Exodus 10:1 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh; for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his officials, in order that I may show these signs of mine among them, ² and that you may tell your children and grandchildren how I have made fools of the Egyptians and what signs I have done among them—so that you may know that I am the Lord.” 

We’re in the middle of the awful plagues God sent to Egypt to demonstrate his power to the Egyptians and the rest of the world. What gets my attention this morning is “for I (God) have hardened his heart”. It is repeated in v.20 and v.27. In other words, God made sure that Pharaoh would not let the Hebrews go. Why did he do this? Because he was about to set the Hebrews free and he wanted to make sure the surrounding nations and peoples would keep their hands off the Hebrews – who, as former slaves, had ZERO experience in warfare.

It’s hard not to understand this sequence of devastating plagues as an elaborate marketing campaign by God in which the men, women, and children of Egypt were props. Perhaps one reason I’m struck in this way is the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Putin is making a point at the expense of many innocent people. The Pharaohs of Egypt had abused and exploited the Hebrews as slaves for centuries, so one could say they had it coming. But it is still brutal.

Heavenly Father your ways are not our ways. Come to the aid of Ukraine and the rest of the world against Putin’s aggression. Amen.