May 21

EXODUS 10

²¹ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness to be felt.” ²² So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was pitch darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. ²³ They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the people of Israel had light where they lived. ²⁴ Then Pharaoh called Moses and said, “Go, serve the Lord; your little ones also may go with you; only let your flocks and your herds remain behind.” ²⁵ But Moses said, “You must also let us have sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God. ²⁶ Our livestock also must go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind, for we must take of them to serve the Lord our God, and we do not know with what we must serve the Lord until we arrive there.” ²⁷ But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go. ²⁸ Then Pharaoh said to him, “Get away from me; take care never to see my face again, for on the day you see my face you shall die.” ²⁹ Moses said, “As you say! I will not see your face again.”

                                                                   – Exodus 10:21-29

EXODUS 10 THE PLAGUE OF DARKNESS

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

After the plague of locusts, the Lord God brought about the plague of darkness

Three days of pitch black surrounded the whole land of Egypt

No one can see each other and no one can move from where they were

The Israelites have light where they lived, but Egypt was in total darkness.

Can you imagine how debilitating this plague was? It is like being blind for three days and everyone else around you cannot see as well. You can’t eat, work, play or do anything. In this plague the Lord God gives the Egyptians a glimpse of how life is without God who is the source of light and light himself as 1 John 1:5 says.

Unbelievers live literally and figuratively in darkness. The absence of God in their lives makes them have no ability to see the spiritual or unseen forces around them. They fall into traps because there is no one truly guiding them. Unlike unbelievers, those who have faith in God are given the light which comes from his word. It is the lamp that lights their path and makes them follow the only way that leads to everlasting life.

REFLECTION

• Can a Christian live in spiritual darkness? Why or why not?

May 19

EXODUS 10

⁷ Then 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 which ones are to go?” ⁹ 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 But 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 are asking.” 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, so 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 out his staff over the land of Egypt, and the Lord brought an east wind upon the land all that day and all that night. When it was morning, the east wind had brought the locusts. 

                                                                   – Exodus 10:7-13

EXODUS 10 PHARAOH BARGAINS WITH MOSES

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When the warning for the locusts came, even Pharaoh’s household convince him

They have the sensibility to see the coming judgment as they’ve been suffering

But Pharaoh bargains with Moses that only the men should go and worship God

He didn’t want the women and children to go to with them out of Egypt.

I have not encountered any other man in the bible as hard-hearted and stubborn as this man. Of course, we know from the account that it was also God’s doing that he was that stubborn. Even his servants were beginning to convince him of the further consequences of him not releasing them.

Here, we see that part of Pharaoh wants to relent but with certain conditions. He wanted to leave the women and children as hostage in case there was something evil that was going to happen. What a fool! No matter how much signs and punishment he is receiving, he won’t give up the Israelites.

REFLECTION

• What drives Pharaoh to bargain who would go to worship their God?

May 18

EXODUS 10

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 grandson how I have dealt harshly with 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 that 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. – Exodus 10:1-6

EXODUS 10 WARNING ON THE PLAGUE OF LOCUSTS

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

God continued to bring plagues until Pharaoh released his people

No matter how much warnings Pharaoh got, his heart is hardened

God was patient enough to give him preparation for this plague

But if he continues with his hard-heartedness, they will all perish.

This eighth plague shows us how God is faithful to deliver his people and how he will bring judgment upon those who oppress them. You would think that by now, Pharaoh would have already been convinced of the powerful God that the Israelites serve. During the previous plague, we see a glimpse of light when he admits that he was wrong and God was right, but once again, as soon as the plague was lifted, he goes back to that darkness.

According to a commentary, the spiritual meaning of locusts is often interpreted as a symbol of transformation, regeneration and spiritual growth. Locusts are known for their swarming behavior and ability to transform landscapes, which could be a symbol for spiritual awakening and growth.

REFLECTION

• What was God’s reason for bringing about these plagues according to verses 1-2?

May 17

EXODUS 9

²⁷ Then Pharaoh sent and called Moses and Aaron and said to them, “This time I have sinned; the Lord is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong. ²⁸ Plead with the Lord, for there has been enough of God’s thunder and hail. I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer.” ²⁹ Moses said to him, “As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will stretch out my hands to the Lord. The thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that the earth is the Lord’s. ³⁰ But as for you and your servants, I know that you do not yet fear the Lord God.” ³¹ (The flax and the barley were struck down, for the barley was in the ear and the flax was in bud. ³² But the wheat and the emmerwere not struck down, for they are late in coming up.) ³³ So Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh and stretched out his hands to the Lord, and the thunder and the hail ceased, and the rain no longer poured upon the earth. ³⁴ But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet again and hardened his heart, he and his servants. ³⁵ So the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people of Israel go, just as the Lord had spoken through Moses.

                                                                   – Exodus 9:27-35

EXODUS 9 PHARAOH ADMITS HIS SIN

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

It must have hailed and thunder so much that Pharaoh got convicted

He admitted to Moses that he had sinned and though Moses wasn’t convinced

He went out of the city to intercede for Pharaoh and the Egyptians

And the thunder and lightning stopped pouring upon the earth.

This is the first time we hear Pharaoh admitted his sin after so much plagues before the hail and thunder. The plagues are getting worse each time. Here, we see the aftermath of the hail and thunder. The flax and barley were all destroyed and the Egyptians won’t be able to have them. Here, we hear of Pharaoh himself hardening his heart. In previous plagues, it was God who hardened his heart. What drove Pharaoh to acknowledge his sin? It must have been the result of God’s Spirit working in his heart. But this king was very stubborn and is a habitual sinner. He is an unbeliever who doesn’t know God and his power.

REFLECTION

·       Why do you think Pharaoh got convicted and then went back to sin again?

May 16

EXODUS 9

²² Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, on man and beast and every plant of the field, in the land of Egypt.” ²³ Then Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and fire ran down to the earth. And the Lord rained hail upon the land of Egypt. ²⁴ There was hail and fire flashing continually in the midst of the hail, very heavy hail, such as had never been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. ²⁵ The hail struck down everything that was in the field in all the land of Egypt, both man and beast. And the hail struck down every plant of the field and broke every tree of the field. ²⁶ Only in the land of Goshen, where the people of Israel were, was there no hail.

                                                                   – Exodus 9:22-26

EXODUS 9 HAIL AND FIRE PLAGUE

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

The Lord is just and merciful, he wants mankind to repent and turn to him

He wanted the Egyptians to acknowledge him and turn away from sin

He gives them a chance to take his word and believe and serve him

But they continued with their ways so, he sent thunder, hail and fire

He made sure that Goshen was spared from this plague

So, there was hail everywhere in Egypt except in the land of Goshen.

According to some commentary, other enemies of Israel were also threatened with hail. The Canaanites were struck with hailstones so big and numerous that more died from them than the children of Israel slew with the sword in Joshua 10:11. In Isaiah 30:30-31, hailstones were predicted against the invading Assyrians and the future invader Gog in Ezekiel 30:18,22. So, this must be God’s way of punishing those who inflict harm on his children.

I can’t imagine how this would look and feel like. It is interesting that the hail didn’t put off the fire and the fire didn’t stop the hail. It just goes to show that only God can do these wonders. He punishes anyone who makes his children’s lives miserable.

REFLECTION

• What lesson can we learn from this plague of hail and fire?

May 15

EXODUS 9

¹³ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, “Let my people go, that they may serve me. ¹⁴ For this time I will send all my plagues on you yourself, and on your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is none like me in all the earth. ¹⁵ For by now I could have put out my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth. ¹⁶ But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth. ¹⁷ You are still exalting yourself against my people and will not let them go. ¹⁸ Behold, about this time tomorrow I will cause very heavy hail to fall, such as never has been in Egypt from the day it was founded until now. ¹⁹ Now therefore send, get your livestock and all that you have in the field into safe shelter, for every man and beast that is in the field and is not brought home will die when the hail falls on them.”’” ²⁰ Then whoever feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh hurried his slaves and his livestock into the houses, ²¹ but whoever did not pay attention to the word of the Lord left his slaves and his livestock in the field.

                                                                   – Exodus 9:13-21

EXODUS 9 WARNING ON THE PLAGUE OF HEAVY HAIL

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When the plague of boils didn’t change Pharaoh’s heart

The Lord God gave him a warning on the heavy hail he will send them

God gave anyone a chance to pay attention to the warning of God

Whoever heeded and protected their livestock will be spared.

Once again, we witness God’s grace and mercy to the Egyptians. He even gave them warning and advised them what to do and how to prepare for this plague. He wanted them to acknowledge his word and pay attention to the word of the Lord.

We serve a very patient and steadfast loving God. He is slow to anger and abounding in love. He understands our natural tendencies to rebel. He gives us many chances to choose him and listen to his law and his word. Oftentimes, we get so consumed with our selfishness that we don’t heed the warning signs.

REFLECTION

• What evidence are we shown in this account of God’s righteous judgment?

May 14

EXODUS 9

⁸ And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from the kiln, and let Moses throw them in the air in the sight of Pharaoh. ⁹ It shall become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and become boils breaking out in sores on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt.” ¹⁰ So they took soot from the kiln and stood before Pharaoh. And Moses threw it in the air, and it became boils breaking out in sores on man and beast. ¹¹ And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils came upon the magicians and upon all the Egyptians. ¹² But the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had spoken to Moses.

                                                                      – Exodus 9:8-12

EXODUS 9 THE PLAGUE OF BOILS                                        

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When Moses didn’t release God’s people after the livestock were killed

God instructed Moses to turn handfuls of soot from the kiln

He asked Moses to throw it in the air and it will become fine dust

These will be all over Egypt and will break as sores on man and beasts.

Here is the sixth plague which was boils. According to a commentary, this was a judgment against several gods over health and disease “Sekhmet, Sunu and Isis”. Notice that God gave Pharaoh no warning here just like when he infested them with gnats. When God has given us so many admonitions and warnings and we still don’t heed them, we will be surprised one day when the punishment will come to us without a notice.

Mentioned several times throughout the Old Testament, boils were historically thought to be a punishment for an individual’s sins. In Job 2:7^, Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and struck Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. Although Job didn’t have sin, God allowed Satan to tempt him to deny God by inflicting him with these boils. God wants to prove Job’s faithfulness to Satan. But the friends didn’t know that God allowed Satan to inflict his body with disease. That’s why Job’s friends thought that Job was hiding some sins because he had these boils all over.

REFLECTION

• Why do you think God didn’t warn Pharaoh of this sixth plague unlike the other ones?

May 13

EXODUS 9

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, “Let my people go, that they may serve me. ² For if you refuse to let them go and still hold them, ³ behold, the hand of the Lord will fall with a very severe plague upon your livestock that are in the field, the horses, the donkeys, the camels, the herds, and the flocks. ⁴ But the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that nothing of all that belongs to the people of Israel shall die.”’” ⁵ And the Lord set a time, saying, “Tomorrow the Lord will do this thing in the land.” ⁶ And the next day the Lord did this thing. All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one of the livestock of the people of Israel died. ⁷ And Pharaoh sent, and behold, not one of the livestock of Israel was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go. – Exodus 9:1-7

EXODUS 9 FOOLS WALK INTO PLAGUES

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

After the swarms of flies were lifted up and Pharaoh didn’t keep his word

The Lord sends Moses to warn Pharaoh again about the next plague

The plague will be on all all their livestock in the field on all their animals

God specified that all the livestock of his people will not die but live

Despite this fifth plague warning, Pharaoh continued to be stubborn

Once again, he didn’t release the Israelites to worship their Lord.

It is kind of tiring to watch fools continue doing what they do. Pharaoh is a fool who takes no pleasure in understanding but only in expressing his opinion as Proverbs 18:2 says. Proverbs 12:15 says that a fool is always right in his own eyes. In other words, he cannot see sense in anything because they are so blinded by their desire to please themselves and be in control.

You would think that by this time Pharaoh could have learned from all the previous warnings before the plagues came, but no, he continued on with his arrogance and denial of God’s existence, power and sovereignty. Proverbs 9:7-8 says that if you correct a fool, you will be abused because they hate reproof. That will expose their phoniness.

REFLECTION

• Share some of your experiences with fools that you have met in your life.