Exodus 10 - The Eighth and Ninth Plague: Locusts, Darkness

 Summary https://marksbiblejourney.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-book-of-exodus

"Moses comes before Pharaoh once again.  He tells Pharaoh that the Lord commands him to let the Hebrew people go so that they can worship the Lord in the wilderness.  If Pharaoh does not comply with God's demands, then God will plague the land with innumerable locusts.  The locusts will cover everything in Egypt and destroy the remaining crops and trees.  Pharaoh's officials want the Israelites to leave the land of Egypt because God has devastated the land.  Pharaoh, on the other hand, will not let all the Israelites go.  He agrees to let the men go to worship God in the wilderness, but he will not let the women, children, and livestock to leave the land of Egypt.  So, God sends the eighth plague against Egypt:  Locusts cover the land.  After Egypt is completed devastated, Pharaoh admits that he has sinned against God and the Israelites.  Pharaoh asks for forgiveness for his sins, and he asks Moses to make an appeal to the Lord on his behalf.  The Lord blows the locusts away from the land of Egypt, but Pharaoh's heart is hardened, and he still does not let the Israelites go.  So, God sends the ninth plague of darkness over the land of Egypt.  There is a total darkness over the land of Egypt for three days  Pharaoh summons Moses, and he tells him that the Israelites can go, but the flocks and herds of the Israelites must stay behind.  Moses demands that the livestock must go with the Israelites for food and burnt offerings to the Lord.  All of the livestock must go.  Pharaoh does not comply, his heart becomes hardened, and he does not let the Israelites go.  Pharaoh gets very angry and tells Moses that if he ever sees his face again he will die."

https://www.alittleperspective.com/exodus-101-11-plague-of-locusts-warning/

Exodus 10 - The Eighth and Ninth Plague: Locusts, Darkness

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+10&version=AMP

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants [making them determined and unresponsive], so that I may exhibit My signs [of divine power] [a]among them, 2 and that you may recount and explain in the hearing of your son, and your grandson, what I have done [repeatedly] to make a mockery of the Egyptians—My signs [of divine power] which I have done among them—so that you may know [without any doubt] and recognize [clearly] that I am the Lord.”

3 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, so that they may serve Me. 4 For if you refuse to let My people go, then hear this: tomorrow I will bring [migratory] locusts into your country. 5 They shall cover the [visible] surface of the land, so that no one will be able to see the ground, and they will eat the rest of what has remained—that is, the vegetation left after the hail—and they will eat every one of your trees that grows in the field; 6 your houses and those of all your servants and of all the Egyptians shall be filled with locusts, as neither your fathers nor your grandfathers have seen, from their birth until this day.’” Then Moses turned and left Pharaoh. 7 Pharaoh’s servants said to him, “How long shall this man be a trap to us? Let the men go, so that they may serve the Lord their God. Do you not realize that Egypt is destroyed?” 8 So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh, and he said to them, “Go, serve the Lord your God! Who specifically are the ones that are going?” 9 Moses said, “We will go with our young and our old, with our sons and our daughters, with our flocks and our herds [all of us and all that we have], for we must hold a feast to the Lord.” 10 Pharaoh said to them, “The Lord be with you [to help you], if I ever let you go with your children [because you will never return]! Look [be forewarned], [b]you have an [c]evil plan in mind. 11 No! Go now, you who are men, [without your families] and serve the Lord, if that is what you want.” So Moses and Aaron were driven from Pharaoh’s presence.

• HARD HEART. At this point, seven (7) unbelievable, miraculous, awesome, fearful, signs, or plagues have been witnessed by Pharaoh and the Egyptians, and yet Pharaoh's heart was still hardened, and he did not seem to believe God enough to let the Israelites go. Pharaoh's heart was sinful (selfish and deceptive) towards God and His people, that's why God gave him up to his own stubborn heart (just like the verse below, referring to Israelites).

“But My people would not heed My voice,
And Israel would have none of Me.

So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart,
To walk in their own counsels." Psalm 81:11-12

• MOSES' OBEDIENCE. Even though God said that Pharaoh's heart will be hard, unresponsive and determined-- Moses (and Aaron) still needed to go and speak to Pharaoh God's messages and warnings. It seems like it's going to never end, and it seems like Moses was talking to a rock (because Pharaoh wouldn't listen), but Moses continued to trust God and he continued to obey everything God said. Listening, following, and obeying God is the right thing, but it's not an easy thing. To be devoted to God and and to do His will takes commitment, determination, faithfulness, patience and longsuffering. It is a great privilege, to be able to partake with God's grand plans (of salvation), and to witness His power.
• GOD'S MERCY. Before God revealed His another warning/plague to Pharaoh (through Moses), I like how God said "How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me?" It speaks of God's love and mercy even to unbelieving Egyptians. God is really always true to Himself, to who He is. God just wants everyone to humble themselves before Him and acknowledge Him as God, so that it will 'go well' with our lives. Sin and pride leads to destruction, and death. 

"Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall." Proverbs 16:18 

• PHARAOH'S SERVANTS SPEAK UP. Finally! It's about time, it's not too late! Pharaoh's servants talked some sense to Pharaoh, and for a moment Pharaoh listened to them and he called Moses and Aaron to allow them to go and serve the Lord their God, but under one condition. Pharaoh seems very afraid of losing the Israelites as their slaves, so he just wanted to allow the men to go, and not their children. He accused Moses of having an evil plan in mind, when all along it has been him who has been 'evil'. The irony. I am somehow convinced that Pharaoh is only concerned with his power, reputation, and selfish desires to continue oppressing Israelites instead of letting them go. He could've humbled himself before God and let Moses and all the Israelites go out of Egypt, since he did not own or even created them, but he didn't because his heart was heart and rebellious.
  

12 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, so that they may come up on the land of Egypt and eat all the plants of the land, all that the hail has left.” 13 So Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and the Lord brought an east wind on the land all that day and all that night; when it was morning, the east wind had brought the [swarms of] locusts. 14 The locusts came up over all the land of Egypt and settled down in the whole territory, a very dreadful mass of them; never before were there such locusts as these, nor will there ever be again. 15 For they covered the [visible] surface of the land, so that the ground was darkened; and they ate every plant of the land and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left. There remained not a green thing on the trees or the plants of the field throughout all the land of Egypt. 16 Then Pharaoh hurried to call for Moses and Aaron, and he said, “I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you. 17 Now therefore, please forgive my sin only this once [more], and pray and entreat the Lord your God, so that He will remove this [plague of] death from me.” 18 Moses left Pharaoh and entreated the Lord. 19 So the Lord shifted the wind to a violent west wind which lifted up the locusts and drove them into the [d]Red Sea; not one locust remained within the border of Egypt. 20 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart [so that it was even more resolved and obstinate], and he did not let the Israelites go.

https://slideplayer.com/slide/10805112/

• EGYPT'S SLOWLY DYING. After the strong hail, now it was locusts which have covered the land and eaten all the plants and trees. What were the Egyptians eating at this point? God's power was being shown here in full display, and it's amazing. Not because the Egyptians were suffering, but because what God said, He always fulfill. Not one word from God did not happen. Everything happened according to what God said. Pharaoh seemed repentant again when he called for Moses to pray to God to stop the plague of locusts, but he was not being sincere (again). After seeing that all the locusts were gone, Pharaoh's heart continued to be hardened by God and he did let the people go, for the nth time.

21 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky, so that [e]darkness may come over the land of Egypt, a darkness which [is so awful that it] may be felt.” 22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and for three days a thick darkness was all over the land of Egypt [no sun, no moon, no stars]. 23 The Egyptians could not see one another, nor did anyone leave his place for three days, but all the Israelites had [supernatural] light in their dwellings. 24 Then Pharaoh called to Moses, and said, “Go, serve the Lord; only your flocks and your herds must be left behind. Even your children may go with you.” 25 But Moses said, “You must also let us have sacrifices and burnt offerings, so that we may sacrifice them to the Lord our God. 26 Therefore, our livestock must also go with us; not one hoof shall be left behind, for we must take some of them to serve the Lord our God. Even we do not know with what we will serve the Lord until we arrive there.” 27 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he was not willing to let them go. 28 Then Pharaoh said to Moses, “Get away from me! See that you never enter my presence again, for on the day that you see my face again you will die!” 29 Then Moses said, “You are correct; I will never see your face again!”

https://slideplayer.com/slide/10805112/

• WITHOUT A WARNING. Without warning Pharaoh, God commanded Moses to stretch out his hand, and not his staff, toward the sky, so that darkness may come over the land of Egypt, for 3 days. It's like an eclipse happened, it's like God covered the sun, so the moon can't reflect and give light at night, and God hid the stars. How did that even happen, are the other nation in the world somehow affected? I guess not, because, supernaturally, Goshen had light in their dwellings! It was God's light, absolutely. It reminded me of the 'pillar of fire' that God gave the Israelites while roaming in the wilderness. Pharaoh called for Moses, he was willing to let them go, but only under his conditions! He still didn't get it. It was God who will still, and always prevail. Pharaoh prevented the Israelites to bring their flocks, so that the he and the Egyptians will have it after they're gone? As Pharaoh realized that he was not in control anymore, and will never be in control (of the Israelites, even the whole world), he seemed to burst out in anger! By driving Moses away from his presence and even threatening Moses of death. This seems to be the last straw and foreshadowing of the last plague.

Footnotes:
    Exodus 10:1 Lit in his midst.
    Exodus 10:10 Lit for evil is in front of your faces.
    Exodus 10:10 Pharaoh was suspicious that Moses intended to lead Israel away from Egypt for good. He knew that as long as their children remained in Egypt, the Israelites would not attempt an escape to freedom.
    Exodus 10:19 Lit Sea of Reeds (Hebrew) yam suph. The traditional name “Red Sea” comes from the Greek, which is based on the designation of the fifth-century b.c. Greek historian Herodotus. The famous historian, who was called the father of history, considered the sea part of the Indian Ocean, which he called the Red Sea. Later the term came to refer to the sea itself. The name “Red Sea” is used throughout the O.T. instead of “Sea of Reeds.”
    Exodus 10:21 One of the primary gods of the Egyptians was Ra the sun-god. The darkness revealed his uselessness and prevented the daily rituals of pagan worship.


* Study Guide Commentary from David Guzik: 

b. That you may tell in the hearing of your son and your son’s son the mighty things I have done in Egypt: God’s work was not only for the sake of the generation of Moses and Pharaoh; it was also for your son and your son’s son. God does mighty works among us so that we can encourage generations to come.
c. How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Getting to the heart of the matter, God warned Pharaoh to humble himself or the worst plague of locusts ever seen would come upon Egypt. Pride was at the heart of Pharaoh’s problem; he simply didn’t want to give into God.
i. It’s an important question that God would ask to anyone: How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? 

 i. Pharaoh offered a compromise in Exodus 8:25-26, suggesting that they could have a day to sacrifice to the Lord while still in Egypt. Moses rejected that compromise, and would reject this one also. God would not make this bargain, because He didn’t need to. This time, and every time, God holds all the negotiating leverage.
ii. What Pharaoh wanted is what many of us want in the flesh: a way to “give in” to God, without fully submitting to Him. Sometimes we look for a way to bargain with God as an equal, instead of submitting to Him as Creator and Lord. 

 b. There remained nothing green on the trees or on the plants of the field: God did for Pharaoh what He will do in our lives – expose and topple every false god. When we trust in these gods it hurts to see them fall, but it is always best to have them exposed.  

 a. I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you: Pharaoh did the same thing in Exodus 9:27-28. He said the words of repentance but did not follow through with the actions. His heart was only hardened more after God relented and showed mercy.
i. “Once again comes the easy confession of sin, and the shallow repentance that springs only from a desire to avert the consequences.” (Cole) 

 b. Darkness which may even be felt: This was no normal darkness, it had a supernatural element to it that could be felt. Light is not only a physical property; it is an aspect of God’s character (God is light and in Him is no darkness at all, 1 John 1:5). In judgment, God can withdraw His presence so significantly that the void remaining is darkness which may even be felt.
i. Seemingly, God did not even allow artificial light sources to work. The Egyptians attempted to use candles and lamps but were unable to produce light. This was dramatic show of greatness over the prominent Egyptian god Ra, thought to be the sun god.
c. All the children of Israel had light in their dwellings: We don’t know if this was because God spared them the plague or because God granted them His unique presence, bringing a supernatural light. 

 iii. The Bible tells us there were several reasons why God sent these plagues upon Pharaoh and Egypt.
    · To answer Pharaoh’s question, Who is the Lord? (Exodus 5:2). In the plagues, God showed Himself greater than any of the false gods of Egypt
    · To show the power of God through Moses (Exodus 9:16)
    · To give a testimony to the children of Israel for future generations (Exodus 10:2)
    · To judge the false gods – demons, really – of Egypt (Exodus 12:12, Numbers 33:4)
    · To warn the nations – more than 400 years later, the Philistines remembered the Lord God of Israel as the one who plagued the Egyptians (1 Samuel 4:8)
    · As a testimony of the greatness of God to Israel (Exodus 15:11, Deuteronomy 4:34) 

 Reference and credits to https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/guzik_david/StudyGuide2017-Exd/Exd-10.cfm ©2013 David Guzik