Chapter 34. Exodus 9, 10. More Mantles.
FOUR plagues had already been sent upon Pharaoh and his people. Again the Lord sent Moses and Aaron to tell him: Let My people go that they may serve Me, but if thou wilt still hold them, the hand of the Lord shall be upon thy cattle in the field, upon thy horses, asses, camels, oxen, sheep. There shall be a grievous murrain. And the Lord did so on the morrow, and all the cattle of the Egyptians died, but not one that belonged to the Israelites. But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened still. Then Moses took ashes, and threw them towards heaven at God’s command, and it became dust and brought sore boils upon men and beasts. The wicked Egyptian magicians suffered from the boils and could not stand before Pharaoh. But still the king would not attend to. God’s command. The next day, after another warning from God to let His people go, He sent a very heavy hail, such as had never been seen before. The thunder roared in the sky and the fire ran along the ground. All the Egyptians who were in the field and the animals were smitten, the trees broken, the flax and the barley destroyed. Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel dwelt there was no tail. Pharaoh was very much frightened now, and sent for Moses and Aaron and cried: I have sinned this time; the Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked. Intreat the Lord, (for it is enough) that the thunder and lightning may stop, and I will let you go. You shall stay no longer. Moses answered: As soon as I am gone from the city, I will cry to the Lord and the thunder shall cease, and the hail, that you may know that the earth is the Lord’s. But I know that thou wilt not yet fear the Lord God. And so it was, when Moses had entreated the Lord and the storm had ceased he would not let Israel go. The Lord now said to Moses: I have hardened Pharaoh’s heart, so that I might show these signs and wonders before him, and you can tell your sons, and your sons’, sons what things I have done in Egypt, that they may know that I am the Lord. Go again to Pharaoh and say: If thou refuse to let My people go, I will send locusts into thy coasts. They shall cover the face of the earth, so you cannot see it. What was left by the hail shall be eaten by the locusts. They shall fill thy houses and the houses of all the Egyptians. And Moses turned and went out from Pharaoh. The king’s servants pleaded with him that he would let Israel go, for, said they, don’t you see that Egypt is destroyed? Moses and Aaron were recalled, and Pharaoh said to them: Go, serve your God, but who shall go? Moses answered: We will go with our young, our old, our sons and daughters, our flocks and herds, for we must hold a feast to the Lord. But Pharaoh said: The men alone shall go. And they were driven from his presence. Then God sent locusts, very, very many, to eat all the green things in the land. We have no such locusts in our country, but in eastern countries they are very common, and come in great numbers, and eat the trees, and the fruit, and all they can find. The locusts God sent to punish Egypt must have been very large, for there never had been any like them before, nor since. The land was darkened by them, and they ate everything the hail had not destroyed. The king again sent for Moses and Aaron and asked them to pray for him. They prayed, and God heard them, but when the plague was taken away, wicked Pharaoh said: I will not let you go.
Then God sent a new and dreadful plague over the land of Egypt; this was thick darkness. There was no light from the sun, nor the moon, nor stars for three days, and the people could not see to move from their places all that time. It was not a common darkness, but a wonderful and fearful darkness sent by God; a darkness which might be felt. But the Israelites had light in their dwellings. God knew who feared Him, and who did not, and would not punish His own people. He could make the sun shine brightly upon them, when it was black night for the Egyptians.
Pharaoh called Moses, and said: You may go, only your cattle must stay. But Moses said: Not a hoof shall be left behind, for we need them to sacrifice to the Lord. Pharaoh was so angry, he drove Moses away, and told him never to come before him again, or he should die, and Moses answered; Thou hast spoken well. I shall see thy face no more.
God’s patience and long suffering had been great toward wicked Pharaoh, but it was soon to come to an end. He is not willing that any should perish, but all should come to repentance, but if man will persist in disobedience to His word. His wrath must fall. He is now entreating man to be reconciled to Him, and to accept His way of salvation, through the Lord Jesus Christ, but for those who refuse, there remains but “a fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.” Heb. 10:2727But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. (Hebrews 10:27).
ML 11/21/1909