Locusts

Pharaoh moves from refusal to negotiation.

He knows that his outright “no” is only escalating the plagues. Resistance to God often looks like a compromise. Instead of a slammed door, it is one that is slightly open, you can show obedience but it isn’t complete.

“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 realise that Egypt is ruined?” ⁸ Then Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. “Go, worship the Lord your God,” he said. “But tell me who will be going.” ⁹ Moses answered, “We will go with our young and our old, with our sons and our daughters, and with our flocks and herds, because we are to celebrate a festival to the Lord.” ¹⁰ Pharaoh said, “The Lord be with you—if I let you go, along with your women and children! Clearly you are bent on evil.¹¹ 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. ¹² And the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over Egypt so that locusts swarm over the land and devour everything growing in the fields, everything left by the hail.” ¹³ 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; ¹⁴ 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. ¹⁵ 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. ¹⁶ Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you. ¹⁷ Now forgive my sin once more and pray to the Lord your God to take this deadly plague away from me.” ¹⁸ Moses then left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord. ¹⁹ 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. ²⁰ But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the Israelites go.” (Exodus 10 v 7-20)

Egypt was in ruins, “How long will this man be a snare to us?” they asked. Even his own advisors could see what Pharaoh refused to see.

If your enemy cannot stop your desire to worship God, he will certainly introduce the idea of compromise.

Only men can go and worship. Moses was told to leave the women, the children and the flocks behind.

But God doesn’t negotiate when it comes to surrender.

So the locusts come. Again Pharaoh repents. “I have sinned,” he says. But the moment the pressure lifts, again so does the repentance.

This ancient story continues to ask us the question: are you offering God a negotiated worship?

God has never wanted a token. He wants young and old, everything you have and are.

Christ didn’t die for part of you. He didn’t hold back an arm on the cross so you could hold back a portion of your heart.

Has God got all of you today?