Exodus 10

CHAPTER 10

The Plague of Locusts (10:1–20)

1–2 In these verses, the Lord reveals to Moses another purpose behind the plagues: it was to increase the faith of the Israelites—not only the faith of the present generation but also of future generations. The Israelites were not to forget these events, but were to teach them to their children and to their children after them (Deuteronomy 4:9). Many times in the future the Israelites would face obstacles and grow discouraged, but over and over they were exhorted by their leaders to remember—to remember what God had done for them and, by implication, would continue to do for them. That exhortation applies just as much to Christians in these present times: “Remember the power and the faithfulness of God.”

3–6 Then Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “How long will you refuse to humble yourself?” Those who refuse to humble themselves will soon be humbled by God (Matthew 23:12).

How long? That is the question God asks of all unrepentant sinners. God has great patience, but the time will come when God loses patience and brings judgment upon the sinner; only God knows when that time will be. For Pharaoh, it was coming near.

The next plague was a swarm of locusts such as Egypt had never seen before. Again God used natural means at hand—an east wind (verse 13)—to bring the locusts from their breeding grounds along the Red Sea. Locust plagues were greatly feared in ancient times (and still are); they were considered judgments from God (Joel2:1–11).

7–11 When Pharaoh’s officials had heard Moses’ warning about the locust plague, they asked Pharaoh: “How long . . .? How long will this man (Moses) be a snare to us?” (verse 7). Perhaps what they were really asking was how long Pharaoh would be a snare! The officials for the first time were beginning to see that continued confrontation with Moses was sure to fail; Egypt was being ruined. The officials called upon Pharaoh to relent and grant Moses’ request.

But Pharaoh was more contemptuous than ever. He told Moses that the men of Israel could go and worship, but if they tried to take their women and children with them—as Moses had indicated they would do—God help them! Pharaoh suspected that Moses was trying to take the Israelites out of Egypt for good, and so he wanted the women and children to remain as hostages.

12–17 Then Moses stretched out his staff and the east wind came, bringing the locusts with it. They devoured everything that hadn’t already been destroyed by the hail. Again Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and confessed to them that he had sinned.

18–20 Again Moses prayed that the Lord would stop the plague. And the Lord, who controls the weather (Mark 4:35–41), reversed the wind and swept the locusts back into the Red Sea. Not a locust was left (verse 19). But Pharaoh again defied God, and once again God confirmed the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart (Exodus 9:12).

The Plague of Darkness (10:21–29)

21–23 Without any advance warning, the Lord brought a plague of darkness upon Egypt. It’s possible that the Lord used the annual spring winds that blew in from the Sahara Desert to cover Egypt in a thick and blinding sandstorm. Perhaps because of the aftereffect of the previous plagues, this sandstorm was worse than usual; it was so thick that no one could see anyone else or leave his house for three days (verse 23). Yet the darkness did not come to the places where the Israelites lived.

24–26 The darkness was a rebuke to the chief god of the Egyptians, the sun-god Ra. Perhaps Pharaoh had begun to doubt the power of the Egyptian gods. He once more offered to compromise with Moses: this time he would let the Israelites take their women and children with them when they went to worship; only their livestock would have to be left behind (verse 24).

But Moses would not compromise with Pharaoh: “not a hoof is to be left behind” (verse 26). The Israelites needed to have all their animals with them in order to choose thosemostsuitableforsacrificingtotheLord.

Four times throughout these plagues, Pharaoh tried to persuade Moses to compromise. First, Pharaoh offered to let the Israelites sacrifice inside Egypt—here in the land (Exodus 8:25). But God demands that in moral and spiritual matters we separate ourselves from the world (Isaiah 52:11; 2 Corinthians 6:17); and Egypt, throughout much of Scripture, represents the ungodly world and its attractions (James 4:4; 1 John 2:15). We must not compromise with the world, or conform to the world (Romans 12:2).

The second compromise that Pharaoh offered was that the Israelites could go and worship, as long as they did not go very far away (Exodus 8:28). This is the same as saying that we should only “separate” from the world a little bit; we shouldn’t be too “religious.” Many immature Christians think they can be attached to the world and love God at the same time; it is not possible (1 John 2:15).

The third compromise Pharaoh offered was to let the Israelite men go but not their families (verse 11). But God desires families to worship Him together. Men are to separate from the world but not from their families; they are to lead their families in spiritual matters.

The fourth compromise Pharaoh offered was to let the Israelites go as long as they left their livestock, their possessions, in Egypt (verse 24). But all of our possessions belong to the Lord; it is wrong to leave them “in Egypt” for Satan to use.

In these four instances, Pharaoh was trying to get Moses to compromise; in each instance, by compromising, Pharaoh and Moses could get part of what they wanted. It would be an easy way out for both of them. But in moral and spiritual matters it is wrong to compromise with evil. Pharaoh was morally in the wrong; Moses was in the right. In such situations, we too should follow Moses’ example and refuse to take the easy way out. We cannot please both God and “Pharaoh” (Matthew 6:24).

27–29 Moses’ refusal to compromise angered Pharaoh so much that he told Moses: “Get out of my sight!” (verse 28). But before Moses did so, he warned Pharaoh about the tenth and final plague that was about to fall: the death of all the firstborn males of Egypt, both men and cattle (Exodus 11:1,4–5). After giving that warning, Moses walked out of Pharaoh’s presence hot with anger (Exodus 11:8).