How does Psalm 105:28 connect to the plagues in Exodus 10:21-23? A snapshot from Psalm 105 “ ‘He sent darkness, and it became dark—yet they did not rebel against His words.’ ” (Psalm 105:28) The original event in Exodus “Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that darkness may spread over the land of Egypt—a palpable darkness.’ So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and total darkness covered all the land of Egypt for three days. No one could see anyone else or leave his place for three days. But all the Israelites had light where they lived.” (Exodus 10:21-23) How Psalm 105:28 mirrors Exodus 10:21-23 • Same Source: “He sent darkness” (Psalm 105:28) directly echoes the LORD’s command in Exodus 10:21. • Same Sign: A literal, supernatural darkness blanketed Egypt in both texts. • Same Scope: Three days of immobilizing gloom (Exodus 10:22) are compressed into one decisive line in Psalm 105. • Same Separation: Israel still had light (Exodus 10:23), underscoring God’s covenant favor—implied by the psalmist’s swift move from plague to deliverance. • Same Submission: “They did not rebel against His words” (Psalm 105:28) spotlights Moses and Aaron’s obedience when they stretched out the staff, contrasting the Egyptians’ hard-heartedness (cf. Exodus 10:27). Why the obedience clause matters • The psalm retells Israel’s history to highlight faithful human response to divine command (cf. Psalm 105:26-27). • Moses and Aaron “did not rebel,” proving that blessing follows submission (Exodus 19:5). • Pharaoh’s defiance, by contrast, intensified judgment (Exodus 10:3). Theological threads woven through both passages • Judgment on Egypt’s gods: Darkness shamed Ra, the sun-god (Exodus 12:12). • Reversal of creation: Light was the first gift (Genesis 1:3); its removal signals de-creation for the unrepentant. • Covenant distinction: God repeatedly makes a difference between Egypt and Israel (Exodus 8:22; 9:4; 10:23). • Anticipation of the cross: At Calvary “darkness fell over all the land” (Matthew 27:45), pointing to judgment borne by Christ in place of His people. Echoes beyond Exodus • The ninth plague prefigures the final darkness of judgment (Joel 2:31; Revelation 16:10-11). • Believers are called out of “darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9; cf. 2 Corinthians 4:6). • Jesus declares, “I am the Light of the world” (John 8:12), the permanent remedy for spiritual night. Key takeaways for modern readers • God’s Word is precise history—what He said in Exodus, He sums up in the Psalms. • Obedience brings light; rebellion invites darkness. • The LORD alone controls creation; He can suspend natural order to accomplish redemption. • Every plague, including the darkness, foreshadows ultimate salvation for those who trust Him and ultimate judgment for those who refuse. |
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