Understanding Exodus 10:12-20: Locusts of Judgment

Context of the Locust Plague in Exodus

This moment comes after seven previous plagues, each one harder than the last, and follows directly on the heels of the devastating hail that destroyed much of Egypt’s crops.

Now God sends the eighth plague - locusts - so dense they darken the sky and eat every green thing left behind by the hail, leaving nothing for food or growth. Pharaoh, overwhelmed, calls Moses and Aaron in a panic, admits his sin against God and them, and begs for mercy, saying, 'Plead with the Lord your God only to remove this death from me.' Moses prays, and God sends a powerful west wind that lifts all the locusts and hurls them into the Red Sea - completely removing them.

Yet again, despite his words of repentance, Pharaoh’s heart hardens once the crisis passes, showing that sorrow over consequences isn’t the same as true change.

The Devastation of the Locusts and Moses' Intercession

The locust plague was a natural disaster that also damaged Egypt’s economy and pride, striking the core of its agricultural and royal society.

In an agrarian world, crops and livestock were signs of divine favor and national strength. Losing every green plant stripped a society of both food and dignity. Pharaoh’s desperate plea - 'I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you' - shows how the plague forced him to acknowledge not only God’s power but also the shame of his own failure as a ruler.

Yet again, Moses steps in as the mediator, praying to God on behalf of a people who are not even his own. The Lord answers by sending a strong west wind that lifts the locusts and hurls them into the Red Sea - 'Not a single locust was left in all the country of Egypt' - showing His complete control over nature and judgment. This act prefigures how God would later fully remove sin and guilt through Jesus, much like how 2 Corinthians 4:6 says, 'For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.' When we turn to God, our sins can be removed like the locusts were swept away. This moment sets up the final confrontation, where one last plague will finally break Pharaoh’s resistance and set the people free.

God's Power and the Problem of a Hard Heart

This story shows that even the most powerful displays of God’s control over nature can’t change a heart that refuses to stay humble.

Pharaoh said the right words - 'I have sinned' - but as soon as the danger passed, he went back to his old ways, proving that fear of consequences isn’t the same as real repentance. According to 2 Corinthians 4:6, true change comes when God’s light breaks through our darkness from the inside, not when we merely react to trouble on the outside.

True change isn't saying sorry when you're in trouble - it's turning away from pride and letting God soften your heart.

This sets the stage for the final plague, where God will not only display His power but also provide a way of rescue through the Passover, showing that His plan has always been about more than judgment - He wants to save.

Locusts, Hard Hearts, and the Gospel Promise

This plague of locusts not only devastated Egypt but also foreshadowed later moments in Scripture where locusts appear as signs of judgment, such as in Joel 1:4, which says, 'What the cutting locust left, the swarming locust has eaten, and what the swarming locust left, the hopping locust has eaten, and what the hopping locust left, the destroying locust has eaten,' and even in Revelation 9:3, where locusts from the abyss torment those without God’s seal, showing that God’s judgment on rebellion has a pattern throughout history.

At the same time, Pharaoh’s repeated hardening - described in Romans 9:17-18 as 'For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, 'For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.' So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills' - reminds us that God is sovereign over even human stubbornness, yet still calls each of us to respond in true repentance rather than empty words.

But where Pharaoh failed, Jesus succeeded - not by resisting God, but by submitting fully, becoming the true Passover Lamb who takes away the sin of the world, so that those once trapped in hard-heartedness can have their hearts changed by His Spirit.

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