[1] And the LORD said unto
Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart
of his servants, that I might shew these my signs before him: [2]
And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son's son,
what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among
them; that ye may know how that I am the LORD.
These plagues are standing monuments of the greatness
of God, the happiness of the church, and the sinfulness of sin; and standing
monitors to the children of men in all ages, not to provoke the Lord to
jealousy, nor to strive with their Maker. The benefit of these instructions
to the world doth sufficiently balance the expence.
[3] And Moses and Aaron came
in unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews,
How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? let my people go,
that they may serve me. [4] Else, if
thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will I bring the locusts
into thy coast: [5] And they shall
cover the face of the earth, that one cannot be able to see the earth:
and they shall eat the residue of that which is escaped, which remaineth
unto you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which groweth for you
out of the field: [6] And they shall
fill thy houses, and the houses of all thy servants, and the houses of
all the Egyptians; which neither thy fathers, nor thy fathers' fathers
have seen, since the day that they were upon the earth unto this day. And
he turned himself, and went out from Pharaoh. [7]
And Pharaoh's servants said unto him, How long shall this man be a snare
unto us? let the men go, that they may serve the LORD their God: knowest
thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed? [8]
And Moses and Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh: and he said unto them,
Go, serve the LORD your God: but who are they that shall go? [9]
And Moses said, We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons
and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go;
for we must hold a feast unto the LORD.
Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, How long wilt
thou refuse to humble thyself before me? - It is justly expected from the
greatest of men, that they humble themselves before the great God, and
it is at their peril if they refuse to do it. Those that will not humble
themselves, God will humble.
|