The Uncompromising Light Text: Exodus 10:21-29
Introduction: The Antithesis Made Palpable
We come now to the ninth plague, the plague of darkness. And we must understand that in this entire contest between Moses and Pharaoh, we are not watching a mere political negotiation over labor rights. We are witnessing a cosmic collision of two kingdoms, two gods, and two worldviews. On the one side, you have Yahweh, the self-existent, sovereign Creator of all things. On the other, you have Pharaoh, who was considered the incarnation of the sun god, Ra, the supposed source of all light, life, and order in Egypt. Every plague has been a direct, polemical assault on a specific deity in the Egyptian pantheon. The Nile, the frogs, the cattle, all of these were gods in Egypt. And one by one, Yahweh has been contemptuously flicking them off the table.
But this plague is different. This one goes for the jugular. This is not just an attack on a subordinate deity; it is an attack on the head god himself. Ra, the sun god, was the center of Egyptian cosmology. His rising and setting was the guarantee of cosmic order, of Ma'at. For Yahweh to simply turn off the sun is to pull the plug on their entire universe. It is to demonstrate that Ra is not in charge. He is not even a player. He is a creature, a light bulb that Yahweh can unscrew at will. This darkness is not a natural phenomenon, like a heavy sandstorm. It is a supernatural judgment. It is a taste of the outer darkness, a preview of Hell.
This passage teaches us about the nature of God's judgment, the nature of true worship, and the absolute, unbridgeable chasm, the antithesis, between the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness. The world wants to tell us that everything is a murky gray, that all paths lead up the same mountain. But God here draws a line so sharp, so absolute, that it can be felt. There is light, and there is darkness. There is Goshen, and there is Egypt. There is the people of God, and there are the people of Pharaoh. There is no middle ground, no compromise, and no shared territory.
The Text
Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even a darkness which may be felt.” So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days. They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the sons of Israel had light in their places of habitation. Then Pharaoh called to Moses and said, “Go, serve Yahweh; only let your flocks and your herds be detained. Even your little ones may go with you.” But Moses said, “You must also let us have in our hand sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice them to Yahweh our God. Therefore, our livestock too shall go with us; not a hoof shall remain behind, for we shall take some of them to serve Yahweh our God. And until we come there, we ourselves do not know with what we shall serve Yahweh.” But Yahweh hardened Pharaoh’s heart with strength, and he was not willing to let them go. Then Pharaoh said to him, “Get away from me! Beware, do not see my face again, for in the day you see my face you shall die!” And Moses said, “As you have spoken; I shall never see your face again!”
(Exodus 10:21-29 LSB)
A Darkness That Can Be Felt (vv. 21-23)
We begin with the command for the plague and its immediate, terrifying fulfillment.
"Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even a darkness which may be felt.” So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days." (Exodus 10:21-22 LSB)
Notice the simple authority. Moses, a man, stretches out his hand, and the cosmos obeys. This is delegated authority, but it demonstrates the power of God's Word through His appointed servant. The darkness that descends is described as a "darkness which may be felt." This is not merely the absence of light. This is a positive, palpable substance. It is a thick, oppressive, paralyzing presence. It is the very stuff of judgment. This is the kind of darkness that was over the deep in Genesis 1 before God said, "Let there be light." God is un-creating Egypt. He is returning their world to the state of tohu wa-bohu, formless and void.
For three days, this darkness smothers the land. Three is a significant number in Scripture, often associated with death and resurrection. Jonah was in the fish for three days; Jesus was in the tomb for three days. Egypt is being put into a kind of tomb. All activity ceases. Life grinds to a halt. It is a picture of utter helplessness. Their technology is useless. Their magic is useless. Their king, the supposed son of the sun, is useless. They are completely at the mercy of the God they have defied.
"They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the sons of Israel had light in their places of habitation." (Exodus 10:23 LSB)
The darkness is so total it isolates every man. Society dissolves. Each Egyptian is locked in his own personal black tomb. But here the great antithesis is made manifest: "but all the sons of Israel had light in their places of habitation." God draws a geographical and spiritual line. On this side of the line, there is judgment, paralysis, and fear. On that side, in Goshen, there is light, life, and fellowship. This is not because the Israelites were inherently better people. It is because they were under the covenant protection of God. The light in Goshen was as supernatural as the darkness in Egypt. God was demonstrating that He is the source of both light and darkness, blessing and cursing. He makes the distinction. This is a preview of the final judgment, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth in the outer darkness, while the people of God dwell in the light of the New Jerusalem, where the Lamb is the lamp.
The World's Compromise (v. 24)
Pharaoh, suffocating in the dark, attempts another negotiation. He has been broken down, but not broken of his pride. He still thinks he can bargain with God.
"Then Pharaoh called to Moses and said, “Go, serve Yahweh; only let your flocks and your herds be detained. Even your little ones may go with you.”" (Exodus 10:24 LSB)
This is the world's classic offer of compromise. "You can have your religion, you can have your families, you can have your little worship services. Just don't let it touch your economics. Don't let it touch your wealth. You may go serve your God, but your possessions, your flocks and herds, they belong to me. They stay in Egypt." The devil is always happy for you to be spiritual, as long as your spirituality is disconnected from the material world. He wants you to have a God for your soul, but he wants to remain the god of your stuff.
Pharaoh knows that if he can keep their livestock, he keeps a leash on them. Their wealth, their livelihood, and their means of sacrifice would still be under his control. This is the temptation of all worldly religion. It seeks to compartmentalize our faith. Worship God on Sunday, but on Monday, when it comes to your business, your money, your assets, well, that's Pharaoh's territory. This is a compromise God will never accept.
The Uncompromising Demand of Worship (vv. 25-26)
Moses's response is absolute. There is no room for negotiation. The terms are not up for discussion.
"But Moses said, “You must also let us have in our hand sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice them to Yahweh our God. Therefore, our livestock too shall go with us; not a hoof shall remain behind..." (Exodus 10:25-26a LSB)
Moses not only rejects Pharaoh's compromise, he ups the ante. "Not only are we taking our livestock, but you, Pharaoh, are going to give us sacrifices as well." This is the logic of gospel victory. The world will not just be abandoned; it will be plundered. The Egyptians will give the Israelites their gold and silver on the way out. Here, Moses lays down the principle: all of it belongs to God. True worship is total. It is all-encompassing. It is not a slice of life; it is all of life.
The phrase "not a hoof shall remain behind" has become a watchword for radical, uncompromising obedience. It means that Christ's claim on us is total. He does not just claim our souls; He claims our bodies, our families, our businesses, our bank accounts, our talents, our time. Every hoof. Nothing is to be left behind in Egypt, under the dominion of the world. To leave a hoof behind is to grant Pharaoh a beachhead, a claim, a right to call you back.
"...for we shall take some of them to serve Yahweh our God. And until we come there, we ourselves do not know with what we shall serve Yahweh.” (Exodus 10:26b LSB)
This is a profound statement about the nature of obedience. Moses says that they must bring everything because they do not yet know the specific requirements of worship God will demand. This is not ignorance; it is radical submission. It means that God sets the terms of worship, not us. We don't get to decide beforehand what we will offer Him. We must bring our entire lives to Him and say, "Command what you will." This is the opposite of the consumeristic mindset that plagues the modern church, where we decide what is convenient or comfortable for us to offer. True worship holds nothing back, because we acknowledge that God may require any of it, or all of it, at any time.
The Hardened Heart and the Final Break (vv. 27-29)
Faced with this absolute demand, Pharaoh's heart is not softened. It is solidified in its rebellion. The light of God's truth either melts the heart or hardens it like clay.
"But Yahweh hardened Pharaoh’s heart with strength, and he was not willing to let them go. Then Pharaoh said to him, “Get away from me! Beware, do not see my face again, for in the day you see my face you shall die!”" (Exodus 10:27-28 LSB)
Here we see the interplay of divine sovereignty and human responsibility. Yahweh hardens Pharaoh's heart. This is a judicial act. God is giving Pharaoh over to the rebellion he has already chosen. Like a judge sentencing a criminal, God confirms Pharaoh in his sin. He strengthens him in his defiance so that God's full purpose in judgment and redemption might be displayed. Pharaoh, for his part, acts freely and wickedly. He is not a puppet. He is a rebel, and his rage is his own.
In his pride, Pharaoh makes a fatal decree. He banishes Moses, the only mediator of grace he has, under penalty of death. He is, in effect, saying, "I want nothing more to do with your God." This is the ultimate act of a reprobate mind. When a man refuses to hear the Word of God any longer, his doom is sealed. He has chosen the darkness. He has demanded that God leave him alone. And God will grant his request, to his everlasting ruin.
Moses's reply is solemn and final.
"And Moses said, “As you have spoken; I shall never see your face again!”" (Exodus 10:29 LSB)
Moses agrees. The time for negotiation is over. The time for warnings is over. The next time God visits Pharaoh, it will not be with a warning, but with the final, devastating judgment of the death of the firstborn. Pharaoh has drawn the line, and Moses steps over it, leaving Pharaoh on the side of death. When God's messenger walks out the door for the last time, there is no hope left.
Conclusion: Leave No Hoof Behind
The story of the plague of darkness is our story. The world is shrouded in a darkness that can be felt, a spiritual and moral darkness that is the fruit of rebellion against the God of light. Men love this darkness because their deeds are evil (John 3:19). They stumble about, unable to see one another or find their way.
But God, in His mercy, has created a Goshen. The church of the Lord Jesus Christ is a place of light in a dark world. "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light" (Ephesians 5:8). This light is not our own; it is the light of Christ shining in us. God has made the great distinction.
And the world, like Pharaoh, is constantly trying to get us to compromise. "Be a Christian, but leave your money in Egypt. Follow Jesus, but leave your politics, your entertainment, your sexuality, under the world's control." The temptation is to think we can have a little bit of Goshen and a little bit of Egypt. But Moses's reply must be our reply: "Not a hoof shall be left behind."
Our commitment to Christ must be total. Our worship must be all-encompassing. He is not Lord of a part; He is Lord of all. We must bring every part of our lives, every ambition, every relationship, every dollar, every hoof, and lay it at His feet, saying, "We do not know what you will require of us, but it is all yours. Command what you will."
Do not be fooled by the darkness. Do not negotiate with the king of the dark. When Christ calls you out of Egypt, He calls all of you. He has purchased you, body and soul, with His own blood. Therefore, leave no hoof behind in the land of slavery. Bring it all out into the glorious light of the service of God.