Topical Bible: Red Sea: The Locusts Which Devastated Egypt Destroyed In

◄ Red Sea: The Locusts Which Devastated Egypt Destroyed In ►

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The Red Sea holds a significant place in biblical history, particularly in the narrative of the Exodus. One of the notable events associated with the Red Sea is the destruction of the locusts that plagued Egypt during the time of Moses. This event is part of the series of plagues that God sent upon Egypt to compel Pharaoh to release the Israelites from bondage.

Biblical Context

The account of the locusts is found in the Book of Exodus, specifically in Exodus 10. The locust plague was the eighth of the ten plagues that God inflicted upon Egypt. The plagues were divine judgments against Pharaoh and the Egyptian gods, demonstrating the power and sovereignty of the God of Israel.

The Plague of Locusts

In Exodus 10:12-15 , the Lord instructs Moses to stretch out his hand over the land of Egypt to bring forth the locusts:

> "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 directed an east wind over the land all that day and all that night. By morning the wind had brought the locusts. The locusts swarmed across the land of Egypt and settled in every area 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 that was left after the hail—everything growing in the fields and the fruit on the trees. Nothing green remained on tree or plant in all the land of Egypt."

The locusts were a devastating force, consuming all vegetation and leaving the land barren. This plague was a direct challenge to the Egyptian god of the crops and fertility, further demonstrating the impotence of the Egyptian deities in the face of the God of Israel.

Destruction of the Locusts in the Red Sea

After Pharaoh pleaded with Moses to remove the plague, God responded to Moses' intercession. In Exodus 10:18-19 , the Lord removed the locusts:

> "Moses then left Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD. And the LORD changed the wind to a very strong west wind, which caught up the locusts and carried them into the Red Sea. Not a single locust was left anywhere in Egypt."

The west wind, sent by God, drove the locusts into the Red Sea, where they were destroyed. This act not only relieved Egypt of the immediate devastation but also symbolized the power of God to both bring judgment and deliverance. The destruction of the locusts in the Red Sea prefigures the later and more famous event of the parting of the Red Sea, where God would deliver the Israelites from the pursuing Egyptian army.

Theological Significance

The destruction of the locusts in the Red Sea serves as a testament to God's control over nature and His ability to execute judgment and mercy. It underscores the theme of divine retribution and deliverance that runs throughout the Exodus narrative. The event also highlights the futility of resisting God's will, as Pharaoh's hardened heart ultimately led to greater suffering for Egypt.

In the broader biblical narrative, the Red Sea becomes a symbol of God's salvation and judgment, a place where His mighty acts are displayed for the deliverance of His people and the defeat of their enemies.

Nave's Topical Index

Exodus 10:19
And the LORD turned a mighty strong west wind, which took away the locusts, and cast them into the Red sea; there remained not one locust in all the coasts of Egypt.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

The Prophet Joel.
... their eggs behind, their death in the Red Sea"are, as ... sea, and his rear into the
hinder sea; and his ... there is not one instance known of locusts having come ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/the prophet joel.htm

The First Chaldaean Empire and the Hyksos in Egypt
... encounters desolate and almost uninhabited solitudes, devastated by winter ... of game,
emerge covered with red, blue, and ... from the mountains to the sea, and one ...
/.../chapter ithe first chaldaean empire.htm

Ancient Chaldaea
... Swarms of locusts follow in its train, and complete the ... sari: under him there issued
from the Red Sea a fourth ... Like the spawn of fish they encumber the sea! ...
/.../chapter iancient chaldaea.htm

The Medes and the Second Chaldaean Empire
... Thy crowned are as the locusts and thy marshals as ... dwelt on the shores of the AEgean
Sea, but our ... which were drawn round in Pharaoh's orbit; Egypt had shown ...
/.../chapter iiithe medes and the.htm

The Seven Trumpets.
... The shapes of the locusts were like horses prepared for ... and those, who sat on them,
having red, blue and ... His position"one foot resting on the sea, and one on ...
/.../bliss/a brief commentary on the apocalypse/the seven trumpets.htm

Sargon of Assyria (722-705 BC )
... laid it waste "as a swarm of locusts might have ... from the towers still bore traces
of red and yellow ... desert, from the kings of the Mediterranean sea-board, and ...
/.../chapter iiisargon of assyria 722-705.htm