http://resources0.news.com.au/images/2010/04/20/1225856/160144-locusts.jpg

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I may perform these signs of mine among them that you may tell your children and grandchildren how I dealt harshly with the Egyptians and how I performed my signs among them, and that you may know that I am the LORD.”  So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, “This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, so that they may worship me.  If you refuse to let them go, I will bring locusts into your country tomorrow. They will cover the face of the ground so that it cannot be seen. They will devour what little you have left after the hail, including every tree that is growing in your fields.  They will fill your houses and those of all your officials and all the Egyptians—something neither your parents nor your ancestors have ever seen from the day they settled in this land till now.’” Then Moses turned and left Pharaoh.  Pharaoh’s officials said to him, “How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the people go, so that they may worship the LORD their God. Do you not yet realize that Egypt is ruined?”  Then Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. “Go, worship the LORD your God,” he said. “But tell me who will be going.”  Moses answered, “We will go with our young and our old, with our sons and our daughters, and with our flocks and herds, because we are to celebrate a festival to the LORD.”  Pharaoh said, “The LORD be with you—if I let you go, along with your women and children! Clearly you are bent on evil.  No! Have only the men go and worship the LORD, since that’s what you have been asking for.” Then Moses and Aaron were driven out of Pharaoh’s presence.  And the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over Egypt so that locusts swarm over the land and devour everything growing in the fields, everything left by the hail.”  So Moses stretched out his staff over Egypt, and the LORD made an east wind blow across the land all that day and all that night. By morning the wind had brought the locusts; they invaded all Egypt and settled down in every area of the country in great numbers. Never before had there been such a plague of locusts, nor will there ever be again.  They covered all the ground until it was black. They devoured all that was left after the hail—everything growing in the fields and the fruit on the trees. Nothing green remained on tree or plant in all the land of Egypt.  Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against the LORD your God and against you.  Now forgive my sin once more and pray to the LORD your God to take this deadly plague away from me.”  Moses then left Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD.  And the LORD changed the wind to a very strong west wind, which caught up the locusts and carried them into the Red Sea.  Not a locust was left anywhere in Egypt.  But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the Israelites go.  – Exodus 10: 1-20

I admit the water connection here is bit weak, this is really a continuation of the Hail storm in the previous passages.  Kind of like a sequel.  The plague of locusts is not a too surprising result of the precipitation and abundant moisture which must have made the desert temporarily green up with vegetation ripe for eating by hungry locusts.

The heart-softening process for Pharaoh (and the Israelites) continues.  Pharoah is quick to admit his sin, which does not keep him from getting amnesia again after the locusts are blown out to sea, but at least he does temporarily acknowledge his sin.

In the beginning of these verses God comes out and explains what is becoming more obvious, which is that God is using this long string of “lessons” to teach not only Pharaoh, but the Israelites about what it is like to follow him through good times and bad.  How to remember what God has done and who is Lord.  God is God and they are not.

He specifically asks the Israelites to tell their children and grandchildren to remember the signs and know that he is Lord.  It does not seem like so much to ask, but as we will see the Israelites have their own amnesia trouble when it comes to remembering how God cares for them as they begin wandering and having to really trust God.  I guess we all have amnesia when it comes to remembering God, it must make him really frustrated and sad.

Prayer: God help me to remember, cure me of my amnesia which so conveniently forgets your love and care for me in times of trouble, especially when times are good.