Tell Your Children What I Have Done

Verses 1 - 2: This is possibly the clearest statement since Exodus 4:21;7:3-4 that God is responsible for the hardening of Pharaoh and his servants hearts. He directly says so. He is working on Pharaoh’s heart to bring about His purpose: The demonstration of His power and the proclamation of His glory through the generations. Yahweh is doing so through mockery or “taunting polemics”.[1] The awesome deeds of God are to be rehearsed for generations to come so they can also know that Yahweh is God. They will have reason to believe. This isn’t just an OT concept. This is affirmed in the NT by Christ and Paul. Christ Jesus begins his high priestly prayer with a request for mutual glory (John 17:1;4-5). In Eph. 1:5-6;11-14 Paul makes it clear what the LORD has done and is doing is for the praise of his glory. John describes the purpose of his gospel as bringing us to belief via the recording of Christ signs (John 20:30-31). The judgment of Egypt shows His absolute sovereignty, perfect justice, magnificent power, and holy wrath. His salvation of Israel shows his great love, mercy, care, and grace. The death of Christ, in a infinitely greater way, also demonstrated the Father’s holy wrath and just judgment against sin. The resurrection and ascension of Christ shows the Father’s immeasurable love, saving power, abundant grace, rich mercy, and absolute sovereignty. The is most clearly reflected in Phil. 2:9-11. This is how it was supposed to be from the beginning (Rev. 4:11).

Verses 3 - 6: We are told that Pharaoh’s continues to resist. The LORD speaks to Pharaoh with a sense of astonishment. How long will you refuse to humble yourself? ‘You have seen what I have done and have warned I will do and yet you won’t listen.’ This is the great sin of man from the beginning: a refusal to submit to the decrees of God, to obey God’s command, despite multiplied warnings and grace. The question from the LORD of all the earth to all sinners is How long?[2] Humility is a requirement both for salvation and the ongoing Christian walk. To be saved we must recognize our true state. As we walk with Christ we must recognize our true dependence of Him (1 Pet. 5:5-6). The alternatives are disastrous. Notice God’s judicial hardening doesn’t absolve Pharaoh’s guilt. He is still acting according to his evil desires. Pharaoh is an excellent archetype of man apart from the grace of God: running proudly along the path of destruction. Sinners sin because they want to. They don’t see it as wrong. This is why the grace of God is necessary. Man won’t change without it. This also means we as believers can’t take credit for our salvation. It is not something that we wanted or sought. Paul makes this clear in Romans 3:11. It was his sovereign grace to brought us to him. That grace was mediated through the gospel, the word of God spoken to us by a son or daughter of God. Woe to those who do not listen, those like Pharaoh. This time the plague will be locusts that will cover all the land of Egypt. The god being shown impotent here would be the Senehem, whose job it was to protect Egypt from ruinous pests like these.[3] All the gods of Egypt were supposed to protect against grasshoppers since that was a common problem. [4] In this case, they all fail because they are not gods. Rather the Egyptians won’t be able to see in front of their face. These locusts will savage an already devastated country, consuming what wasn’t destroyed by the hail. As with the hail, nothing like it has been or will be seen again. Like the plagues of frogs the home won’t be a place of refuge. If Pharaoh refuses to bend himself, the LORD will do it for him (cf. Dan. 4:28-37).

Verses 7 - 11: One wonders if this is the same group referred to in 9:34 that hardened their hearts. This groups is concerned about the continued presence of Moses and the Israelites. They have seen Egypt nearly destroyed. They realize the best outcome for all parties is to release the Israelites. They apparently got through to Pharaoh because he calls back Moses and Aaron and attempts a negotiation. He needs to save some face and retain an image of power. This is the great impediment to salvation, the refusal of men and women lay down their arms in full surrender. This can’t be done with the sovereign of the universe. Peace with God is available only on God’s terms. Notice the words of the Hymn writer of Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me:

Nothing in my hands I bring, Simply to Thy cross I cling; Naked, come to Thee for dress, Helpless, look to Thee for grace: Foul, I to the fountain fly, Wash me, Savior, or I die.

For us today those terms are found in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

But Pharaoh won’t take the path of wisdom, offering only to release the men. Perhaps he was banking of the fact that the men would not want to leave their wives and children and so choose to say, or to go an return. Though left unstated we can assume Moses rightly rejects Pharaoh’s counteroffer. He can’t and won’t negotiate the word of Yahweh. In the same way we can’t negotiate the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is all or none with the gospel. It requires full acceptance and obedience to its message: meaning repentance and belief. Pharaoh must free all Egypt per the Lord’s command or else. Instead he accuses Moses of evil intentions and, in another ironically true statement, declares the proof of Yahweh presence to be his releasing of the Israelites. He doesn’t realize what is about to come. We can’t gloss over the fact that he accuses Moses of evil. Is this not what the hostile sinner does when hearing the demands of the gospel? We as messengers must have some nefarious intent! In response we must so the gospel as the good that it is.

Verses 12 - 15: It is confirmed that Pharaoh failed to listen as this severe plague of locusts comes and brings far greater harm that Egypt could handle. Locusts usually came to Egypt from the south. The fact that this is an eastern wind, underscores the supernatural nature of this event. An east wind would also be used to split the red sea.[5] Nothing is left by the hail. If it was green, it was gone.

Verses 16 - 20: As with before Pharaoh is horrified at what occurs and seeks an audience with Moses quickly. We see another false confession, because it has no lasting or permanent impact. We do have another new element, a request for forgiveness. Pharaoh sees death of the horizon, a genuine concern giving the devastation inflicted by the locusts. Still Pharaoh will not repent to Yahweh himself. Moses agrees and cries out to the LORD. Yet again there is no change but the reasoning is different. The LORD is acting of Pharaoh. He is not done getting glory from Egypt.

Practical Application

The purpose of the great commission (Matt. 28:20, Acts 1:8) was to declare the work of God in Christ. It was to carry the message of salvation to both Jew and Gentile all over the world. All the world needed to know what Christ Jesus had done by judging sin, being salvation to all whom believe, and that he only is Savior and Lord and final submission is due to him. This message has not changed in 2000 years and it is still relevant today. Evan as Paul said the OT was written for our instruction (1 Cor. 10:11), so we are to learn and act upon everything the LORD has said and done. This is one important means by which we will stay faithful to the LORD.

Gospel Application

To those of you who don’t know Christ I must ask the question: How long? How long will you continue to ignore His existence? How long will you refuse the call to repentance? How long will you ignore His goodness and grace? Christ came to show us who God is. He told us the Father makes it rain on the just and unjust. He declared, and it is still preached, the need for repentance. The LORD made it clear through the OT Prophet Ezekiel that he desires not the death of the wicked but that they turn and repent. Pharaoh, hardened in heart and full of pride refused to submit to the truth in front of him. Will you do the same or do you instead see the folly of this Pharaoh? If you answered yes to the latter I call you to repent and believe the gospel. I call you to truly acknowledge your status as sinner and confess your sins. Then cry out for forgiveness and asked to be received into his kingdom. Place your trust in Christ alone, not in good deeds or negotiating skills. The song writer hymned this words:

Just as I am, without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me, and that thou bidd'st me come to thee, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

It is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone we are saved. Don’t delay or harden you heart. Time is precious. Repent and believe the gospel.

[1] Currid, J. D., & Chapman, D. W. (2017). Esv archaeology study Bible: English standard version. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

[2] Kaiser, W. C., Jr. (2008). Exodus. In T. Longman III & D. E. Garland (Eds.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Genesis–Leviticus (Revised Edition) (Vol. 1, p. 418). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

[3] Currid, J. D., & Chapman, D. W. (2017). Esv archaeology study Bible: English standard version. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

[4] ibid.

[5] ibid.