Scripture Reference: Exodus 8:20-10:29
4. Appealing
Please read Exodus 10:1-20 for the background to this section.
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.
This purpose was also written into the Passover Feast (see Exodus 12:26-27; 13:8, 14-15). Whether in the family or the local church, it’s good for each new generation to learn and appreciate the way God has worked on behalf of previous generations. Recalling and giving thanks for God’s wonderful deeds is one of the basic themes of the Book of Deuteronomy, including what the Lord did to Pharaoh (Deuteronomy 4:34; 7:18-19; 26:5-8; 29:1-3).
Interrogation (verses 3-11). Three questions summarize this confrontation with Pharaoh. First, Moses and Aaron asked Pharaoh how long he was going to persist in his pride and refuse to humble himself before God. It took a great deal of courage to tell any ancient ruler that he was proud, but especially the king of Egypt who was honored as a god. However, Moses and Aaron knew that the Lord would protect them and fulfill His word. They warned Pharaoh that if he failed to obey, vast swarms of locusts would come into the land and destroy everything that hadn’t already been destroyed by the hailstorm. Moses and Aaron didn’t wait for an answer or another false promise; they delivered their message and walked out of the palace.
The second question came from Pharaoh’s officers, “How long shall this man be a snare to us?” They suggested that Pharaoh had been wrong in not letting the Jews go, and they even dared to remind him that his anti-Jewish policy had ruined the land of Egypt. The officers certainly were brave to talk this boldly to Pharaoh, but the nation was in desperate straits and somebody had to do something. What harm could come from the Jewish people temporarily leaving their work and going on their journey?
Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron back to the palace and asked the third question demanding an answer: “Tell me who will be going.” Moses made it clear that God wanted everybody to take this three-day journey. This included all the men, women, and children, the young and the old, and also the flocks and herds that would be needed to provide sacrifices for the Lord. Pharaoh offered to let only the men go on the journey, knowing that he could hold their families hostage and guarantee their return to Egypt, but it was a compromise that Moses and Aaron rejected.
To Be Continued
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD 