Topical Bible: Plague: Locusts

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Topical Encyclopedia

The Plague of Locusts is one of the ten plagues that God inflicted upon Egypt as described in the Book of Exodus. This particular plague is the eighth in the series and serves as a divine judgment against Pharaoh and the gods of Egypt, demonstrating the power and sovereignty of the God of Israel.

Biblical Account

The account of the Plague of Locusts is found in Exodus 10:1-20. God commands Moses to go to Pharaoh and warn him of the impending disaster if he refuses to let the Israelites go. The Lord instructs Moses to stretch out his hand over the land of Egypt to bring forth the locusts. The locusts are described as covering the face of the land so that it is darkened, and they consume every plant and fruit left after the previous plague of hail.

Exodus 10:12-15 states: "Then the LORD said to Moses, 'Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt, so that the locusts may swarm over the land and devour every plant in the land—everything that the hail has left.' So Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and the LORD sent an east wind upon the land all that day and all that night. By morning the east wind had brought the locusts. The locusts swarmed across the land of Egypt and settled in every part of the country in great numbers. Never before had there been such a plague of locusts, nor will there ever be again. They covered all the ground until it was black, and they devoured all the plants in the land and all the fruit on the trees that the hail had left. Nothing green remained on tree or plant in all the land of Egypt."

Theological Significance

The Plague of Locusts serves as a powerful demonstration of God's control over nature and His ability to use it as an instrument of judgment. The locusts, a natural phenomenon known for their destructive power, are used supernaturally to fulfill God's purposes. This plague, like the others, is a direct challenge to the Egyptian deities, particularly those associated with agriculture and fertility, such as Osiris, who was believed to be responsible for the growth of crops.

The plague also serves as a test of Pharaoh's heart. Despite the devastation, Pharaoh's heart remains hardened, illustrating the theme of human obstinacy against divine will. The repeated refusal of Pharaoh to heed God's command through Moses highlights the futility of resisting God's purposes.

Symbolism and Prophetic Imagery

In the broader biblical narrative, locusts are often used symbolically to represent judgment and destruction. The prophet Joel, for instance, uses the imagery of a locust invasion to describe a coming day of the Lord (Joel 1:4-7). In the New Testament, the Book of Revelation employs locust imagery in its apocalyptic visions (Revelation 9:3-10), symbolizing the unleashing of divine judgment upon the earth.

Historical and Cultural Context

Locust plagues were a well-known and feared natural disaster in the ancient Near East. The sudden appearance of vast swarms could devastate entire regions, leading to famine and economic ruin. The biblical account of the Plague of Locusts would have resonated deeply with ancient audiences familiar with the catastrophic potential of such events.

Moral and Spiritual Lessons

The Plague of Locusts underscores the importance of obedience to God's commands and the consequences of hardening one's heart against Him. It serves as a reminder of God's ultimate authority over creation and His ability to use it to accomplish His divine purposes. The narrative encourages believers to trust in God's sovereignty and to respond to His call with humility and repentance.

Nave's Topical Index

Exodus 10:1-20
And the LORD said to Moses, Go in to Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might show these my signs before him:
Nave's Topical Index

Library

Joel
... In an unusually devastating plague of locusts, which, like an army of the
Lord,[1] has stripped the land bare and brought misery alike upon city and country ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/joel.htm

The Rod that Troubled Egypt.
... Then at the Lord's word, Moses arose and stretched forth his rod over Egypt, and
the plague of locusts came, driven by the East wind, and covered the land ...
/.../lathbury/childs story of the bible/chapter xi the rod that.htm

On the Holy Ghost and his Descent Upon the Apostles
... The seventh plague was hail, that fell in large pieces and destroyed all their crops.
The eighth plague was locusts. These are very destructive little animals. ...
/.../kinkead/baltimore catechism no 4/lesson 9 on the holy.htm

On his Father'S Silence, Because of the Plague of Hail.
... There remain also the locusts, the darkness that may be felt, and the plague which,
last in order, was first in suffering and power, the destruction and death ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/oration xvi on his fathers.htm

Rhapsody
... III. Joel's Rhapsody of the Locust Plague./ This rhapsody may be founded on an historic
plague of locusts, but the notion is idealised into mystic forces of ...
/.../various/select masterpieces of biblical literature/rhapsody 2.htm

The Plagues of Egypt
... After plagues of thunder, hail, and rain, which seldom or never happen in that rainless
land of Egypt; after a plague of locusts, which are very rare there ...
/.../kingsley/the gospel of the pentateuch/sermon x the plagues of.htm

"He Hardened his Heart"
... they became fixed convictions. After the plague of locusts, the Hebrew question
reached serious proportions. Har-hat had estranged ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the yoke/chapter xxx he hardened his.htm

The Twelve Minor Prophets.
... The immediate occasion of his prophecies is a double plague of drought and locusts,
which has already invaded the land, and whose desolating progress he ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxiii the twelve minor.htm

Concerning the Ten Plagues which came Upon the Egyptians.
... But when the king was not brought to reason by this plague, hail was sent down ... After
this a tribe of locusts consumed the seed which was not hurt by the hail ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 14 concerning the ten.htm

Of the Three Woe Trumpets.
... he delivered up Italy, the chief state of the earth, and of the sin which drew down
the foremost plague, to be infested by the Saracenic locusts, from the year ...
/.../mede/a key to the apocalypse/of the three woe trumpets.htm