Locusts that devoured the land

Exodus 10:1-20; 3/22/2026; BCBC/IOUC; Rev. Paul Wang

Introduction

Last week during Sunday School, someone asked me a question.  Why did God give Pharaoh chances, and yet also harden their hearts?  At the very beginning of today’s passage, God actually answers this question.  The reason is this: “so that you may know that I am the LORD.”  God’s ways are higher than our ways.  And His thoughts are not something we can fully measure or guess with our own human understanding.  Now let us look at the first point.

How long will you refuse to repent?

The hail has already come— and still there is no repentance. Why?  The seventh plague has already passed.  What more do you want?  Do you really have to wait for the eighth plague, the ninth plague, or even the tenth plague?  First, how long will the rebellion continue?  So first we ask: Yes, how long will human rebellion last?  Let us ask ourselves: Is there still something today— something we are holding on to— that we refuse to let go?  Pharaoh’s obsession was actually very simple. First, greed. Second, pride.  There were so many slaves working the fields, so many sheep to shear for wool, and such a huge population that could even be used as a human shield.  How could he possibly let them go so easily?  And besides, from Pharaoh’s point of view, these Hebrew slaves had always belonged to him.  By what right does Moses come and say that they are now the people of Israel, and that they belong to the LORD?  How could the churches be taller than the government buildings?  And on top of the churches—there is even a cross.  How could that be tolerated?

Second, “Let my people go.”  In fact, God’s demand for Pharaoh was not very high.  Again and again, the Lord said to him: “Let My people go, so that they may serve Me.”  This word is also spoken today to every dictator of every anti-Christ regime.  Let My people go— so they may worship, so they may pray, so they may call upon the Lord, so they may preach the gospel, and go from town to town and from village to village, proclaiming the power of the gospel.  For the purpose of the gospel is to save everyone who believes.  But the nature of anti-Christ dictators is greed and pride— and also hypocrisy and deception.  Sometimes they even bring along followers from so-called state-controlled churches and come to free countries to hold what they call a “Bible exhibition.”  But the purpose is to deceive people— to make others think that there is religious freedom in those antiChrist nations.  In reality, it becomes a way to deceive people, to attract money, to attract investment, and to win people’s trust.

Finally, you still have a choice.  Even in this situation, God still gave Pharaoh an opportunity to repent and to choose.  Before God sent the locusts into Egypt, He said to Pharaoh: “If you refuse to let My people go…”  In other words, if Pharaoh had repented at that moment, God would not have sent the locusts upon Egypt.  More than ten years ago, at a dinner hosted by the Texas Baptist Convention, I received a delegation from the Three-Self Church. During that dinner, I asked Pastor Gao a direct question:  “Why do you deceive American churches by holding these so-called Bible exhibitions?”  But the truth is this: even today, the Pharaohs of our time— and those in the Three-Self system— still have an opportunity to repent quickly.  They can stop deceiving people, stop the persecution, give up their hostility toward the living God, and even choose to truly believe in Jesus Christ.  Believe in Jesus, and you will have eternal life.  Do not believe in Jesus, and you will perish.  Now, let us look at the second point.

Devouring everything on the ground

If the seventh plague—the plague of hail— was only a limited strike against the land of Egypt, then the eighth plague—the plague of locusts— was something very different. It was like a sweeping, overwhelming invasion, almost a total cleansing of the land.  First, darkening the sky—leaving no place uncovered.  The hail was severe, but it still fell within a limited area.  But when the locusts came, the Egyptians discovered something terrifying: locusts eat everything.  The Bible says: “They covered the surface of the whole land, so that the land was darkened. They ate all the plants in the land and all the fruit of the trees that the hail had left. Throughout all the land of Egypt— whether trees or the crops of the field— not a single green thing remained.”  And yet Pharaoh was unmoved by Moses’ warning.  He believed the power in his own hands was absolute— that he could control everything.  But he did not realize this: God only needed to use tiny insects to leave Pharaoh completely helpless.  So let me ask you: who on earth can command an army of locusts?

Second, Egypt was already completely ruined.  Think about it. Pharaoh’s own officials actually showed more wisdom at this point.  They realized that Pharaoh was still locked in a struggle with Moses— acting out of pride, out of emotion, out of stubbornness.  Moses had already warned Pharaoh, but Pharaoh remained unmoved.  Moses said: “The locusts will cover the surface of the land so that the land will be darkened.  They will eat all the plants in the land and all the fruit of the trees that the hail has left.  Throughout all the land of Egypt— whether trees or crops in the fields— not a single green thing will remain.”  When Pharaoh’s officials heard this, they immediately realized how serious the situation was.  So they said to Pharaoh: “How long will this man be a snare to us?  Let these people go, so that they may serve the LORD their God.  Do you not yet realize that Egypt is already ruined?”

Finally, he summoned them again, playing his tricks.  Even after hearing the warnings of his own officials, Pharaoh pretended to be deaf and dumb— asking questions he already knew the answers to.  He said to Moses: “You say you want to go and serve your LORD. Who exactly will go?”  Do we even need to answer?  Of course, it would be all the people, all the livestock, all that belongs to Israel.  But Pharaoh continued to play with words. He said: “You don’t need to take your wives and children.”  Why?  Because “be careful, for disaster is before your eyes!”  Notice this: the word “disaster” here sounds similar to the name of Egypt’s sun god, Ra.  It was meant as a threat: “You want to leave? Do you not fear our Egyptian sun god?”  Now, let us look at the third point.

The locusts leave, yet the heart remains hard

I think Pharaoh—and all the anti-Christ rulers—share the same trait: “Once the wound is healed, they forget the pain.”  When pressure comes, they back down. When things are calm, they act arrogant and domineering.  First, three visits to Pharaoh in one day.  This was the only time in history that happened—three visits in one day.  The first time, Moses obeyed the Lord’s command and went to Pharaoh.  He said: “How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me?  Let My people go, so that they may serve Me.”  Of course, he also issued the warning of the locusts.  The second time, Pharaoh listened to the advice of his officials: “How long will this man be a snare to us?  Let these people go and serve the LORD their God. Do you not yet realize that Egypt is already ruined?” So Moses and Aaron were summoned back to Pharaoh.  The third time, the locusts finally came.  Pharaoh hurriedly called Moses and Aaron and said: “I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against you.”

Second, Pharaoh begs the LORD.  This time, Pharaoh’s attitude was much better than before.  He said: “I beg you—just this once— forgive my sin, and pray to the LORD your God that He may rescue me from this death.”  But Pharaoh’s change of heart was not out of reverence for the LORD.  It came from fear in his heart.  He realized that the gods who had always protected Egypt— the god of agriculture, Osiris,  and the god of grain, Neper— were powerless against the locusts sent by the LORD.  What could he do?  Without food, Pharaoh’s position was at risk.  The good life was over.  It’s the same with anti-Christ rulers today.  When the economy is about to collapse, they soften their stance, humble themselves, even beg their enemies to invest. Today, Cuba is a clear example of this.

Finally, God hardened Pharaoh’s heart.  Even though Pharaoh came to Moses— pleading just this once, asking not to die— what should Moses do?  Should he go and ask the LORD to spare Pharaoh?  But this matter was always God’s plan.  When the LORD says something will happen, it happens.   When He says something will go, it goes.  The Bible says: “The LORD brought a very strong west wind, which lifted the locusts and drove them into the Red Sea; not a single locust was left anywhere in Egypt.”  The locusts were finally gone.  By all rights, Pharaoh should have let the Israelites go, right?  But God had a different plan.  The Bible says: “But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the Israelites go.”  Just as we read earlier: “so that you may know that I am the LORD.” God’s purpose was twofold: First, to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.  Second, to leave a reminder of hope.

Conclusion

Praise the Lord!  The eighth plague is over. Did Pharaoh learn his lesson?  And you—did you learn your lesson?  It’s okay to make mistakes. What matters most is a sincere repentance of the heart.  God must not be taken lightly.  Otherwise, His justice will devour all the wealth and vanity of the land of Egypt.  Even when the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, it was for the purpose of helping the Egyptians know the LORD.

Let us pray together……

 

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 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.

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.

14 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 will be again.

15 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 that 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 hastily called Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you.

17 Now therefore, forgive my sin, please, only this once, and plead with the Lord your God only to remove this death from me.”

18 So he went out from Pharaoh and pleaded with the Lord.

19 And the Lord turned the wind into 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 people of Israel go.