Darkness is Light

Darkness is Light Exodus 10:1-29 Context • God’s 7 Death Blows to Date: Increasing intensity; many with theological purposes • The plague of hail destroys all but a final glimmer of hope – the wheat and emmer harvests. • Given the choice between God and a harvest, Pharaoh reneges on promised repentance, hardens his heart, chooses the harvest, and sees his last opportunity for leniency slip away. • Today, we’ll study the plagues of Locusts and Darkness. Plague of Locusts (10:1-20) 1. God’s Purposes (10:1-2) • • • To show Pharaoh and his servants: God “heavy-ied his heart”, same word as the “heavy” hail Generational Retelling Intimate Knowledge of Yahweh’s Uniqueness 2. God’s Warning (10:3-11) • • • • • Refusal: Pharaoh is resisting humility Locusts that Darken the Land; Moses “turned on his heals” Pharaoh’s men finally speak up: Moses is a snare Pharaoh’s Dishonest Bargain Moses turned his back; Pharaoh expelled Moses Plague of Locusts (10:1-20) 3. God’s Devastation (10:12-15): • • Divine Origin – strong East wind Locusts: simple grasshoppers in ideal conditions begin breeding at a 40,000% increase; creatures turn yellow and black, become toxic, and devour their bodyweight everyday (large swarms can consume vegetation for 80M people daily). 4. God’s Hardening (10:16-20) • • Humiliated, Pharaoh sees the end of this process is death. God relieves the burden but isn’t yet done – He wants them at least to think about these events for a while. Plague of Darkness (10:21-29) 1. God’s Theological Assault: • • • Darkness that can be felt – A Groping Darkness Supernatural Darkness that suppressed light Frontal assault on Egypt’s chief god, Amun-Ra: creator, self-existent, highest god and the only true source of light, life, and justice: “Lord of truth, father of gods, maker of men, creator of animals, Lord of things that are, creator of the staff of life.” 2. God’s Unrelenting Demands: • • “Not a hoof!” Note: Chapter 11 is an addendum to this final exchange. Applications • God is jealous for His glory in all the earth; He takes offense at false substitutes. • The chief means of proclaiming God’s glory to the end of the earth is tell it to our children and grandchildren (see Deuteronomy 6:4-7).