seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Exodus 10:21 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness spreads over Egypt—darkness that can be felt.” 22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days. 23 No one could see anyone else or move about for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived.
24 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, “Go, worship the Lord. Even your women and children may go with you; only leave your flocks and herds behind.”
25 But Moses said, “You must allow us to have sacrifices and burnt offerings to present to the Lord our God. 26 Our livestock too must go with us; not a hoof is to be left behind. We have to use some of them in worshiping the Lord our God, and until we get there we will not know what we are to use to worship the Lord.”
27 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he was not willing to let them go. 28 Pharaoh said to Moses, “Get out of my sight! Make sure you do not appear before me again! The day you see my face you will die.”
29 “Just as you say,” Moses replied. “I will never appear before you again.”
Here's the link to the commentary.
Darkness which may even be felt: This was no normal darkness, it had a supernatural element to it that could be felt. Light is not only a physical property; it is an aspect of God’s character (God is light and in Him is no darkness at all, 1 John 1:5). In judgment, God can withdraw His presence so significantly that the void remaining is darkness which may even be felt.
Seemingly, God did not even allow artificial light sources to work. The Egyptians attempted to use candles and lamps but were unable to produce light. This was dramatic show of greatness over the prominent Egyptian god Ra, thought to be the sun god.
All the children of Israel had light in their dwellings: We don’t know if this was because God spared them the plague or because God granted them His unique presence, bringing a supernatural light.
I think the guy who wrote the commentary, David Guzik, must have lived an exceptional life, not knowing what darkness that can be felt really means.Remember when Jacob had that sheet kicking dream? This is that, only universal and much, much, darker. This is the darkness that makes you get up in the night and say "Get thee away from me Satan!". This is the kind of darkness that has you thanking God for daybreak and an end to the horror show going on in your life.
This darkness lasted three days! [verse 22] This is the kind of darkness that haunts you all day long, giving you no uplift, only downturn and despair.
OK, look at the poop show the Egyptians were dealing with.
The water had been ruined.
They lost their food supplies to lack of water, disease laden insects, boils, hail, and just recently locusts that devoured anything that still promised new crops when the locusts devoured everything green. There was nothing to eat and no one to get food from. Relief couldn't find its way through the darkness.
Their lamp oil supply was probably depleted too, since no one could handle the hail storm or the swarms to refill the supplies. I bet those hailstones must have busted a lot of pots full of oil too. It was dark and there was no way to make it seem bright enough.... why waste time sitting around....life was "doom I tell you doom"... so why bother staying up.... go to bed and deal with sheet kicking horror dreams of starvation and woe.
During the day all they heard was how horrible everything was. During the night all the dreams were of dread and doom.
Gloom despair and agony on me.... deep dark depression.... excessive misery..... That's what makes darkness thick. That's what darkness that can be felt is like.
Darkness that can be felt will make you cry.... and they must have been crying for three days.... oh, those poor people.
Meanwhile.... in the Land of Goshen, where the Israelites lived.... there was light. The storms and the swarms didn't knock out their crops or power. They had all they needed... in the Land of Goshen. It was not devoured by the darkness.
Gloom despair and agony on me.... deep dark depression.... excessive misery.....
Plague 9.... Darkness
