March 15, 2023

Warning signals dismissed

Exodus 10–11

David Szymanski
Wednesday's Devo

March 15, 2023

Wednesday's Devo

March 15, 2023

Wednesday's Devo

March 15, 2023

Wednesday's Devo

March 15, 2023

Big Idea

God reveals the way and His will through His Word.

Key Verse | Exodus 11:7

"But not a dog shall growl against any of the people of Israel, either man or beast, that you may know that the LORD makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel."

Exodus 10–11

The Eighth Plague: Locusts

1 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may show these signs of mine among them, 2 and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and of your grandson how I have dealt harshly with the Egyptians and what signs I have done among them, that you may know that I am the LORD.”

3 So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh and said to him, “Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, that they may serve me. 4 For if you refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country, 5 and they shall cover the face of the land, so that no one can see the land. And they shall eat what is left to you after the hail, and they shall eat every tree of yours that grows in the field, 6 and they shall fill your houses and the houses of all your servants and of all the Egyptians, as neither your fathers nor your grandfathers have seen, from the day they came on earth to this day.’” Then he turned and went out from Pharaoh.

7 Then 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 understand that Egypt is ruined?” 8 So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. And he said to them, “Go, serve the LORD your God. But which ones are to go?” 9 Moses said, “We will go with our young and our old. We will go with our sons and daughters and with our flocks and herds, for we must hold a feast to the LORD.” 10 But he said to them, “The LORD be with you, if ever I let you and your little ones go! Look, you have some evil purpose in mind. 1 10:10 Hebrew before your face 11 No! Go, the men among you, and serve the LORD, for that is what you are asking.” And they were driven out from Pharaoh's presence.

12 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, so that they may come upon the land of Egypt and eat every plant in the land, all that the hail has left.” 13 So Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind upon the land all that day and all that night. When it was morning, the east wind had brought the locusts. 14 The locusts came up over all the land of Egypt and settled on the whole country of Egypt, such a dense swarm of locusts as had never been before, nor ever will be again. 15 They covered the face of the whole land, so that the land was darkened, and they ate all the plants in the land and all the fruit of the trees that the hail had left. Not a green thing remained, neither tree nor plant of the field, through all the land of Egypt. 16 Then Pharaoh hastily called Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against you. 17 Now therefore, forgive my sin, please, only this once, and plead with the LORD your God only to remove this death from me.” 18 So he went out from Pharaoh and pleaded with the LORD. 19 And the LORD turned the wind into a very strong west wind, which lifted the locusts and drove them into the Red Sea. Not a single locust was left in all the country of Egypt. 20 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let the people of Israel go.

The Ninth Plague: Darkness

21 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness to be felt.” 22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was pitch 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 people of Israel had light where they lived. 24 Then Pharaoh called Moses and said, “Go, serve the LORD; your little ones also may go with you; only let your flocks and your herds remain behind.” 25 But Moses said, “You must also let us have sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God. 26 Our livestock also must go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind, for we must take of them to serve the LORD our God, and we do not know with what we must serve the LORD until we arrive there.” 27 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let them go. 28 Then Pharaoh said to him, “Get away from me; take care never to see my face again, for on the day you see my face you shall die.” 29 Moses said, “As you say! I will not see your face again.”

A Final Plague Threatened

1 The LORD said to Moses, “Yet one plague more I will bring upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt. Afterward he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will drive you away completely. 2 Speak now in the hearing of the people, that they ask, every man of his neighbor and every woman of her neighbor, for silver and gold jewelry.” 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.

4 So Moses said, “Thus says the LORD: ‘About midnight I will go out in the midst of Egypt, 5 and every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the slave girl who is behind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the cattle. 6 There shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there has never been, nor ever will be again. 7 But not a dog shall growl against any of the people of Israel, either man or beast, that you may know that the LORD makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.’ 8 And all these your servants shall come down to me and bow down to me, saying, ‘Get out, you and all the people who follow you.’ And after that I will go out.” And he went out from Pharaoh in hot anger. 9 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh will not listen to you, that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.”

10 Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, and the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let the people of Israel go out of his land.

Footnotes

[1] 10:10 Hebrew before your face

S2:053 Exodus 10-11

Listen Now

Dive Deeper | Exodus 10–11

Ask a family member or close friend of mine, and they'll confirm that there are lessons in my life I was stubborn enough to learn the hard way. In those moments, I didn't care about what God wanted. I wanted to be my own god who called the shots.

In Exodus 10-11, God's purposeful hardening of Pharaoh's heart serves as an example of what happens in our lives when we repeatedly choose not to obey God's will.

We often try to be the Pharaoh of our own lives by asserting our will over God's. Just as one of Pharaoh's consequences was a plague of locusts on all the land of Egypt (Exodus 10:12-15), we bring our own plagues upon ourselves in our rebellion against God. Heartache, fear, sadness, and anxiety are some of the common plagues I have experienced in my own life as consequences of my rebellion.

Later in Exodus 10, the Egyptians experience a plague of darkness that was so intense it could be felt (Exodus 10:21-23). Sometimes when I choose to resist what God calls me to, that act of turning from Him can feel like my own plague of darkness.

In the same story, God uses Moses and Aaron to show the peace and blessings that can be found in the life of those who surrender their will to God (Exodus 11:3). When I choose to trust God and faithfully obey Him, like Moses and Aaron, He sometimes uses me to build His kingdom in ways that are beyond words. By contrast, Pharaoh's plans were short-lived, and his heart was hardened, much like our own when we assert our will over God's (Psalm 33:10-11). The choice is ours! God offers us the freedom to choose whether we want to be the Pharaoh or Moses of our own story.

This month's memory verse

27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

– John 14:27

Discussion Questions

1. In what ways does your life look like Pharaoh's? Moses' and Aaron's?

2. What are the plagues you face in your life as consequences of your rebellion against God?

3. Have you confessed to God and trusted community the strongholds in your life that are plaguing you?

Respond to Today's Passage

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HS

Hugh Stephenson

GM David. Great devo and life story. Are we related? Q1. Today, my life looks a lot like a recovered and redeemed knucklehead. My life was an entrée of Jacob, a (small) side of Joseph and a healthy topping of Pharaoh. I now seek to live out Hebrews 12:1-3. Q2. YAHWEH has largely healed these, but remnants remain. In chronological order with ascending severity -Passivity -Fear and anxiety -Relational difficultly -People pleasing -Pain avoidance, (chronic) -Severe medicating -Full on addictions -Guilt -Shame -Anger Q3. Constantly confessed to God. To Amy on any that affected her. To all others as affected or related. Processing through confession, repentance, forgiveness amends among the most liberating experiences in my life. By the power of the Holy Spirit, I get lots of chances.
HS

Hugh Stephenson

As I look back more than 3,000 years later it’s easy to see that the first 1/2 of Exodus describes a seminal moment in God’s plan and promises, (Genesis 1:26-28, Genesis 3:15). But…why not just blow-up Pharaoh and leave? Some possibilities- -The Israelites did not know Yahweh well at all. These events are the best way to remind them who He is. -“The plagues fall on areas of life supposedly protected by Egypt’s gods, thus demonstrating the Lord’s power over the gods of the world’s mightiest nation.” (TC Notes) -Leadership is critical. “Ideas have consequences. Bad ideas have victims.” – John Stonestreet -The plagues point toward the similar pattern of judgments in Revelation. There will be judgment. -On mission, I am not to compromise. Ever.
HS

Hugh Stephenson

“Pharaoh offered Moses three compromises, which the world still offers Christians. First, he suggested that the Israelites stay in Egypt (8:25). --He said, in effect: You can be who you are, but live as a part of your larger culture; do not be distinctive. Second, he permitted them to leave Egypt, but not to go far from it (8:28). --He allowed them to separate from their culture, but not drastically. Third, he gave permission for the males to leave, but their women and children had to remain in Egypt (10:8-11). --Even godly parents are sometimes inclined to desire prosperity and worldly position for their children. "Wanting the 'best' of the world for their children is the most subtle temptation that can come to Christian parents." A fourth compromise was yet to come (v. 240. (Exodus 10:24). TC’s Notes.
MS

Michael Sisson

Re: Ex 10:2 Ex 10:2 (NASB1995) and >>>that you may tell in the hearing of your son, and of your grandson, how I made a mockery of the Egyptians and how I performed My signs among them, that you may know that I am the LORD.”<<< Included in any Passover Seder is the Maggid…the retelling of how G-d delivered Israel out of their bondage in Egypt. This verse makes clear G-d’s intention that the ten plagues were to be for Israel an object lesson of His Sovereignty…perpetually, throughout their generations.
SB

Sue Bohlin

Thanks for the devo, David! The repetition of Pharaoh's hardened heart, both by his own choice and God's hardening, reminds me of an explanation I heard many years ago: when a potter is working with the clay on the wheel, he keeps dipping his hands in water to keep the clay pliable while he is shaping it. When he stops putting water on the clay, it hardens. That's the nature of clay. His choice to remove the water hardens it, and the clay's natural propensity hardens it. Both are in play. Just like with Pharaoh and Yahweh. So the answer to the question, "Who hardened Pharaoh's heart, Pharaoh or God?" is "Both and." These days of trekking through the plagues and Pharaoh's hard heart are an interesting intersection with a recent experience. I was asked to speak to a couple of high school Bible classes at a Christian school in the DFW area, on God's design for sexuality and gender. The teacher who invited me is concerned about the fact that the majority of her students are deceived by the enemy's cultural narrative. As I spoke to them, I could see the hardness of their hearts by their body language. They were hearing wisdom coming from a strong conviction that God's word contains objective truth that is meant to help them thrive, but they "did not approve" of my message (per a student who DID appreciate what I said). Before they have even graduated, their hearts are hard and they reject God's intention and His best for them. Just like Pharaoh. For whom it did not end well. And, I fear, neither will it for these kids.
MS

Michael Scaman

The 7th 8th and 9th plague seem to concern the sky with hail, locust and darkness, the sun not shining on them. The 9th gave them a time to think over what happened before the final plague. Did the Egyptians think these would be forever plagues and they would keep coming and coming? Or did they think they were near the end? Moses knew the 10th would be the last plague. He was told so "Yet one plague more I will bring upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt. Afterward he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will drive you away completely." Moses was now very great not only in the eyes of the Jews but in the eyes of Pharaoh's servants.
AL

Amy Lowther

1. I am like the Pharaoh in that at times in childhood, I had ideas and no matter what anyone said, I stuck to them and finished. The results of doing things like that are better when you listen to the Lord. The Lord loves each of us and encourages each of us to do our best. Aaron, Moses, and I are similar because we believe in the Lord. 2. I have had doubts of God at times, but I have never rebelled God. 3. I trust God and community in areas of work and money.