In the summer of 2021, Rachel and I went to Minnesota for a vacation. While we were there, we stayed in the Minneapolis / St. Paul area. Then we took a day to drive over to Walnut Grove, which was one of the homes of Laura Ingalls Wilder, the author of the book series Little House on the Prairie. She wrote in one book a fascinating description of a locust plague here in the United States.
PHARAOH REFUSES TO HUMBLE HIMSELF – 10:3-6:
In this paragraph, we see that God is specifically targeting Pharaoh’s pride: “How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me?” God has struck Pharaoh with seven plagues so far. How long is Pharaoh going to remain prideful and arrogant toward God?
The word for “humble” was used earlier in Exodus, at 1:11-12. The NASV reads that Pharaoh “afflicted” the Israelites with hard labor. That’s the same verb we have here. Pharaoh “humbled” the Israelites, so God is going to “humble” Pharaoh. He could do it himself, or he could allow Jehovah God to do it.
You and I have the same choice. “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5). Then Peter tells us the same thing that Moses tells Pharaoh, basically: “Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you in due time” (5:6). How long are you going to keep living in sin? How long are you going to keep putting off repentance? How long are you going to keep refusing to submit to the gospel of Christ? How long? Jesus is stretching out His nail-pierced hand, asking you: “How long will you refuse to obey My word?”
TELL THE NEXT GENERATION – 10:1-2:
10:1-2 – Among the reasons God brought the plagues on Egypt was so that Israel would have something to share with the next generation! Just like the life, teachings, miracles, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. One of the purposes of the Lord’s Supper is to teach our children what the death and resurrection of Christ means. All of us who are parents have had to answer questions about the Lord’ Supper – most of those questions come while we’re taking the Lord’s Supper!
PHARAOH WANTS TO NEGOTIATE AGAIN? – 10:7-11:
Pharaoh brings Moses and Aaron back into his audience and tells them: “GO!” (10:8). Then he asks a silly question: “Who are the ones that are going?” Who do you want to go to heaven? Everybody over whom I have any influence. Who is going to worship Jehovah God? Everyone who wants to be saved! Moses answered Pharaoh in verse 9. Notice that Moses emphasizes everyone is going: young & old, sons & daughters, flocks, and herds.
When it comes to the teachings of the NT, there is no verse that we can set aside and say, “I don’t feel like obeying that verse.” We can’t say, “Well, I’m 90% in agreement with Jesus, I can be saved.” There is either total surrender to the gospel of Christ or there is no surrender at all. He commands and we obey. That is Christianity.
THE PLAGUE OF LOCUSTS – 10:12-15:
The Egyptians worshiped Min, the god of the crops. They also worshiped Isis, the goddess of life, Nepri (the god of grain), Anubis (the guardian of the fields), and Senehem (the god who protected against pests). But Senehem was not to be found – not this time – the Egyptians learned that they could not trust their gods to provide their food!
“FORGIVE MY SIN” – 10:16-20:
Pharaoh admits he has sinned and he asks Moses to pray for him. As one writer wrote, Pharaoh kept “repenting of his repentance” (Ryken). Pharaoh surely thought that Jehovah God, like all the other gods in Egypt’s pantheon, could be manipulated with just the right words! But Jehovah God is a not a puppet on a string!
Despite all the destruction, God had promised Israel that He would bring them into a land flowing with milk and honey. But they would also have to trust and obey.
In Jesus Christ, there is nothing ahead of us but the promise of a good land, in the presence of Jehovah God.
Paul Holland
