Seder 51: Exodus 10 and Revelation 9:1-11---Locust Plagues

 God used the plagues of the Exodus to free the Israelites, judge the Egyptians and their gods, and send important messages to Israel, Egypt, and other nations.  

Throughout the rest of the Bible. themes and images from the Exodus are used in situations where God is judging the rebellious and rescuing his people.  For example, in the visions of the book of Revelation, imagery from the plagues of the Exodus is prominent.  

Revelation 9:1-11 describes the judgment of the fifth trumpet, which sends out a kind of locust plague, an allusion to the eighth plague of the Exodus (Ex 10:1-20).  As in the plagues of the Exodus, the people of God are protected from this judgment (Rev 9:4), and God limits the extent of the judgment---it lasts for five months (Rev 9:5).   

In other ways, this is different from the locust plague of the Exodus.  The locusts in ancient Egypt devoured plants (Ex 10:14-15), while those in Revelation 9 are told to avoid plants.  

In fact, the ``locusts'' in Revelation 9 are not insects.  They come out of the abyss or "bottomless pit," a place of confinement for evil spiritual beings (Lk 8:31).  According to traditions recorded in 1 Enoch, the Watchers of Genesis 6 are held there.  In Revelation 9:1-2, an angel temporarily releases some of the beings confined there to carry out judgment on rebellious humans.  

Revelation 9:7-11 describes the ugliness of these beings.  A misguided popular approach to interpreting this passage tries to connect it with modern military technology.  Such images would not have been meaningful to John or his original readers.  Instead, we should realize that Revelation is full of allusions to passages from the Hebrew Scriptures.  For example, ``their teeth like lions' teeth'' in Revelation 9:8 comes from Joel 1:6; "the locusts were like horses prepared for battle" in Revelation 9:7 refers back to Joel 2:4; and the comparison with the noise of chariots in Revelation 9:9 is similar to Joel 2:5.  The book of Joel likens an invading army to a locust plague, and something similar is happening in Revelation 9.  

Seder 51: Exodus 10---Plagues of Locusts and Darkness

 Exodus 10:1-2 brings out the evangelistic purpose of the plagues of Egypt.  The plagues would show everyone---Israelites, Egyptians, and the rest of the world---the identity of the true God who is faithful to those who keep his covenant and the judge of those who don't.

On April 10, 2021, Rob Wilson reflected on these verses in a sermon on the identity of the true "King of Glory."  

The eighth plague would be an invasion of locusts which would consume the vegetation that had survived the hailstorm.  By this point, Pharaoh's advisers could see the devastation that previous plagues had wrought upon Egypt.  Ironically, Egypt's slaves had put Egypt in a situation where its options were severely limited (v 7).  It was time to let the Israelites go. 

Pharaoh did not completely ignore his advisers.  He began a half-hearted bargaining session with Moses, still hoping to keep the Israelites from leaving for good, but those negotiations broke down quickly (vv 8-11).    

The locust plague was devastating.  The text does not mention explicitly that the Israelites were spared in this plague.  Again, though, I agree with Douglas Stuart's assertion that the Israelites were spared from all of the plagues.  

Pharaoh soon begged Moses to ask God to remove the locusts.  When the locusts departed, Pharaoh's stubbornness returned, as usual.   

Then God announced a ninth plague:  "Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness to be felt" (v 21).   

What exactly is a "darkness to be felt"?  Stuart explains that this is "a darkness that will require groping around or feeling around."  The Hebrew root for "to be felt" is elsewhere used for the actions of blind people---e.g., in Deut 28:29 ("And you shall grope at noonday, as the blind grope in darkness...")  With no light at all for three days, people would quickly fall into panic, disorientation, and depression. 

Pharaoh summoned Moses after these three days and resumed negotiations, which again quickly broke down.  Irrationally, Pharaoh lashed out at Moses, even though Moses wasn't the cause of his problems:

"Get away from me; take care never to see my face again, for on the day you see my face you shall die" (v 28).

Commentators point out that the wording in verse 28 can mean "don't come ever again," or it can mean "don't keep coming."  Some propose that Pharaoh in verse 28 meant the first of these, while Moses in his reply in verse 29 ("As you say!  I will not see your face again.") intended the second.  Moses in verse 29 may have been affirming that indeed, Moses and Pharaoh would not keep on meeting indefinitely, because the Israelites would be leaving soon.

Seder 51: Psalm 16---A Prophecy of Resurrection

 Psalm 16 is one of six psalms labeled a "miktam".  The others are Psalms 56-60.  All six are associated with David.  We do not know the meaning of the word "miktam".  It may be a musical term.  

The midrash on Psalm 16 contains three suggestions about the possible meaning of miktam:

• It is a reference to David, a combination of Hebrew words meaning "meek" and "undefiled."
• It is derived from the word ketem, which means "fine gold."
• It is a reference to David confessing his sins by saying, "Stained with sin (mekutam) am I."  (David says in v 2, "I have no good apart from you.")

In Psalm 16 David rejoices in the "beautiful inheritance" that God has granted him (v 6), apparently thinking in particular of God's promise that his descendants would rule forever (2 Sam 7:12-16; Acts 2:30).  Because God is so good, he is confident that God will care for him always, even beyond death (vv 8-11).  

Early Christians recognized in verse 10 a reference to the resurrection of the Messiah, the "holy one" mentioned in verse 10:

"For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption."

The word for "holy one" in verse 10, hasid, is a messianic title.  It is also used in Ps 89:19-21, where it is related to other messianic designations.  

The mention of God's "right hand" in Ps 16:8,11 also links Ps 16 to Ps 110, another important Messianic reference for early Christians.  

The apostles saw verse 10 as a reference to the fact that Jesus would not "stay dead" long enough for his body to "see corruption."  They must have felt that this was a particularly persuasive messianic prophecy, since both Peter and Paul used it in sermons (Acts 2:24-31; 13:26-37).