Passage: Exodus 10:1-20
The Big Idea
“How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me?” That’s God’s question to Pharaoh, and it reveals a law of His universe: God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Pharaoh’s pride blinded him, even when his own officials could see Egypt was ruined. His “confession” was all about removing the plague, not his sin. But Scripture shows how far God’s grace goes for the humble: even wicked Ahab, even Manasseh, even Nebuchadnezzar. No matter how far we fall, we’re only ever one humble step from grace.
Down the Way He Went Up
A young pastor was excited to preach his first sermon in his home church. After years of training, he felt ready, and he strode to the pulpit with his head high, radiating confidence. But he stumbled reading the Scripture, lost his train of thought halfway through, panicked, wrapped up quickly and walked down with his head hanging. Afterward, a wise old elder whispered, “If you’d gone up the way you came down, you might have come down the way you went up.”
God still opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6).
So You Can Tell Your Children (Exodus 10:1-2)
The Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so I can perform these signs among them, and so you can tell your children and grandchildren how I dealt harshly with Egypt and about My signs among them, and so you’ll know that I am the LORD.”
- God reveals more of His purpose: so that you and your family might know who He is.
- This chapter teaches an everlasting principle about God.
“How Long Will You Refuse to Humble Yourself?” (Exodus 10:3-6)
Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, so they can serve Me. If you refuse, tomorrow I’ll bring locusts into your country. They’ll cover the face of the land so no one can see the ground. They’ll eat whatever the hail left, every tree growing in your fields. They’ll fill your houses and the houses of all Egypt, something your ancestors never saw.'” Then Moses turned and left.
The everlasting principle: God requires humility of every person.
- When we come to God in humility, we receive His grace. We’re helped, forgiven, encouraged, taught, protected and supplied.
- Pride is the opposite of humility.
- Pride makes us fight God.
- Pride is the natural state of all God’s enemies.
- Pride is our worst trait. It has wrecked more lives than war or disease.
Pharaoh was a man of pride. He refused to humble himself. He wouldn’t do what God said or accept God’s authority.
So God would send locusts so thick they’d carpet the ground. Into the houses, too. Gross.
Blinded by Pride (Exodus 10:7-11)
Pharaoh’s officials said to him, “How long will this man be a trap for us? Let the people go to serve the LORD their God. Don’t you realize yet that Egypt is ruined?“
- Even Pharaoh’s own servants were stunned by his pride. They could see that God was bigger than Pharaoh. He couldn’t.
- That’s what pride does: it blinds us.
- Friends or family may tell us we’re being proud, and we often just can’t see it. May God open our eyes to our own pride.
Moses and Aaron were brought back. Pharaoh said, “Go, serve the LORD your God. But who exactly is going?” Moses said, “We’ll go with our young and old, sons and daughters, flocks and herds, because we must hold a festival to the LORD.” Pharaoh said, “The LORD had better be with you if I ever let you go with your little ones! Clearly you’re up to no good. No! Only the men may go and serve the LORD, since that’s what you’ve been asking.” And they were driven out of Pharaoh’s presence.
- Still resisting. Pharaoh wanted to keep the children in Egypt as hostages.
- For Moses, that wasn’t an option. He wouldn’t compromise.
- All Pharaoh could do was get angry and make empty threats.
The Locusts (Exodus 10:12-15)
The Lord told Moses, “Stretch your hand over Egypt so locusts swarm over the land and devour everything the hail left.” Moses stretched out his staff, and the Lord sent an east wind all that day and night. By morning the wind had brought the locusts. They covered the whole country in numbers never seen before or since. They covered the ground until it was black, and they ate every plant and every fruit the hail had left. Nothing green remained on tree or plant in all Egypt.
- God resists the proud. Do you want God’s hand set against you?
- This law isn’t negotiable. Either we humble ourselves, or God must and will oppose us.
A Proud Confession (Exodus 10:16-20)
Pharaoh hurriedly summoned Moses and Aaron: “I have sinned against the LORD your God and against you. Now please forgive my sin just this once, and pray to the LORD your God to take this deadly plague away from me.”
Pharaoh’s pride oozes out of every word:
- “Just this once.” “I made one little mistake.” No, Pharaoh, you’re a sinner. It’s who you are. You keep choosing it.
- “The LORD your God.” “He’ll never be my God. I still refuse Him.”
- “This deadly plague.” “Take away the consequences, not my sin. The only problem here is the locusts.” No, Pharaoh. You’re the problem. Your sin is what you should be asking God to take away.
Moses left and prayed. The Lord turned the wind into a very strong west wind that carried the locusts into the Red Sea. Not one locust was left in Egypt. But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he wouldn’t let the Israelites go.
The Everlasting Law
God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.
- In our dealings with God: He gives more grace, and that’s why Scripture says God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6).
- In our dealings with each other: Peter tells all of us to put on humility toward one another, for the same reason (1 Peter 5:5).
- Straight from God: the High and Holy One lives in eternity, yet He makes His home with the crushed and humble in spirit, to bring their hearts back to life (Isaiah 57:15).
How far will God go to keep this law? Look.
Ahab (1 Kings 21)
Ahab, urged on by Jezebel, had Naboth murdered to take his vineyard. Elijah confronted him with God’s judgment: disaster on him and his whole house. Scripture says there was never anyone like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil. But when Ahab heard it, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, fasted and went around mourning. And God told Elijah to take notice: because Ahab had humbled himself, God would hold back the disaster during his lifetime (1 Kings 21:27-29).
If I were God, I’d have let Ahab have it. But God is bound by His own character and love. His principle of grace to the humble never fails, even for Ahab.
Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4)
The proudest king on earth was humbled by God until he lifted his eyes to heaven and praised the Most High. God is able to humble the proud.
- Nothing is more beautiful than humility, and nothing uglier than pride.
- Nothing is more beautiful than dependence on God, and nothing uglier than self-dependence.
- No matter how good you are, you’re not good enough to have an ounce of pride before the living God.
Manasseh (2 Chronicles 33)
Manasseh became king of Judah at twelve and reigned fifty-five years, and he did terrible evil: rebuilt pagan altars, worshiped the stars, put idols in God’s own temple, sacrificed his sons in the fire, practiced sorcery and consulted mediums. He led Judah into worse evil than the nations God had driven out. God spoke to him, but he wouldn’t listen. So the Assyrians captured him, put a hook in his nose, bound him in bronze chains and dragged him to Babylon.
In his misery, Manasseh begged the Lord for mercy and humbled himself deeply before the God of his ancestors. God heard his prayer and brought him home to Jerusalem and his throne. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD is God (2 Chronicles 33:12-13). He tore down the idols and restored the worship of the Lord.
- Humility, even from one of the worst kings who ever lived. And God received him.
- Notice the order: knowing God came first; the good works followed.
Josiah (2 Chronicles 34)
Josiah became king at eight. The nation had turned its back on God and long neglected His Word. When the Book of the Law was rediscovered and read to him, he tore his clothes. God said judgment would come on the land, but He told Josiah that because his heart was tender and he humbled himself, tearing his clothes and weeping when he heard God’s words, God had heard him. Josiah would die in peace and not see the disaster (2 Chronicles 34:27-28).
Many Little Locusts
Plagues and difficulties reveal our hearts. We either respond with humility and brokenness before God, or we proudly refuse to surrender to His Word.
A single locust is a little thing. If one attacked me right now, I’d win. But millions are a different story. Sometimes God allows a lot of little things into our lives that add up to more than we can handle.
Each problem isn’t really the problem. Our heart is. Will we respond to each difficulty with humility, or with pride?
“How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me?”
God’s people should learn from Pharaoh. Often we don’t, just as Israel would struggle with the same issue for centuries. But no matter how far we fall or how bad it gets, God is completely faithful to His everlasting law: He will give grace to the humble. We’re only ever one step away from full forgiveness and life in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Grace Takeaway
Pharaoh wanted the locusts gone, not his pride. But God’s question still stands for all of us: “How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me?” If God would hear Ahab, restore Manasseh and humble Nebuchadnezzar into worship, He will certainly give grace to you. Come down from your high place. The way down is the way into His grace.
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