Exodus 10:21-29 "And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt. And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days: They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings. And Pharaoh called unto Moses, and said, Go ye, serve the LORD; only let your flocks and your herds be stayed: let your little ones also go with you. And Moses said, Thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice unto the LORD our God. Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not an hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to serve the LORD our God; and we know not with what we must serve the LORD, until we come thither. But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let them go. And Pharaoh said unto him, Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die. And Moses said, Thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face again no more."
Perhaps some of you have visited Ruby Falls. It has been many years since I was there. For those of you who might not know, Ruby Falls is a waterfall inside a mountain. It is accessed today via a 260-foot ride down inside a mountain. Along the trail to the fall, the guide will have you to stand still, and they will turn off the lights for a moment. There is no way for me to truly describe what a total absence of light feels like.
Now, consider that the LORD sent upon Egypt a total absence of light for three days. This was not darkness like nightfall. This was darkness that swallowed even the attempt of light. If you look closely at verse twenty-three, it tells us that the children of Israel had light in their dwellings. The only reason for recording this distinction is so that we would understand that the Egyptians could not get a candle or a lamp to burn. There was no light from a cooking fire. For three days, the Egyptians dwelled in total blackness.
The darkness was so complete, that the Egyptians were completely disoriented. They were afraid to rise up from where they were when the darkness fell. They could not be sure what was around them or where it might be dangerous to set foot. For three days they did not cook a meal, they did not bathe, and they did not go to the bathroom. Yet, during these three days, the children of the LORD were free to go about their necessary business according as He directed them.
It is not hard to imagine that Pharaoh was nearly out of his mind for all that Egypt had suffered over a short amount of time. He told Moses to leave and serve the LORD, but to not take the cattle. Moses assured Pharaoh that not one hoof would be left behind in Egypt. Pharaoh finally threatened Moses life and told Moses if he saw him again, he would kill him. Moses assured Pharaoh that he would not see him again, but the explanation for that was not going to be what Pharaoh expected.
Dear ones, the light of God’s power and love is the only light we have in this dark world. The darkness of our sinful nature is such that it can be felt and make us afraid to move. The light of God shining in us (in our dwellings) liberates us to go about doing His will while others have no idea which way to turn. Let us walk in the light, as our Lord is in the light, so that we might have fellowship with one another, knowing that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin