Exodus 10 - The Moment Egypt Starts to Unravel

Most people know what it's like to ignore a problem and hope it goes away.

Ignore the warning. Ignore the check engine light. Ignore the difficult conversation.

For a while, you can convince yourself everything is fine.

Then one day the consequences show up at the front door.

That's Exodus 10.

Pharaoh keeps doubling down.

God keeps speaking.

The gap between what Pharaoh wants and what God has commanded keeps getting wider.

And now?

Egypt is starting to feel the full weight of it.

 

God Explains What's Really Happening

1 And the Lord said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these my signs before him:

2 And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son's son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that ye may know how that I am the Lord.

 

   The Lord sends Moses back to Pharaoh. Again.

   At this point, imagine Pharaoh seeing Moses walk into the palace and immediately thinking, "Oh great. Here we go again."

   But this time God tells Moses something important before he goes.  "I have hardened his heart."

   Then God explains why.

   So, these signs will be remembered. So future generations will hear the story. So, Israel will know who the Lord is.

   Pause there. God isn't just dealing with Pharaoh. He's teaching His people.

   These events aren't supposed to be forgotten. They're supposed to be retold.

   Parents to children. Grandparents to grandchildren. Generation after generation.

   Because sometimes God's people need reminders of what God can do.

   When life gets chaotic, remembering what God has already done can keep your faith from spiraling.

 

God Hits Pharaoh with the Real Question

3 And Moses and Aaron came in unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? let my people go, that they may serve me.

 

   Moses and Aaron enter Pharaoh's presence again. No long introduction. No small talk. Straight to it.

   "How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me?"

   Oof. That's the question.

   Not, "How long will you disagree?" Not, "How long will you negotiate?"

   How long will you refuse to humble yourself?

   The issue has always been deeper than politics. It's pride.

   Then comes the familiar command. "Let my people go." Same message. Same choice.

   Pharaoh has heard it over and over. The receipts are already in. The evidence is overwhelming.

   But the decision is still his.

 

The Locust Warning

4 Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast:

5 And they shall cover the face of the earth, that one cannot be able to see the earth: and they shall eat the residue of that which is escaped, which remaineth unto you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which groweth for you out of the field:

6 And they shall fill thy houses, and the houses of all thy servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; which neither thy fathers, nor thy fathers' fathers have seen, since the day that they were upon the earth unto this day. And he turned himself, and went out from Pharaoh.

 

   Then comes the next warning.

   Locusts. And not a normal swarm. A disaster-level swarm.

   God says they're coming if Pharaoh refuses.

   And they're going to eat whatever survived the hail.

   Imagine being an Egyptian listening to this.

   The hail already wrecked huge parts of the land. People are still recovering.

   Now Moses is basically saying, "Whatever's left? The locusts are coming for that too."

   The tension keeps rising. The pressure keeps getting cranked up.

   Then Moses leaves. No argument. No debate.

   Just the warning. And quiet.

   You can almost feel that silence hanging in the room.

 

The Egyptians Finally Say What Everyone Is Thinking

7 And Pharaoh's servants said unto him, How long shall this man be a snare unto us? let the men go, that they may serve the Lord their God: knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed?

 

   The palace is tense. Really tense. You can almost feel it.

   Nobody is relaxed anymore.

   Every new conversation starts with the same question, "What's going to happen next?"

   Then Pharaoh's officials finally speak up.

   And honestly? It feels like they've been holding this in for a long time.

   For the first time, Pharaoh's own servants start pushing back. Hard.

   They say, "How long shall this man be a snare unto us?"

   Translation? "Pharaoh, this is not working. How much more are we going to lose before you listen?"

   They've had enough. The economy is getting wrecked. The land is getting wrecked. Egypt is spiraling.

   Then they ask, "Knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed?" Destroyed. Not being destroyed. Destroyed.

   In their minds, the damage is already done.

   Think about that.

   These are Pharaoh's own advisors. His own people. The people closest to the throne.

   And they're basically saying, "Pharaoh...look around." The crops are gone. The livestock are gone. People are suffering. The economy is collapsing.

   The palace staff can see what Pharaoh refuses to see.

   Everybody knows it. Except the guy in charge.

   And that's what makes this moment so heavy. The people with the least power are finally seeing the situation more clearly than the man with the most power.

   The illusion is collapsing.

   Sometimes pride can lock a person into a losing battle long after everybody around them can see it's over.

 

The Negotiation Attempt

8 And Moses and Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh: and he said unto them, Go, serve the Lord your God: but who are they that shall go?

9 And Moses said, We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go; for we must hold a feast unto the Lord.

10 And he said unto them, Let the Lord be so with you, as I will let you go, and your little ones: look to it; for evil is before you.

11 Not so: go now ye that are men, and serve the Lord; for that ye did desire. And they were driven out from Pharaoh's presence.

 

   Moses and Aaron get called back. Pharaoh finally sounds interested. At least a little.

   Pharaoh asks, "Who are the ones that shall go?"

   Now we're getting somewhere.

   Moses answers clearly. Young. Old. Sons. Daughters. Flocks. Herds. Everybody. Because this is a feast unto the Lord. Nobody gets left behind.

   Then Pharaoh's attitude shifts. Fast.

   You can almost see the wall go back up.

   He says only the men can go. Not the families. Not everyone. Just the men.

   Pharaoh is still trying to keep control. Still trying to set the terms. Still trying to edit God's command.

   But partial obedience isn't what God asked for.

   So, Moses and Aaron are driven out. Negotiation over. Back to square one.

   Sometimes we want a compromise when God has already been clear.

 

The Locusts Arrive — The Sky Starts Moving

12 And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail hath left.

13 And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and the Lord brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts.

14 And the locust went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the coasts of Egypt: very grievous were they; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such.

15 For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt.

 

   God tells Moses to stretch out his hand. And the east wind begins to blow.

   Hour after hour. All day. All night.

   You can imagine people noticing it. Dust moving. Wind whistling.

   Something feels off. Something's coming.

   Then morning arrives. And so do the locusts. Everywhere. Absolutely everywhere.

   The text slows down to emphasize it. Nothing like this had happened before.

   Locusts cover the land. The ground starts disappearing under them. The sky darkens. Fields vanish beneath moving insects.

   Anything left after the hail gets eaten. Fruit trees. Plants. Green growth. Gone.

   Imagine standing in a field watching an entire harvest disappear in front of your eyes.

   That's what Egypt is experiencing. The nation is watching its future get consumed. One bite at a time.

 

Pharaoh Breaks

16 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste; and he said, I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you.

17 Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and intreat the Lord your God, that he may take away from me this death only.

 

   This time Pharaoh doesn't wait.

   Usually, he delays. Usually, he argues. Usually, he negotiates. Not now.

   Pharaoh moves fast this time. Really fast. The panic button gets smashed.

   Pharaoh calls for Moses and Aaron. Urgently.  And when they arrive, Pharaoh's words come spilling out fast.

   Paraoh says, "I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against you."

   Those words sound familiar. We've heard similar things before.

   For a moment, you almost want to believe him. Maybe this is it. Maybe he's finally reached the end of himself. Maybe the walls are finally cracking.

   Then Pharaoh asks for forgiveness. And asks Moses to pray.

   He wants this plague gone. Immediately.

   The pressure is unbearable. Egypt can't take much more.

   You can almost hear the desperation.

   This isn't the language of a confident king anymore. This is desperation talking.

   The most powerful man in Egypt suddenly sounds small. Because pain has a way of humbling people.

   At least temporarily.

 

God Removes the Locusts

18 And he went out from Pharaoh, and intreated the Lord.

19 And the Lord turned a mighty strong west wind, which took away the locusts, and cast them into the Red sea; there remained not one locust in all the coasts of Egypt.

 

   Moses leaves Pharaoh and he prays.

   Then the Lord sends a strong west wind.

   The same God who brought the locusts sends them away.

   The swarm is carried into the Red Sea. Not one locust remains. Not one.

   The land is devastated. But the locusts are gone.

   Again, God's control is total. Bringing them. Removing them.

   Every part of the situation remains in His hands.

 

Pharaoh Doubles Down

20 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go.

 

   And then... The cycle returns. Again.

   Pharaoh hardens his heart. Or rather, the Lord hardens Pharaoh's heart as previously declared.

   No release. No freedom. No obedience.

   It's honestly frustrating to watch. The relief arrives. The promises disappear.

   Same pattern. Different plague.

 

Darkness Falls

21 And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.

22 And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days:

23 They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.

 

   Then comes the plague that feels different from all the others.

   No insects. No disease. No hail. No storms. Just darkness. But not ordinary darkness.

   God tells Moses to stretch out his hand toward heaven. And darkness covers Egypt. Thick darkness. The kind that feels heavy.

   The text says people couldn't see one another.

   Imagine that.

   The markets stop. Work stops. Travel stops. Normal life stops. It's as if the entire nation freezes. For three days. Three long days.

   The entire nation sits still. No movement. No normal routines. No distractions.

   Just sitting in the dark.

   This may be one of the most emotionally terrifying moments in Exodus.

   Because darkness forces you to stop. No distractions. No busy schedules. No pretending.

   Just silence. Just waiting. Just thoughts.

   Can you imagine the conversations? Or maybe the lack of conversations?

   Families sitting together. Thinking about everything that's happened. Wondering what comes next.

   Wondering if things will ever go back to normal. Wondering why Pharaoh won't stop.

   The nation is trapped in a darkness it cannot fix.

   Then comes one of the chapter's most powerful contrasts. The Israelites had light where they lived.

   What a picture. Darkness in Egypt. Light in Goshen.

   Fear in one place. Peace in another.

   Not because Israel is smarter. Not because Israel is stronger.

   Because God makes a distinction. Again. And again. And again.

   Once again, God draws a line.  The distinction speaks for itself.

 

Pharaoh Tries One More Compromise

24 And Pharaoh called unto Moses, and said, Go ye, serve the Lord; only let your flocks and your herds be stayed: let your little ones also go with you.

25 And Moses said, Thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice unto the Lord our God.

26 Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not an hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to serve the Lord our God; and we know not with what we must serve the Lord, until we come thither.

 

   Pharaoh calls Moses again.

   This time his offer gets closer. You can tell the pressure is working.

   Pharoah says, "Go serve the Lord." Sounds good.

   Then comes the catch. The livestock stay.

   Classic Pharaoh. Always another condition. Always another exception. Always another loophole.

   Moses refuses. Even the livestock must go. Because they will be needed for worship.

   And Moses says something fascinating. "We know not with what we must serve the LORD, until we come thither."

   In other words, "We'll obey first and learn more as we go."

   That's faith. They don't have every detail. But they know the next step.

   Sometimes that's enough.

   You don't always get the whole map before obedience. Sometimes you just get the next step.

 

Pharaoh Snaps

27 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let them go.

28 And Pharaoh said unto him, Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die.

 

   Pharaoh's anger finally explodes.

   The conversation is over. No more discussion. No more negotiations. No more offers.

   Pharoah tells Moses, "Get thee from me."

   Then comes the threat. See my face again and you'll die.

   The relationship has completely broken down.

   The tension is at maximum levels now.

   Everything is headed toward a final confrontation.

 

Moses Walks Away

29 And Moses said, Thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face again no more.

 

   Moses answers calmly. "Thou hast spoken well."

   Then he says, "I will see thy face again no more."

   That's it. No dramatic speech. No shouting.

   Just a simple statement.

   The chapter ends with the door closing.

   Moses walks away. Pharaoh stays in his palace.

   And everybody can feel it. Something bigger is coming.

   The story is moving toward its decisive moment.

 

 

Exodus 10 reminds us that stubbornness can keep a person fighting battles they've already lost.

Everybody around Pharaoh can see reality.

The question is, “Can Pharaoh?”

And sometimes the harder question is, “Can we?”