3 Day of Darkness

Thus Moses records the plague of darkness with which God struck the Egyptians in Exod 10.22,23. One can imagine the intensity of the darkness since it was brought by God and his destroying angels (Ps 78.49). It must have been a darkness with which the Egyptians were not familiar, able to stymy what light the Egyptians could produce. This was emphatically not an eclipse or any sort of darkness that can be explained naturally. It was the hand of God, and therefore, one assumes, a supernatural darkness; one that brought fear to the Egyptians throughout the land. The Israelites were protected.

Adam Clarke has some interesting comments: So deep was the obscurity, and probably such was its nature, that no artificial light could be procured; as the thick clammy vapors would prevent lamps, &c., from burning, or if they even could be ignited, the light through the palpable obscurity, could diffuse itself to no distance from the burning body. The author of the book of Wisdom, chap. xvii. 2–19, gives a fearful description of this plague. He says, “The Egyptians were shut up in their houses, the prisoners of darkness: and were fettered with the bonds of a long night. They were scattered under a dark veil of forgetfulness, being horribly astonished and troubled with strange apparitions; for neither might the corner that held them keep them from fear; but noises as of waters falling down sounded about them; and sad visions appeared unto them with heavy countenances.

How I Do Not Want to be Described!

In Ezekiel 3.7, this morning. God's description of his own people is that they are hard of forehead and stiff of heart. It is a shocking indictment when we understand that Pharaoh was described in the exact same way. The people would not be willing to listen to Ezekiel because God had sent him. In the same way Israel had rejected Samuel in favor of a king, so they would now reject Ezekiel because they did not want to hear God's message.

Strong words to make us search out our hearts again and again so that we do not become hard of forehead and stiff of heart, because that is a sign of a people who have gone their own way and will not listen to God any more. Lord, give me a soft forehead and a pliable heart!