Today we continue with the Lord's instructions for the first Passover. Yesterday we learned how the people were to go about selecting a lamb and what time they were to slaughter it for consumption and how they were to apply the blood to the door posts. Now we move on into how the Passover meal was to be eaten.
"That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast." (Exodus 12:8) The lambs were slaughtered at twilight, according to yesterday's passage, so I assume the meal is to be cooked and consumed sometime between twilight and midnight, for the plague begins at midnight. The bitter herbs are believed to symbolize the bitter years of slavery the Israelites endured at the hands of the Egyptians. Unleavened bread is consumed because there is no time for bread dough to rise properly. Also we'll find them taking unleavened bread dough with them during the exodus and baking and eating unleavened bread for several days. If the dough had contained yeast it would have gone bad during those first few days when they were getting away from Egypt as quickly as they could and while they were preparing hasty meals.
Another thing we'll note about yeast while we move through the Bible is that it is often used as a symbol for sin. For example, just as a little yeast will effect the whole batch of dough, a little sin will effect a congregation or group of people or nation if it is not acknowledged, repented of, and turned away from. Just as participants of Passover each year must search for and remove from the home every yeast-containing food in the days leading up to Passover, we should diligently look for and remove sources of sin in our lives, in our homes, and in our congregations. When we see things going off course we need---with the Lord's help---to make a course correction.
Though the Passover meal is prepared quite rapidly, none of the meat is to be eaten raw. "Do not eat the meal raw or boiled in water, but roast it over a fire---with the head, legs, and internal organs." (Exodus 12:9) It is said by some scholars that certain pagan festivals in Egypt involved the eating of raw meat to honor particular gods. Various other idolatrous cultures did the same. Those cultures would remove the internal organs and pour the entrails out on the ground in order to "read" them to divine the future. In more modern times this could be compared to the reading of tea leaves or the use of Tarot cards or the use of a Ouija board. These things involve the occult and the Israelites are to avoid any temptation to divine the future with the entrails of the lambs by leaving the entrails inside.
The temptation to know more about the future (and to use pagan rituals to find out) would have been strong, considering they are about to leave the only life they've ever known to travel to a land they've never seen.
Here at the first Passover we are already seeing cultural differences emerging that mark Israel as a separate and sanctified people. They are not to eat as the heathens eat. While the matter of diet may not seem important to those of us who are Gentiles, it was vitally important for the Israelites while they lived among other cultures, such as when in slavery in Egypt or later while in captivity in Babylon and while they were moving into and taking over the promised land where so many idolatrous tribes dwelt. If they had been okay with eating anything everybody else eats, it would have been easy to be drawn into meals and feasts and holidays that the pagan people celebrated. This would have eventually led to intermingling with pagan cultures. There wouldn't have been enough cultural differences between them to keep them from intermarrying with these tribes and the next thing you know they'd have been spiritually corrupted. They'd have been drawn more and more into idolatry, if not during the first generation then certainly during succeeding generations.
There are practical reasons as well for not eating raw meat on the night before the exodus and for not saving any meat that's left over to take with them and for not using yeast in the bread dough. Any of these things might have led to food borne illness and that's the last thing they need when making their escape from Egypt. Any meat that isn't consumed must be burned up so they won't be tempted to take it with them and perhaps fall ill along the way. "Do not leave any of it til morning; if some is left til morning, you must burn it." (Exodus 12:10) There was no way of packing food in ice and placing it in a nice Yeti or Igloo cooler in those days. Meat is going to spoil quickly in the heat. So will leavened bread dough. If they burn up the leftover meat they'll make it unusable, therefore removing the temptation to take some along for the coming days. I think there's a spiritual aspect, as well, with the burning up of the remainder of the meat, for they are declaring their trust in God to provide for them during the journey.
The position in which they are to consume the Passover meal is also an act of faith. "This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the Lord's Passover." (Exodus 12:11) They are to be ready to move out as soon as the Lord gives the word. Eating in this manner signifies their belief that the Lord is going to do exactly what He's said He's going to do: deliver them from slavery and take them into the land He promised to the descendants of Abraham. They don't know at what moment the Lord will give their marching orders, but as soon as He does they'll be ready.
The plague will strike Egypt at midnight and we'll find Pharaoh summoning Moses and Aaron in the middle of the night to order them to leave the nation immediately with the Israelites. The Egyptians, many of whom have come to have compassion on the Israelites, will urge them to leave the country as quickly as they can lest more deadly plagues befall the citizens. The Lord warned Moses that Pharaoh would resist letting the people go for a long time but that eventually he would "drive them out of his country". (Exodus 6:1) That time is now, on Passover night, when Pharaoh can't wait to get them out of his sight. They wouldn't be able to remain in the land any longer even if they wanted to, and goodness knows they don't want to. They never want to lay eyes on Egypt again and Pharaoh will be so distraught later in the evening that he thinks he never wants to lay eyes on another Israelite.
As we close our study today we find the Israelites dressed and ready with a full meal in their bellies to give them the physical strength needed for the long night and the long journey ahead.
Thursday, May 7, 2020
Wednesday, May 6, 2020
The Exodus. Day 38, The Plague Of The Firstborn, Part Two---Passover Instructions
A plague is going to strike Egypt but the Israelites will be spared from personal tragedy if they obey the Lord's instructions in a display of faith. During the previous plagues we saw the Lord sparing the Israelites from hardship because they are His covenant people and to show Pharaoh that He makes a "distinction" between those who believe in Him and those who are pagan idolaters. The Lord wanted Pharaoh to understand that His favor was upon the Israelites and that He intends to bring them out of Egypt. This presented a choice to Pharaoh. He could either let the people go peacefully and the plagues would stop and his land would heal, or he could continue to resist the Lord and experience continued plagues of judgment from the Lord.
The tenth plague requires action to be performed by the Israelites. Any household that does not have the faith to follow the Lord's instructions for the plague to "pass over" them will not be spared from the plague of the firstborn. The firstborn son will die. For the first time during the series of plagues the Israelites will have to make a statement of faith, if you will, instead of being spared because of their national identity. Each householder will have to decide for himself or herself whether they have the faith to trust the Lord, to follow His instructions, to believe He will spare them from the plague, and to believe He will rescue them from Egypt. Each householder will have to make the same type of decision that Joshua, the successor of Moses, made, saying: "As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:15)
The Lord now begins to provide the instructions for observing what will become known as Passover. "The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, 'This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year.'" (Exodus 12:1-2) Passover, followed by the exodus, represents a new beginning for the people who will become the great nation of Israel. From now on the month in which Passover occurs will be the first month on their calendar. Every time a new year begins, the people will be reminded of the mighty works the Lord did on their behalf in Egypt. They will be reminded of His great mercy in passing over them when He saw the sign of their faith, and they will be reminded of the signs and wonders He performed, and they will be reminded of His power in rescuing them from their enemies.
The Lord continues, "Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household. If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat.'" (Exodus 12:3-4) The Lord is never wasteful with anything. There's no sense in taking more than they need, so a small household is to share with another small household. The lamb is going to serve the purpose of providing nourishment for the journey ahead and its blood is going to be used to make their statement of faith. Slaughtering more lambs than is needed for these purposes would be pointless and wasteful and that's why we find the Lord being quite specific about determining the amount of lambs needed.
They can't use just any lambs from among the flocks; these lambs must be the best of their flocks. "The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goat." (Exodus 12:5) The lamb has to be a year old so that any illnesses or handicaps have had time to become apparent. Severe birth defects or genetic illnesses would be likely to kill a lamb before it reached a year old and this is why it's important not to select a younger lamb. Even when selecting a year-old male the people will have to look it over carefully to make sure it doesn't have any sort of non life-threatening defect, and a number of things could fall into that category such as a lazy eye or a limp or a skin condition or anything that would mean it wasn't in tip-shop shape and wasn't a prime example of what a healthy and well-bred lamb should be.
After the lamb is selected it must be closely observed for four days in case it has a defect which wasn't immediately apparent when selected from the flock. "Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight." (Exodus 12:6) For four days each family lives with its lamb. Day and night they observe its behavior and interact with it. This way, any physical or mental problem it may have will come to light. Things that aren't readily apparent while it resides in the field will become apparent while it resides at the home.
The people are to use the meat for food but are to do something with the blood which constitutes an act of faith. "Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs." (Exodus 12:7) The Israelites have never done anything like this before. It must have seemed bizarre for them to apply blood to the doorframes of their homes. What is the purpose of such a thing? The purpose is that during the night, when the plague of the firstborn falls upon Egypt, the Lord will "pass over" the houses where the blood has been applied. He will say later in Chapter 12, "When I see the blood, I will pass over you." The judgment of the tenth and final plague will not strike any household where the blood has been applied.
How can we, who are weak in the flesh and who are prone to sin and failures, escape the judgment of God? Why would He "pass over" us when His wrath falls on all that is ungodly? There is only one way: by having the blood of the sinless and spotless Lamb of God (the lamb without defect) applied to the doors of our hearts! Christ came into the world to offer Himself in our place. He was examined by many during the years of His ministry and no sin was ever observed being committed by Him. He was scrutinized quite severely in Jerusalem during the final four days of His life and no defect was found in Him---and believe me, His enemies wanted so badly to find fault with Him that if any fault had existed they would have found it. His primary enemies were some of the religious elite at Jerusalem who knew the Scriptures and the laws and the commandments inside out. Yet they couldn't find a single religious law He had ever broken. Even the pagan governor Pontius Pilate was loathe to bring any punishment of any kind upon Jesus when He was brought before him on trumped-up charges, saying, "I find no fault in this man." (Luke 23:4, John 19:4) Did it really matter to Pilate (who openly hated the Jewish people and was known for going out of his way to offend them) if one more Jewish man was crucified? Probably not, but even a person like Pilate who cared nothing for a Jewish carpenter from Nazareth could find no reason to charge Him with anything. Pilate interviewed Jesus more than once during the day of His trial and did everything he could to avoid sending Him to his death because in his intense examination of Jesus he found nothing whatsoever wrong with Him. The Lord Jesus Christ is the sinless, spotless Lamb whose blood was shed for us. And only by accepting what He did on our behalf and by making him the Lord of our lives can we be "passed over" in the judgment.
On the night the tenth plague struck Egypt, the Lord passed over the homes where the blood was applied. The Lord knew everything about the inhabitants of those homes. But did He think about any mistakes they had made in the past? Did He think about anything wrong they might have been harboring in their hearts on the night of Passover? Did He look ahead to any sins they might commit in the future? Did He consider all these things and disqualify them for mercy? No, because He saw the blood! The blood was the evidence of their faith and trust in Him. He granted them mercy because of their faith.
In this same way, when God looks upon those who have accepted the sacrifice of His Son the Lamb, He sees the blood! He doesn't hold our sinful past against us. He doesn't hold our future faults and failures against us. If we've accepted His Son as our Savior, He looks at us and sees the blood. He grants us mercy when He sees the blood applied to our hearts and His judgment passes over us.
The tenth plague requires action to be performed by the Israelites. Any household that does not have the faith to follow the Lord's instructions for the plague to "pass over" them will not be spared from the plague of the firstborn. The firstborn son will die. For the first time during the series of plagues the Israelites will have to make a statement of faith, if you will, instead of being spared because of their national identity. Each householder will have to decide for himself or herself whether they have the faith to trust the Lord, to follow His instructions, to believe He will spare them from the plague, and to believe He will rescue them from Egypt. Each householder will have to make the same type of decision that Joshua, the successor of Moses, made, saying: "As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:15)
The Lord now begins to provide the instructions for observing what will become known as Passover. "The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, 'This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year.'" (Exodus 12:1-2) Passover, followed by the exodus, represents a new beginning for the people who will become the great nation of Israel. From now on the month in which Passover occurs will be the first month on their calendar. Every time a new year begins, the people will be reminded of the mighty works the Lord did on their behalf in Egypt. They will be reminded of His great mercy in passing over them when He saw the sign of their faith, and they will be reminded of the signs and wonders He performed, and they will be reminded of His power in rescuing them from their enemies.
The Lord continues, "Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household. If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat.'" (Exodus 12:3-4) The Lord is never wasteful with anything. There's no sense in taking more than they need, so a small household is to share with another small household. The lamb is going to serve the purpose of providing nourishment for the journey ahead and its blood is going to be used to make their statement of faith. Slaughtering more lambs than is needed for these purposes would be pointless and wasteful and that's why we find the Lord being quite specific about determining the amount of lambs needed.
They can't use just any lambs from among the flocks; these lambs must be the best of their flocks. "The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goat." (Exodus 12:5) The lamb has to be a year old so that any illnesses or handicaps have had time to become apparent. Severe birth defects or genetic illnesses would be likely to kill a lamb before it reached a year old and this is why it's important not to select a younger lamb. Even when selecting a year-old male the people will have to look it over carefully to make sure it doesn't have any sort of non life-threatening defect, and a number of things could fall into that category such as a lazy eye or a limp or a skin condition or anything that would mean it wasn't in tip-shop shape and wasn't a prime example of what a healthy and well-bred lamb should be.
After the lamb is selected it must be closely observed for four days in case it has a defect which wasn't immediately apparent when selected from the flock. "Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight." (Exodus 12:6) For four days each family lives with its lamb. Day and night they observe its behavior and interact with it. This way, any physical or mental problem it may have will come to light. Things that aren't readily apparent while it resides in the field will become apparent while it resides at the home.
The people are to use the meat for food but are to do something with the blood which constitutes an act of faith. "Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs." (Exodus 12:7) The Israelites have never done anything like this before. It must have seemed bizarre for them to apply blood to the doorframes of their homes. What is the purpose of such a thing? The purpose is that during the night, when the plague of the firstborn falls upon Egypt, the Lord will "pass over" the houses where the blood has been applied. He will say later in Chapter 12, "When I see the blood, I will pass over you." The judgment of the tenth and final plague will not strike any household where the blood has been applied.
How can we, who are weak in the flesh and who are prone to sin and failures, escape the judgment of God? Why would He "pass over" us when His wrath falls on all that is ungodly? There is only one way: by having the blood of the sinless and spotless Lamb of God (the lamb without defect) applied to the doors of our hearts! Christ came into the world to offer Himself in our place. He was examined by many during the years of His ministry and no sin was ever observed being committed by Him. He was scrutinized quite severely in Jerusalem during the final four days of His life and no defect was found in Him---and believe me, His enemies wanted so badly to find fault with Him that if any fault had existed they would have found it. His primary enemies were some of the religious elite at Jerusalem who knew the Scriptures and the laws and the commandments inside out. Yet they couldn't find a single religious law He had ever broken. Even the pagan governor Pontius Pilate was loathe to bring any punishment of any kind upon Jesus when He was brought before him on trumped-up charges, saying, "I find no fault in this man." (Luke 23:4, John 19:4) Did it really matter to Pilate (who openly hated the Jewish people and was known for going out of his way to offend them) if one more Jewish man was crucified? Probably not, but even a person like Pilate who cared nothing for a Jewish carpenter from Nazareth could find no reason to charge Him with anything. Pilate interviewed Jesus more than once during the day of His trial and did everything he could to avoid sending Him to his death because in his intense examination of Jesus he found nothing whatsoever wrong with Him. The Lord Jesus Christ is the sinless, spotless Lamb whose blood was shed for us. And only by accepting what He did on our behalf and by making him the Lord of our lives can we be "passed over" in the judgment.
On the night the tenth plague struck Egypt, the Lord passed over the homes where the blood was applied. The Lord knew everything about the inhabitants of those homes. But did He think about any mistakes they had made in the past? Did He think about anything wrong they might have been harboring in their hearts on the night of Passover? Did He look ahead to any sins they might commit in the future? Did He consider all these things and disqualify them for mercy? No, because He saw the blood! The blood was the evidence of their faith and trust in Him. He granted them mercy because of their faith.
In this same way, when God looks upon those who have accepted the sacrifice of His Son the Lamb, He sees the blood! He doesn't hold our sinful past against us. He doesn't hold our future faults and failures against us. If we've accepted His Son as our Savior, He looks at us and sees the blood. He grants us mercy when He sees the blood applied to our hearts and His judgment passes over us.
Tuesday, May 5, 2020
The Exodus. Day 37, The Plague Of The Firstborn, Part One
Pharaoh threatened Moses' life as we concluded our passage yesterday. The king doesn't want to hear another word about the Lord or about setting the Lord's people free. Because the king has resisted the Lord for so long and intends to keep on resisting Him, it's time to begin our study of the tenth and final plague: the plague of the firstborn.
"Now the Lord had said to Moses, 'I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. After that, he will let you go from here, and when he does, he will drive you out completely.'" (Exodus 11:1) On the way to Egypt the Lord revealed this information to Moses in Exodus 4, saying that because Pharaoh would refuse to listen and repent and let the Israelites go, the Lord would take the life of Pharaoh's firstborn son. Moses has known all along this was coming. He was forewarned that Pharaoh would refuse time and time again to let the people go, willfully hardening his heart against feeling any compassion for the Israelites until he reached a point where only the most extreme distress will compel him to not only let the Israelites go but to basically throw them out of the country. The king has brought all of the nine previous plagues upon himself and upon his nation by remaining in sinful stubbornness. Now Pharaoh will be responsible for the loss of his own son and the heir to his throne. Let's just stop and think for a minute about how immovable and how uncaring this man is that he resisted the Lord through nine plagues and how he cared nothing for the impact the plagues had on his citizens and on his land. This man has no common human decency whatsoever.
The Lord is not going to allow the Israelites to leave empty-handed. He's already promised they won't have to leave without their livestock (Moses said in yesterday's passage that "not a hoof" will be left behind), but back in Exodus 3:22 the Lord also promised the Israelites would "plunder" the Egyptians. They're going to leave the country of their oppression loaded down with silver and gold. The Lord instructs Moses, "' Tell the people that men and women alike are to ask their neighbors for articles of silver and gold.' (The Lord made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and Moses himself was highly regarded in Egypt by Pharaoh's officials and by the people.)" (Exodus 11:2-3) The Israelites aren't stealing anything from the Egyptians; the Egyptians willingly give them these expensive items when asked. The Egyptians have seen the might of Israel's God and they fear Him. They do not want to get on His bad side where Pharaoh is, so when the Israelites ask them for vessels of silver and gold, the Egyptians happily hand the vessels over with their blessing. They are more than ready to see the Israelites set free and to see an end to the plagues. Pharaoh's heart is harder than ever toward the people he uses as slaves, and he still regards them as sub-humans undeserving of basic human rights, but Pharaoh's subjects have become soft-hearted toward the Israelites and have actually begun to root for them to be victorious in their bid for freedom.
At the end of Exodus 10 we were told that Pharaoh ordered Moses to get out of his sight. He said he'd kill Moses if he ever appeared before him again. Moses answered, "Just as you say. I will never appear before you again." But before Moses left the king's presence he warned him what was coming and we are about to study Moses' final words to Pharaoh before the plague of the firstborn falls. "So Moses said, 'This is what the Lord says: 'About midnight I will go throughout Egypt. Every firstborn son in Egypt will die, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, to the firstborn son of the female slave, who is at her hand mill, and all the firstborn of the cattle as well. There will be loud wailing throughout Egypt---worse than there has ever been or ever will be again.'" (Exodus 11:4-6)
Every family of Egypt, from great to small, will suffer some type of loss. Everyone who is the parent of a son will lose their firstborn son, and although in some movies and TV specials these tend to be depicted as children, the males who died could have been any age from one day old to a hundred years old. For example, a father of a son may be a firstborn son himself, so in that household both the father and his eldest son will die. A great-grandpa who is 100 years old but who is a firstborn son will also die. The tenth plague will greatly affect the population of Egypt, but if the plague had not only affected firstborn sons, the people and their king might have been able believe that it was just a naturally-occurring plague capable of killing hundreds or even thousands of their citizens. Our world is undergoing a pandemic (a plague, if you will) at this very moment but the coronavirus doesn't discriminate according to birth order. Granted, the coronavirus appears to be more deadly for males than for females, but it strikes males irrespective of birth order. We aren't losing only the firstborn males to the coronavirus, but in the ancient Egypt of Moses' day we find a plague that is capable of selecting its victims. This is because the plague is supernatural. The plague is directed by Almighty God.
In the tenth plague, even childless Egyptian couples or couples who have only daughters will suffer loss. Moses warns Pharaoh that the firstborn males of all cattle will perish. So we see that the plague strikes every household of the Egyptians. Most households will lose at least one family member. All households who own livestock will lose a percentage of their farm animals.
But the Israelites won't lose anyone. The plague will "pass over" them if they apply blood to their doorposts, as we will see as we move on through the book of Exodus and study the story of the first Passover. Moses says, "'But among the Israelites not a dog will bark at any person or animal. Then you will know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel. All these officials of yours will come to me, bowing down before me and saying, 'Go, you and all the people who follow you!' After that I will leave.' Then Moses, hot with anger, left Pharaoh." (Exodus 11:7-8) There will be wailing in Egypt this night. But there won't be wailing in Goshen where the Israelites reside. Even the dogs will be quiet in Goshen while the plague passes over the Israelites and strikes the Egyptians. Last night when I was outside taking my dog on her bedtime walk I heard dogs barking to each other all over the neighborhood. It's a common sound, but on the night of Passover all will be still in Goshen while the death angel strikes the firstborn of Egypt. I am not sure whether this deep silence is the silence of creatures at peace or the silence of creatures in reverent awe. I tend to think it's the latter, for in Revelation we find thirty minutes of total stillness before the Lord brings the final plagues of judgment upon the earth. So I feel that it's a breathless stillness, a respectful stillness, and the type of stillness we're familiar with when observing "a moment of silence" for those who have departed this earth.
Moses leaves Pharaoh in a rage and I think he's so hot with anger because things never had to get to this point. None of the plagues had to happen, but Pharaoh brought them on himself and on his people with his stubborn and rebellious refusal to obey the Lord. Now the greatest and most tragic plague is about to unfold and it doesn't have to. Pharaoh could prevent it. He has until midnight to relent. But he won't, so he and all his people will suffer a great loss. Death and grief will stalk the streets of Egypt this night and the blame for all of it lies at the feet of Pharaoh.
Nothing Moses and Aaron has done or said has made even the slightest dent in the king's hard heart. None of the signs and wonders of God has had any effect on him whatsoever because he doesn't want anything to have any effect on him. Because Pharaoh wants to have a hard heart, the Lord lets him keep his hard heart. The Lord doesn't force him to be someone he doesn't want to be. "The Lord had said to Moses, 'Pharaoh will refuse to listen to you---so that My wonders may be multiplied in Egypt.' Moses and Aaron performed all these wonders before Pharaoh, but the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let the Israelites go out of his country." (Exodus 11:9-10)
Sadly, there are some human beings who would never bow their knees to the Lord no matter what the consequences. Like Pharaoh, they'd rather endure the worst of conditions than submit their will to the Lord's. They won't allow anything to change them or persuade them. As the Lord Jesus said, there are some who would not listen to the word of God even if a person rose from the dead and testified to them. (Luke 16:31) Pharaoh is the type of man who wouldn't repent even if he were placed at the gates of hell and told he could either bow to the Lord or walk on through into eternal darkness and torment. I think he'd choose the pains of hell over the peace of eternal life with the God he refuses to acknowledge or serve. No wonder Moses is angry. He's angry on behalf of the people of Egypt and on behalf of Pharaoh's firstborn and on behalf of Pharaoh himself. It didn't have to be this way. Waste ought to make us angry and Moses is angry over the waste of time, the waste of life, and the waste of all the years the Israelites spent in slavery due to the wickedness of the current king and those kings who came before him.
Monday, May 4, 2020
The Exodus. Day 36, The Plague Of Darkness
Today's plague comes without the Bible telling us Moses spoke to Pharaoh first. Some scholars interpret this to mean he didn't go out this time to the Nile River to meet the king on his morning walk to warn him of another plague if he did not let the people go. I tend to think Moses did speak to him first, for when we concluded yesterday's passage we were told Pharaoh hardened his heart and would not let the people go. I think this may mean Moses and Pharaoh had a meeting after the plague of locusts was lifted and that Pharaoh went back on his word once again. It's possible, though, that the king's heart is so hard at this time that there was no use for Moses to speak to him before the ninth plague falls. I think it's possible that Pharaoh's heart has reached a point of no return and that the ninth plague---darkness---represents the utter spiritual darkness of his heart. When Pharaoh summons Moses to rid him of the plague of darkness, it tells us a lot that this time he doesn't even pretend to be sorry for his sins. At various times in the past he may have felt momentary twinges of conscience but now I suspect he is no longer able to hear his conscience.
"Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness spreads over Egypt---darkness that can be felt.'" (Exodus 10:21) The Egypt of the book of Exodus is already spiritually dark due to idolatry. (Modern missionaries who have taken the gospel into regions where it has never before been preached, or where the people are living in pagan idolatry, have said that there is a sense of darkness in those lands that can be felt, like a heavy and depressing cloud.) The Egypt of Moses' day was a wealthy and cultured place. No doubt the people considered themselves educated and enlightened. If someone had told them they were living in darkness they'd have probably laughed in scorn, but during the ninth plague their true condition is revealed.
"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." (Exodus 10:22-23) It appears as if oil lamps and candles and cooking fires would not even burn during this time. It's a darkness so complete that the Egyptians can't see their hands before their faces. They can't even see to get around inside their houses. If they managed to eat or take care of bathroom functions, they must have done it by feeling their way along the walls. Yet in Goshen, where the Israelites lived, there was light. We aren't told whether this means the Lord filled Goshen with a supernatural light or whether the lamps and candles and cooking fires were able to burn normally in that region. The Bible says they had light "in the places where they lived" so this may indicate they were able to light the inside of their homes but that the land outside was dark all over the nation of Egypt. Either way, there's no way to explain why only the Israelites didn't suffer during the plague of darkness except that the favor of the Lord was upon them because of their belief in Him. They had spiritual light in their hearts due to their faith in the one true God. They weren't living in the dark, spiritually speaking. They were living in the light, and the ninth plague seems to present a visible metaphor for the spiritual difference between the Egyptians and the Israelites.
In order to have the darkness lifted, Pharaoh is about to propose another compromise to Moses. Prior to the plague of locusts, he tried to work out a deal with Moses in which he'd allow the male Israelites to go into the wilderness to worship the Lord and make sacrifices to Him for three days. But Moses rejected his offer. Everyone must go along with all their livestock. So today Pharaoh offers to let the women and children accompany the men into the wilderness for three days while he holds onto their livestock. He intends to use the livestock as insurance that the Israelites will return to Egypt and return to their work. "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.'" (Exodus 10:24) It's ironic, isn't it, that the plague of darkness lasts for the same amount of time that the Israelites requested to have for a time of worship? I think this is intentional. I believe the Lord chose three days to illustrate the point that if only Pharaoh had allowed them to have their three days off to worship Him, everything would have gone much differently.
If Pharaoh had honored the Israelites' original request, which was to go into the wilderness for three days to worship the Lord and then return to Egypt, his fear and distrust of the Israelites would have lessened. His heart would have begun to soften toward them. He would have begun to see them as peaceful people and would have stopped being suspicious that they'd run off and join with his enemies at the first opportunity. If he'd only allowed those first cracks to appear in the hard shell around his heart, I think over time his heart would have grown softer and softer until someday he'd have willingly set the Israelites free with his blessing. He might even have come to worship the same God. If that had happened, perhaps the majority of the people of Egypt would have followed his example and cast their idols away in favor of serving the one and only living God. But Pharaoh preferred darkness to light. Now, for three days, he must endure a darkness so thick that he could almost cut it with a knife. Does this make any difference to him? Does he repent and confess his sins and make his heart right with the Lord? No, I think he'd rather live the rest of his life in darkness than ever submit to his Maker.
"But Moses said, 'You must allow us to have sacrifices and burnt offerings. 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.'" (Exodus 10:25-26) Moses wants to know how Pharaoh thinks they can sacrifice to the Lord if they leave all their livestock behind. Of course, they wouldn't need all their livestock because they don't intend to offer all their livestock to the Lord. But they'll need their livestock when they make their exodus from Egypt to the promised land, so Moses behaves as if they have no idea what type of sacrifices the Lord will require until they get into the wilderness and begin to worship Him.
I don't believe Moses or anyone else was lying when, in the beginning of Exodus, they asked Pharaoh for three days to worship the Lord in the wilderness before returning to Egypt. As a show of good faith I think they intended to come back so that Pharaoh's prejudice toward them would begin to fade. But since Pharaoh has repeatedly rejected their request I think Moses knows once they all leave Egypt they aren't coming back. The Lord doesn't intend to let them go back, for the king has reached a level of spiritual wickedness that would make him ten times worse than he ever was before. If only he'd been willing to have even a little compassion for the Israelites, I think things would have played out as discussed in the paragraph above this one. But instead Pharaoh hates the Israelites more than he ever has before. He would make their lives in Egypt more miserable than ever. If the people did go into the wilderness for three days and return, I think the king would have taken out his anger on them. I think he would have resented the fact that the plagues made him feel backed into a corner enough to let them go for three days. He would have been filled with wounded pride, so much so that he'd have persecuted the Israelites like never before. He hates them and he hates their God and I don't think there's any way they could have returned to Egypt without the king's wrath falling upon them. They must take everything they own with them when they go because they aren't coming back.
Pharaoh flies into a rage when Moses rejects his latest offer. It's often the case that a person is never more angry than he is in the wrong; have you noticed that? And their anger is usually directed toward the person who points out that they are in the wrong. Pharaoh is in the wrong but refuses to believe or acknowledge it. Because Moses is the person who keeps trying to show him he's in the wrong, his anger is directed toward Moses. The king's rage takes a murderous turn and he warns Moses that he will kill him if he ever lays eyes on him again. "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!'" (Exodus 10:27-28)
"'Just as you say,' Moses replied. 'I will never appear before you again.'" (Exodus 10:29) Pharaoh's heart is impenetrable. He has said "no" one too many times to the merciful voice of Almighty God. Now there remains only judgment. The final, and worst, plague is coming.
"Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness spreads over Egypt---darkness that can be felt.'" (Exodus 10:21) The Egypt of the book of Exodus is already spiritually dark due to idolatry. (Modern missionaries who have taken the gospel into regions where it has never before been preached, or where the people are living in pagan idolatry, have said that there is a sense of darkness in those lands that can be felt, like a heavy and depressing cloud.) The Egypt of Moses' day was a wealthy and cultured place. No doubt the people considered themselves educated and enlightened. If someone had told them they were living in darkness they'd have probably laughed in scorn, but during the ninth plague their true condition is revealed.
"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." (Exodus 10:22-23) It appears as if oil lamps and candles and cooking fires would not even burn during this time. It's a darkness so complete that the Egyptians can't see their hands before their faces. They can't even see to get around inside their houses. If they managed to eat or take care of bathroom functions, they must have done it by feeling their way along the walls. Yet in Goshen, where the Israelites lived, there was light. We aren't told whether this means the Lord filled Goshen with a supernatural light or whether the lamps and candles and cooking fires were able to burn normally in that region. The Bible says they had light "in the places where they lived" so this may indicate they were able to light the inside of their homes but that the land outside was dark all over the nation of Egypt. Either way, there's no way to explain why only the Israelites didn't suffer during the plague of darkness except that the favor of the Lord was upon them because of their belief in Him. They had spiritual light in their hearts due to their faith in the one true God. They weren't living in the dark, spiritually speaking. They were living in the light, and the ninth plague seems to present a visible metaphor for the spiritual difference between the Egyptians and the Israelites.
In order to have the darkness lifted, Pharaoh is about to propose another compromise to Moses. Prior to the plague of locusts, he tried to work out a deal with Moses in which he'd allow the male Israelites to go into the wilderness to worship the Lord and make sacrifices to Him for three days. But Moses rejected his offer. Everyone must go along with all their livestock. So today Pharaoh offers to let the women and children accompany the men into the wilderness for three days while he holds onto their livestock. He intends to use the livestock as insurance that the Israelites will return to Egypt and return to their work. "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.'" (Exodus 10:24) It's ironic, isn't it, that the plague of darkness lasts for the same amount of time that the Israelites requested to have for a time of worship? I think this is intentional. I believe the Lord chose three days to illustrate the point that if only Pharaoh had allowed them to have their three days off to worship Him, everything would have gone much differently.
If Pharaoh had honored the Israelites' original request, which was to go into the wilderness for three days to worship the Lord and then return to Egypt, his fear and distrust of the Israelites would have lessened. His heart would have begun to soften toward them. He would have begun to see them as peaceful people and would have stopped being suspicious that they'd run off and join with his enemies at the first opportunity. If he'd only allowed those first cracks to appear in the hard shell around his heart, I think over time his heart would have grown softer and softer until someday he'd have willingly set the Israelites free with his blessing. He might even have come to worship the same God. If that had happened, perhaps the majority of the people of Egypt would have followed his example and cast their idols away in favor of serving the one and only living God. But Pharaoh preferred darkness to light. Now, for three days, he must endure a darkness so thick that he could almost cut it with a knife. Does this make any difference to him? Does he repent and confess his sins and make his heart right with the Lord? No, I think he'd rather live the rest of his life in darkness than ever submit to his Maker.
"But Moses said, 'You must allow us to have sacrifices and burnt offerings. 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.'" (Exodus 10:25-26) Moses wants to know how Pharaoh thinks they can sacrifice to the Lord if they leave all their livestock behind. Of course, they wouldn't need all their livestock because they don't intend to offer all their livestock to the Lord. But they'll need their livestock when they make their exodus from Egypt to the promised land, so Moses behaves as if they have no idea what type of sacrifices the Lord will require until they get into the wilderness and begin to worship Him.
I don't believe Moses or anyone else was lying when, in the beginning of Exodus, they asked Pharaoh for three days to worship the Lord in the wilderness before returning to Egypt. As a show of good faith I think they intended to come back so that Pharaoh's prejudice toward them would begin to fade. But since Pharaoh has repeatedly rejected their request I think Moses knows once they all leave Egypt they aren't coming back. The Lord doesn't intend to let them go back, for the king has reached a level of spiritual wickedness that would make him ten times worse than he ever was before. If only he'd been willing to have even a little compassion for the Israelites, I think things would have played out as discussed in the paragraph above this one. But instead Pharaoh hates the Israelites more than he ever has before. He would make their lives in Egypt more miserable than ever. If the people did go into the wilderness for three days and return, I think the king would have taken out his anger on them. I think he would have resented the fact that the plagues made him feel backed into a corner enough to let them go for three days. He would have been filled with wounded pride, so much so that he'd have persecuted the Israelites like never before. He hates them and he hates their God and I don't think there's any way they could have returned to Egypt without the king's wrath falling upon them. They must take everything they own with them when they go because they aren't coming back.
Pharaoh flies into a rage when Moses rejects his latest offer. It's often the case that a person is never more angry than he is in the wrong; have you noticed that? And their anger is usually directed toward the person who points out that they are in the wrong. Pharaoh is in the wrong but refuses to believe or acknowledge it. Because Moses is the person who keeps trying to show him he's in the wrong, his anger is directed toward Moses. The king's rage takes a murderous turn and he warns Moses that he will kill him if he ever lays eyes on him again. "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!'" (Exodus 10:27-28)
"'Just as you say,' Moses replied. 'I will never appear before you again.'" (Exodus 10:29) Pharaoh's heart is impenetrable. He has said "no" one too many times to the merciful voice of Almighty God. Now there remains only judgment. The final, and worst, plague is coming.
Sunday, May 3, 2020
The Exodus. Day 35, The Plague Of Locusts, Part Two
Pharaoh's officials have had enough. They know the plague of locusts will come if he doesn't let the Israelites go, so in yesterday's passage they implored the king to give in. As we begin our study today the king calls Moses and Aaron back to the palace.
"Then Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. 'Go, worship the Lord your God,' he said, 'but tell me who will be going.'" (Exodus 10:8) The king doesn't want the entire population of Israelites to go outside the borders of the country to worship the Lord in the wilderness. He wants to make a compromise in which a percentage of the people are allowed to go. In his mind this percentage will be representing all the Israelites as a whole before the Lord while the remainder of them stay in Egypt and keep working. This would accomplish at least two purposes that I can think of. One, all the work he has the Israelites performing won't come to a complete standstill for the three-day period they've requested off to go into the wilderness. Second, he feels confident the people he allows to go into the desert won't run away but will come home after three days because their families are still in Egypt. When he calls Moses and Aaron back to the palace he wants them to select a committee to go into the wilderness to perform the worship rituals; he does not want or intend for all the people to go.
Moses makes it clear that every single person must go. "Moses answered, 'We will go with our young and our old, with our sons and our daughters, and with our flocks and our herds, because we are to celebrate a festival to the Lord.'" (Exodus 10:9)
Pharaoh accuses Moses of trying to trick him. "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." (Exodus 10:10-11) He says, "You're going to need the Lord's help if you try to deceive me by taking all your people out of the land so they can run away! I know what you're really up to. You want to deprive me of an enormous portion of the work force in Egypt. These people are slaves and therefore they are my property. You're trying to steal from me! I'll allow the men to go into the wilderness for three days to make sacrifices to your God so that the plagues will stop, but all the women and children must stay here. That way I know the men won't run away. After they've observed their religious rituals for three days they'll return to Egypt to take care of their families. How dare you suggest I let all the people go? You intend to turn them into runaway slaves. Be gone with you!" Then he calls for his guards to escort---or perhaps even chase---Moses and Aaron from the palace.
"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." (Exodus 10:12-15) Imagine what a sight this was, with the ground and all the trees solid black with hordes of teeming locusts! It kind of makes my skin crawl just to think about it. Not only is the sight of them repulsive, and not only is the combined sound of them likely quite loud and monotonous and continual, but they are eating everything in sight.
What did Pharaoh expect? He knows that every plague Moses has threatened has come to pass. Did he think this plague would not? I've tried and tried but can't seem to get inside his head. He appears to be a person who never considers the consequences of his actions until the consequences begin to fall on him. He's like a person who keeps getting himself into predicaments, then saying to the Lord, "I'll straighten up if You'll just get me out of this trouble. I know I've said that before but this time I mean it," and then when the trouble ceases he goes right back to being wicked because he's learned nothing from his mistakes. When the king witnesses yet another plague falling on his land he calls for Moses and Aaron and makes yet another apology and confession, promises to do better, and asks them to pray for the plague to go away. "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.'" (Exodus 10:16-17)
He says, "Okay, guys, I've really messed up this time. I've done you wrong and I've insulted your God. I am going to try to get my act together this time and do better. I promise I'll have mercy on your people and let them go if you'll persuade your God to get these locusts out of here." I think the king's biggest problem---and the biggest obstacle to him changing for the better---is that the God of Israel is still not his God. He keeps referring to Him as "the Lord your God", not as "the Lord my God". Pharaoh hasn't made God the Lord of his life. And unless or until he does, I don't believe he has the willpower or the moral fortitude to become a better man.
It's possible for a person to live a relatively moral life and to care about others without being a believer in the Lord. I personally know people who are atheists and agnostics who are extremely honest and compassionate people. I personally know people who, through sheer willpower and a desire to preserve their lives and their sanity, have been able to free themselves from the power of alcohol or drugs without turning to the Lord. If Pharaoh had wanted to be a good man he might have been able to change himself into a morally decent person even if he never turned to the Lord. But can we ever be all that the Lord intended us to be without turning to Him? No, and we can't obtain the salvation of our souls without turning to Him either. But some people who aren't believers still possess a desire in their hearts to be decent, law-abiding, honest, compassionate human beings. If Pharaoh had been that type of person, he might have been able to change his ways even if he never turned to the Lord. But it simply isn't in him to be a good person. He lacks any natural desire to love his neighbor as himself.
For a few moments, while in extreme distress, he makes promises to do better. He may actually think in those moments that he's capable of keeping his promises. But as soon as his situation improves he always goes back to being who he was before. This is who Pharaoh wants to be and the Lord lets him be who he wants to be; it suits the purposes of the Lord to allow Pharaoh to be who he wants to be because it allows the Lord to display His great might in Egypt. It allows the Lord to perform such miraculous signs in Egypt that the faith of the Israelites is increased. I suspect some of the Egyptians also turned to the Lord because of the things they witnessed.
"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." (Exodus 10:18-20) Moses prays to the Lord, knowing Pharaoh will go back on his word. The Lord answers Moses prayer, knowing Pharaoh will go back on his word. But the answering of the prayer is the Lord's mercy on the people of Egypt. First, it removes the problem of the locusts. Second, it proves to the people of Egypt that God is the Lord. God brought the plague exactly when He said He would and He removes the plague exactly when Moses prays to Him. There's no way the plague can be dismissed as a natural occurrence when you consider how it came about and how it leaves. God is proving He is God. This presents an opportunity to everyone in the nation to believe in Him and turn to Him for salvation.
"Then Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. 'Go, worship the Lord your God,' he said, 'but tell me who will be going.'" (Exodus 10:8) The king doesn't want the entire population of Israelites to go outside the borders of the country to worship the Lord in the wilderness. He wants to make a compromise in which a percentage of the people are allowed to go. In his mind this percentage will be representing all the Israelites as a whole before the Lord while the remainder of them stay in Egypt and keep working. This would accomplish at least two purposes that I can think of. One, all the work he has the Israelites performing won't come to a complete standstill for the three-day period they've requested off to go into the wilderness. Second, he feels confident the people he allows to go into the desert won't run away but will come home after three days because their families are still in Egypt. When he calls Moses and Aaron back to the palace he wants them to select a committee to go into the wilderness to perform the worship rituals; he does not want or intend for all the people to go.
Moses makes it clear that every single person must go. "Moses answered, 'We will go with our young and our old, with our sons and our daughters, and with our flocks and our herds, because we are to celebrate a festival to the Lord.'" (Exodus 10:9)
Pharaoh accuses Moses of trying to trick him. "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." (Exodus 10:10-11) He says, "You're going to need the Lord's help if you try to deceive me by taking all your people out of the land so they can run away! I know what you're really up to. You want to deprive me of an enormous portion of the work force in Egypt. These people are slaves and therefore they are my property. You're trying to steal from me! I'll allow the men to go into the wilderness for three days to make sacrifices to your God so that the plagues will stop, but all the women and children must stay here. That way I know the men won't run away. After they've observed their religious rituals for three days they'll return to Egypt to take care of their families. How dare you suggest I let all the people go? You intend to turn them into runaway slaves. Be gone with you!" Then he calls for his guards to escort---or perhaps even chase---Moses and Aaron from the palace.
"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." (Exodus 10:12-15) Imagine what a sight this was, with the ground and all the trees solid black with hordes of teeming locusts! It kind of makes my skin crawl just to think about it. Not only is the sight of them repulsive, and not only is the combined sound of them likely quite loud and monotonous and continual, but they are eating everything in sight.
What did Pharaoh expect? He knows that every plague Moses has threatened has come to pass. Did he think this plague would not? I've tried and tried but can't seem to get inside his head. He appears to be a person who never considers the consequences of his actions until the consequences begin to fall on him. He's like a person who keeps getting himself into predicaments, then saying to the Lord, "I'll straighten up if You'll just get me out of this trouble. I know I've said that before but this time I mean it," and then when the trouble ceases he goes right back to being wicked because he's learned nothing from his mistakes. When the king witnesses yet another plague falling on his land he calls for Moses and Aaron and makes yet another apology and confession, promises to do better, and asks them to pray for the plague to go away. "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.'" (Exodus 10:16-17)
He says, "Okay, guys, I've really messed up this time. I've done you wrong and I've insulted your God. I am going to try to get my act together this time and do better. I promise I'll have mercy on your people and let them go if you'll persuade your God to get these locusts out of here." I think the king's biggest problem---and the biggest obstacle to him changing for the better---is that the God of Israel is still not his God. He keeps referring to Him as "the Lord your God", not as "the Lord my God". Pharaoh hasn't made God the Lord of his life. And unless or until he does, I don't believe he has the willpower or the moral fortitude to become a better man.
It's possible for a person to live a relatively moral life and to care about others without being a believer in the Lord. I personally know people who are atheists and agnostics who are extremely honest and compassionate people. I personally know people who, through sheer willpower and a desire to preserve their lives and their sanity, have been able to free themselves from the power of alcohol or drugs without turning to the Lord. If Pharaoh had wanted to be a good man he might have been able to change himself into a morally decent person even if he never turned to the Lord. But can we ever be all that the Lord intended us to be without turning to Him? No, and we can't obtain the salvation of our souls without turning to Him either. But some people who aren't believers still possess a desire in their hearts to be decent, law-abiding, honest, compassionate human beings. If Pharaoh had been that type of person, he might have been able to change his ways even if he never turned to the Lord. But it simply isn't in him to be a good person. He lacks any natural desire to love his neighbor as himself.
For a few moments, while in extreme distress, he makes promises to do better. He may actually think in those moments that he's capable of keeping his promises. But as soon as his situation improves he always goes back to being who he was before. This is who Pharaoh wants to be and the Lord lets him be who he wants to be; it suits the purposes of the Lord to allow Pharaoh to be who he wants to be because it allows the Lord to display His great might in Egypt. It allows the Lord to perform such miraculous signs in Egypt that the faith of the Israelites is increased. I suspect some of the Egyptians also turned to the Lord because of the things they witnessed.
"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." (Exodus 10:18-20) Moses prays to the Lord, knowing Pharaoh will go back on his word. The Lord answers Moses prayer, knowing Pharaoh will go back on his word. But the answering of the prayer is the Lord's mercy on the people of Egypt. First, it removes the problem of the locusts. Second, it proves to the people of Egypt that God is the Lord. God brought the plague exactly when He said He would and He removes the plague exactly when Moses prays to Him. There's no way the plague can be dismissed as a natural occurrence when you consider how it came about and how it leaves. God is proving He is God. This presents an opportunity to everyone in the nation to believe in Him and turn to Him for salvation.
Saturday, May 2, 2020
The Exodus. Day 34, The Plague Of Locusts, Part One
We've noted before in our study of Exodus that when speaking of Pharaoh's hard heart we sometimes find Moses saying, "Pharaoh hardened his heart," and at other times he tells us, "God hardened Pharaoh's heart". We talked about how God isn't forcing Pharaoh to be a wicked man. Pharaoh has been a wicked man for a long time and he has no interest in changing. God is letting Pharaoh be who Pharaoh wants to be and He is using Pharaoh's hard heart for His glory. Because Pharaoh keeps resisting the Lord's command to let the Israelites go, the Lord keeps performing great signs in Egypt such as the plagues. Pharaoh's continued resistance allows the Lord to display His power in a land where everyone but the Israelites worships false gods. The Lord isn't forcing Pharaoh to be evil, but at the same time the Lord doesn't force him to be righteous either. The Lord is powerful enough to force every human being on earth to bow their knees to Him. He could overwhelm everyone with the glory of His presence and power to the extent that all would follow Him---out of fear if for no other reason. But He doesn't operate that way.
On the day I gave my heart and life to Him, I did it of my own free will. Granted, He had been calling to me for some time, but I had the ability to keep saying "no" to Him if I chose. Pharaoh also has the ability to keep saying "no" to God, and he does keep saying "no", so when Moses tells us that the Lord hardens Pharaoh's heart I think we must interpret this correctly. I think he's saying that the Lord allowed Pharaoh to remain hard-hearted and that the Lord used Pharaoh's hard-heartedness to accomplish an important purpose in Egypt, which is to prove that He exists and that He is all-powerful and that there is no God besides Him. We don't know how many Egyptian citizens may have turned to the Lord as a result of this, but the Lord's primary purpose in displaying His power in Egypt is to prove to the Israelites that He is a God they can trust.
In yesterday's study Pharaoh pretended to repent and be sorry for his sins when the plague of hail hit, but as soon as the plague was lifted he went back to being his same old self. This is where the narrative picks up today. "Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I may perform these signs of Mine among them that you may tell your children and grandchildren how I dealt harshly with the Egyptians and how I performed My signs among them, and that you may know that I am the Lord.'" (Exodus 10:1-2) The Lord tells Moses, "You and your people will share these stories with the generations to come so they will know they can trust in Me. I didn't allow the Egyptians to get away with their cruelty toward the Israelites. I am a God who avenges those who belong to Me. Anyone who mistreats a child of Mine has to answer to Me. I am a God who brings justice. Was any god of Egypt able to stand against Me? No, because there is no God besides me! I alone am God. I created all things. I have power over all things. Tell the generations to come what I did in Egypt so they will know I am a God they can count on."
"So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, 'This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: 'How long will you refuse to humble Yourselves before Me? Let My people go, so that they may worship Me. If you refuse to let them go, I will bring locusts into your country tomorrow. They will devour what little you have left after the hail; including every tree that is growing in your fields. They will fill your houses and those of all your officials and all the Egyptians---something your parents nor your ancestors have ever seen from the day they settled in this land til now.' Then Moses turned and left Pharaoh." (Exodus 10:3-6) There are a number of locust species in the world and they swarm at various intervals. For example, you've probably heard of the 17-year locust and I believe 2020 is a year when this particular type of locust is due to make an appearance. Pharaoh has seen locust swarms before, so lest he assume the coming locust plague will be a typical swarm, Moses warns him that this swarm will be on a scale never before seen in Egypt. Pharaoh might be tempted to think to himself, "Locusts are coming? So what? We've survived locusts many times before. What's the big deal?" The "big deal" is that these locusts will be so numerous that they can eat literally everything in the country: every crop in the field, every leaf and bud off every fruit-bearing tree, and everything leaf and bud off every fruit-bearing shrub. The fields, trees, shrubs, and vineyards will all be bare.
Pharaoh's officials may be hard-hearted, but as we learned when we studied the plague of hail, some of them were concerned enough to put their slaves and livestock under shelter just in case the hail actually came as Moses said it would. When the hail came as predicted, those who wisely sheltered their slaves and livestock didn't suffer the loss of them. Those who unwisely refused to take precautions suffered loss. So in our passage today we find Pharaoh's officials displaying a healthy fear of the Lord's power. They know He will most likely do what He's said He's going to do if Pharaoh doesn't let the people go. They try to persuade the king to give in and tell Moses to take the people and leave the country. "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?'" (Exodus 10:7)
These men are beginning to see the light, in a way. They may not be bowing their knees to the God of the Israelites and vowing their allegiance to Him, but they certainly have no doubts that He is real and that He's able to do anything He says He's going to do. He's already done a great deal in Egypt due to Pharaoh's stubbornness and He's going to do a lot more before He's finished if Pharaoh doesn't relent. The officials plead with their leader, "Already it's going to take us years to recover from what's happened as a result of holding onto the Israelite slaves. Why keep refusing to let them go? Why run the nation so far into the ground that it can never rise again? You're so caught up in your pride and rebellion that you can no longer see the forest for the trees. Is it worth holding onto your pride if it means losing your nation? What kind of king will you be then? A king of peasants who are starving to death? A king whose nation has no economy? A king who can't equip his army? We won't be able to defend ourselves and our enemies will swoop in and take over. We will become subjects of some other king from some other land. You may lose your life or be forced to bow at the feet of our conquerors. Wake up, man! Change your mind before it's too late!"
In tomorrow's study Pharaoh will call Moses and Aaron back and try to negotiate with them. He'll attempt to come up with a compromise in which he can hold onto the majority of the Israelites while only some of them go into the desert to worship the Lord with sacrifices. His intention is to ensure the return of the worshipers by holding hostage the remainder of the people. He is still unwilling to set them free. His offer will be unacceptable to the Lord, to Moses and Aaron, and to the Israelites. The choice Pharaoh is being presented with is all or nothing. He must set all the people free. But he won't and the plague will come.
On the day I gave my heart and life to Him, I did it of my own free will. Granted, He had been calling to me for some time, but I had the ability to keep saying "no" to Him if I chose. Pharaoh also has the ability to keep saying "no" to God, and he does keep saying "no", so when Moses tells us that the Lord hardens Pharaoh's heart I think we must interpret this correctly. I think he's saying that the Lord allowed Pharaoh to remain hard-hearted and that the Lord used Pharaoh's hard-heartedness to accomplish an important purpose in Egypt, which is to prove that He exists and that He is all-powerful and that there is no God besides Him. We don't know how many Egyptian citizens may have turned to the Lord as a result of this, but the Lord's primary purpose in displaying His power in Egypt is to prove to the Israelites that He is a God they can trust.
In yesterday's study Pharaoh pretended to repent and be sorry for his sins when the plague of hail hit, but as soon as the plague was lifted he went back to being his same old self. This is where the narrative picks up today. "Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I may perform these signs of Mine among them that you may tell your children and grandchildren how I dealt harshly with the Egyptians and how I performed My signs among them, and that you may know that I am the Lord.'" (Exodus 10:1-2) The Lord tells Moses, "You and your people will share these stories with the generations to come so they will know they can trust in Me. I didn't allow the Egyptians to get away with their cruelty toward the Israelites. I am a God who avenges those who belong to Me. Anyone who mistreats a child of Mine has to answer to Me. I am a God who brings justice. Was any god of Egypt able to stand against Me? No, because there is no God besides me! I alone am God. I created all things. I have power over all things. Tell the generations to come what I did in Egypt so they will know I am a God they can count on."
"So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, 'This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: 'How long will you refuse to humble Yourselves before Me? Let My people go, so that they may worship Me. If you refuse to let them go, I will bring locusts into your country tomorrow. They will devour what little you have left after the hail; including every tree that is growing in your fields. They will fill your houses and those of all your officials and all the Egyptians---something your parents nor your ancestors have ever seen from the day they settled in this land til now.' Then Moses turned and left Pharaoh." (Exodus 10:3-6) There are a number of locust species in the world and they swarm at various intervals. For example, you've probably heard of the 17-year locust and I believe 2020 is a year when this particular type of locust is due to make an appearance. Pharaoh has seen locust swarms before, so lest he assume the coming locust plague will be a typical swarm, Moses warns him that this swarm will be on a scale never before seen in Egypt. Pharaoh might be tempted to think to himself, "Locusts are coming? So what? We've survived locusts many times before. What's the big deal?" The "big deal" is that these locusts will be so numerous that they can eat literally everything in the country: every crop in the field, every leaf and bud off every fruit-bearing tree, and everything leaf and bud off every fruit-bearing shrub. The fields, trees, shrubs, and vineyards will all be bare.
Pharaoh's officials may be hard-hearted, but as we learned when we studied the plague of hail, some of them were concerned enough to put their slaves and livestock under shelter just in case the hail actually came as Moses said it would. When the hail came as predicted, those who wisely sheltered their slaves and livestock didn't suffer the loss of them. Those who unwisely refused to take precautions suffered loss. So in our passage today we find Pharaoh's officials displaying a healthy fear of the Lord's power. They know He will most likely do what He's said He's going to do if Pharaoh doesn't let the people go. They try to persuade the king to give in and tell Moses to take the people and leave the country. "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?'" (Exodus 10:7)
These men are beginning to see the light, in a way. They may not be bowing their knees to the God of the Israelites and vowing their allegiance to Him, but they certainly have no doubts that He is real and that He's able to do anything He says He's going to do. He's already done a great deal in Egypt due to Pharaoh's stubbornness and He's going to do a lot more before He's finished if Pharaoh doesn't relent. The officials plead with their leader, "Already it's going to take us years to recover from what's happened as a result of holding onto the Israelite slaves. Why keep refusing to let them go? Why run the nation so far into the ground that it can never rise again? You're so caught up in your pride and rebellion that you can no longer see the forest for the trees. Is it worth holding onto your pride if it means losing your nation? What kind of king will you be then? A king of peasants who are starving to death? A king whose nation has no economy? A king who can't equip his army? We won't be able to defend ourselves and our enemies will swoop in and take over. We will become subjects of some other king from some other land. You may lose your life or be forced to bow at the feet of our conquerors. Wake up, man! Change your mind before it's too late!"
In tomorrow's study Pharaoh will call Moses and Aaron back and try to negotiate with them. He'll attempt to come up with a compromise in which he can hold onto the majority of the Israelites while only some of them go into the desert to worship the Lord with sacrifices. His intention is to ensure the return of the worshipers by holding hostage the remainder of the people. He is still unwilling to set them free. His offer will be unacceptable to the Lord, to Moses and Aaron, and to the Israelites. The choice Pharaoh is being presented with is all or nothing. He must set all the people free. But he won't and the plague will come.
Friday, May 1, 2020
The Exodus. Day 33, The Plague Of Hail, Part Two
The Lord gave Pharaoh twenty-four hours to change his mind and let the people go. He has not changed his mind, so the plague of hail falls on his country.
"Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that hail will fall all over Egypt---on people and animals and on everything growing in the fields of Egypt.' When Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, the Lord sent thunder and hail, and lightning flashed down to the ground." (Exodus 9:22-23a) You'll recall from yesterday's passage that some of the Egyptians heeded the Lord's warning and got their slaves and livestock out of harm's way. If you've ever seen a hailstorm then you know that even small balls of hail can do a fair amount of damage to certain surfaces. Just a day or two ago there was a story in the news about what might be the biggest ball of hail ever measured; it came in at about 9" across. Now imagine if there were thousands of these falling all at once with incredible speed, along with hundreds of close lightning strikes and deafening peals of thunder. That's what's going to happen in Egypt in today's study.
Some of the Egyptians believed the plague of hail was coming and did what they could to mitigate the damage. But Pharaoh and many of his fellow citizens scoffed at the word of the Lord. They have already seen demonstrations of His great power but are still trying their best to remain in stubborn denial. Anyone in Egypt who has not taken steps to protect his property is going to suffer loss. "So the Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt; hail fell and lightning flashed back and forth. It was the worst storm in all the land of Egypt since it had become a nation." (Exodus 9:23b-24) The Lord said it would be the worst storm Egypt had ever experienced. He kept His word.
"Throughout Egypt hail struck everything in the fields---both people and animals; it beat down everything growing in the fields and stripped every tree." (Exodus 9:23) There's really nothing the Egyptians can to do protect the crops in the field or the trees in the forest. Even those who are beginning to fear the God of the Hebrews are powerless to shelter their crops, but at least they've protected the lives of their slaves and animals. Some who laughed at the word of the Lord remained outdoors and were struck by the hail. Those who refused to believe Him suffered the loss of slaves and livestock on top of the loss of their crops.
This frightful display of fire and ice, accompanied by the sound of thunder so loud his ears are ringing, temporary puts some fear into the heart of the king. "Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. 'This time I have sinned,' he said to them. 'The Lord is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong. Pray to the Lord, for we have had enough thunder and hail. I will let you go; you don't have to stay any longer.'" (Exodus 9:27-28) Pharaoh's confession falls short of what a truly repentant confession should be. He says, "Okay, I admit I went too far this time. I held out a little bit too long. I can see that I should have just gone ahead and let the Isrealites go after that last plague, the one where we all broke out in boils. I apologize for my misconduct. I also apologize on behalf of my people who have treated your people poorly. If you can persuade your God to stop this storm, I'll allow the Israelites to go free."
Pharaoh wants to escape the consequences of his sins. He's not particularly sorry for committing the sins in the first place. He's like a criminal who is sorry he's been caught but isn't really sorry for committing the crimes that got him arrested. While some criminals become rehabilitated during incarceration, the majority of them go back to their previous way of living as soon as they are released from prison. Pharaoh is the same way. In his eyes the Israelites are a lesser form of human being than the Egyptians. He's racially prejudiced against them. He feels they don't deserve human dignity or compassion. He doesn't care if they're mistreated or overworked or even worked to death. Nothing in his heart has changed toward them, and if he can he will continue treating them the same as always, but at the moment he's feeling pretty anxious about getting on the bad side of the God who apparently does care for the Israelites. To provide further evidence that the favor of God is upon the Israelites, nothing in the land of Goshen has been damaged by the storm. "The only place it did not hail was the land of Goshen, where the Israelites were." (Exodus 9:26) Pharaoh himself cares nothing for the Israelites and cannot fathom why anyone else would, but their God has just put on such an alarming display of power that Pharaoh is a bit shaken up on the inside. In this moment he'd say anything to appease the God who can bring such a storm. Once the storm has been halted, and as soon as the king's bad scare subsides, he'll go back on his word to let the people go.
"Moses replied, 'When I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands in prayer to the Lord. The thunder will stop and there will be no more hail, so you may know that the earth is the Lord's. But I know that you and your officials still do not fear the Lord God.'" (Exodus 9:29-30) The Lord has proven once again that He holds all power over the creation. But once again Pharaoh is not changed from the inside out. He's mouthing the right words but his heart is still very far from the Lord. Moses lets him know he isn't fooled. God isn't fooled either. God will stop the storm when Moses makes intercessory prayer for the Egyptians, but this is so that the Egyptians cannot claim the storm stopped on its own. It won't stop until Moses walks out of the capital city and lifts his hands to heaven and prays to the Lord. This will bring an instant halt to the storm. The storm won't taper off naturally, in the way that storms do. As soon as Moses prays to the Lord, the Lord cuts the storm off as easily and quickly as a person cuts water off from a faucet.
Moses interjects some information about the crops here, and I think he does it to give us a clue as to why Pharaoh goes back on his word. "(The flax and barley were destroyed, since the barley had headed and the flax was in bloom. The wheat and spelt, however, were not destroyed, because they ripen later.)" (Exodus 9:31-32) Not everything had come up from the ground at this point in the growing season. Seed that had not yet sprouted and shoots that hadn't reached a certain level of maturity were not destroyed. This means that all is not lost; there will still be a later harvest. Pharaoh is counting on that later harvest to prevent famine in the land. The loss of the flax and barley is upsetting, to be sure, but it doesn't represent a complete and utter disaster for the land. It doesn't mean people and animals are going to starve to death. In the back of his mind, Pharaoh is already beginning to add up the damage and calculate how much can be salvaged. He's thinking about the food in the storehouses, for as we were told in Genesis, a 20% agricultural tax is collected yearly from the people. There is food stored up in Egypt that will help make up for this year's flax and barley. Once he comes to the conclusion that he and his people are going to survive this loss, the king's heart is going to harden even further against the Lord and against the Israelites.
"Then Moses left Pharaoh and went out of the city. He spread out his hands toward the Lord; the thunder and hail stopped, and the rain no longer poured down on the land." (Exodus 9:33) I picture Moses walking unharmed through the storm that's pelting everything and everyone around him. I'd be willing to bet he doesn't even get wet! In a circle of calm dryness, I see him lifting his hands to heaven and I hear his voice calling out to the Lord on behalf of the people of Egypt. Immediately the rain and hail stop falling, the lightning stops flashing, the thunder stops booming, and there is instant calm.
Watching from his palace, Pharaoh observes all these things but steels himself against feeling fear and reverence for the Lord. He and his officials learn nothing from what they've observed and heard. "When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had stopped, he sinned again. He and his officials hardened their hearts. So Pharaoh's heart was hard and he would not let the Israelites go, just as the Lord had said through Moses." (Exodus 9:34-35)
"Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that hail will fall all over Egypt---on people and animals and on everything growing in the fields of Egypt.' When Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, the Lord sent thunder and hail, and lightning flashed down to the ground." (Exodus 9:22-23a) You'll recall from yesterday's passage that some of the Egyptians heeded the Lord's warning and got their slaves and livestock out of harm's way. If you've ever seen a hailstorm then you know that even small balls of hail can do a fair amount of damage to certain surfaces. Just a day or two ago there was a story in the news about what might be the biggest ball of hail ever measured; it came in at about 9" across. Now imagine if there were thousands of these falling all at once with incredible speed, along with hundreds of close lightning strikes and deafening peals of thunder. That's what's going to happen in Egypt in today's study.
Some of the Egyptians believed the plague of hail was coming and did what they could to mitigate the damage. But Pharaoh and many of his fellow citizens scoffed at the word of the Lord. They have already seen demonstrations of His great power but are still trying their best to remain in stubborn denial. Anyone in Egypt who has not taken steps to protect his property is going to suffer loss. "So the Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt; hail fell and lightning flashed back and forth. It was the worst storm in all the land of Egypt since it had become a nation." (Exodus 9:23b-24) The Lord said it would be the worst storm Egypt had ever experienced. He kept His word.
"Throughout Egypt hail struck everything in the fields---both people and animals; it beat down everything growing in the fields and stripped every tree." (Exodus 9:23) There's really nothing the Egyptians can to do protect the crops in the field or the trees in the forest. Even those who are beginning to fear the God of the Hebrews are powerless to shelter their crops, but at least they've protected the lives of their slaves and animals. Some who laughed at the word of the Lord remained outdoors and were struck by the hail. Those who refused to believe Him suffered the loss of slaves and livestock on top of the loss of their crops.
This frightful display of fire and ice, accompanied by the sound of thunder so loud his ears are ringing, temporary puts some fear into the heart of the king. "Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. 'This time I have sinned,' he said to them. 'The Lord is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong. Pray to the Lord, for we have had enough thunder and hail. I will let you go; you don't have to stay any longer.'" (Exodus 9:27-28) Pharaoh's confession falls short of what a truly repentant confession should be. He says, "Okay, I admit I went too far this time. I held out a little bit too long. I can see that I should have just gone ahead and let the Isrealites go after that last plague, the one where we all broke out in boils. I apologize for my misconduct. I also apologize on behalf of my people who have treated your people poorly. If you can persuade your God to stop this storm, I'll allow the Israelites to go free."
Pharaoh wants to escape the consequences of his sins. He's not particularly sorry for committing the sins in the first place. He's like a criminal who is sorry he's been caught but isn't really sorry for committing the crimes that got him arrested. While some criminals become rehabilitated during incarceration, the majority of them go back to their previous way of living as soon as they are released from prison. Pharaoh is the same way. In his eyes the Israelites are a lesser form of human being than the Egyptians. He's racially prejudiced against them. He feels they don't deserve human dignity or compassion. He doesn't care if they're mistreated or overworked or even worked to death. Nothing in his heart has changed toward them, and if he can he will continue treating them the same as always, but at the moment he's feeling pretty anxious about getting on the bad side of the God who apparently does care for the Israelites. To provide further evidence that the favor of God is upon the Israelites, nothing in the land of Goshen has been damaged by the storm. "The only place it did not hail was the land of Goshen, where the Israelites were." (Exodus 9:26) Pharaoh himself cares nothing for the Israelites and cannot fathom why anyone else would, but their God has just put on such an alarming display of power that Pharaoh is a bit shaken up on the inside. In this moment he'd say anything to appease the God who can bring such a storm. Once the storm has been halted, and as soon as the king's bad scare subsides, he'll go back on his word to let the people go.
"Moses replied, 'When I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands in prayer to the Lord. The thunder will stop and there will be no more hail, so you may know that the earth is the Lord's. But I know that you and your officials still do not fear the Lord God.'" (Exodus 9:29-30) The Lord has proven once again that He holds all power over the creation. But once again Pharaoh is not changed from the inside out. He's mouthing the right words but his heart is still very far from the Lord. Moses lets him know he isn't fooled. God isn't fooled either. God will stop the storm when Moses makes intercessory prayer for the Egyptians, but this is so that the Egyptians cannot claim the storm stopped on its own. It won't stop until Moses walks out of the capital city and lifts his hands to heaven and prays to the Lord. This will bring an instant halt to the storm. The storm won't taper off naturally, in the way that storms do. As soon as Moses prays to the Lord, the Lord cuts the storm off as easily and quickly as a person cuts water off from a faucet.
Moses interjects some information about the crops here, and I think he does it to give us a clue as to why Pharaoh goes back on his word. "(The flax and barley were destroyed, since the barley had headed and the flax was in bloom. The wheat and spelt, however, were not destroyed, because they ripen later.)" (Exodus 9:31-32) Not everything had come up from the ground at this point in the growing season. Seed that had not yet sprouted and shoots that hadn't reached a certain level of maturity were not destroyed. This means that all is not lost; there will still be a later harvest. Pharaoh is counting on that later harvest to prevent famine in the land. The loss of the flax and barley is upsetting, to be sure, but it doesn't represent a complete and utter disaster for the land. It doesn't mean people and animals are going to starve to death. In the back of his mind, Pharaoh is already beginning to add up the damage and calculate how much can be salvaged. He's thinking about the food in the storehouses, for as we were told in Genesis, a 20% agricultural tax is collected yearly from the people. There is food stored up in Egypt that will help make up for this year's flax and barley. Once he comes to the conclusion that he and his people are going to survive this loss, the king's heart is going to harden even further against the Lord and against the Israelites.
"Then Moses left Pharaoh and went out of the city. He spread out his hands toward the Lord; the thunder and hail stopped, and the rain no longer poured down on the land." (Exodus 9:33) I picture Moses walking unharmed through the storm that's pelting everything and everyone around him. I'd be willing to bet he doesn't even get wet! In a circle of calm dryness, I see him lifting his hands to heaven and I hear his voice calling out to the Lord on behalf of the people of Egypt. Immediately the rain and hail stop falling, the lightning stops flashing, the thunder stops booming, and there is instant calm.
Watching from his palace, Pharaoh observes all these things but steels himself against feeling fear and reverence for the Lord. He and his officials learn nothing from what they've observed and heard. "When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had stopped, he sinned again. He and his officials hardened their hearts. So Pharaoh's heart was hard and he would not let the Israelites go, just as the Lord had said through Moses." (Exodus 9:34-35)
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