提要
上帝讓法老原本就剛硬的心繼續剛硬，使更大的災禍臨到埃及，也好使以色列人可以向他們的後代傳述這位獨一真神在他們被壓迫、奴役的土地上所行的大奇事（10：2）。法老很驕傲，他自認高於以色列百姓之上（9：17）；上帝自己也說法老不肯在祂面前自卑（10：3）。上帝絕不會把祂的榮耀歸給任何人。對埃及人而言，法老就像是他們的神；但以色列人絕不會視他為神，這可能使得法老很嫉妒以色列人那位看不見，卻又一再證明自己是全能神的耶和華上帝。法老以為他能向上帝挑戰，他實在大錯特錯，也應該承認自己的罪。
摩西警告法老，如果他不讓以色列人走，蝗災第二天就會來造訪埃及。法老的臣僕一定知道蝗災可能造成的傷害，所以他們大膽的向法老進言，要法老三思：「埃及已經敗壞了，你還不知道嗎？」法老一定知道國內的災情，但他太驕傲、無情了，只關心他自己。瘂 法老第三次想要使摩西採折衷辦法（10：11），只讓以色列的男人去敬拜他們的神（留下女人和小孩好保證他們回來）。這個辦法無法接受；家庭必須一起敬拜上帝，所有的成員也都包含在上帝的救恩之內。摩西的答覆使法老大為光火，他粗魯的將摩西、亞倫「攆出去」（10：11）。於是颳起一陣東風，連續吹了廿四小時，從遠方帶來一大場蝗蟲，造成有史以來最大的蝗災。在雹災中僅存的綠色植物、作物都被蝗蟲吃盡了（參珥1：4~12）。蝗蟲就像一支大軍，不斷的前進，在牠們前頭的是一片綠田，但牠們一經過之後就成了不毛之地。蝗災也十分神奇，蝗蟲在摩西所預言的時間立刻來到，數量極多，但當摩西一禱告，牠們就在風向奇妙的改變下統統被吹入紅海。
黑暗之災如第三災和第六災一樣沒有預警就臨到埃及。當摩西順服上帝，伸出他的杖，頓時一片奇異的烏黑就籠罩了埃及人居住的地方。更奇妙的是，以色列人居住的歌珊地卻有亮光，這個光的性質為何我們不曉得，但日頭既黑了，它可能是難以解釋的天上榮光。我們一直看見上帝使用人（即使是軟弱、被瞧不起的人）作祂的器皿來成就祂的旨意。願主今天也使用我們作祂的器皿，表現出祂的榮耀。黑暗之災持續了三天，對埃及最重要的神祉──日神，芮（Re）──是一個直接的打擊和羞辱。這也是要向埃及人表明，日神在埃及完全沒有能力，以色列的上帝才是至高的主。
法老在黑暗之災的籠罩下將摩西傳來，第四度想要他妥協，把牲畜留在埃及，好保證以色列人回來（10：24）。但以色列人怎能敬拜上帝而不獻任何祭呢？不，絕沒有妥協的餘地。上帝要我們所有的一切，摩西也把上帝的要求清清楚楚的向法老陳明。法老碰上了對手。但摩西將是贏家。當一個人站在上帝這邊，他就會是最後的贏家。法老怒氣沖天的威脅摩西，如果讓他再看見摩西，那就是摩西的死期。摩西也同意他們彼此將不會再見面。我們後來會看到，摩西也生氣了，因為法老一再拒絕上帝給他的機會；現在要採取一項更激烈、更強硬的措施。
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Overview
The Lord continued to harden the already hard heart of Pharaoh so that further and greater judgments would come upon Egypt and so that the Israelites could pass on from generation to generation the story of the great and mighty signs and wonders that God, the One and only, did to the land which oppressed and enslaved them (10:2). Pharaoh was very proud and he exalted himself over the children of Israel (9:17) and now we hear from God Himself that he refused to humble himself before the Lord (10:3). The Lord will not share His glory with anyone. Pharaoh was like a god to his people, but he could never be this for the children of Israel. They knew better and this may have made him extremely jealous of a God who was unseen and yet who proved Himself to be almighty. Pharaoh was a sinner who thought he could challenge God. He was certainly proven wrong and he himself had to confess this.
Moses warned Pharaoh that the eighth plague of locusts would come the next day if he did not let his people go. Pharaoh’s servants must have been aware of the damage locusts could cause and they were bold in speaking up to Pharaoh, perhaps trying to get him to reconsider, saying, “Do you not yet know that Egypt is destroyed?” Pharaoh must have known of the destruction thus far, but he was too proud, calloused, and insensitive to care about anyone but himself.
For the third time (10:11) Pharaoh tried to make Moses agree to a compromise (cf. 8:25, 28), suggesting that only the men go out (leaving the children and women to ensure the men’s return). No, this could not be accepted; the whole family must be together to worship the Lord and be included in the salvation of the Lord. Pharaoh,, angered by Moses’ answer, rudely has Aaron and himself “driven out” (10:11). Once again, Moses was refused his request and so came the east wind which blew for 24 hours, bringing from a distance with the current of the wind, the greatest locust plague the world has ever seen. Anything green that remained from the plague of hail was totally eaten up by the locusts (see Joel 1:4-12). Locusts are like an army, they keep advancing forward. In front of them is green, behind them is barren land. This plague was supernatural; the locusts came right when Moses predicted they would, there was a superabundance of them, and they stopped and were driven into the Red sea by a miraculous change of wind at the time when Moses prayed.
The plague of darkness came without warning, like the third and sixth plagues. When Moses obeyed God and stretched out his hands a miraculous thick darkness came suddenly upon the land where the Egyptians lived. Also miraculous was the fact that the land of Goshen (where the Israelites lived) had light, of what nature we are not told, but since the sun was darkened it may have been an unexplainable heavenly light. We always see that God uses people (event the weak and despised) as His instruments to accomplish His will. May the Lord use us as His instruments today to show forth the glory of the Lord. This plague lasting for three days, was a humiliation and a direct blow to the highest and most important god of the Egyptians, the sun god Re. To see him defeated meat his power was blotted out over Egypt and the Israelite God was supreme.
With this, Pharaoh called Moses to try for the fourth time to get him to compromise by leaving behind all the livestock (10:24) as a guarantee of their return. How could they worship God without anything to sacrifice? No, there could be no compromise. God certainly requires all that we possess and Moses made this very clear to Pharaoh. Pharaoh had met his match with Moses, but Moses was to be the winner. When one is on God’s side, he is the ultimate winner. Pharaoh, in a burst of anger, threatened that if he saw Moses’ face again it would mean his death. Moses agreed that they would never see each other again. We read later that he too became angry, for Pharaoh had repeatedly refused the opportunities given him and now a more drastic and serious measure was to be taken.
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