Skeptic's Annotated Bible
10:1 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh:
That's extra creepy, since that's the phrase ("go in unto") that we've been using as a euphemism for "have sex with."
for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might show these my signs before him:
Again, in case it wasn't absolutely clear, we repeat here that the reason that Pharaoh has rejected Moses' requests is that God has caused Pharaoh to reject the requests, by "hardening his heart." The Bible really, really wants you to know that Pharaoh's behavior here is God's doing. Why else repeat it so much?
10:2 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.
Because of the frogs and the fish and the flies and the pestilence. Not because of the rod <=> snake trick or the water <=> blood trick, because any old magician can do those things too.
10:3 And Moses and Aaron came in unto Pharaoh
Okay, I'm just not going to be able to get that image out of my head. Ugh.
, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me?
I'll take a guess. As long as God keeps hardening Pharaoh's heart to Moses' request?
Notice too here how the request changes from "let my people go" to "humble thyself before me."
let my people go, that they may serve me.
Yeah, that too.
10:4 Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast:
Plague #9, locusts.
Fortunately, locusts are edible, so at least the Egyptians will have something to eat now that the cattle and fish are all dead.
10:5 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:
10:6 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.
Here is another example of the misapplication of, well, I was going to say "justice," but this is more like revenge. Pharaoh will not comply, so we will torture every Egyptian, whether guilty of slave ownership of Hebrews or not.
And he turned himself, and went out from Pharaoh.
10:7 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?
10:8 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?
10:9 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.
10:10 And he said unto them, Let the LORD be so with you, as I will let you go, and your little ones: look to it; for evil is before you.
10:11 Not so: go now ye that are men, and serve the LORD; for that ye did desire. And they were driven out from Pharaoh's presence.
Sounds like Pharaoh is agreeing, but we've heard this story before.
10:12 And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail hath left.
God isn't buying it. You'd think he knew that Pharaoh hadn't learned his lesson yet.
10:13 And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts.
10:14 And the locust went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the coasts of Egypt: very grievous were they; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such.
Extra-evil psycho mutant killer zombie locusts.
10:15 For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt.
10:16 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste; and he said, I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against you.
I totally didn't get with the hail and pestilence, but I absolutely get it now. Please make it stop!
10:17 Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and entreat the LORD your God, that he may take away from me this death only.
10:18 And he went out from Pharaoh, and entreated the LORD.
10:19 And the LORD turned a mighty strong west wind, which took away the locusts, and cast them into the Red sea; there remained not one locust in all the coasts of Egypt.
I know these were extra-evil psycho mutant killer zombie locusts, but notice the lack of care with which the life of these creatures is extinguished, by casting them into the sea.
10:20 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go.
I wonder what Moses would think if he knew that God was responsible for Pharaoh's recalcitrance? Oh wait, he does know, and he doesn't seem to care that it's God's fault. So strange.
10:21 And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.
10:22 And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days:
10:23 They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.
Is this the 10th plague? Darkness?
10:24 And Pharaoh called unto Moses, and said, Go ye, serve the LORD; only let your flocks and your herds be stayed: let your little ones also go with you.
10:25 And Moses said, Thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice unto the LORD our God.
10:26 Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not an hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to serve the LORD our God; and we know not with what we must serve the LORD, until we come thither.
10:27 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let them go.
Really, we get it, God is hardening Pharaoh's heart. Sheesh.
10:28 And Pharaoh said unto him, Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die.
10:29 And Moses said, Thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face again no more.
The purpose of this story is to show what happens to people who are foolish enough to refuse God's demands. Pharaoh comes across as a petulant imbecile, repeatedly refusing Moses, suffering the consequences, begging for forgiveness like a child who just wants the punishment to end, and then returning to his previous ways. This is a strawman character; utterly unbelievable. The point isn't to sympathize with Pharaoh or the Egyptians, the point is to create a sense of wonder at God's power, and fear for the consequences of disobedience.
So many problems with this. First is the obvious problem that Pharaoh in this story is just a puppet, being forced into his positions by God (hardening his heart). This reinforces the idea that God wants to exact these punishments, so that people will fear him. Is all of the suffering and death being caused worth that? What being with a wisp of moral fiber could rationalize this as moral?
Also, why is fear a desirable motivator? Why not love, earned through compassionate stewardship? The characters in these stories know nothing of human psychology, but instead are acting like children who are too young to be parents, but find themselves in the position of having to discipline their children whose behavior they do not understand. If a baby is crying, just beat it until it stops crying, and if it dies, it deserved it for not listening when they told it not to cry. These Bible stories are astonishing not only for their wanton violence and cruelty, but also for the meaninglessness of the acts. The carelessness with which life is extinguished just to show the power of God only serves to make God a repulsive character. If this were a story being written today, we'd all be waiting for the part at the end where the God character gets his comeuppance.
Somehow, though, people read this and conclude "God is good." I defy anyone to argue that the behavior being ascribed to God here is moral, in a way that is not a tautology (i.e., just saying "God == moral" is no argument). Where was God's disapproval of slavery before? Why elevate one people above all others, rather than arguing the superior position against all human slavery? These aren't just bad ideas, they're harmful to society, because they reinforce an "us vs. them" mentality, where certain people are divinely entitled to better treatment, ownership of land, etc. Why punish and kill wantonly, rather than address specific, individual crimes with appropriate, measured sentences? No, this is not an admirable or moral character, and the only really moral reaction is to reject and denounce these "teachings."
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