Exodus 10:21-29 -- Darkness Descends

Exodus 10:21 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, and there will be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness that can be felt.”

I wonder what it means, "a darkness that can be felt."

Exodus 10:22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness throughout the land of Egypt for three days. 23 One person could not see another, and for three days they did not move from where they were. Yet all the Israelites had light where they lived.
24 Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, “Go, worship Yahweh. Even your families may go with you; only your flocks and herds must stay behind.”

Again, Pharaoh trying to compromise.  Now you can go where ever, take your families, but your animals must stay.  Again a ploy at trying to be certain that the Israelites would return after worship.

Exodus 10:25 Moses responded, “You must also let us have sacrifices and burnt offerings to prepare for Yahweh our God. 26 Even our livestock must go with us; not a hoof will be left behind because we will take some of them to worship Yahweh our God. We will not know what we will use to worship Yahweh until we get there.”
27 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he was unwilling to let them go. 28 Pharaoh said to him, “Leave me! Make sure you never see my face again, for on the day you see my face, you will die.”
29 “As you have said,” Moses replied, “I will never see your face again.”

Now Pharaoh has condemned Moses if he ever sees him again.  

We see some very interesting parallels in this story and with that of Christ's death.  Here in Exodus, darkness descends on the land for 3 days, it was so bad the people could not see.  We know that following this darkness, the first born of the Egyptians would all die.

Matthew 27:45 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over the whole land.

Here in Matthew, we see that darkness covered all the land for 3 hours.  Here is a repetition of three.  For the Egyptians, it was 3 days, for Israel it was 3 hours.  Each darkness was followed by death, For Egypt, the death of all their first borns. For Israel, it was the death of their Messiah, the first born of God.  One died in judgment of God the other in sacrifice.

This passage also shows us some Biblical truths.  Notice the passage says "So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness throughout the land of Egypt for three days. One person could not see another, and for three days they did not move from where they were. Yet all the Israelites had light where they lived."

Even in the beginning, before there was sin in the world, God separated what was good from what was evil.

Genesis 1:4 God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness.

Just like in Genesis, God separated those who were evil from those who were righteous.  The Egyptians were covered in total darkness because their hearts were hard and they would not let the Israelites go with all they had to worship their God.  Likewise, the Israelites were seen as righteous and their land was filled with light.

In the end, God will continue to separate the light from the dark.  We are given this warning from Him:

Luke 11:33 “No one lights a lamp and puts it in the cellar or under a basket, but on a lampstand, so that those who come in may see its light. 34 Your eye is the lamp of the body. When your eye is good, your whole body is also full of light. But when it is bad, your body is also full of darkness. 35 Take care then, that the light in you is not darkness. 36 If, therefore, your whole body is full of light, with no part of it in darkness, it will be entirely illuminated, as when a lamp shines its light on you.”

We are not only to be filled with light and not darkness, but we are to let the light shine for all to see.  We are not to hide our faith, but share it.  In the end, if we are filled with light, we will be with our heavenly father for all eternity.  If we are filled with darkness, we will be separated from Him for all eternity.

John 12:35 Jesus answered, “The light will be with you only a little longer. Walk while you have the light so that darkness doesn’t overtake you. The one who walks in darkness doesn’t know where he’s going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light so that you may become sons of light.” Jesus said this, then went away and hid from them.

Jesus is our light.  We must be filled with Him.  We must radiate Him.  We must show Him to all the world so the world can too shine His light.