Daily Scripture Reading Exodus 10:12-29
Humans have a tendency to use defense mechanisms against truths we don’t like. One of those mechanisms is denial. When people grieve death, we go through a phase where we try to pretend the person didn’t die.
Another truth people don’t like is the fact there is a God Who has the power and authority to tell humans how to live. The story of Pharaoh illustrates the use of denial to pretend God does not exist.
Yahweh threatened to bring locusts upon the land of Egypt. Pharaoh’s servants understood that Egypt was being destroyed, so they encouraged Pharaoh to release the Israelites. Pharaoh offered to let the men of Israel go into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to Yahweh, if their women and children stayed in Egypt. Moses declined that offer, insisting all their people and all their possessions had to be allowed to go serve Yahweh. Pharaoh correctly understood that if all Israel left to go offer sacrifices, they would not come back, so he drove Moses and Aaron away.
Ex. 10:12 ¶ Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up on the land of Egypt and eat every plant of the land, all that the hail has left remaining.”
Ex. 10:13 So Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and Yahweh directed an east wind on the land all that day and all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts.
Ex. 10:14 And the locusts came up over all the land of Egypt and rested on all the territory of Egypt; they were very heavy. There had never been so many locusts, nor would there be so many again.
Look at the words “never been” and “so many again”. Having a swarm of locusts attack Egypt may not have been an unusual occurrence. In this case, the swarm was larger and heavier than normal. In fact, it was the largest swarm of locusts that ever attacked Egypt.
Ex. 10:15 For they covered the surface of the whole land, so that the land was darkened; and they ate every plant of the land and all the fruit of the trees that the hail had left. Thus nothing green was left on tree or plant of the field through all the land of Egypt.
Notice the words “nothing green was left”. The first couple plagues, frogs, lice, and flies, were annoyances, but not necessarily destructive. Then Yahweh brought a pestilence which killed much livestock, and the hail which destroyed many plants and trees. The locusts devoured any green plant which was left. The plagues were no longer merely annoying the Egyptians, they were massively destroying Egypt.
Ex. 10:16 Then Pharaoh hurriedly called for Moses and Aaron, and he said, “I have sinned against Yahweh your God and against you.
Pharaoh used the word “sinned”. He actually admitted he was doing something wrong.
Ex. 10:17 So now, please forgive my sin only this once and entreat Yahweh your God, that He would only cause this death to depart from me.”
Take note of the words “only this once”. Pharaoh claimed Yahweh would only need to overlook Pharaoh’s obstinance this one time. However, Pharaoh did not promise to release Israel, he simply begged for mercy.
Ex. 10:18 And he went out from Pharaoh and entreated Yahweh.
Ex. 10:19 So Yahweh changed the wind to a very strong west wind which took up the locusts and drove them into the Red Sea; not one locust remained in all the territory of Egypt.
Ex. 10:20 But Yahweh hardened Pharaoh’s heart with strength, and he did not let the sons of Israel go.
Ex. 10:21 ¶ Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even a darkness which may be felt.”
Ponder the phrase “a darkness which may be felt”. I live in an area where there are caves deep underground. During a tour, when the lights are turned off, you cannot see your hand in front of your face. That may be the kind of darkness the Egyptians experienced.
Ex. 10:22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days.
Ex. 10:23 They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the sons of Israel had light in their places of habitation.
Don’t miss the length of this darkness. It lasted three days. In light of all history, three days is a small amount of time. However, three days of darkness where you can’t see another person, and perhaps can’t see your own hand in front of your face, is a very long time.
Ex. 10:24 Then Pharaoh called to Moses and said, “Go, serve Yahweh; only let your flocks and your herds be detained. Even your little ones may go with you.”
Ex. 10:25 But Moses said, “You must also let us have in our hand sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice them to Yahweh our God.
Ex. 10:26 Therefore, our livestock too shall go with us; not a hoof shall remain behind, for we shall take some of them to serve Yahweh our God. And until we come there, we ourselves do not know with what we shall serve Yahweh.”
Ex. 10:27 But Yahweh hardened Pharaoh’s heart with strength, and he was not willing to let them go.
Ex. 10:28 Then Pharaoh said to him, “Get away from me! Beware, do not see my face again, for in the day you see my face you shall die!”
Think about what Pharaoh was attempting to do at this point. He forbid Moses and Aaron from approaching him. I assume Pharaoh was thinking that if Moses and Aaron were never allowed to see him again, then he could prevent any future plagues. That was a severe case of denial. Instead of accepting the power of Yahweh, Pharaoh was going to pretend Yahweh did not exist.
Ex. 10:29 And Moses said, “As you have spoken; I shall never see your face again!”
Humans have a tendency to use defense mechanisms against truths we don’t like. One of those mechanisms is denial. People don’t like the fact there is a God Who has the power and authority to tell humans how to live; therefore, humans commonly try to deny the existence of a Creator.
Pharaoh did not want to submit to God and release the Israelites, so he kept resisting Yahweh. He was essentially trying to pretend Yahweh did not exist. He was so deep into his denial that he allowed Egypt to be destroyed. Allowing the Israelites to leave at the first request would have been much less costly than all the plagues that Egypt suffered. The lesson is that denial can be extremely costly.
How is your denial causing loss or destruction in your life?
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”