Exodus 10 reminds me of chocolate and vanilla swirl. My wife never choses one or the other; given the option, she will always ask for both! In life, “both” is not always an option. Some decisions have a clear good or bad choice. Some are between bad or worse. Today’s lesson is that some decisions are more distasteful than others. The chapter begins with the Lord instructing Moses to go to Pharaoh, noting that God has hardened Pharaoh’s heart. I hear people call God unfair, as if they know better. Our perspective is very limited. The Lord explains: “that I may perform these signs of mine among them… tell your children and grandchildren how I dealt harshly with the Egyptians… that you may know that I am the Lord.” Pharaoh continuously uses weasel-words to revoke promises. There must be a final and full separation in order to allow the Hebrew nation to develop. Moses went to Pharaoh and repeated the words the Lord gave him: “How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, so that they may worship Me.” He adds yet another consequence: “If you refuse to let them go, I will bring locusts into your country tomorrow… They will devour what little you have left… every tree that is growing in your fields.” After Moses left, Pharaoh’s officials tried to reason with him: “How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the people go… Do you not yet realize that Egypt is ruined?” We all need someone in our life to hold up a mirror for self-reflection. Even people with great instincts can get it wrong without pausing to ponder how to react. We need people that love us enough to tell us the truth. In his arrogance, Pharaoh half-listened to their advice. They summon Moses to return and Pharaoh answered Moses with a qualifier: “Go, worship the Lord your God… But tell me who will be going.” We create conditional approval when we do not trust our collaborator. Do you find yourself adding conditions to your consent? Jesus taught that our verbal commitment should be unconditional: “Let your ‘yes’ be ‘yes, and your ‘no’ be ‘no’.” (Matt 5:37).
Moses gave a clear and full answer: “We will go with our young and our old, with our sons and our daughters, and with our flocks and herds”. Pharaoh quickly modified the terms once again, this time adding a fabrication: “No! Have only the men go and worship the Lord, since that’s what you have been asking for.” Is that what Moses has been asking for? It is not fun negotiating with someone who uses deception. Immediately “Moses and Aaron were driven out of Pharaoh’s presence.” The Lord told Moses to: “Stretch out your hand over Egypt so that locusts swarm over the land and devour everything growing in the fields”. God gave Pharaoh His response: “By morning the wind had brought the locusts… They devoured all that was left after the hail… Nothing green remained… in all the land of Egypt.” It is important to know what your “non-negotiables” are in every relationship. Pharaoh quickly came back to the table: “I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you… pray to the Lord your God to take this deadly plague away from me.” True repentance requires a turning away. It is very easy to say we are sorry, but without a change in behavior, the apology is empty. Moses prayed, and the Lord brought a strong wind to carry the locusts into the Red Sea. What do you do when the chaos is over? Pharaoh went back on his promise. “The Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the Israelites go.”
The sun god, Ra was the most important deity in Egypt. He represented life, order, and creation. The next plague simply cancelled him. The Lord told Moses: “Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness spreads over Egypt—darkness that can be felt.” This was not a normal nighttime; it was total darkness that covered: “all Egypt for three days”. It seems that even candlelight was obscured. “No one could see anyone else or move about for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light.” Total darkness effects every part of human behavior. Our eyes are designed to detect light. Without any stimulus the system goes dark. Studies show that in total darkness our mind creates images and hallucinations. The Egyptians would become completely disoriented. There is no wonder why Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses: “Go, worship the Lord. Even your women and children may go with you; only leave your flocks and herds behind.” Moses responded without hesitation: “Our livestock too must go with us; not a hoof is to be left behind.” There is no acceptable compromise; all of the Israelites must be able to leave with all of their herds. I’m sure he was furious. Some people are not accustomed to being told “No”. “But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he was not willing to let them go.” In frustration, he uttered what he thought was a curse: “Get out of my sight! Make sure you do not appear before me again! The day you see my face you will die.” Moses confirms with finality: “I will never appear before you again.” The final plague is approaching; this one speaks to all of us. How will we prepare for eternity? Some complain that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, in pre-determined judgement, but the Bible also teaches we all have free-will. Which is it? I believe it is both! God chose you before the foundation of the earth, because He knew you would receive Jesus as Savior. Remember, God allowed these plagues so that we might know that He is the Lord! Today you still have options. Will you choose darkness, or light? Psalm 34:8 says “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.” God even offers free samples!