Exodus 10:12-20 Repercussion

Pharaoh had repeatedly spurned every evidence of God's power and authority.  In his pride, he continued to refuse to submit to the LORD, the God of Israel, despite numerous examples of His superiority over the 'gods' of Egypt.  After a while, there was no other reasonable course of action to take than to punish Pharaoh's willful sin:

"And the LORD said to Moses,

'Stretch out your hand over Egypt
so that locusts will swarm over the land

and devour everything growing in the fields,
everything left by the hail.'

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;

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.

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.

Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron and said,

'I have sinned against the LORD your God and against you.

Now forgive my sin once more and pray to the LORD your God

to take this deadly plague away from me.'

Moses then left Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD.

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.

But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let the Israelites go."

Exodus 10:12-20 (NIV)

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The locust plague devoured any vegetation which might have been left behind from previous plagues.  The severity of the plague was such that the ground appeared black with the ravenous insects, which settled in every part of Egypt.  The Bible assures us that such an extensive plague had never happened before, nor would it again, (a fact which makes me very happy).

Pharaoh quickly realizes his error and confesses his sin against God and even against Moses.  Moses does pray to the LORD for the plague to be removed, as Pharaoh has requested.  However, there seems to be something lacking in Pharaoh's 'repentance', for he still refuses to let the Israelites go.  The LORD had hardened Pharaoh's heart.  This reminds me of what a parent might say when a child makes an ugly face at a sibling:  "Watch out, or your face will stay that way!"  Pharaoh is no child, but a grown man, and he has been shown mercy numerous times.  However, as Scripture says, God will not be mocked.  God will forgive even the worst sinner who has sinned numerous times and sincerely repents.  However, He will not allow Pharaoh to continually claim to repent and then just do whatever he wants to do.  So now Pharaoh "will stay that way", stuck in his rebellious ways, and it is not the LORD's fault, but his own.  That is a solemn thing to think about, isn't it?

Exodus 10:7-11 Darkened Understanding

"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?'

Then Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh.

'Go, worship the LORD your God,' he said.

'But just who will be going?'

Moses answered, 'We will go with our young and old,

with our sons and daughters, and with our flocks and herds,

because we are to celebrate a festival to the LORD.'

Pharaoh said, 'The LORD be with you -- if I let you go,

along with your women and children!

Clearly you are bent on evil.

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.

Exodus 10:7-11 (NIV)

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Some observations:

1. Pharaoh's officials also ask Pharaoh "How long..." he would continue his stubborn resistance, as God did in Exodus 10:3.  They realize that Egypt was being ruined by Pharaoh's continued rebellion.
2. However, these same officials regard Moses as a 'snare' to themselves.  It is interesting that, to the people of God, this same Moses will be considered a deliverer, while to those who rebelled against God, Moses is seen as someone bringing trouble.
3. When Pharaoh brings Moses and Aaron into his presence, he inquires about the details of the proposed festival.  All along, God has been directing Pharaoh to let 'my people' go.  This would seem to include all the Israelites.  Pharaoh, however, seems to be under the impression that it was only the men who would be leaving for the festival, for he explodes when he realizes that all the Israelites want to leave.  
4. Pharaoh assumes that if all the Israelites leave, they won't be coming back.  He insists that only the men can go to worship the LORD.  That way the rest of the Hebrews can remain as hostages.
5. Apparently Pharaoh still is convinced that he is the one in charge.  He drives the servants of the LORD out of his presence.  Clearly he does not understand that the LORD is the One who will be calling the shots in this situation.
6. Nor does Pharaoh recognize that he is continuing to cut off his own opportunity to repent.  While obeying the LORD brings wisdom and clarity of thought, sinning against Him results in darkened understanding and foolish, distorted thinking.  Pharaoh sees Moses, rather than himself, as the one who is 'bent on evil'.  In the big picture, Pharaoh is bringing about his own destruction by continuing to rebel.
7. Of course, God can not let this challenge to his authority go unanswered.  He has given Pharaoh explicit warning about what would happen if he continued to disobey.  Now God will begin to do exactly what he told Pharaoh He would do. 

Exodus 10:1-6 Plague of Locusts

"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 miraculous signs of mine among them

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.'

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.

If you refuse to let them go, I will bring locusts into your country tomorrow.

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.

They will fill your houses and those of all your officials and all the Egyptians --

something neither your fathers nor your forefathers have ever seen

from the day they settled in this land until now." '

Then Moses turned and left Pharaoh.

Exodus 10:1-6 (NIV)

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Again Moses is sent back to the unrepentant Pharaoh.  God reveals that He has allowed this hardening of the hearts of Pharaoh and his officials so that He may perform miracles among them and that the Israelites may tell of these wonders to their descendants.  Both the miraculous and corrective aspects of these plagues can be a source of instruction to the Israelites and Egyptians alike.  The end goal is "...that you may know that I am the LORD." (v.2)

When Moses and Aaron confront Pharaoh, it becomes clear that Pharaoh's refusal to let the Israelites go is a matter of prideful self-will (v.3).  God asks Pharaoh how long such stubborn resistance will last.  It is not that God does not know how long Pharaoh will resist -- it is more like God is saying "How long do you think I am going to put up with this?"

God warns that a devastating locust plague will result if Pharaoh continues to refuse to humble himself.  Locusts would cover the ground until it would not be visible, and fill the homes of every Egyptian, including Pharaoh and his officials.  The locusts would devour whatever vegetation remained in the fields, including the trees.  The extent of this plague would be more than their ancestors had ever seen since the time Egypt was settled.

After this announcement, Moses turned and left Pharaoh's presence. (v.6)  I think that this may have been even more of a shock to Pharaoh's court than his message.  I do not think that anyone, even Pharaoh's closest advisors, would just leave Pharaoh's presence without being dismissed.