Read with Me
Exodus 10:1-11 (HCSB)
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I may do these miraculous signs of Mine among them, and so that you may tell your son and grandson how severely I dealt with the Egyptians and performed miraculous signs among them, and you will know that I am Yahweh.”
So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh and told him, “This is what Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, says: How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, that they may worship Me. But if you refuse to let My people go, then tomorrow I will bring locusts into your territory. They will cover the surface of the land so that no one will be able to see the land. They will eat the remainder left to you that escaped the hail; they will eat every tree you have growing in the fields. They will fill your houses, all your officials’ houses, and the houses of all the Egyptians—something your fathers and ancestors never saw since the time they occupied the land until today.” Then he turned and left Pharaoh’s presence.
Pharaoh’s officials asked him, “How long must this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, so that they may worship Yahweh their God. Don’t you realize yet that Egypt is devastated?”
So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. “Go, worship Yahweh your God,” Pharaoh said. “But exactly who will be going?”
Moses replied, “We will go with our young and our old; we will go with our sons and daughters and with our flocks and herds because we must hold Yahweh’s festival.”
He said to them, “May Yahweh be with you if I ever let you and your families go! Look out—you are planning evil. No, only the men may go and worship Yahweh, for that is what you have been asking for.” And they were driven from Pharaoh’s presence.
Listen with Me
God was very clear with Moses that he was intentionally hardening Pharaoh’s heart. In the beginning Pharaoh had hardened his own heart. But even through all the devastating plagues his country had undergone, he was completely unwilling to submit to God’s rulership. He had finally reached the point where God would no longer allow him to repent. Instead, he would serve as an object lesson to future generations about what happens to those who stand against the Lord.
The eighth plague would be a massive infestation of locusts. In the time since the hail had ended, other crops had sprouted in the fields, holding out hope of at least some food for the rest of the year. But these locusts would entirely denude the land, eating everything that was green, including all the trees. They would be so numerous that they would even flood into the houses, the temples, and the storehouses. Nothing would be able to keep them out.
Pharaoh refused to listen, as expected. But Pharaoh’s advisers understood that this plague would completely ruin the land, and that thousands would die of starvation. So, they urged Pharaoh to reconsider.
Pharaoh grudgingly summoned Moses and Aaron. But instead of conceding to their demand for all the people to leave Egypt, he insisted that he stay in control of the situation. He decreed that only the men would be allowed to go. Their families had to remain in Egypt as hostages to ensure that they would return. Then, he had Moses and Aaron driven out of his presence.
Pray with Me
Father, it is fascinating to watch the slow-motion train wreck unfold. Even though Egypt was already in shambles, Pharaoh, thanks to Your hardening of his heart, refused to believe that he wasn’t still in control of everything. It is a fearsome thing to consider that we can resist You for so long that we can reach a point where You will no longer allow us to repent but will instead use our example of ruin as a cautionary tale for future generations! Help me, Lord, to always keep a soft heart before You, so that if I do get off track, I will repent immediately and get back on track. Amen.