Exodus 10
1And the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might show these my signs before him: 2And 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. 3And Moses and Aaron came in unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? let my people go, that they may serve me. 4Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast:
1. The recent invasion of Cicadas might make one imagine what hit Egypt but far worse.
2. Cicadas are not locusts – locusts are connected to the grasshopper family and they like to swarm and eat everything in their paths.
3. Can you envision waking up with a bed full of cicadas – that’s how it was in Egypt, but with locusts?
4. Can you imagine eating them? A man from Bloomington made the national news by eating 30 of them and he ended up in the hospital with a body-wide rash.
Exodus 10
5And 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: 6And 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.
1. You couldn’t even be able to see the ground because of the incredible swarm of locust.
2. In modern times, there can be at least 40 million and sometimes as many as 80 million locust adults in each little over square ½ mile of a swarm.
3. Locusts can eat their own weight each day. Can you imagine eating your own body weight eat day? That would be a lot of groceries.
4. Sister Campbell wouldn’t have any rhubarb left standing in her yard – let alone any green thing if hit with locusts.
5. Locusts were identified as a plague and still are today because of their destruction.
6. Moses called on the locusts to plague Egypt in an attempt to cause Pharoah to repent and let the people go. God wanted it to happen.
Joel 2
25And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.
1. Look at this – the locusts were God’s army.
2. The locusts were not attacking the enemy of Judah in this case – but attacking Judah.
3. There are three types of locusts that attacked.
4. Another translation calls them all locusts, but one is a stripping locust, another a hopping locust and another a crawling locusts.
5. There are people who face personal plagues that just come in to strip the health away, strip the wealth away, strip the dignity away.
6. There are some who are hit by the hopping locust plagues, that just seem to hop around causing damage here and there.
7. Then there are the crawling locust types of problems that just quietly slip up on you until you’re covered over.
11And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?
1. What is the army? The army is made up of locusts.
2. Why would God allow the locusts to trouble his people?
12Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: 13And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. 14Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God?
1. The locust came to cause Judah to repent.
2. When things are going hunky dory – people usually go about their life of pleasure and sin.
3. When do people usually turn to God? – when the locusts come into their lives.
4. When trouble strips them, hops on them and crawls on them.
Deuteronomy 28
15But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:
38Thou shalt carry much seed out into the field, and shalt gather but little in; for the locust shall consume it.
1. This was a warning given to Israel by Moses that God would allow the locusts to come if they were disobedient to his word.
2. The locusts come to cause us to repent and/or get us to where we need to be in serving the Lord.
Joel 2
25And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten
1. Did you see the promise? – God said he’d restore to you the years that were wasted by the locusts.
2. How many of us have had years actually wasted – most of what we produced just eaten up and wasted?
3. But God has come to offer restoration.
26And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed. 27And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed.
1. We are talking about being restored after repenting.
2. You don’t have to feel ashamed anymore of what you did in the past.
3. God can bless you and you will want to praise the Lord for the great things he has done.
Joel 2
28And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: 29And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
1. This is exactly what Peter quoted on the day of Pentecost after the gift of the Holy Ghost was poured out.
2. We might experience the locusts, the problems – but if you will allow them to bring you to repentance – look at what can happen.
3. God will bless you. You will praise the Lord for his goodness and God will fill you with the Holy Ghost.
Revelation 9
3And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. 5And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. 6And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.
1. The locusts are going to come again.
2. I looked up if locusts attack men. The research says no.
3. But in the future, the locusts are going to take on a new nature – they won’t hurt the green things, but will swarm against men who are not of the Lord.
4. Men will want to die, but won’t be able. They will be in torment.
5. How can we miss the last day locusts?
6. After Peter quoted Joel, people asked what to do to be saved.
Acts 2
38Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
