Hello again! Welcome to today’s exciting Exodus 10 Bible study for beginners. In this chapter, we will read about the eighth and ninth plagues of Egypt. According to Bible scholars, the events of Exodus 10 took place in 1446 B.C. approximately.
As usual, I encourage you to turn to Exodus 10 in your Bible. Kindly invite the Holy Spirit to guide you as you read and study Exodus 10. I mention this in all the Bible Studies because it is only through the Holy Spirit that we get fresh revelation and knowledge to understand the word of God. No one else can teach you better than the Holy Spirit Himself. I am using the New King James Version (NKJV) of the Bible, just in case you want to know.
In the Bible Study on Exodus 9, we read and learned about the fifth, sixth, and seventh plagues of Egypt. Today, we will learn about the eighth and ninth plagues of Egypt.
Backstory on Exodus 9
The Lord sent the fifth, sixth, and seventh plagues upon Egypt: livestock pestilence, boils, and hail. Each time, Pharaoh asked Moses to pray, but afterward, he hardened his heart and refused to let the Israelites go. God gave the Pharaoh and his servants many opportunities to repent and turn away from their sins, but they ignored His word, even as He demonstrated His power like never before.
Without any further delay, let us study together and learn what is Exodus 10 about, shall we?
Exodus 10 Summary
The Lord instructed Moses to approach Pharaoh, emphasizing that He had hardened Pharaoh’s heart to demonstrate His signs and wonders in Egypt. Moses and Aaron confronted Pharaoh, urging him to humble himself and let the Israelites go so they could serve God. They warned that if he refused, locusts would invade Egypt, covering the land and consuming any remaining crops, a plague none had experienced before. After their warning, Pharaoh’s servants expressed concern, questioning how long Moses would continue to be a burden and they urged Pharaoh to release the Israelites, noting the devastation in Egypt.
Pharaoh eventually allowed Moses and Aaron to go but questioned who would accompany them. Moses insisted that everyone, including their families, children, and livestock, would go to hold a feast for the Lord. Pharaoh, however, only permitted the men to go and drove them out of his presence.
The Lord commanded Moses to stretch out his hand over Egypt, causing an east wind to bring a severe swarm of locusts that darkened the land and consumed all remaining vegetation. Eventually, Pharaoh, overwhelmed by the devastation, admitted his wrongdoing and asked Moses to plead with the Lord to remove the locusts.
Moses prayed, and the Lord sent a strong west wind to carry the locusts into the Red Sea, leaving Egypt devoid of them. Despite this, the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart once more, and he refused to allow the Israelites to go free.
The Lord instructed Moses to stretch out his hand toward heaven, resulting in a profound darkness that covered Egypt for three days, during which the Egyptians could not see each other or move, while the Israelites had light in their homes. Pharaoh eventually called for Moses, agreeing to let the Israelites go but insisting that their livestock remain. Moses responded that they needed to take their livestock to serve the Lord, stressing that nothing could be left behind, as they were uncertain about how they would serve God until they reached their destination. Ultimately, the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, leading him to refuse to let the Israelites go. Pharaoh then angrily declared that he would never see Moses’s face again, which Moses gladly accepted.
Exodus 10 Commentary
1. Exodus 10:1-20
When God sent the locusts, it was a direct attack on the livelihood and sustenance of the Egyptians. They relied heavily on agriculture along the banks of the Nile Delta, and this event also targeted the Egyptian gods, Seth and Osiris. Seth was associated with storms and disorder, and the Lord brought the locusts with the east wind. Therefore, Seth, the Egyptian false god of storms, was powerless against the east wind sent by the Lord. He could do nothing to stop the power of Almighty God from bringing the locusts on Egypt.
Similarly, Osiris, the god of the underworld and agriculture, was also unable to prevent the locusts. The locusts destroyed every crop and piece of vegetation in Egypt, leaving nothing green on the plants, trees, or herbs. Their numbers were so great that they darkened the land, obliterating everything left behind by the hail—the seventh plague. The Lord made the land desolate before He made the people desolate in Egypt.
When Moses appealed to the Lord based on Pharaoh’s pleas, the Lord sent a west wind to remove the locusts. The wind and its directions are completely under God’s power. He can utilize and direct them as He wishes, for He is Sovereign.
2. Exodus 10:21-29
The Lord sent a thick darkness over Egypt—not just any darkness, but a darkness that could be felt. It was so dense that they could have passed a knife through it. This darkness lasted for three days, during which people did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from their place.
This darkness held prophetic significance as well; it parallels how Jesus was in the belly of the earth, in the dark world making an open spectacle of satan and his cohorts, for three days before His resurrection and glorification. God struck the Egyptians with total darkness, also hinting at the impending devastating plague about to befall every household in the entire land. They were not only experiencing physical darkness but were also in spiritual darkness. Whereas, the Israelites walking in covenant with God were walking in the light spiritually speaking. This was demonstrated also physically where all the children of Israel (the Israelites) had light in their homes.
Like the other plagues, this plague of darkness was a direct assault on Egypt’s most revered and worshiped Sun God, Ra, who was seen as the life-giver by the Egyptians. Ra was unable to provide any light or control the sun and make it give its light because every celestial element is God’s creation. Again, God can do as He pleases with them, and no human or false god can question Him or stand against His power and win.
3. Exodus 10:8-10, 24-26
The Pharaoh wanted Moses and the children of Israel to defy God’s command and follow his own. Before the eighth plague, he allowed only the men to leave, which meant the children and livestock had to be left behind. After the ninth plague, he told Moses that all the people could go, but the livestock had to stay. Throughout this process, Pharaoh was constantly opposing God and trying to exert his power and control over the Israelites, likely out of fear of losing his slaves. He may have also wanted to save face in front of the Egyptian people, who viewed him as a god. In today’s terms, he perfectly fits the description of as a narcissist.
Exodus 10 Lessons
What can we learn from Exodus 10?
1. Worship the Creator and not the creation
The Egyptians worshipped false gods that were merely their own creations. They believed that the sun was a god simply because it provided light and allowed vegetation to thrive in the Nile Delta. However, God has the power to extinguish the sun at will, and He showed mercy to the Egyptians by only blocking it out for three days. Even today, many cultures continue to worship creation rather than the Creator. When these false gods lose their influence, the people who have been deceived into thinking they are gods also fall with them as in the case of the Egyptians and they suffered great loss because their false gods were not able to save them. Worshipping multiple gods suggests that God is not omnipotent which is a lie. An omnipotent God cannot have His power divided among many. There is only one God, and all power belongs to Him.
2. Obey God always
When God commands you to do something, it is better to obey. Do not listen to what a carnal person who walks according to the flesh and does not know God might say because they will try to steer you away from His will.
God commanded the Israelites to go into the wilderness—men, women, young and old, along with their livestock—to worship and sacrifice to Him. Pharaoh attempted to oppose God by telling Moses that only the men should go, while the children and livestock were to remain behind, ensuring that they would return to their slavery in Egypt after their worship. After the ninth plague, he insisted that the livestock must also stay behind. This was a tactic to maintain control over them and ensure their return to Egypt, keeping them in permanent bondage. And everytime Moses refuted Pharaoh by refusing to obey him. He did this by stating what God had commanded him and the Israelies to do.
Free from bondage
When God asks you to do something, it is meant to set you free from bondage. However, the enemy, through certain people (especially unsaved close friends and family), will most likely try to prevent you from doing what God has instructed you to do. People may try to persuade you repeatedly not to follow God’s commands by manipulating you or attempting to force you into submission to their own views. Some may do it unknowingly (they might be genuine but they don’t understand God’s plans for you) yet some others may do it under the guise of care and love.
While it is important to love others unconditionally, you should rely on God’s care and love rather than human opinions. If you yield to these pressures and follow the human will instead of God’s, you will most likely end up in bondage and end up where God does not intend you to be.
Therefore, you must obey God alone just like Moses did, if you wish to walk under His protection and experience true freedom. We are to refute other people’s pressure to follow their will by standing on God’s word alone just like Moses did with Pharaoh.
3. God always keeps His word
God is always faithful, and the best part is that He is unchanging. He never changes. The same God who kept His word to Moses and the Israelites will also keep His word to you today. His word is His promise. You cannot rely on man, as people may change or be here one day and gone the next. But God is constant and faithful, and His word cannot fail. He fulfilled every promise He made to Moses and the Israelites. He didn’t make a promise and then act differently.
The Lord repeatedly warned Pharaoh through Moses. It is important to distinguish between God’s promises and His warnings. If Pharaoh had genuinely repented, God might have altered His actions toward the Egyptians, as He is merciful. Unfortunately, that was not the case. When God makes a promise, He always keeps it. However, when He warns of impending judgment, He fulfills that warning if people do not repent. In His mercy, He gives the wicked many opportunities to turn away from their sins. If they do repent, He is merciful and forgives them. What a wonderful God we serve!
Conclusion
This concludes the bible study on Exodus 10. I hope you enjoyed this free bible study and found it helpful in your Bible study journey. Feel free to share it with your friends and family. Also, share your thoughts and what the Holy Spirit has revealed to you about Exodus 10. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below. I will get back to you as soon as I can.
Until next time!