This is not a Game!

Exodus 10:1-20

Though none of these plagues indicate that God was playing around

or that any of this was a game

however, more and more we can see how serious God is

Each passage reveals a truth of the harsh reality that was in store for this king and the Egyptions

vs. 1

The New International Version Chapter 10

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I may perform these signs of mine among them 2 that you may tell your children and grandchildren how I dealt harshly with the Egyptians and how I performed my signs among them, and that you may know that I am the LORD.”

3 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, “This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, so that they may worship me. 4 If you refuse to let them go, I will bring locusts into your country tomorrow. 5 They will cover the face of the ground so that it cannot be seen. They will devour what little you have left after the hail, including every tree that is growing in your fields. 6 They will fill your houses and those of all your officials and all the Egyptians—something neither your parents nor your ancestors have ever seen from the day they settled in this land till now.’ ” Then Moses turned and left Pharaoh.

God tells Moses to go to these people

These people who are never going to turn to God.

God knows this because He knows all

so He has hardened there hearts in order to show His signs among them, so We could know today

so we could know the signs performed

and so we can know that He is the Lord.

Then comes the warning

locusts will be sent and cover the entire ground

where you can’t even see the ground

They will devour what little they have left

Remember 9:32 that we read last week

it says the Wheat and the spelt were not destroyed by the hail

and we talked about how this could have been where this king found hope in himself and his gods that things were not over for them.

yeah, the locusts will destroy those too.

they will infest the houses of all the Egyptians, including the officials and yes the king.

Then he points, this will be something unlike anything his ancestors have even seen.

Then Moses turns and walks out.

This seems like a great drop the mic situation right!?

Moses turns and *drops the mic*

but it really isn’t Moses drop the mic, it should be God’s, but we don’t see him taunting, we don’t see him boastful,

rather he shares what is going to happen and leaves

We can take not of this, because often we want to share truth, then justify what we are saying

or try to convince further by stumbling and fumbling over things.

Sometimes we need to speak the truth of the Word of God and let God’s word stand on it’s own

because guess what, it does stand on its own.

The New International Version Chapter 10

Pharaoh’s officials said to him, “How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the people go, so that they may worship the LORD their God. Do you not yet realize that Egypt is ruined?

Frustration is building with his officials.

They recognize that their land and people are in ruin and it is only going to get worse.

They want their king to let the people go as the Lord has commanded.

Recognize what they say here.

“so that they may worship the Lord THEIR God.

They have not turned to God themselves

they are just hoping to get their land and lives back to as much of normal as they can.

vs. 8

The New International Version Chapter 10

Then Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. “Go, worship the LORD your God,” he said. “But tell me who will be going.”

9 Moses answered, “We will go with our young and our old, with our sons and our daughters, and with our flocks and herds, because we are to celebrate a festival to the LORD.”

He says to them, go, but who are you taking

Moses says everyone and every thing that is our

vs. 10

The New International Version Chapter 10

Pharaoh said, “The LORD be with you—if I let you go, along with your women and children! Clearly you are bent on evil. 11 No! Have only the men go and worship the LORD, since that’s what you have been asking for.” Then Moses and Aaron were driven out of Pharaoh’s presence.

This all happens after the warning of the locust

the king says they can go, but only the men

why?

Well if the men go to worship, then they will come back for their families and flocks

but if they all go, then they will not go back.

This pharaoh still thinks he has control

he still thinks that he has bargaining chips that can be laid down

Then he tries to show his authority still by driving moses and aaron out of his presence

they didn’t just leave

he didn’t ask them to do this for him

he didn’t say, now go do this

no, they were driven from his presence, meaning, at the very least, they were escorted out.

vs. 12

The New International Version Chapter 10

And the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over Egypt so that locusts swarm over the land and devour everything growing in the fields, everything left by the hail.”

13 So Moses stretched out his staff over Egypt, and the LORD made an east wind blow across the land all that day and all that night. By morning the wind had brought the locusts; 14 they invaded all Egypt and settled down in every area of the country in great numbers. Never before had there been such a plague of locusts, nor will there ever be again. 15 They covered all the ground until it was black. They devoured all that was left after the hail—everything growing in the fields and the fruit on the trees. Nothing green remained on tree or plant in all the land of Egypt.

The locusts covered everything just as God said

Not only was this a plague of locusts like never seen before, but will never be seen again.

and again, we see all the crops and every plant was devoured.

So why did God go through with this?

Didn’t Pharaoh promise to let them Go?

Well, he promised to bargain and let a select few, but that wasn’t what God had instructed.

The New International Version Chapter 10

Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against the LORD your God and against you. 17 Now forgive my sin once more and pray to the LORD your God to take this deadly plague away from me.”

18 Moses then left Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD. 19 And the LORD changed the wind to a very strong west wind, which caught up the locusts and carried them into the Red Sea. Not a locust was left anywhere in Egypt. 20 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the Israelites go.

We can always come and seek forgiveness!

As long as we live here on this earth we can come to Him and He will always keep His promise.

The one thing this means, which is often forgotten, is that forgiveness is there but repentance needs to be there on our part

Peter says in Acts 3:19

Acts 3:19 NIV

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,

You have an opportunity now, to do that today

Repent, which is to feel and express regret or remorse

and turn to God

Invitation