his face again, and that probably pleased Moses.  By now he would have been tired of all of this.

 

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