Light Up The Truth

OPENING PRAYER:

Gracious Lord, how wonderful You are! How much You have so generously given to me and all Your children.

READ: Exodus 10:7–29

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?”

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

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.”

Pharaoh said, “The Lord be with you—if I let you go, along with your women and children! Clearly you are bent on evil. 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.

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.”

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; 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. 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.

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

Moses then left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord. 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. But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the Israelites go.

The Plague of Darkness

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness spreads over Egypt—darkness that can be felt.” So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days. No one could see anyone else or move about for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived.

Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, “Go, worship the Lord. Even your women and children may go with you; only leave your flocks and herds behind.”

But Moses said, “You must allow us to have sacrifices and burnt offerings to present to the Lord our God. Our livestock too must go with us; not a hoof is to be left behind. We have to use some of them in worshiping the Lord our God, and until we get there we will not know what we are to use to worship the Lord.”

But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he was not willing to let them go. Pharaoh said to Moses, “Get out of my sight! Make sure you do not appear before me again! The day you see my face you will die.”

“Just as you say,” Moses replied. “I will never appear before you again.” Exodus 10:7–29

REFLECT:

Ask God to bring you light through his Word today.

TV interviews with politicians can be frustrating. Getting a straight answer from some can be as difficult as it was, in this case, from Pharaoh (e.g. v 24)!

Pharaoh wants to do a deal over who can leave Egypt and worship. He is keen that only the men leave (vs 7–11). God wants to show Egypt and his people that he is sovereign, and he wants them all – including the women and children – to depend on him (vs 10,11). So, as God had warned, the locusts devoured the land. Again, Pharaoh said he was repentant, and once again, the plagues stopped (vs 16–19). This is the political game which Pharaoh keeps playing – as before, his heart is hardened, and God’s people cannot leave (v 20).

Then, the plague of darkness comes and people stumble around in the dark for three days (vs 22,23) – yet Pharaoh remains spiritually blind. He still refuses to allow God’s people to leave. This time it seems like the negotiations are finished (vs 27–29).

Remember, we also were born spiritually blind and walked in darkness. It is only through the work of the Holy Spirit that we have been enabled to recognize Jesus as our deliverer. Israel, as God’s people, were given light in the darkness (v 23). As believers today, Jesus is the light of the world for us.

APPLY:

‘Father God, thank you for your light. Help me to walk in the light of Jesus today. Amen.’

CLOSING PRAYER:

Holy Spirit of God, You are with me today and I thank You. Let me see new possibilities and grant me the strength to bring them into reality.

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