1 00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:17,800 In August 2008, I led a team to work at the Scripture Union campsite 2 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:21,760 in Malawi, which is located on a beautiful stretch of Lake Malawi. 3 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:26,360 And as you stand on the white sand and look eastward, you look 4 00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:27,440 towards Mozambique. 5 00:00:27,440 --> 00:00:30,880 But because the lake is so large, you actually can't see land 6 00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:31,880 on the other side. 7 00:00:32,520 --> 00:00:37,360 But what you will see on a regular basis is black smoke rising 8 00:00:37,360 --> 00:00:40,200 on the horizon, going high up into the sky. 9 00:00:40,840 --> 00:00:43,560 And you think, well, someone's built a pretty big fire. 10 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:49,200 At least that's what you think it is, because that's what it looks 11 00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:49,400 like. 12 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:51,640 But it is, in fact, not smoke. 13 00:00:51,880 --> 00:00:54,770 It's a swarm of lake flies. 14 00:00:55,570 --> 00:01:00,210 About twice a year, they will come across the lake and come onto 15 00:01:00,210 --> 00:01:03,810 land where you're simply swarmed by them. 16 00:01:04,690 --> 00:01:09,730 A picture doesn't do justice, but that blackness that looks like 17 00:01:09,730 --> 00:01:12,770 smoke is a swarm of flies. 18 00:01:13,730 --> 00:01:16,890 And what you have to do is you have to make sure all of your windows 19 00:01:16,890 --> 00:01:18,650 are closed, all doors are closed. 20 00:01:18,650 --> 00:01:21,930 You have to even try and maybe cover your mouth and as best you 21 00:01:21,930 --> 00:01:22,850 can, your eyes. 22 00:01:23,090 --> 00:01:26,990 Because these flies are so small, they simply get everywhere. 23 00:01:26,990 --> 00:01:29,630 They will quite literally infest you. 24 00:01:30,190 --> 00:01:32,190 And as a visitor, it was something to behold. 25 00:01:32,590 --> 00:01:36,750 But for a local Malawian, you're out with your pans to try 26 00:01:36,750 --> 00:01:42,590 and catch these flies because as soon as you touch them, they die. 27 00:01:44,190 --> 00:01:47,310 So there are men and women, girls and boys out waving these pans 28 00:01:47,310 --> 00:01:51,470 in the air to try and catch them, to make them into meatballs 29 00:01:51,470 --> 00:01:53,710 to enjoy that very night. 30 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:59,240 Now, that may not be your desired catch of the day. 31 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:02,440 I tried it and I survived. 32 00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:06,920 But for hundreds of homes, it's quite literally a delicacy. 33 00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:12,800 And so what you perceive to be this smoke in the distance as it 34 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:21,240 comes and comes onto land, you are enveloped by it, like fog or 35 00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:22,680 a smoke from a fire. 36 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:24,920 You can't see in front of you. 37 00:02:25,990 --> 00:02:27,670 And if you're wearing glasses, you're grand. 38 00:02:27,670 --> 00:02:31,070 But if you're not, the flies can even then just get attached to 39 00:02:31,070 --> 00:02:31,670 your eyes. 40 00:02:33,590 --> 00:02:36,470 I tell you this story because it is the closest that I've ever 41 00:02:36,470 --> 00:02:40,710 come to, to feel the sensation of a swarm of anything around me. 42 00:02:41,590 --> 00:02:45,110 For some of you who keep bees, you've also had that sense of having 43 00:02:45,190 --> 00:02:48,790 these insects around you in every direction and not knowing maybe, 44 00:02:48,790 --> 00:02:50,310 perhaps sometimes, what to do. 45 00:02:51,450 --> 00:02:54,570 But as we come to the eighth plague of punishment, the Egyptians 46 00:02:54,650 --> 00:02:57,930 face a swarm of locusts. 47 00:02:58,730 --> 00:03:03,050 And that swarm is blown by an east wind that, quite literally, 48 00:03:03,130 --> 00:03:09,090 just as these lake flies come across the water and take land, so 49 00:03:09,090 --> 00:03:14,690 these locusts came not only to devour the land of Egypt, but to 50 00:03:14,690 --> 00:03:16,650 make life impossible to be lived. 51 00:03:17,210 --> 00:03:20,410 No space anywhere to do anything, even breathe. 52 00:03:20,970 --> 00:03:24,930 And so much like what we saw with the frogs around the feet, the 53 00:03:24,930 --> 00:03:27,770 gnats and the flies, these locusts were everywhere. 54 00:03:28,730 --> 00:03:32,330 But they left a trail of devastation that the others didn't. 55 00:03:33,530 --> 00:03:39,050 As the last hailstone melted from the seventh plague, God repeats 56 00:03:39,210 --> 00:03:40,890 his ultimatum to Pharaoh. 57 00:03:41,690 --> 00:03:45,530 And with this previous plague, the hearts of Pharaoh and his officials 58 00:03:45,690 --> 00:03:46,650 were hardened. 59 00:03:47,450 --> 00:03:50,730 And verse one in chapter 10 gives us a bit more information about 60 00:03:50,730 --> 00:03:51,610 what is to come. 61 00:03:52,650 --> 00:03:56,770 Then the Lord said to Moses, go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened 62 00:03:56,770 --> 00:04:00,090 his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I may perform 63 00:04:00,170 --> 00:04:02,250 these miraculous signs of mine. 64 00:04:02,410 --> 00:04:09,650 Among them, as we saw with the plague of boils, the Lord sometimes 65 00:04:09,650 --> 00:04:14,200 judges people by giving them over to their hearts evil desires. 66 00:04:15,240 --> 00:04:19,640 His purpose in doing this is meant to be an encouragement to Moses 67 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:21,400 and to Aaron and to the people. 68 00:04:21,720 --> 00:04:25,960 Because despite Pharaoh's rebellion, it is the Lord who remains 69 00:04:25,960 --> 00:04:26,760 in full control. 70 00:04:27,400 --> 00:04:31,320 And it is through his control that he wants to do two things. 71 00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:35,080 First of all, he wants to punish Pharaoh for his rebellion, 72 00:04:36,360 --> 00:04:39,640 but he also wants to teach the people truths about himself. 73 00:04:41,540 --> 00:04:45,420 And we know this because as we read on in verse two, we see the 74 00:04:45,420 --> 00:04:46,900 purpose of the plague for his people. 75 00:04:47,940 --> 00:04:51,620 So that you may tell your children and grandchildren how I 76 00:04:51,620 --> 00:04:55,620 dealt harshly with the Egyptians and how I performed my 77 00:04:55,620 --> 00:04:56,740 signs among them. 78 00:04:56,900 --> 00:05:01,540 And that you may know that I am the Lord. 79 00:05:02,660 --> 00:05:06,820 God's using the rebellion of Pharaoh and his servants to accomplish 80 00:05:06,820 --> 00:05:08,580 a far greater purpose. 81 00:05:09,130 --> 00:05:13,850 And that far greater purpose is to display his miraculous judgment 82 00:05:13,850 --> 00:05:17,770 signs in front of them so that they would see them and they would 83 00:05:17,770 --> 00:05:19,370 know who was on their side. 84 00:05:20,170 --> 00:05:24,290 The Israelites will then be able to tell future generations how 85 00:05:24,290 --> 00:05:28,330 the Lord used these signs in his dealings with the Egyptians. 86 00:05:28,970 --> 00:05:32,690 And as the Egyptians and their king have humiliated the Israelites, 87 00:05:32,690 --> 00:05:35,300 now the true king will deliver the Israelites and. 88 00:05:35,450 --> 00:05:37,530 And humiliate their abusers. 89 00:05:38,730 --> 00:05:42,410 And as a result, future generations will know that the God 90 00:05:42,410 --> 00:05:45,370 of Israel is the sovereign king over all the earth. 91 00:05:46,090 --> 00:05:50,130 And so the principle that God is setting down here for us and for 92 00:05:50,130 --> 00:05:54,650 the children of Israel is that we need to tell the stories of God. 93 00:05:56,090 --> 00:06:00,890 I have a very distinct memory of being a very young child and being 94 00:06:00,890 --> 00:06:04,650 in someone's house and sitting in front of a white agar stove. 95 00:06:05,830 --> 00:06:09,190 And in front of that stove, I can remember red tiles. 96 00:06:09,910 --> 00:06:13,230 I also remember a box of sweets would be brought out. 97 00:06:13,230 --> 00:06:16,430 But I cannot for the life of me remember what those sweets were. 98 00:06:16,430 --> 00:06:19,830 And I would love to, because they were the most Delicious sweets 99 00:06:19,830 --> 00:06:20,869 I'd ever tasted. 100 00:06:20,869 --> 00:06:22,870 And I grew up in a sweetie shop. 101 00:06:24,390 --> 00:06:29,350 But I remember sitting at that fire and I remember listening to 102 00:06:29,510 --> 00:06:36,360 grandparents and friends tell stories, and I remember some of those 103 00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:40,880 stories, and I remember some of those songs, even from the age 104 00:06:40,880 --> 00:06:42,720 of three or four. 105 00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:51,200 And I know because you've told me, you remember similar scenarios. 106 00:06:52,320 --> 00:06:57,440 You remember the stories you've been told and you retell them. 107 00:06:57,680 --> 00:07:01,500 And of course, we know nothing hinders an embellishment of the retelling 108 00:07:01,500 --> 00:07:02,940 a story can only get better. 109 00:07:06,380 --> 00:07:08,700 But how important is storytelling to us? 110 00:07:09,900 --> 00:07:12,940 And I think we would say, particularly coming out of a fisherman's 111 00:07:12,940 --> 00:07:15,419 weekend, telling those stories are very important. 112 00:07:16,700 --> 00:07:21,460 And yet it's something that God has directed us to do in demonstrating 113 00:07:21,460 --> 00:07:23,740 this eighth plague against Egypt. 114 00:07:24,300 --> 00:07:28,380 His command to his people is to tell the next generations. 115 00:07:28,620 --> 00:07:32,080 And although this isn't the main focus of this passage, we must 116 00:07:32,080 --> 00:07:34,520 pause for a second and just say, are we doing that? 117 00:07:34,840 --> 00:07:37,280 Yes, we might be good at telling the stories, the good old 118 00:07:37,280 --> 00:07:42,520 yarns, but are we actually telling the stories about God? 119 00:07:43,480 --> 00:07:47,319 Are we telling about his goodness in our lives? 120 00:07:49,080 --> 00:07:52,120 Are we talking about answered prayer? 121 00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:57,240 Are we talking to our children about what we're reading in the Bible? 122 00:07:58,240 --> 00:08:02,320 You see, we help our children to know the Lord when we retell or 123 00:08:02,320 --> 00:08:06,440 recount to them his work in our own lives, just as many have 124 00:08:06,440 --> 00:08:08,960 done to you in the generations that have gone by. 125 00:08:09,760 --> 00:08:12,120 See, the purpose of the children of Israel witnessing all 126 00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:14,680 these plagues was so that they would have a deeper understanding 127 00:08:14,680 --> 00:08:19,040 of who God is and what his standards are. 128 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:23,960 And so likewise, we should be talking to our children about the 129 00:08:23,960 --> 00:08:28,640 goodness of God to us so that they can know the deep truths that 130 00:08:28,640 --> 00:08:30,140 we know about him. 131 00:08:30,380 --> 00:08:34,820 And surely isn't that the most natural thing to do, to be sitting 132 00:08:34,820 --> 00:08:38,780 around the dinner table and be able to say, you saw an amazing sunrise 133 00:08:38,780 --> 00:08:42,140 this morning, or what you'd been reading in your own Bible, or 134 00:08:42,460 --> 00:08:46,420 praying throughout the day for something and asking them to join 135 00:08:46,420 --> 00:08:47,740 you in prayer for that thing. 136 00:08:49,180 --> 00:08:53,860 See, God never mandated this to be so structured and compelling 137 00:08:53,860 --> 00:08:55,020 that it became hard work. 138 00:08:56,450 --> 00:08:58,690 What he's doing here is telling us this is to be part of 139 00:08:58,690 --> 00:09:04,130 our natural conversations with our children, our children's children, 140 00:09:04,850 --> 00:09:08,010 so that we pass these truths that as we were talking with the 141 00:09:08,010 --> 00:09:11,250 girls and boys, like the Apostle Paul, had lived them out 142 00:09:12,050 --> 00:09:14,690 and knew their deep truth and root in Scripture. 143 00:09:16,050 --> 00:09:17,890 So I want to challenge you this morning. 144 00:09:19,090 --> 00:09:21,010 Who's your generation below you? 145 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:25,440 Who's the one that you can talk to and say, let me tell you, 146 00:09:26,800 --> 00:09:29,440 and maybe have A wee tin of sweets as well always goes down a 147 00:09:29,440 --> 00:09:29,840 lot better. 148 00:09:31,520 --> 00:09:36,400 But surely that's the most natural thing to do, to talk about 149 00:09:36,400 --> 00:09:40,640 the wonderful truths of the God we witness before our very eyes, 150 00:09:41,680 --> 00:09:45,440 so that the generations will know the faith that we have and see 151 00:09:45,440 --> 00:09:49,750 that it is a faith worth believing, so that they too will 152 00:09:49,750 --> 00:09:51,390 come onto Christ for salvation. 153 00:09:52,830 --> 00:09:56,870 But we need to keep retelling, because as we know of the history 154 00:09:56,870 --> 00:10:00,190 of the children of Israel, they continue to forget. 155 00:10:01,230 --> 00:10:05,270 They continue to walk away from God as we get them into the 156 00:10:05,270 --> 00:10:07,630 kingdom, as they set up for themselves a king. 157 00:10:07,950 --> 00:10:10,550 And we know what happens when they're not ruled. 158 00:10:10,550 --> 00:10:12,830 Well, they go after other gods. 159 00:10:14,450 --> 00:10:18,410 Did they forget to tell these truths that God's telling them to 160 00:10:18,410 --> 00:10:19,810 remember here and now? 161 00:10:20,290 --> 00:10:24,690 Or did they only do it once a year so that it meant nothing but 162 00:10:24,690 --> 00:10:26,210 became ritual and habit? 163 00:10:27,970 --> 00:10:32,450 Tell your children and your children's children, tell your nieces 164 00:10:32,530 --> 00:10:36,290 and tell your nephews, tell the children that you look after 165 00:10:36,610 --> 00:10:40,610 the wonderful truths of God, just as God has commanded us here 166 00:10:40,850 --> 00:10:45,840 as his people, so that they too will know him to be the God of 167 00:10:45,840 --> 00:10:46,600 their salvation. 168 00:10:47,640 --> 00:10:51,240 It's a lovely little thing in verse two that God gives to us the 169 00:10:51,240 --> 00:10:55,280 purpose of this eighth plague, that indeed it would be told from 170 00:10:55,280 --> 00:10:56,920 one generation to the next. 171 00:10:58,440 --> 00:11:01,480 But as the passage moves on, we see that Moses and Aaron come 172 00:11:01,480 --> 00:11:05,800 before Pharaoh again, but this time the demand of the Lord was about 173 00:11:05,880 --> 00:11:08,040 the humility of Pharaoh. 174 00:11:08,900 --> 00:11:11,060 And verse three poses the question of Pharaoh. 175 00:11:11,460 --> 00:11:14,860 God asks him, how long will you refuse to humble yourself before 176 00:11:14,860 --> 00:11:15,220 me? 177 00:11:16,100 --> 00:11:17,700 That's a pretty direct question. 178 00:11:18,020 --> 00:11:21,500 And it's a question that is full of judgment against Pharaoh, 179 00:11:21,500 --> 00:11:22,580 and rightly so. 180 00:11:23,460 --> 00:11:29,340 Pharaoh has refused to submit to the requests of God, but more 181 00:11:29,340 --> 00:11:34,430 than that, he's refused to submit to the authority God. 182 00:11:35,150 --> 00:11:39,550 And in doing this, or in doing so, he's set himself up against God, 183 00:11:39,550 --> 00:11:41,550 because you can't be neutral. 184 00:11:42,350 --> 00:11:45,630 You're either for God or you're against him. 185 00:11:46,110 --> 00:11:47,710 There's no sitting on the fence. 186 00:11:48,430 --> 00:11:51,190 And so for Pharaoh, he cannot be neutral. 187 00:11:51,190 --> 00:11:55,470 So he is against God by not submitting to the Lord Almighty's 188 00:11:55,470 --> 00:11:55,950 authority. 189 00:11:56,270 --> 00:11:59,830 And so refusal this time to submit to the Lord and let God's 190 00:11:59,830 --> 00:12:03,070 people go will result in a plague of locusts coming on the land. 191 00:12:03,230 --> 00:12:05,540 And look at what verse five says of their epiphany. 192 00:12:06,810 --> 00:12:10,170 They will cover the face of the ground so that it cannot be seen. 193 00:12:10,410 --> 00:12:14,970 They will devour what little you have left after the heel, including 194 00:12:15,050 --> 00:12:18,090 every tree that is growing in the fields. 195 00:12:19,210 --> 00:12:21,729 Now, if you were here two weeks ago, you will Recall the plague 196 00:12:21,729 --> 00:12:25,770 of heel that fell on any man or animal left out in the field, 197 00:12:26,010 --> 00:12:29,210 and it destroyed the flax and the barley crops. 198 00:12:29,770 --> 00:12:32,890 And you might think that there is nothing left for the locust to 199 00:12:32,890 --> 00:12:33,050 eat. 200 00:12:33,050 --> 00:12:36,930 But back in chapter nine and verse 32, we were told that the wheat 201 00:12:36,930 --> 00:12:41,310 and the SP were not destroyed because they are a later crop to 202 00:12:41,310 --> 00:12:42,070 be harvested. 203 00:12:42,710 --> 00:12:46,470 So as the locusts arrive, there may be no flax and no barley 204 00:12:46,470 --> 00:12:48,710 for them to devour, but they're still the second half of 205 00:12:48,710 --> 00:12:51,350 the harvest, and that's what they devour. 206 00:12:52,230 --> 00:12:55,270 Once again, as we've seen, with each plague, it's not just the 207 00:12:55,270 --> 00:12:59,070 people outside of the palace who will suffer, but Pharaoh and 208 00:12:59,070 --> 00:13:00,550 his officials will suffer too. 209 00:13:01,910 --> 00:13:06,480 I genuinely cannot describe what it's like to see this dark cloud 210 00:13:06,480 --> 00:13:09,680 come towards you, and then all of a sudden these flies all around 211 00:13:09,680 --> 00:13:13,040 you, and as you walk into them, they quite literally die and 212 00:13:13,040 --> 00:13:14,240 just stick on you. 213 00:13:15,280 --> 00:13:19,920 And then after it's all over, truly the ground is black, but hasn't 214 00:13:19,920 --> 00:13:20,480 been caught. 215 00:13:20,960 --> 00:13:24,040 This is the closest that I've experienced to what's being described 216 00:13:24,040 --> 00:13:24,200 here. 217 00:13:24,200 --> 00:13:28,760 But how much worse for the Egyptians that the ground was darkened 218 00:13:28,760 --> 00:13:31,520 because there'd be locusts everywhere, locust upon locust. 219 00:13:32,630 --> 00:13:34,430 They wouldn't be able to walk, they wouldn't be able to plant, they 220 00:13:34,430 --> 00:13:36,790 wouldn't be able to harvest, they wouldn't be able to save anything 221 00:13:38,390 --> 00:13:42,310 because of the totality of this punishment that God was bringing 222 00:13:42,390 --> 00:13:43,430 on the Egyptians. 223 00:13:45,190 --> 00:13:49,830 And so, as Moses and Aaron leave, we see a turn in the discussion 224 00:13:49,830 --> 00:13:51,030 with Pharaoh and his officials. 225 00:13:52,310 --> 00:13:54,830 See, at the beginning of these plagues, they considered themselves 226 00:13:54,830 --> 00:13:55,990 to be the ones in charge. 227 00:13:57,840 --> 00:14:00,440 They were the world's superpower, so no one could defeat 228 00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:00,640 them. 229 00:14:00,640 --> 00:14:04,160 So they didn't fear anything that Moses was going to say to them. 230 00:14:04,480 --> 00:14:07,880 And with the plague of hail, we saw some of the officials now 231 00:14:07,880 --> 00:14:09,760 starting to change their opinion. 232 00:14:09,760 --> 00:14:13,000 And they took the advice of Moses and went out and rescued their 233 00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:14,720 servants and their livestock. 234 00:14:15,440 --> 00:14:19,760 Whereas others remained in that idea that they were the superpower, 235 00:14:20,560 --> 00:14:24,520 and that included Pharaoh, remaining determined in their thinking 236 00:14:24,520 --> 00:14:25,360 of being in control. 237 00:14:26,610 --> 00:14:30,650 And verse seven shows us the first real loss of confidence in 238 00:14:30,650 --> 00:14:33,090 who the Egyptian leaders believed themselves to be. 239 00:14:33,410 --> 00:14:36,050 Because we're told in verse seven, Pharaoh's officials said to 240 00:14:36,050 --> 00:14:38,370 him, how long will this man be a snare to us? 241 00:14:38,690 --> 00:14:42,450 Let the people go so that they may worship the Lord their God. 242 00:14:42,690 --> 00:14:45,810 Do you not yet realize that Egypt is ruined? 243 00:14:46,930 --> 00:14:47,970 What an assessment. 244 00:14:48,850 --> 00:14:50,170 These are the leaders of Egypt. 245 00:14:50,170 --> 00:14:53,490 These who were but weeks ago the most confident people on Earth, 246 00:14:53,490 --> 00:14:56,970 are now Looking at their decimated country as if it had been 247 00:14:56,970 --> 00:15:00,430 a war zone and saying it is ruined. 248 00:15:03,070 --> 00:15:05,790 So Pharaoh's servants appeal to him. 249 00:15:06,350 --> 00:15:10,470 They describe Moses as a snare snare, that instrument that captures 250 00:15:10,470 --> 00:15:11,950 something so that it can be killed. 251 00:15:12,430 --> 00:15:15,670 That's what they see him to be, a trap for them and that they 252 00:15:15,670 --> 00:15:16,910 will suffer because of it. 253 00:15:16,990 --> 00:15:20,990 And the only way to escape the snare is to agree to Moses request. 254 00:15:21,230 --> 00:15:24,350 So they tell Pharaoh to let the people go. 255 00:15:24,350 --> 00:15:26,990 So it's not just coming from Moses, it's now coming from Pharaoh's 256 00:15:26,990 --> 00:15:27,230 officials. 257 00:15:27,910 --> 00:15:28,630 Let them go. 258 00:15:29,590 --> 00:15:33,910 And the servants here have the sense to name what Pharaoh is ignoring. 259 00:15:34,630 --> 00:15:37,910 The Lord has utterly ruined the land. 260 00:15:38,710 --> 00:15:42,910 And as the leaders of the people, something they say must be 261 00:15:42,910 --> 00:15:43,190 done. 262 00:15:45,190 --> 00:15:49,350 So Pharaoh is persuaded and he calls Moses and Aaron back to him. 263 00:15:50,390 --> 00:15:53,470 But this will not be a straightforward answer to the Lord's 264 00:15:53,470 --> 00:15:53,750 demand. 265 00:15:54,640 --> 00:15:56,160 Pharaoh is still arrogant. 266 00:15:57,040 --> 00:15:58,960 Pharaoh has not humbled himself. 267 00:15:59,360 --> 00:16:03,720 And he demonstrates his stubborn heart and that lack of humility 268 00:16:03,720 --> 00:16:04,560 before the Lord. 269 00:16:04,880 --> 00:16:08,320 And so, when asked who will go and worship the Lord in verse 8, 270 00:16:08,400 --> 00:16:12,760 Moses response is his expectation that it will be all of 271 00:16:12,760 --> 00:16:16,080 God's people, young and old, sons and daughters and flocks and 272 00:16:16,080 --> 00:16:19,560 herds, to go and celebrate to the Lord, because they were to conduct 273 00:16:19,560 --> 00:16:21,010 sacrifices to the Lord. 274 00:16:22,360 --> 00:16:25,800 But this is not Pharaoh's expectation of how things will go. 275 00:16:25,960 --> 00:16:27,880 He still believes that he is in control. 276 00:16:27,880 --> 00:16:30,600 So he now wants to set the parameters of the deal. 277 00:16:30,920 --> 00:16:39,880 And so he says in verse 10, The Lord be with you if I let you 278 00:16:39,880 --> 00:16:41,640 go along with your women and children. 279 00:16:42,280 --> 00:16:45,000 Clearly you are bent on evil. 280 00:16:48,610 --> 00:16:51,850 Now, as this verse begins, it looks like within the first five 281 00:16:51,850 --> 00:16:54,290 words, Pharaoh is submitting to the Lord. 282 00:16:55,810 --> 00:16:59,090 But as he continues, we see that he is not. 283 00:16:59,810 --> 00:17:03,930 Pharaoh begins really quite sarcastically, as if to say, may 284 00:17:03,930 --> 00:17:06,210 the Lord be with you if I ever send you off. 285 00:17:07,090 --> 00:17:08,530 But that's not going to happen. 286 00:17:09,890 --> 00:17:14,920 Little does Pharaoh know how ironic his sarcasm is, because it 287 00:17:14,920 --> 00:17:18,120 will not be long before he does send them off, asking Moses 288 00:17:18,120 --> 00:17:19,800 to bless him as they go. 289 00:17:19,800 --> 00:17:22,000 And that's in chapter 12 for us. 290 00:17:23,600 --> 00:17:25,840 So after the sarcasm, he turns to the accusation. 291 00:17:26,080 --> 00:17:30,640 You are plotting evil, he says, before finishing by deceptively 292 00:17:31,040 --> 00:17:33,040 mischaracterizing the request. 293 00:17:33,280 --> 00:17:35,120 Do you see how he twists it? 294 00:17:35,200 --> 00:17:38,960 He'll only let the men go because Pharaoh states that that's 295 00:17:38,960 --> 00:17:40,720 all Moses has ever asked for. 296 00:17:41,690 --> 00:17:42,730 But that's not true. 297 00:17:43,290 --> 00:17:46,810 Moses has been asking for the people to go and worship God. 298 00:17:47,370 --> 00:17:48,930 The group never changed. 299 00:17:48,930 --> 00:17:52,810 It was maybe the proximity that changed in some of the requests. 300 00:17:53,450 --> 00:17:57,169 But there's nothing Moses can Do Pharaoh believes he's won the 301 00:17:57,169 --> 00:17:57,930 negotiations. 302 00:17:58,810 --> 00:18:00,090 The king has spoken. 303 00:18:01,130 --> 00:18:04,290 And look how the Bible describes what happens to Moses and 304 00:18:04,290 --> 00:18:04,810 Aaron. 305 00:18:05,050 --> 00:18:08,850 They are driven out from before Pharaoh. 306 00:18:10,770 --> 00:18:15,570 This will be something to be replicated as Moses and the people 307 00:18:15,570 --> 00:18:19,650 are driven out of Egypt in just a few chapters time. 308 00:18:20,930 --> 00:18:23,410 But the problem for Pharaoh is he's made a fatal move. 309 00:18:23,810 --> 00:18:27,370 As soon as they leave, the Lord commands Moses to stretch his 310 00:18:27,370 --> 00:18:30,970 hand over the land and anything left after the heel will 311 00:18:30,970 --> 00:18:32,530 be devoured by the locusts. 312 00:18:33,430 --> 00:18:35,270 Moses does as he's told by God. 313 00:18:35,350 --> 00:18:39,350 And with the east wind blowing over the land, so the Lord brought 314 00:18:39,350 --> 00:18:41,510 the plague of locusts to Egypt. 315 00:18:41,990 --> 00:18:45,190 And verses 14 and 15 tell us of their devastation. 316 00:18:45,350 --> 00:18:46,950 Listen to this or read along. 317 00:18:47,510 --> 00:18:48,949 What do these locusts do? 318 00:18:49,430 --> 00:18:50,830 They're described as an army. 319 00:18:50,830 --> 00:18:54,510 They invade all Egypt and settled down in every area of the 320 00:18:54,510 --> 00:18:55,990 country in great numbers. 321 00:18:56,550 --> 00:18:59,910 Never before had there been such a plague of locusts, nor will 322 00:18:59,910 --> 00:19:00,950 there ever be again. 323 00:19:01,760 --> 00:19:03,840 They covered the ground until it was black. 324 00:19:04,000 --> 00:19:06,800 They devoured all that was left after the heel. 325 00:19:07,120 --> 00:19:09,840 Everything growing in the fields and the fruit of the trees. 326 00:19:09,840 --> 00:19:15,760 Nothing green remained on tree or plant in all the land of Egypt. 327 00:19:17,360 --> 00:19:21,960 There's a West African novel called Plague of Caterpillars and 328 00:19:21,960 --> 00:19:24,960 it talks about something like this, where these caterpillars come 329 00:19:24,960 --> 00:19:26,640 and just devour all of the crops. 330 00:19:27,080 --> 00:19:30,640 I think it was my third winter here when I planted some winter crops 331 00:19:30,640 --> 00:19:34,480 that caterpillars came and eat all the Brussels sprouts and broccoli 332 00:19:34,480 --> 00:19:36,680 and cauliflower in one night. 333 00:19:36,760 --> 00:19:39,560 Everything was gone from my small vegetable patch. 334 00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:41,880 Think about it. 335 00:19:42,440 --> 00:19:45,960 All the food that you depend on goes just like that. 336 00:19:47,240 --> 00:19:53,850 Not by caterpillars that are small, but these large locusts that 337 00:19:53,850 --> 00:19:54,610 cover the ground. 338 00:19:56,290 --> 00:20:00,690 The language here in the Hebrew is that of apocalyptic. 339 00:20:01,490 --> 00:20:05,050 It's giving us a description that nothing is remaining. 340 00:20:05,050 --> 00:20:08,290 This is complete desolation on the land of Egypt. 341 00:20:10,850 --> 00:20:15,130 Such thick clouds of locusts obscuring the sunlight or spreading 342 00:20:15,130 --> 00:20:17,810 like a dark blanket across the earth's surface. 343 00:20:18,860 --> 00:20:20,860 That's how we're to understand what's going on. 344 00:20:20,860 --> 00:20:24,700 But of course, as we hear of darkness and the ground darkened, 345 00:20:25,020 --> 00:20:28,380 it's also associated regularly with judgment by the prophets. 346 00:20:29,340 --> 00:20:32,420 And we will see this in full force with the next plague that will 347 00:20:32,420 --> 00:20:33,060 strike Egypt. 348 00:20:33,060 --> 00:20:33,980 The plague of darkness. 349 00:20:34,620 --> 00:20:38,780 And the Hebrew phrase used in verse 15 speaks of the ground being 350 00:20:38,780 --> 00:20:43,020 black, suggests really quite an animal situation for these Egyptians. 351 00:20:43,020 --> 00:20:43,860 What are they going to do? 352 00:20:43,860 --> 00:20:45,220 How are they going to survive this? 353 00:20:47,290 --> 00:20:52,410 Well, the judgment plays out in utter decimation because the text 354 00:20:52,410 --> 00:20:58,130 emphasizes that the locusts eat all the land and tree crops so 355 00:20:58,130 --> 00:21:00,890 that not a green thing of tree crops remain. 356 00:21:01,690 --> 00:21:02,370 Quite literally. 357 00:21:02,370 --> 00:21:04,650 The devastation is total. 358 00:21:06,730 --> 00:21:08,330 And Pharaoh's thrown into a panic. 359 00:21:08,330 --> 00:21:09,130 Wouldn't anyone? 360 00:21:09,530 --> 00:21:12,490 At long last, we begin to see a humanity within him. 361 00:21:12,750 --> 00:21:15,830 And in verse 16, he sends for Moses and Aaron to come back to the 362 00:21:15,830 --> 00:21:16,270 palace. 363 00:21:16,350 --> 00:21:19,590 And once again, we see what appears to be an understanding by 364 00:21:19,590 --> 00:21:21,230 Pharaoh of the state that he's in. 365 00:21:21,790 --> 00:21:23,190 He's real to himself. 366 00:21:23,190 --> 00:21:26,590 He says to them that he has sinned against God. 367 00:21:26,590 --> 00:21:29,390 This is powerful language coming from the world's superpower. 368 00:21:29,630 --> 00:21:32,390 And he goes on to recognize that his rejection throughout all 369 00:21:32,390 --> 00:21:34,750 of these plagues has been a sin as well. 370 00:21:35,070 --> 00:21:37,230 This is like a complete turnaround. 371 00:21:39,080 --> 00:21:40,080 How does he cap it all off? 372 00:21:40,080 --> 00:21:42,760 He asks for his sins to be forgiven. 373 00:21:43,480 --> 00:21:47,440 You think this is a man completely transformed, a man completely 374 00:21:47,440 --> 00:21:48,040 changed. 375 00:21:48,520 --> 00:21:52,240 And he says this because he really wants Moses to pray to God 376 00:21:52,240 --> 00:21:54,040 and remove the plague as he did before. 377 00:21:55,160 --> 00:21:56,680 And Moses does this. 378 00:21:56,840 --> 00:21:59,480 And we see the answer to the prayer in verse 19. 379 00:21:59,880 --> 00:22:03,720 And the Lord changed the wind to a very strong west wind which 380 00:22:03,720 --> 00:22:06,520 caught up the locusts and carried them into the Red Sea. 381 00:22:06,760 --> 00:22:09,160 Not a locust was left anywhere. 382 00:22:09,770 --> 00:22:10,330 Egypt. 383 00:22:10,970 --> 00:22:15,370 And so as complete was the devastation of the locusts, so complete 384 00:22:15,370 --> 00:22:17,050 was their removal from the land. 385 00:22:17,450 --> 00:22:20,650 Meaning that God has demonstrated to Pharaoh once again 386 00:22:20,970 --> 00:22:22,730 who is in control of things. 387 00:22:24,090 --> 00:22:29,130 But once again, this repentance by Pharaoh is only temporary, 388 00:22:29,850 --> 00:22:31,610 because verse 20 tells us. 389 00:22:32,570 --> 00:22:37,600 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart and he would not 390 00:22:37,600 --> 00:22:40,080 let the Israelites go. 391 00:22:42,800 --> 00:22:45,440 Pharaoh is quite literally a smooth operator. 392 00:22:46,480 --> 00:22:52,000 He says what he wants people to hear so that he can get what he 393 00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:52,640 wants most. 394 00:22:54,000 --> 00:22:58,280 Pharaoh goes back on his promise and does not let any of the 395 00:22:58,280 --> 00:23:00,000 Israelites go to worship God. 396 00:23:01,050 --> 00:23:04,090 So after eight plagues, we find ourselves in the same situation. 397 00:23:04,730 --> 00:23:08,890 The great king of Egypt, Pharaoh, thinks that he can stand 398 00:23:09,050 --> 00:23:12,890 against God, but he cannot. 399 00:23:13,450 --> 00:23:16,729 And it's displayed for all of God's people to see so that they 400 00:23:16,729 --> 00:23:20,330 will know who the true authority is and they will trust 401 00:23:20,330 --> 00:23:21,610 in him to deliver them. 402 00:23:21,610 --> 00:23:26,290 That's why they're told to recount and retell this story, so 403 00:23:26,290 --> 00:23:30,020 those truths will be told as they have been seen. 404 00:23:31,380 --> 00:23:36,420 Well, this plague is an account of complete destruction brought 405 00:23:36,420 --> 00:23:40,260 about by Pharaoh's sinful rebellion against God. 406 00:23:41,220 --> 00:23:44,019 And this is the reality of all sin. 407 00:23:44,900 --> 00:23:49,220 And let me impress on you that there is no such thing as a little 408 00:23:49,300 --> 00:23:51,700 sin or a big sin. 409 00:23:52,180 --> 00:23:54,670 There is simply sin. 410 00:23:55,950 --> 00:24:00,190 And the sin in our lives needs to be punished because it goes against 411 00:24:00,590 --> 00:24:01,630 God's way. 412 00:24:02,590 --> 00:24:06,270 He has given humanity a standard by which to live by. 413 00:24:06,350 --> 00:24:10,430 And we will be measured against that standard from God and 414 00:24:10,430 --> 00:24:11,310 not our own. 415 00:24:12,430 --> 00:24:16,430 But as I say this, there are two things that I want to tell you. 416 00:24:16,990 --> 00:24:21,390 First of all, if you have asked God to forgive you for your 417 00:24:21,390 --> 00:24:25,700 sins because of Jesus, then your sins are truly forgiven. 418 00:24:27,450 --> 00:24:31,370 This is God's great initiative of salvation to all who believe. 419 00:24:32,250 --> 00:24:37,210 And you might be here this morning dwelling on past sins, yours 420 00:24:37,450 --> 00:24:38,810 and perhaps those of others. 421 00:24:39,530 --> 00:24:45,170 And yes, sin has consequences that reach far deeper than we might 422 00:24:45,170 --> 00:24:45,770 realize. 423 00:24:46,650 --> 00:24:50,890 But forgiveness in Christ means that before God we are truly 424 00:24:50,890 --> 00:24:51,450 forgiven. 425 00:24:52,380 --> 00:24:56,620 We rest in him and not in ourselves or the judgments of others. 426 00:24:57,740 --> 00:25:02,300 There may be fractures in relationships, but those can be healed. 427 00:25:02,780 --> 00:25:06,060 There may be disappointments, but those can be forgotten. 428 00:25:06,700 --> 00:25:11,260 There may be complete breakdown in relationship, but those 429 00:25:11,260 --> 00:25:12,940 can be healed. 430 00:25:14,140 --> 00:25:14,540 Why? 431 00:25:16,140 --> 00:25:24,050 Because in Christ all our sins are forgiven as we confess them before 432 00:25:24,050 --> 00:25:24,450 Him. 433 00:25:25,890 --> 00:25:30,930 So I want to say to you, Christian, this morning, take heart 434 00:25:31,330 --> 00:25:37,890 today, take heart that Jesus truly forgives, that he does not 435 00:25:37,890 --> 00:25:42,810 hold against you the sins that you have confessed and that you have 436 00:25:42,810 --> 00:25:44,610 been assured pardon of. 437 00:25:46,190 --> 00:25:49,710 And in fact, our assurance of pardon this evening in evening worship 438 00:25:49,710 --> 00:25:54,230 comes from Isaiah 1:18, where the prophet says, come now, let us 439 00:25:54,230 --> 00:25:55,870 reason together, says the Lord. 440 00:25:56,350 --> 00:26:01,630 Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as 441 00:26:01,630 --> 00:26:02,110 snow. 442 00:26:02,830 --> 00:26:09,230 Though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. 443 00:26:12,840 --> 00:26:22,120 I am a sinner, but I am redeemed by the saving blood of Jesus 444 00:26:22,200 --> 00:26:22,600 Christ. 445 00:26:23,640 --> 00:26:28,920 And though my sins are like scarlet, not through any effort of 446 00:26:28,920 --> 00:26:33,080 my own, but all of Christ, they are as white as snow. 447 00:26:34,120 --> 00:26:38,120 And though they are red like crimson, because of Jesus, they shall 448 00:26:38,120 --> 00:26:39,620 become like crimson. 449 00:26:40,010 --> 00:26:47,050 Will I do not fear the judgment because my sins are forgiven 450 00:26:48,170 --> 00:26:49,050 in Jesus. 451 00:26:50,010 --> 00:26:54,050 This is the complete assurance I have as I have confessed my sins 452 00:26:54,050 --> 00:26:57,850 before God and sought forgiveness for those whom I've sinned 453 00:26:57,850 --> 00:26:58,170 against. 454 00:26:59,530 --> 00:27:05,130 You see, in Christ we can know true forgiveness because that's what 455 00:27:05,130 --> 00:27:06,770 he came to to give us. 456 00:27:07,570 --> 00:27:15,010 So take heart, continue to trust in Jesus and look only to Him. 457 00:27:16,370 --> 00:27:19,170 So that's the first thing in Jesus we are truly forgiven. 458 00:27:19,170 --> 00:27:23,290 But secondly, if you don't have this assurance of the forgiveness 459 00:27:23,290 --> 00:27:27,570 of sins, then you can, because assurance of forgiveness can be yours. 460 00:27:27,650 --> 00:27:31,570 You can come to Jesus today and know his great love so that you 461 00:27:31,570 --> 00:27:34,650 will not have to face the punishment that you deserve for your 462 00:27:34,650 --> 00:27:34,970 sins. 463 00:27:35,920 --> 00:27:39,360 That's why John tells us in First John chapter 2 and verse 2, 464 00:27:39,520 --> 00:27:41,120 he is the speaking of Jesus. 465 00:27:41,120 --> 00:27:45,160 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours, 466 00:27:45,160 --> 00:27:47,360 but also for the sins of the Whole world. 467 00:27:47,440 --> 00:27:48,800 You see, Jesus is enough. 468 00:27:49,280 --> 00:27:53,520 Jesus is enough for all of your sins, whatever those might be, 469 00:27:54,160 --> 00:27:56,880 whether you've started categorizing them as big sins and 470 00:27:56,880 --> 00:27:57,400 little sins. 471 00:27:57,400 --> 00:27:58,160 They're all sins. 472 00:27:58,160 --> 00:27:59,440 And his love is enough. 473 00:28:00,890 --> 00:28:02,650 So why are you not turning to Him? 474 00:28:02,810 --> 00:28:04,890 Why do you think you can deal with this on your own? 475 00:28:04,890 --> 00:28:05,770 Because you can't. 476 00:28:06,570 --> 00:28:07,930 It's only in Jesus. 477 00:28:08,250 --> 00:28:14,890 He is the atoning sacrifice, the propitiation for our sins so 478 00:28:14,890 --> 00:28:17,850 that we can know true forgiveness in Him. 479 00:28:19,210 --> 00:28:20,570 So, Christian, take heart. 480 00:28:21,530 --> 00:28:24,170 And for those of you who don't have this assurance of forgiveness, 481 00:28:24,170 --> 00:28:28,000 there is a way, and that way is still today to come to Jesus and 482 00:28:28,000 --> 00:28:32,240 know his atoning sacrifice for your sins, that he died once for 483 00:28:32,240 --> 00:28:34,560 all and he died for you. 484 00:28:36,160 --> 00:28:38,880 But this also comes with a warning. 485 00:28:41,600 --> 00:28:43,840 The warning is, please don't be like Pharaoh. 486 00:28:44,880 --> 00:28:48,000 And I've said this now a few times as we've looked at Exodus. 487 00:28:48,560 --> 00:28:50,080 Don't be like Pharaoh. 488 00:28:51,280 --> 00:28:57,340 Don't harden your heart so much that God will use the desires 489 00:28:57,340 --> 00:28:59,380 of your heart to punish you. 490 00:29:01,060 --> 00:29:04,340 He does that, and I think we know it. 491 00:29:08,100 --> 00:29:12,500 You see, don't harden your heart because you don't know better 492 00:29:12,500 --> 00:29:13,140 than God. 493 00:29:13,380 --> 00:29:15,140 And don't think that you do. 494 00:29:15,140 --> 00:29:18,260 You can't save yourself and you won't save yourself. 495 00:29:18,260 --> 00:29:19,780 You don't know better than God. 496 00:29:20,700 --> 00:29:22,980 He's the One who made you and formed you and everything around 497 00:29:22,980 --> 00:29:23,340 you. 498 00:29:24,380 --> 00:29:27,020 So don't try to play him like Pharaoh. 499 00:29:28,060 --> 00:29:31,380 Don't say you're a Christian and really deep down, there's nothing 500 00:29:31,380 --> 00:29:31,740 there. 501 00:29:33,900 --> 00:29:35,900 The warning is don't be like a Pharaoh. 502 00:29:37,740 --> 00:29:42,460 You see, we get this wonderful Image from Romans 6, 23. 503 00:29:42,540 --> 00:29:46,220 It's this sense of a scale for the wages of sin is death. 504 00:29:46,460 --> 00:29:48,460 That's the harsh reality that we need to hear. 505 00:29:49,260 --> 00:29:52,860 But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 506 00:29:53,660 --> 00:29:58,140 See, God is doing his utmost so that you will come to Him. 507 00:29:58,780 --> 00:30:01,340 Come to him and know that assurance, believer. 508 00:30:01,340 --> 00:30:01,660 Come. 509 00:30:02,620 --> 00:30:08,420 But come to him and get your hardened heart softened so that you 510 00:30:08,420 --> 00:30:13,260 will know true and eternal salvation in Christ and Him alone. 511 00:30:17,030 --> 00:30:22,310 The plague of locusts seems just like one more plague. 512 00:30:23,590 --> 00:30:27,590 But yet it is a plague where we are told to tell of what God has 513 00:30:27,590 --> 00:30:29,990 done in our lives so that we will know him. 514 00:30:29,990 --> 00:30:33,830 And the generations to come will know that heritage of faith. 515 00:30:34,710 --> 00:30:40,470 But look at the words that's described or that are used to describe 516 00:30:40,900 --> 00:30:42,420 the sin of Pharaoh. 517 00:30:43,620 --> 00:30:46,500 Dark, complete. 518 00:30:47,380 --> 00:30:49,140 That is the punishment of sin. 519 00:30:50,020 --> 00:30:52,580 It is dark and it is complete. 520 00:30:52,580 --> 00:30:56,420 And just as quickly as the punishment of sin is complete. 521 00:30:56,579 --> 00:31:01,460 So just as quickly the Lord Jesus drives that sin away, so that 522 00:31:01,460 --> 00:31:03,900 we will not be held accountable for it, but that he has 523 00:31:03,900 --> 00:31:07,150 taken the punishment for us this day. 524 00:31:07,550 --> 00:31:10,110 Come to Christ and surrender to Him. 525 00:31:11,230 --> 00:31:13,870 Don't be like Pharaoh, who thought he was better. 526 00:31:15,070 --> 00:31:19,630 But surrender and know Jesus as the only one who can rescue and 527 00:31:19,630 --> 00:31:20,590 who can save. 528 00:31:21,870 --> 00:31:26,870 And in it all know that wonderful assurance that you are 529 00:31:26,870 --> 00:31:28,990 his as you come to him. 530 00:31:29,470 --> 00:31:30,270 Let's pray. 531 00:31:31,550 --> 00:31:33,830 Our Father God, we thank youk for your word. 532 00:31:33,830 --> 00:31:37,980 Again, a plague that perhaps we've often just rushed over thinking 533 00:31:38,300 --> 00:31:39,500 that's what they deserve. 534 00:31:39,500 --> 00:31:43,820 But whenever we take it into our own lives and our own contexts, 535 00:31:43,820 --> 00:31:45,100 how quickly we see. 536 00:31:46,540 --> 00:31:50,620 We see in a mirror who we are as this Word is reflected on us. 537 00:31:51,419 --> 00:31:55,380 But thank you that it's a good word because it's a word that encourages 538 00:31:55,380 --> 00:31:57,580 us to know that we're truly forgiven in Christ. 539 00:31:57,820 --> 00:32:01,460 It's a challenging word because there is still yet time that 540 00:32:01,460 --> 00:32:03,340 we can know forgiveness of our sins. 541 00:32:04,270 --> 00:32:07,110 But Father, it comes with a warning not to be like Pharaoh, where 542 00:32:07,110 --> 00:32:12,550 we're hard hearted because you will use that hardness of heart to 543 00:32:12,550 --> 00:32:13,230 punish us. 544 00:32:14,270 --> 00:32:18,470 And that punishment could be for all eternity if we do not come 545 00:32:18,470 --> 00:32:19,310 onto the Savior. 546 00:32:20,830 --> 00:32:25,110 So Father, may we pay attention that after the words of 547 00:32:25,110 --> 00:32:29,670 man have passed, we will pay attention to you, who works in our 548 00:32:29,670 --> 00:32:34,070 hearts and in our souls, so that indeed we will come onto Christ 549 00:32:34,550 --> 00:32:35,910 and know him fully. 550 00:32:37,510 --> 00:32:41,390 So may we respond well this day as we ask these things in Jesus 551 00:32:41,390 --> 00:32:43,030 name, Amen.