Plague of Locusts, mixed media by Yvette Rock

Reflection by Don Schwager

Moses is a man of patience and persistence. He goes an eighth time to Pharoah to request the release of the Israelites so they offer sacrifice to God in the wilderness. Pharoah knows he is dealing with a man of great spiritual authority and supernatural power. Moses goes to the heart of Pharoah's resistance – If you would but humble yourself before the One true God (Exodus 10:3), then he would lift all these afflictions from your land. Pride is the root of all sin – the stubborn refusal to serve and obey.

Moses threatens with a plague of locusts – feared in the desert climate for their ability to suddenly swoop down and wipe out every crop and vegetation in a few short hours, leaving a barren wasteland, and bringing famine in their wake. Pharoah's courtiers warn him that Egypt is on the brink of  ruin and disaster. Pharoah again tries to compromise with Moses. "You and the men can go into the wilderness, but leave your women and children here." Moses knows that Pharoah will keep them as hostages until the men return. Moses refuses to compromise. 

It is easy to compromise with sin or to only go half-way in obeying God. God is not satisfied until we love him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.He is a jealous God who loves us totally, unconditionally, and without reservation. "For God so loved the world that he gave us his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). To ransom a slave God sacrificed his beloved Son. Total love demands total sacrifice. 

"Lord Jesus, you humbled yourself to raise us up. You became poor to make us rich. You died to give us new life –  abundant, everlasting life with you and the Father. I want to give my life fully to you and bring you honor and glory in all that I say and do." 

Exodus 10

1 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go in to Pharaoh; for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may show these signs of mine among them,
2 and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and of your son's son how I have made sport of the Egyptians and what signs I have done among them; that you may know that I am the LORD." 

3 So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and said to him, "Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, `How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, that they may serve me. 4 For if you refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country, 5 and they shall cover the face of the land, so that no one can see the land; and they shall eat what is left to you after the hail, and they shall eat every tree of yours which grows in the field, 6 and they shall fill your houses, and the houses of all your servants and of all the Egyptians; as neither your fathers nor your grandfathers have seen, from the day they came on earth to this day.'" Then he turned and went out from Pharaoh. 

7 And Pharaoh's servants said to him, "How long shall this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve the LORD their God; do you not yet understand that Egypt is ruined?" 

8 So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh; and he said to them, "Go, serve the LORD your God; but who are to go?" 9 And Moses said, "We will go with our young and our old; we will go with our sons and daughters and with our flocks and herds, for we must hold a feast to the LORD." 

10 And he said to them, "The LORD be with you, if ever I let you and your little ones go! Look, you have some evil purpose in mind. 11 No! Go, the men among you, and serve the LORD, for that is what you desire." And they were driven out from Pharaoh's presence. 

12 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come upon the land of Egypt, and eat every plant in the land, all that the hail has left." 

13 So 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 had brought the locusts. 14 And the locusts came up over all the land of Egypt, and settled on the whole country of Egypt, such a dense swarm of locusts as had never been before, nor ever shall be again. 15 For they covered the face of the whole land, so that the land was darkened, and they ate all the plants in the land and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left; not a green thing remained, neither tree nor plant of the field, through all the land of Egypt. 

16 Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron in haste, and said, "I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against you. 17 Now therefore, forgive my sin, I pray you, only this once, and entreat the LORD your God only to remove this death from me." 18 So he went out from Pharaoh, and entreated the LORD. 19 And the LORD turned a very strong west wind, which lifted the locusts and drove them into the Red Sea; not a single locust was left in all the country of Egypt. 20 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go.