The Eighth Plague: Locusts, Part 1 (Exodus 10:1-11)

The Eighth Plague: Locusts, Part 1 (Exodus 10:1-11)

Rev. Myung-Sin Choi

1 Now 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 the mighty things I have done in Egypt, and My signs which I have done among them, that you may know that I am the Lord.” 3 So 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. 4 Or else, if you refuse to let My people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your territory. 5 And they shall cover the face of the earth, so that no one will 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 up for you out of the field. 6 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. 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 know that Egypt is destroyed?” 8 So Moses and Aaron were brought again to Pharaoh, and he said to them, “Go, serve the Lord your God. Who are the ones that are 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.” 10 Then he said to them, “The Lord had better be with you when I let you and your little ones go! Beware, for evil is ahead of 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.

Introduction

I watched a YouTube video clip and it was talking about addiction. The fifth addiction problem that it speaks about is porn and the fourth addiction problem is sex. The third addiction was drugs and the second addiction was games. And, the first addiction problem was power. People who are addicted to power, they are willing to kill people to possess power. We can see that Satan works to corrupt mankind and the world. Once you get consumed with addiction, then Satan imprints addiction into your brain. You constantly think about these things and that is why people have no choice but to be completely enslaved to their addiction problems. That is why many people and even remnants collapse to their addiction problems. We can see that during the last days, Satan will make mankind and the entire world collapse due to addiction. Then, how can we solve this? With worldly methods, we cannot solve these problems. The only solution is found within God and God’s interventions. People who are bound by addiction, they need intervention by God. The only method is found when we look up to God. Today, God has given us an important message. 

1. Signs of the Plague

(1) A sign for unbelievers 

Verse 1 - There was a reason why pharaoh’s heart was hardened and it was to reveal God’s power. The great power of God was to show His will and plan. 

We can see this in Exodus 9:14, 16 “For at this time I will send all My plagues to your very heart, and on your servants and on your people, that you may know that there is none like Me in all the earth. 16 But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.” - The reason why God inflicted the plagues onto pharaoh and Egypt was to show that God is the true God and the King of all kings. We can see that God allowed the 10 plagues to come upon Egypt to break down each idol one by one in Egypt. We can see that many people were worshiping these idols and gods in Egypt. That is why God allowed these plagues and judgments to come upon Egypt and the idols of Egypt to show the entire world and Egypt. God wanted to show that these idols and gods in Egypt were nothing and completely powerless before God. God was showing that these idols and gods were powerless and He is the true God. 

Ephesians 2:2 “In which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience.” - Many people worship idols and gods, and follow after these worthless idols. There is a source of power that is making people worship these idols and gods. We can see that Satan uses idols and gods of this world to make people worship them and him. But God used plagues and judgments to break down these idols and gods one by one. God was also showing that these idols and Satan are just mere creations of God. And, that God is the true God and to survive we must hold onto God alone. Only God is the true Creator and the only true God. God was telling the people to remember who is really He and that He is the true Creator. We must hold onto this and relay this to people. There are many people who do ancestral worship in Korea. 

(2) Signs for His People

Verse 2 - God was not just telling to the Israelites but God was telling all people and the future generations to hold onto. God was telling people that He is the true Jehovah God. Jehovah God means that He is the God of the covenant. Through the event of the Exodus, God was showing two covenants. God did not give this to just the Israelites but we must hold onto these two covenants as well. The first covenant is that our God is the God of the covenant. 

Exodus 6:5 “And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant.” - When God saw the suffering of the Israelites in Egypt, God was telling them to remember His covenant. 

Genesis 15:17 “And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces.” - This covenant was the torch covenant that God made with Abraham. Through the torch covenant, God passed through the blood sacrifice to show that God was staking His life to keep the torch covenant. This means that God was staking His life to take the Israelites out of Egypt. 

Exodus 20:2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” - Our God is the God of the covenant who allowed the Red Sea split and brought the Israelites out of Egypt. This means that God is the God of the covenant who will absolutely fulfill His covenant. 

The second covenant was the covenant that God gave on Mount Sinai as seen in Exodus 19:6 “ ‘And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.” - It says that we are God’s holy priests and a holy nation. Through the torch covenant, the animals used were cows, sheep, and goats. These animals were split in half and God passed through them as fire. These split animals represented Jesus Christ. Through the death of Jesus Christ, mankind was taken out from the bondage of Satan. We become a royal priesthood and a holy nation because of this covenant. We possess the greatest status because of Jesus Christ. This is called the kingdom of God. We are the holy people of God. This applies to even today. 

Romans 10:15 “And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!’ ” - Through the blood of Jesus Christ, the people of God have received the status as priests of God. We possess great authority and status because of the blood of Jesus Christ. God wants us to preach this gospel and good news to others. We have received the title as royal priests of God. God’s covenant will absolutely be fulfilled. And secondly, we possess a status as God’s priests. We also possess the status to save 5,000 tribes and 237 nations. We possess this great identity and authority. 

2. Pharaoh's Spiritual Problems

(1) Pharaoh's Unbelief

Verses 3-7 - We can see God persecuting pharaoh for his unbelief. This is the warning that God was giving to the people who had unbelief. God was asking how long the pharaoh will refuse to humble himself before God. Pharaoh thought that he was god himself. He was proclaiming and believed that he was the son of the sun god. He kept on challenging God until the end. It was imprinted in him that he was god himself. If you look at this spiritually, this is a serious spiritual problem. God commands the pharaoh to let His people go. Pharaoh thought that the Israelites were his slaves and these slaves needed to serve him. But God tells pharaoh that the Israelites were “His people” and commands pharaoh to let “His people” go. 

Isaiah 48:11 “For My own sake, for My own sake, I will do it; For how should My name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another.” - God is the Creator God. When we look towards God’s glory, we must remember that He is the Creator God. We must know that this is our pride. When people hurt our pride, it hurts us. But when God’s pride is hurt, God will not stay still. We can see that the pharaoh, a mere creation of God, was challenging God. 

Verses 4-5 - God was so furious that He threatened that He would completely destroy the land of Egypt. Those who challenge God and block His worship, this is what God will do. Whoever makes a mistake and attacks God’s pride, God will not stay still. The Holy Triune God wants our worship and is made to receive our glory and worship. 

Verse 7 - Pharaoh’s servants said something astounding. Whenever Moses spoke and appeared before them, great plagues and disasters came upon Egypt. They started getting fearful of Moses because they thought something worse and bad will come upon them and Egypt. Those who witness the works of God, they have no choice but to become fearful. Because this shows the great power of God. We have no choice but to bow down to God. The servants of pharaoh realized who God was. God said that He will bring the plagues to show who He is and to show that He is the true God. The servants of pharaoh realized the only way to live. They realized and everyone in Egypt that God was a powerful God. This determines whether they will live or die. 

2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” - God does not want people to suffer and go to hell. What is more scary than the 10 plagues is hell. If they just resolve correctly, then they can avoid all of this. If the servants of pharaoh made the correct decision and repent, then they can survive and live. But how did pharaoh respond? 

(2) Pharaoh's Response

Verses 8-11 - The servants told the pharaoh that Egypt was on the brink of destruction so the pharaoh commands his servants to bring Moses to see who will leave Egypt. We can see a possible change in pharaoh’s heart. Just because the pharaoh allowed the Israelites to go worship to God in the wilderness does not mean that he was repenting before God. Pharaoh was facing hardships and was just looking for a way out. 

That is why Moses resounded to pharaoh in verse 9 - Moses was wanting to take everything and all of the Israelites to go and leave. Moses wanted to take all of the Israelites, the livestock, and belongings. 

But pharaoh responded in verse 10 - Pharaoh said something strange here. Pharaoh said “…The Lord had better be with you…”, by pharaoh saying this, he was acknowledging that God was alive. That is why pharaoh did not want to let everyone go because if he did, he was acknowledging that God was alive. Until the end, the pharaoh was trying to not acknowledge God and that this God who we cannot see with our eyes, he continued to not acknowledge God. Before his servants, the pharaoh continued to defile God. 

Verse 11 - Pharaoh was telling Moses that only the men can go but leave the women and children in Egypt. This was because the men of Israel will not abandon his women and children so that is why pharaoh was trying to hold onto the women and children. Pharaoh kept holding onto that the Israelites were his people and slaves. We can see that pharaoh was addicted to power and ego. This shows the dangers of addiction. We can see many people’s lives become destroyed due to their addiction to sex, drugs, and other problems. How can we solve this? It is only possible when we hold onto God, who is the Creator. 

3. The Answer is Christ

(1) Answers to Spiritual Problems

The Triune God created the world and everything. Our Triune God brings recreation into our lives. When we enter into God’s grace and repent, then God will also have recreation to take place in our lives. The only solution is Christ alone. When we hold onto Christ, then we can solve our spiritual problems. 

1 John 3:8 “He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” - The only way to break down Satan is Christ alone. 

(2) Freedom from Fate

Acts 3:6 “Then Peter said, ‘Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.’ ” - It is so simple to change our fate. It is through the name of Christ and when we call out the name of Christ. The only way to solve our addiction is through the name of Jesus Christ. 

(3) Changing Your Future Life

Acts 1:8 “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” - This was the second covenant that the Israelites received. When we hold onto this covenant, then we can live. We must enter into God’s time schedule. When we take hold of our identity and role as priest of God, then we can hold onto God’s covenant. 

Conclusion

Acts 4:12 “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” - Christ is the answer. No matter what problem we face, Christ is the answer. The only way to solve any addiction and problem is through Christ alone. May we receive the name in the name of Jesus Christ.