Take a moment to read the entire chapter of Exodus 10 before reading the devotional below.
God’s still wearing Pharaoh down, and in today’s chapter he tells Moses another motivation for carrying out his plans this way: a really good story for the grandchildren. This victory will be one that will not soon be forgotten (and in fact, here we are talking about it today!). Again, God offers a warning and gives Pharaoh a chance to opt out of the next plague (locusts) if he wants to change his mind. His officials plead with him, but Pharaoh won’t budge.
The end of this chapter is a fascinating piece of the plagues story that I have not paused to consider by itself before. The plague of darkness provides unique symbolism that we see repeated in other parts of the Bible as well. Imagine three days of darkness so dark that you could not even move. Sounds similar to two other Bible stories: Jonah in the darkness of the great fish’s belly and Jesus laid in a tomb and descending into the depths of darkness. Verse 23 reminds us exactly what it is like to be in the presence of God: “…there was light as usual where the people of Israel lived.”
Here’s your freedom for today: God makes it possible for us to see. We are surrounded by spiritual darkness, and yet where God’s people go we are still able to see. God shines a light on the lives of those who follow him, so that we can see spiritual realities hidden from those in darkness. When we are given spiritual eyes, we can see others in new ways. We can speak into situations with supernatural wisdom and insight. We can understand spiritual dynamics at work in our lives and the lives of others. The Bible also calls itself a “light for our path.” Reading God’s word illuminates our understanding so that we know how to live our most free lives.