Continuing a chronological Bible study:
(Exodus 10:1) And the LORD said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the
hearts of his servants, that I may show these signs of Mine before him, (2) And that you may tell in the hearing of your son and your son’s son what things I have done in Egypt, and My signs which I have done among them, that you may know that I am the LORD.”
The Lord told Moses to go back before Pharaoh once again. I've explored the thought before that God could have changed Pharaoh's heart at any time or could have destroyed him and removed him as an obstacle at any time, but He told Moses at this time that He allowed Pharaoh's heart to remain hardened, as well as the hearts of his servants, so that He might have further opportunities to show His signs and wonders. God further told Moses that because of all these miraculous things He had done in Egypt, Moses would have a story to pass down so that future generations would know that He was the one true eternal Lord and Savior of the world. God's purpose was that this event be written by Moses to serve as a permanent record that would last until the ends of the earth for our instruction in the awesome power of our Lord over our enemies, and in His faithfulness, love, and mercy. There lies the beginning of our Bible today! God intended for us to have a record of Him. If it was God's intention, can we really doubt that He could make sure we had a true record? I think about how people today who profess to be Christians (me included, in my immature days) don't believe the Bible to be the true inspired inerrant Word of God. After all, I can hear my own silly self saying many years ago, there have been errant human hands all over the creating of the Bible. However, I have come to realize and have faith that my God is big enough to see that His Word remain intact. And here we read of His intention that there be a record, so we can be certain it came to fruition. Jesus Himself more than likely used the Septuagint, the first translation of the Hebrew Bible, and here is what He said about it:
"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one
tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and
shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of
heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." - Matthew 5:17-19
Jesus believed that Bible, that Word of God, that law and the prophets, from which He taught. He did not come to change one thing about that Bible, but He was the fulfillment of all that was written. He had no problem relying on a humanly translated Bible; nor should we! However, He did warn against those who would break the commandments written of in scripture and teach men to do the same. Additionally, and perhaps more powerfully, Jesus said at the very end of the Bible, in Revelation, chapter 22:
“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things...For I testify unto every man that hears the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. He who testifies these things says, 'Surely I come quickly.'" - Revelation 22:16a and18-20a
While most would argue and say this referred only to the book of Revelation, there are too many other instances in the Bible where God warned not to add to or subtract from His word (Deut. 4:2, Deut. 12:32, Prov. 30:6). Surely, if it was so important that we not add or subtract from the word of God, He would certainly see to it that His word was preserved intact! Now that is not to say that there haven't been inaccurate translations of the Bible, especially in more recent times. I do believe there are errant translations and I studied this in depth and wrote about it in this blog post. Included in that post are some links that further explain in depth how and when the Bible became perverted. I had occasion to read again one of the links I provided and most heartily recommend it again here: 1611 King James Bible. Com
Now after saying that I am certain that God's Word has remained intact and we can trust it, I have added that there are, after all, human perversions. But once again, our God is big enough to make sure we get His true Word. He said that if we seek Him with all our heart, we WILL FIND HIM, and that means the true HIM:
"But if from there you will seek the LORD your God, you shall find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul." - Deuteronomy 4:29
Okay, now back to Exodus:
(3) And Moses and Aaron came in to Pharaoh and said to him, “Thus says the LORD God of the Hebrews, ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, that they may serve Me.'"
Moses and Aaron went before Pharaoh and spoke the words of the Lord so that Pharaoh knew they were the very words of the Lord by beginning, "Thus says the Lord..." How long would Pharaoh refuse to humble himself before the Lord and let God's people go? Of course, God already knew how long it would be, but this does show that Pharaoh did have the choice. He could have humbled himself before the Lord and repented and allowed the people to go before now. Yes, God had a purpose in allowing Pharaoh's heart to remain hardened throughout all the plagues. But the same God who was allowing time for the Israelites and even the Egyptians to know this was the true God, would have most assuredly accepted Pharaoh's true repentance, if there was any. We always have a choice; no one is doomed to hell against his will for God's purposes. However, as God is all-knowing and knows the future and what would happen in every possible instance, He can plan to carry out His will accordingly. You can bet, if Pharaoh had humbled himself and relented, God would have found another way to carry out His will and show his signs and wonders to be recorded throughout history.
(4) "'Or else, if you refuse to let My people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring the locusts into your coast. (5) And they shall cover the face of the earth, that one will not be able to see the earth; and they shall eat the residue of what is left, which remains to you
from the hail, and they shall eat every tree which grows for you out
of the field. (6) And they shall fill your houses, the houses of all your servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians, which neither your fathers nor your fathers’ fathers have seen, since
the day that they were on the earth to this day.’” And he turned and
went out from Pharaoh.
Moses (through his spokesman Aaron) continued the words of the Lord that if Pharaoh again refused to let God's people go, the next day God would bring locusts into Pharaoh's territory. They would be so thick on the face of the earth that no one would be able to see. They would consume whatever vegetation had remained after the hailstorm, including every tree. They would be so thick they would fill the houses of Pharaoh and his servants and all the Egyptians. This would be a plague of locusts such as had never been seen since the beginning of time. With that, Moses (with his spokesman Aaron) turned and left Pharaoh.
(7) And Pharaoh's servants said to him, “How long shall this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve the LORD their God; do you not yet know that Egypt is destroyed?”
Pharaoh's servants got it! They told Pharaoh to let the men go to serve their Lord, because Egypt was as good as destroyed because of his refusal to let them go thus far.
(8) And Moses and Aaron were brought again to Pharaoh, and he said to them, “Go, serve the LORD your God, but who are they that shall go?”
Evidently, at the urging of his servants, Moses and Aaron were brought back in to Pharaoh. Pharaoh appears to have relented somewhat and told them to go serve their Lord, but he wanted to know just who was going. Pharaoh received much value and profit from the labor of the Israelites, and feared that they would not return if they all went, so he wanted an account of just who was going.
(9) And Moses said, “We will go with our young and our old, with our sons and our daughters, with our flocks and our herds we will go, for we must hold a feast to the LORD.”
Moses insisted that they all should go, including all their flocks and herds. They were going to participate in a feast to the Lord, so all had to go. The adults would surely prepare the feast, and the children would be expected to witness it. The animals would be needed for the feast and for sacrifice to the Lord.
(10) And he said to them, “Let the LORD be so with you, as I will let you go, and your little ones; look to it; for evil is before you. (11) Not so! Go now, you who are men, and serve the LORD, for that is what you desired.” And they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.
Pharaoh's meaning in verse 10 is a little difficult to understand, but with the finished thought in verse 11, you get the gist. He was probably mocking or cursing them, saying, in effect, it was at their peril if they tried to take their little ones. It is obvious he did not intend to let them take their children. He said only the men could go and serve their Lord. He suggested that since they desired to go, they should accept his compromise and go and serve the Lord since that is what they said they wanted to do. With that word, Moses and Aaron were driven out from Pharaoh's presence.
(12) And the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, all that the hail has left.”
Of course, only letting the men go, was not what God commanded, and He instructed Moses to stretch out his hand over the land of Egypt and, in effect, summon the locusts. They would eat every herb left in the land after the hailstorm.
(13) And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts.
This is not the first time the scripture says that God told Moses to stretch out his hand, and Moses wrote that he then stretched out his rod. Moses may have been making it a point to show that it was the rod of God, God Himself, who summoned the plagues. Of course, that is what God Himself told Moses to do in the beginning, but I still find it interesting that Moses quoted God's words, "Stretch out your hand...", but then made it a point to show that it was God through this rod of God that did the summoning. I believe it is further proof of how accurate Moses tried to be in his writing, and how modest he usually was regarding himself. God had said "tomorrow" He would send the locusts. This time rather than immediately bringing locusts upon the land, He first brought the east wind, blowing all the rest of that day and that night, and when it was morning, on the morrow, then came the locusts.
(14) And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the coasts of Egypt; very grievous were they; before them there had been no such locusts as they, nor shall there be such after them. (15) For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they ate every herb of the land and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left; and there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt.
The locusts went all over the land of Egypt, but they miraculously rested within the coasts of Egypt. God had used natural means, the winds that were at His disposal, to bring the locusts, but it was indeed a miracle that they came just when He had said they would, and they remained within the borders of Egypt. The locusts were more severe than had ever been seen in the land since the beginning, as God had said in verse 6 they would be. They were so thick that the land was darkened, and they ate every bit of green that had remained in Egypt after the hailstorm.
(16) Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste, and said, “I have sinned against the LORD your God and against you. (17) Now therefore, please forgive my sin only this once, and entreat the LORD your God, that He may take away from me this death only.”
Moses and Aaron had been driven out of Pharaoh's presence, but now he called them back quickly. Of course, he realized the power of God and he knew the right words to say to ask that they ask their God to remove the plague of locusts. Just as we might imagine the prayer of any sinner, Pharaoh asked that he be forgiven "just this one time", insinuating that he would not sin again. However, Pharaoh's words are not sincere. He is as sorry as one who has just been caught is sorry that he got caught, but it is not a sincere repentance to God. He just said the words he hoped would work to take this plague away.
(18) And he went out from Pharaoh and entreated the LORD. (19) And the LORD turned a mighty strong west wind, which took away the
locusts and cast them into the Red sea; there remained not one locust
in all the coasts of Egypt.
Sincere or not, Moses took Pharaoh's words at face value, and went out from Pharaoh and asked the Lord, in Pharaoh's behalf, to remove the locusts. And the Lord did as Moses asked, now sending a mighty west wind to take all the locusts away and casting them into the Red Sea. Evidence that this was truly a miracle of God was that not a single locust was left within the borders of Egypt!
(20) But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go.
Once again might come the discussion about a just God hardening the heart of a man against his will. There was a discussion about this in Exodus, chapter 4, especially verse 21. Additionally, there was discussion about it in chapter 9, verse 14, when God determined to send all His plagues on Pharaoh's heart. It was evident that Pharaoh had not been sincere or truly repentant, so it may be that God truly did harden his heart at this time, or rather kept it hardened, until the fruition of the plagues. His heart was already hard and unrepentant, and he would not let the children of Israel go.
(21) And the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, darkness which may even be felt.” (22) And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven, and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. (23) They did not see one another; nor did anyone rise from his place for three days; but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.
With no further warning to Pharaoh, God told Moses to stretch his hand toward heaven which would bring darkness over the land of Egypt, and that he did. It was a darkness so thick and dark that it was even felt. Although God could have used any means to bring darkness, it seems reasonable to think that perhaps it was caused by a thick fog, because it could be felt, and perhaps the heavy misty dampness of the fog is what put out all the candles and fires in the Egyptian homes. It was so dark and thick that the Egyptians could not see one another, nor did they even try to arise from their places for three days. However, the Israelites had light in their homes.
As so many of the plagues seemed to do, this plague showed God's control over one of the Egyptians' chief objects of worship, the Sun-god. I don't know that God was purposely choosing a plague for each one of the Egyptian gods; the fact was, that the Egyptians used nature and things created by God as their gods. Of course, God was greater than anything or anyone He Himself created. If all of heaven and earth is at God's disposal, and one has false gods he came up with himself, then they are bound to be controlled by God; it's just going to happen without any particular plan on God's part to expose one's false gods.
(24) And Pharaoh called to Moses and said, “Go, serve the LORD; only let your flocks and your herds be kept back; let your little ones also go with you.”
After three days of the thick darkness, Pharaoh called Moses in and he decided to relent a little further this time. He would allow all the people to go, including the little ones, but their herds and flocks must be kept back. Obviously, Pharaoh was trying to make sure the Israelites would return; their livestock would be his security that the Israelites would not permanently leave Egypt, leaving him without all their forced labor from which he had obviously profited. Also, when you think about it, he and the Egyptians had lost a great deal of their livestock to the plagues; all the more reason he may have wanted the livestock to stay, and not risk them leaving forever.
(25) And Moses said, “You must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God. (26) Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not a hoof be left behind, for from them we must take to serve the LORD our God, and even we do not know with what we must serve the LORD until we arrive there.”
Moses refused Pharaoh's offer, saying the livestock was necessary as they would need some of them to offer as sacrifices and burnt offerings to the Lord, and they would not know which animals they would need until they got to the place where they would serve the Lord.
(27) But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go.
Of course, Pharaoh would not agree to this. If he had relented, we may be sure it would have been short-lived, as it has been obvious that he had not been sincere in any repentance up to this point. Therefore, the Lord may have hardened his heart because, "He had yet another miracle to work for the complete conviction of the Egyptians and triumph of his people; and till that was wrought He permitted the natural obstinacy of Pharaoh’s haughty heart to have its full sway, after each resistance of the gracious influence which was intended to soften and bring him to repentance." (Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible)
(28) And Pharaoh said to him, “Get away from me; take heed to yourself and see my face no more, for in the day you see my face you shall die.” (29) And Moses said, “You have spoken well; I will see your face no more.”
Pharaoh got angry when he couldn't make Moses adhere to his terms, and sent him away, saying he never wanted to see him again. He was so angry that he told Moses to take heed, for if he ever saw him again, Moses would die! Pretty strong words against someone Pharaoh himself had on more than one occasion called before him to save him from God's plagues. To threaten someone with death who had shown himself quite able to inflict plagues away from his presence wasn't very smart. But how often do people say dumb things they don't mean in anger? In this case, Moses told Pharaoh he had spoken true words. He may have known by a spirit of prophecy that he would not again be sent to Pharaoh, and that Pharaoh would soon meet death at the Red Sea.
(Exodus 11:1) And the LORD said to Moses, “I will bring yet one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt; afterwards he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will surely thrust you out of here altogether."
I have included chapter 11 in this present study as it became evident that this short chapter was a continuation of Moses's last meeting with Pharaoh. It seems these words of the Lord had been given previously to Moses so that he had known for certain that he would not be sent again to Pharaoh. It is also possible they were being divinely given to him as he spoke to Pharaoh, but it will soon become apparent that Moses was still in the presence of Pharaoh. This is the reason that Moses said that Pharaoh had spoken well in that he would not see him again, because the Lord told him that He would bring one final plague on Pharaoh and the Egyptians, and after that, Pharaoh would let the Israelites go. As a matter of fact, he wouldn't only let them go, he would thrust them out of there!
(2) “Speak now in the hearing of the people, and let every man ask from his neighbor and every woman from her neighbor, jewels of silver and jewels of gold.” (3) And the LORD gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants and in the sight of the people.
The children of Israel were about to be delivered from their bondage in Egypt, and would have left empty-handed, having been slaves to the Egyptians without rightful pay, but their Lord saw to it that they were justly rewarded for their services. They did not have to raid, loot, or steal, but had only to ask of their neighbors, and the Lord gave them such favor with the Egyptians, that the Egyptian people would gladly give the Israelites articles of silver and gold. Furthermore, Moses was held in high regard by Pharaoh's servants and by the Egyptian people. They had seen what he had done in the name of the Israelites' God, and they came to respect him. I believe it is fair to conclude that many Egyptians were indeed saved because of their witnessing of the many plagues up to this point, as was suggested was one of the reasons for the prolonging of the plagues--see post notes on Exodus 4, verse 21. This does not mean that the Egyptians wouldn't die a physical death, but if saved by believing on the Lord who had wrought such miracles in their country, they wouldn't have to die an eternal death in hell.
(4) And Moses said, “Thus says the LORD, ‘About midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt; (5) And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the maidservant who is behind the mill, and all the firstborn of the animals. (6) And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as was not like it before, nor shall be like it any more.'"
Moses spoke to Pharaoh; after he had said Pharaoh had spoken well, he now spoke these words of the Lord to Pharaoh. At about midnight the Lord would go through the midst of Egypt and all the firstborn of man and beast, including Pharaoh's firstborn son, would die. There would be a great wailing of grief throughout the land of Egypt when all the firstborn died, such as had never been heard before, nor would ever be afterward. This is what the Lord had warned to Pharaoh in the beginning, in Exodus 4:22-23, that if he did not let God's son Israel go, He would slay Pharaoh's firstborn son.
(7) "‘But against any of the children of Israel a dog shall not move its tongue against man or beast, that you may know that the LORD does make a difference between the Egyptians and Israel. (8) And all these your servants shall come down to me and bow themselves down to me, saying, "Get out, and all the people who follow you," and after that I will go out.'” And he went out from Pharaoh in a great anger.
The firstborn of all the Egyptians would die, but there was not to be so much as a dog moving its tongue toward a snarl or growl against the Israelites. In that, they would know that the Lord did distinguish between His children Israel and the Egyptians. Then Pharaoh's own servants would bow before the Lord and tell Him and His people to get out of their land, and at that point, they would go; that was a certainty. And with that final message, Moses went out from Pharaoh's presence in anger.
(9) And the LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh will not heed you, so that My wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.”
Moses was angered, justifiably, it would seem, by the stubborn arrogance of Pharaoh, but the Lord reminded him that Pharaoh would not yet listen to him, for God's express purpose in magnifying His wonders in the land of Egypt. This is something I must remind myself--even though I may feel justified in my anger against a Godless government and its ungodly agenda that leads the people astray, I must remember that God alone raises up leaders for His purposes. Sadly, His purposes may be for judgment against a country's wickedness, as in the case of Egypt, but good can ultimately come to the individual persons who come to the end of themselves and look to their Lord for their salvation. When things are too easy, we often become lazy and forgetful and unthankful for all that the Lord has done for us; we can even take Him for granted and compromise His word and relegate Him to a distant second place. It is in His mercy, that God will allow terrible tragedies that bring us back to Him!
(10) And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh; and the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go out of his land.
I believe this is a sort of parenthetical comment relating to all the signs and wonders up to this point. Moses and Aaron had brought all these miraculous plagues in the sight of Pharaoh, but the Lord had hardened Pharaoh's heart so that he would not let the Israelites go out of his land up to this point, so that the Lord's wonders could be multiplied in the land of Egypt for the maximum good of the most people. I believe that means not only the Israelite people at this time, but also the pagan Egyptians who would come to know God as Lord, and maybe most importantly, to the countless generations of Jews and Gentiles who would afterward read the report of these marvelous wonders, and come to know the Lord as their Savior!
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