The Exodus – Part 17
The Eighth Plague: Locusts
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
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SERMON TIMELINE
· The Book of Genesis
· The Book of Exodus
· Introduction
· Israelite’s Oppression
· The Birth of Moses
· Moses Flees to Midian
· Moses and the Burning Bush
· Signs for Moses
· Moses Returns to Egypt
· Moses Speaks to Pharaoh
· God Promises Deliverance
· God Speaks of the Israelites
· The First Miracle
§ The First Plague: Blood
§ The Second Plague: Frogs
§ The Third & Fourth Plague: Gnats & Flies
§ The Fifth & Sixth Plague: Livestock and Boils
§ The Seventh Plague of Hail
§ The Eighth Plague of Locusts
INTRODUCTION
Last week we looked at the Seventh Plague that God had released through Moses and Aaron onto Egypt, which was hail.
Until this point, we have seen the Pharaoh go through multiple stages of his belief. This process revealed to us through the Exodus shows us, not only the plan of salvation through Christ, but all the steps to receiving it.
Moses, a type of Christ, Egypt, a symbol of sin, Pharaoh, a picture Satan using what power and authority he possesses to enslave God’s people.
The stage is set, Satan (Pharaoh) using sin (his authority in Egypt) to enslave the Hebrews (people). In comes the man who brings salvation, Moses. Obeying the Word given to command the release of God’s people from bondage.
At first Pharaoh exclaims “who is this Lord that I should obey him?” (LOST)
After a few plagues he states, “Moses, Aaron, pray to the Lord and remove this plague!” (Acknowledges the Lord)
After a few more plagues Pharaoh says, “I have sinned against the Lord” (CONFESSION)
However, as far as Pharaoh comes, there is no redemption for Satan. Pharaoh refuses to repent. Instead, he lies again and again to Moses and Aaron, and the Lord, to get what he wants, and as soon as he receives relief, he returns to his old ways, and does not let God’s people go.
Pharaoh will not repent.
This brings us to the Eighth plague.
Today we look at the eighth plague, which is the plague of locusts.
SCRIPTURE READING
Exodus 10:1-20
“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 2 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.”
3 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 yourself before me? Let my people go, so that they may worship me. 4 If you refuse to let them go, I will bring locusts into your country tomorrow. 5 They will cover the face of the ground so that it cannot be seen. They will devour what little you have left after the hail, including every tree that is growing in your fields. 6 They will fill your houses and those of all your officials and all the Egyptians—something neither your parents nor your ancestors have ever seen from the day they settled in this land till now.’” Then Moses turned and left Pharaoh.
7 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?”
8 Then Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. “Go, worship the Lord your God,” he said. “But tell me who will be going.”
9 Moses answered, “We will go with our young and our old, with our sons and our daughters, and with our flocks and herds, because we are to celebrate a festival to the Lord.”
10 Pharaoh said, “The Lord be with you—if I let you go, along with your women and children! Clearly you are bent on evil. 11 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.
12 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.”
13 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; 14 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. 15 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.
16 Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you. 17 Now forgive my sin once more and pray to the Lord your God to take this deadly plague away from me.”
18 Moses then left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord. 19 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. 20 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the Israelites go.”
TODAY’S MESSAGE
I. WHY PHARAOH WILL NEVER REPENT
a. God chose Pharaoh for this because of who Pharaoh was
i. Romans 9:17 “For Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”
ii. God chose Pharaoh because of who he was going to be and allowed him to become Pharaoh of Egypt so God could show His power, and His name might be proclaimed in all the earth.
iii. God knew Pharaoh would not let the Hebrews go from bondage
b. Pharaoh hardened his heart many times
i. Pharaoh hardened his own heart multiple times.
ii. Pharaoh was already judged by God and convicted at the first meeting with Moses, therefore, the punishment would come and there was no getting out of it. God only withheld immediate punishment to allow for the display of His power to the world, so they would know there was no one like Him in all the earth.
c. God also hardened Pharaoh’s heart
i. This was necessary because Pharaoh had already been judged by God at the first meeting between Moses and Pharaoh. Therefore, Pharaoh could not be allowed to repent.
ii. So, God hardened his heart so he would not repent, because he had already been judged.
II. GOD USED THE SITUATION TO SHOW (TEACH)
a. God showed His power Might and Authority over creation
i. Pharaoh acknowledged the Lord
ii. All of the Egyptians and Court knew of the Lord
iii. Some even submitted and obeyed the Word of the Lord when warning of the plague of hail was given, and their flocks and slaves lived.
iv. Even the magicians stopped trying to imitate the power of God and said these great works were merely the “finger” of God.
v. God revealed to Moses He would have to use the weight of His entire hand upon the Pharaoh, or he would not let the Hebrews go.
b. God taught His people must worship Him no matter what
i. God shows us that no matter our situation, we MUST gather to worship God.
ii. Nothing should ever prevent you from congregating with each other believer’s and worshiping God together!
c. God showed that He cannot be mocked
i. Pharaoh could lie to Moses and Aaron, he could lie to himself, but he could not lie to God, and would be held accountable.
ii. Because Pharaoh said he would let the Hebrews go, multiple times! But wouldn’t let them go, he was a liar and mocker of God.
iii. This shows Pharaoh remained the old man
III. PHARAOH REMAINS THE OLD MAN
a. Exodus teaches the path to salvation
i. Acknowledge that the Lord is Lord
ii. Confess you have sinned against the Lord
iii. Repent and you shall be saved
iv. Though Pharaoh acknowledges the Lord and confesses he has sinned against the Lord, twice, he never repents. Therefore, there is no salvation, no filling with the Spirit of God, no work or conversion taking place.
v. He says what he has to say and acts the way he needs to act to get what he wants but has not been saved from his sin.
This is where Pharaoh is, as well as many who think they are Followers of Christ, but deceive themselves.
2 Timothy 3:1-7
“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.
6 They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, 7 always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.”
b. Pharaoh Confesses his Sin against the Lord a second time
i. VS 16 “Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you. 17 Now forgive my sin once more and pray to the Lord your God to take this deadly plague away from me.”
ii. But he remains the old man
iii. You can confess every day, dozens of times a day, but if you do not repent, you are only telling God that you “know” you are sinning against Him. Confession is NOT repentance!
c. True conversion comes by salvation, which comes by repentance
i. Pharaoh never repents, and therefore never receives salvation
ii. And because he never receives salvation, he never receives conversion and remains the old man!
CONCLUSION
There are many today who, like Pharaoh, have acknowledged the Lord as Lord, and confessed their sin against the Lord, perhaps many times, but like those in 2 Timothy, they are always “learning” but never “able” to come to a knowledge of the Truth.
Why? What are they missing? How can they say Jesus is Lord, and confess their sins against the Lord but never come to the point of true salvation and conversion?
They lack the most important ingredient to their salvation and conversion…Repentance
2 Chronicles 7:34 “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, THEN I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
Acts 3:19 “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.”
Matthew 4:17 “From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
Matthew 9:13 “But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners unto repentance.”
2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
Do not just acknowledge the Lord and confess without repenting, else you deceive yourselves and mock God.
2 Corinthians 13:5 “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.”
Jesus says in Luke 13:3b “unless you repent, you too will all perish.”
Let us all acknowledge the Lord, confess our sins against Him, and REPENT so that we too may be able to come to a knowledge of the Truth!
THEN, we will no longer be the old man, but the new.
2 Corinthians 5:17
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
NEXT WEEK
The Lord commands Moses and Aaron to call the 9th plague, darkness.
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