November 17, 2024
Exodus 10
“Pharaoh’s Last Chance”
Service Overview: Even growing internal pressure is not enough to knock sense into Pharaoh, and in this chapter, Pharaoh tells Moses to never to appear before him again. This marks another turning point in the book of Exodus because in it we turn our attention toward the final acts that will see God’s people finally liberated from the bondage of the Egyptians.
Memory Verse for the Week:
“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.” Ephesians 5:8 (NIV)
Background & Technical Insights:
- God was continuing to humiliate the Egyptian gods. This time it was an assault on the gods of the fields. Many Egyptians depended on Min, the patron god of crops; Isis, the goddess of life (who prepared flax for clothes); Nepri, the god of grain; Anubis, the guardian of the fields; and Senehem, the protector against pests. These gods failed miserably. (Tony Merida, Exalting Jesus in Exodus, 62)
- The darkness (10:21–29) strikes at Amon-Ra, the personification of the sun and chief deity of Egypt. (J. Alec Motyer, The Message of Exodus, 113)
- Darkness would have been terrifying to the Egyptians because they also worshiped the sun. “Every morning the rising of the sun in the east reaffirmed the life-giving power of Amon-Re” (Ryken, Exodus, 304). The sunset represented death, but the sunrise offered them the hope of the resurrection. Moreover, the Pharaoh was known as the son of Re, the incarnation of Amon-Re. Amon-Re for most was the king of all Egypt’s gods. But Amon-Re, the biggest of all of Egypt’s gods, could not help them! (Merida, Exodus, 63)
- Most English translations speak of Pharaoh’s heart being hard, which is usually understood as implying that he lacks compassion. This is not how ancient Israelites would have understood the concept. For them, the various verbs associated with Pharaoh’s heart imply that he is resolute. His heart or will is strong. In spite of the signs and wonders, Pharaoh remains committed to his initial rejection of God’s request for the release of the Israelites. (T. Desmond Alexander, Exodus, 91)
- We don’t know how long after the locusts left Egypt that God sent the ninth plague, but the darkness over the land for three days proved that Jehovah was greater than Ra (or Re) and Horus, both of whom the Egyptians revered as sun gods. (Warren Wiersbe, Be Delivered: Exodus, 57)
- Each day Re, the sun-god, was thought to sail through the celestial sea in a boat. Then at night he would descend into the netherworld before rising victorious again with the dawn. But during the ninth plague (10:21-23) he did not rise. Those three days of darkness were a clear sign that he had been defeated. (Tim Chester, Exodus for You, 75)
As the story of Exodus continues to unfold, what further insights about God do we encounter?
- God’s regard for the generations to come.
(vv. 1-2, 9)
Once more God underlines that the signs performed in Egypt are meant to instruct others about him. In this instance, God tells Moses that these signs will educate future generations of Israelites about the Lord. (T. Desmond Alexander, Exodus, 90)
When God gave Moses the instructions for his next meeting with Pharaoh, He added another reason for the great display of His wonders in the plagues: that the Jews might be able to tell the generations to come about the awesome power of their great God. (Warren Wiersbe, Be Delivered: Exodus, 54)
- The long–suffering nature of God.
(vv. 3, 16-17, 28)
How easy it would have been for the Lord to obliterate Pharaoh when he first rejected God’s request! Yet, God shows great restraint in graciously offering Pharaoh repeated opportunities to release the Israelites. (T. Desmond Alexander, Exodus, 92)
Once again Pharaoh sought for relief without repentance, and God mercifully granted his request. (Warren Wiersbe, Be Delivered: Exodus, 56)
The study of these plagues shows plainly the character of Him with whom we all have to do. The Lord is not indifferent to sin, nor can He be defied with impunity. He bears with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath, but in the end His righteous judgments descend upon them. (Arthur Pink, Gleanings in Exodus, 2079)
- The totality of God’s claim on His people.
(vv. 3, 9, 24-26)
The practical lesson is that we must take God on his terms, not ours. Discipleship is not open to discussion. When we receive Jesus Christ as Savior, we do not make a few concessions here and there; we surrender our whole lives to the lordship of his will. (Phillip Graham Ryken, Preaching the Word: Exodus, 298)
Pharaoh assumed that when it came to performing religious duties, men were the only ones who mattered. If the Israelites wanted to worship, then why did everyone have to leave? Why not just let the men go and get it over with? Part of the answer, of course, was that God wanted freedom for all his people. From the very beginning he told Pharaoh, “Let my people go!” and that meant everyone. God wanted to give the Israelites something to tell their grandchildren, which they could only do if they took their children with them. But there was also an important spiritual principle at stake: Worship is for the whole family, from the oldest to the youngest. God wants all his people to praise him. (Phillip Graham Ryken, Preaching the Word: Exodus, 297)
Conclusion… How does this passage reflect back at us as Jesus’ disciples?
- As it compels us to catch a vision for living beyond our generation.
(Deut. 6:6-7; Ps. 78:4; 102:18; 145:4; Prov. 22:6; Is. 59:21; Joel 1:3; Acts 2:39; 2 Tim. 2:2)
The man who attempts Christianity without the church shoots himself in the foot, shoots his children in the leg, and shoots his grandchildren in the heart. (Kevin DeYoung, The Hole in Our Holiness, 132)
God told Moses that the plagues were not just for Egypt but also for Israel, and they were to tell their sons about their God. The Exodus was the story of Israel. It was the story that shaped them as a people, and it was to be retold. We are part of that grand story that continued to the New Testament with the coming of Jesus. We are to keep telling this story. (Tony Merida, Exalting Jesus in Exodus, 62)
Effective parents equip their children to overcome the world – not by changing and controlling their environment (things external to their children), but by going after their children’s hearts. We change their hearts by teaching the gospel, modeling the gospel, and centering our homes on the gospel. The gospel, rightly understood and modeled, makes Christianity attractive. Effective parents make the gospel so attractive that the world cannot get a foothold in their children’s hearts. (William Farley, Gospel-Powered Parenting, 24)
- As it challenges our own proclivity to hold back what is rightfully God’s.
(Deuteronomy 16:17; Proverbs 3:9-10; Malachi 3:10; Matthew 6:24; Luke 6:38; 9:23; 14:33; Romans 12:1; Philippians 3:7-8; Hebrews 13:5; 13:16; 1 John 2:15-17)
Jesus Christ is not valued at all until He is valued above all. (Augustine)
True conversion is more of an ongoing activity than a onetime experience. It is the act of deliberately and repeatedly turning from vanity, sin and Satan to serve the true and living God. (Mark Talbot, The Signs of True Conversion, 15)
To come to Christ is to declare that there is no command we will not keep, no sin we will not forsake, no duty we will not perform, no talent we will not employ in our ambition to give all the glory to God. (Phillip Graham Ryken, Preaching the Word: Exodus, 311)
Our devotion must culminate in a conscious yielding of every part of our personality, every ambition, every relationship, and every hope to Him. This done, we have reached the apex of personal devotion. As Thomas a Kempis said, “As Thou wilt; what Thou wilt; when Thou wilt.” (Kent Hughes, Disciplines of a Godly Man, 93)
Where God is at the center of things, worship inevitably follows. Where there is no spirit of worship, there God has been dethroned and displaced. (Sinclair Ferguson, A Heart for God, 107)
Gospel Connection…
The gospel presents all people with a choice… remain in Egypt or experience Goshen; remain in darkness or enjoy freedom in the light.
(Matthew 4:16; John 3:19-21; 8:12; 12:46; Acts 26:18; Romans 13:12; 2 Corinthians 4:6; Ephesians 5:8; Colossians 1:13; 1 Peter 2:9; 1 John 1:5-7)
The only place of safety in Egypt was in Goshen, the home of the Israelites—when the darkness fell, still “all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived” (Exodus 10:23). And the only place of safety in the coming judgment will be in Christ, the true home of God’s people. For Christ has already absorbed the plagues of God’s judgment. (Tim Chester, Exodus for You, 80)
Spiritual Challenge Questions…
Reflect on these questions in your time with the Lord this week, or discuss with a Christian family member or Life Group.
- Why is the story of the exodus out of Egypt important for Christians to tell to their children? How is our telling of the story different from Israel’s?
- Pharaoh confessed his sin but then proved to be insincere. What are the marks of a sincere confession?
- How can a family or a church pass on to the young people the wonders God has worked in previous generations?
- Why did Moses and Aaron reject the offer that all the people, but no flocks and herds, could go on the journey?
- In what way is the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart a warning to all of us?
- Why do you think God didn’t send His judgment in one terrible blow when freeing the Israelites from Egypt?
Quotes to note…
Although it is sometimes suggested that God forces Pharaoh to act against his own will in order to continue the series of signs and wonders, the opposite is true. God attempts to persuade Pharaoh by bringing pressure to bear on him, but this pressure is always removed. When not under duress, Pharaoh is free to choose what to do. Remarkably, the Lord does not impose his will on Pharaoh, and he does not encroach on Pharaoh’s freedom to reject him. (Alexander, Exodus, 92)
Whatever wins our affections will control our lives. (Edward Welch, Addictions – A Banquet in the Grave, 175)
This is what God always demands: everything we are and everything we have. The reason Moses insisted on offering God everything — including every single part of every last animal — was because he understood the demands of discipleship. (Phillip Graham Ryken, Preaching the Word: Exodus, 310)
Genuine faith must go beyond the mere intellectual assent concerning biblical doctrines. People must let the implications of these doctrines radically affect their hearts so that they respond positively to God with the obedience and works of faith. (Daniel Fuller, The Unity of the Bible, 312)
The ninth plague was not the last time darkness came as a sign and means of judgment. Another day dawned, and then darkened unnaturally, as a man hung dying on a cross while “from noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land” (Matthew 27:45). The three days of darkness over Egypt was mirrored by the three hours of darkness over Jesus—followed by his death. At the cross, the plagues fell on Jesus, the Son of God. At the cross, the Maker came to be unmade so that we can be remade! (Tim Chester, Exodus for You, 80)
God does not impose his will on others by force. While he uses extraordinary signs in order to persuade Pharaoh, these are limited in both scope and time. Although Pharaoh occasionally indicates a willingness to release the Israelites, he reverts to his original position when each sign is removed. This is a sad reminder of how ingrained is human enmity toward God. (T. Desmond Alexander, Exodus, 92)
The world defines success in terms of what a person possesses, controls, or accomplishes. God defines success in terms of faithful obedience to His will. (Ken Sande, The Peacemaker, 253)
While God’s power is unlimited, he does not coerce people into serving him against their will. Ultimately, those who knowingly refuse to acknowledge the sovereignty of God will have only themselves to blame. (T. Desmond Alexander, Exodus, 93)
The hardening of Pharaoh’s heart is a warning to all of us. If the sinful human heart doesn’t respond by faith to God’s Word, it cannot be transformed by the grace of God (Ezek. 36:26–27; Heb. 8:7–13). Instead, it will become harder and harder the longer it resists God’s truth. (Warren Wiersbe, Be Delivered: Exodus, 58)