The eighth plague is similar to the other plagues that God inflicted on Egypt. Like others, God stated the purpose of the plague of locusts to Moses.
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his officials, in order that I may show these signs of mine among them
“And that you may tell your children and grandchildren how I have made fools of the Egyptians and what signs I have done among them—so that you may know that I am the Lord” (Exodus 10.1-2).
God called the plagues “signs,” not miracles. They were miracles because they involved the intervention of God in the lives of humans.
More importantly, they were signs, because they pointed to something greater than the actual event. The signs answered two questions.
(1) Who is God?
(2) Who am I?
These are eternal questions that all humans need to answer. We are greatly impoverished if we fail to know the accurate answer to them.
Who is God?
The plagues were signs that answered the question of who God is. Over and over again, the phrase “so that you may know that I am the Lord” (verse 2) appears in Exodus.
The Israelites needed to know that Jehovah was God. They were slaves of the mighty Egyptians for 430 years.
Even though they knew about the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob they didn’t see Jehovah changing their situation. It is quite believable that they had questions about the God of their fathers.
(1) If Jehovah is so powerful, why have generations of his people been in slavery?
(2) Is it possible that the Egyptians are right and allegiance to the gods of their land is what is required?
(3) Is Jehovah active in history, or does he not intervene in the affairs of his people?
It is easier to understand early Hebrew history than what takes place in ours. Below are some indicators that the “gods” of our age prevail as objects of worship in our culture.
— Wealth: Michael Jordan recently sold the Charlotte Hornets NBA team for 3 billion dollars.
— Popularity and Status: So many people had problems purchasing Taylor Swift concert tickets that Congress devoted its investigative efforts to finding out problems with Ticketmaster.
— Beauty and Talent: The LSU sophomore basketball player, Angel Reese, has made $1.3 million as a top sports influencer.
— Power: It is estimated that over $10 billion dollars will be spent during the 2024 election cycle.
In the light of a constant bombardment of the gods of American culture, followers of Jesus need to ask themselves the question, “Who is God?”
Let’s not answer with a polite Sunday School answer, but an analysis of our behavior. Who or what gets the most attention or concern from us?
God has provided signs to his people for centuries. The signs point to one truth. The Old Testament declared, “Jehovah is God” and the New Testament proclaimed, “Jesus is Lord.”
May our lives conform to this truth?
Who Am I?
If you asked Pharaoh to describe who he believed himself to be, he would reply: “I am a god of the Egyptians. I am the king of the most powerful nation in the world. There is no one more important than me.”
If you asked the same question of an Israelite, the answer would be: “I am a slave in a long line of Hebrew slaves. Like generations of family members, I am cheap labor for Pharaoh’s construction agenda.”
Jesus made a very astute observation when he said, “Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye but do not notice the log in your own eye?
“Or how can you say to your neighbor, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while the log is in your own eye?” (Matthew 7.3-4).
I am like Paul who said, “I do not understand my own actions” (Romans 7.15). I can find the speck in my neighbor’s eye, but I am unable to see the log in my own.
I believe that am able to observe my neighbor and answer the question “Who am I?” for them.
At the same time, I’m not able to clearly answer the question for myself.
God provided a sign to both the Hebrews and Egyptians that pointed to who they actually were.
Pharaoh may have thought himself to be a great king and a god, but the signs told him something different.
Hebrew slaves may have seen themselves as a source of cheap labor for the Pharaoh, but the signs told them they were servants of Jehovah.
Who Are We?
A good use of our time would be to ask what the Scriptures reveal about our true nature. Here are a couple of Bible passages that reveal the answer. I’m sure you can find many more.
(1) Jesus’ Friends – Jesus said, “I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing, but I have called you friends,
“Because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father” (John 15.15).
(2) Ambassadors or Representatives for Christ – So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ: be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5.20).
Let’s not cheat ourselves and neglect to answer the two questions our Bible passage suggests for humans.
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross and I discuss this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 