The Eighth Plague: Locusts
(Exodus 10:1-20)
Before this plague, God told Moses something important: "Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I may perform these signs of mine among them. Then you will be able to tell your children and grandchildren how I dealt harshly with the Egyptians and how I performed my signs among them, and that you may know that I am the Lord." God was not just rescuing Israel. He was building a story that would be told for generations, a story that would teach every future child who the real God was.
Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and warned him: "If you refuse to let my people go, I will bring locusts into your country tomorrow. They will cover the face of the ground so that it cannot be seen. They will devour what little you have left after the hail."
This time, before Pharaoh could respond, his own officials pulled him aside and said: "How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the people go, so that they may worship the Lord their God. Do you not yet realize that Egypt is ruined?" Even the men closest to Pharaoh were begging him to give in. Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron back in and asked, "Tell me: exactly who will be going?" Moses said everyone, young and old, sons and daughters, flocks and herds, all of them. Pharaoh refused. He offered to let only the men go and worship. Moses and Aaron were driven out of Pharaoh's presence.
Moses stretched out his staff, and an east wind blew all day and night. By morning the locusts came. They were unlike anything Egypt had ever seen. The Bible says they covered all the ground until it was black, and they devoured every plant of the field and all the fruit on the trees that the hail had left. Nothing green remained on any tree or plant in all the land of Egypt.
Pharaoh hurriedly called for Moses and Aaron and said, "I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you. Now forgive my sin once more and pray to the Lord your God to take this deadly plague away from me." Moses prayed, and the Lord sent a very strong west wind that swept the locusts out to the Red Sea. Not one locust remained anywhere in Egypt. But God hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let the Israelites go.
A Curious Question
God told Moses that He hardened Pharaoh's heart so that these stories would be told to children and grandchildren for generations. What does it mean that God was thinking about future kids, including you, when He was doing all of this in Egypt?
Jesus Connection
The locusts devoured every plant in Egypt. Every source of food was gone. Egypt, one of the most fertile lands in the ancient world, was left with nothing to eat. The land that fed nations could no longer feed itself.
This picture of total food destruction points us to a declaration Jesus made in John 6:35: "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." Egypt lost its physical bread in a single day and could do nothing about it. Human effort, human agriculture, and human planning were all erased by God in a moment. The only true, lasting source of life and nourishment is God Himself.
Jesus made the same point in a different way when He was tested in the wilderness. When Satan told Him to turn stones into bread, Jesus answered with Deuteronomy 8:3: "Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." The locusts stripped Egypt of its false security in its own food supply. Jesus offers us something that no swarm, no drought, and no disaster can ever take away: Himself. And that sustenance comes entirely from God's grace, freely given, not earned by our farming or our effort.
Discussion Questions
- God said He was doing these things so that future generations would know who He is. What does it mean that God was thinking about children and grandchildren, including kids like you, when He was working in Egypt?
- Pharaoh's own officials told him, "Egypt is ruined, let the people go." What does it tell you about Pharaoh that he still refused even when the people closest to him were begging him to change?
- Jesus said He is the bread of life. What do you think that means, and how is that different from actual bread?
"So What?" What Can I Do?
God said He did these things so future generations would know who He is. He wanted the story told. This week, tell someone the story of the plagues. It could be a younger sibling, a parent at dinner, or a friend. The way you tell the story does not have to be perfect. Just tell it. Passing on the stories of what God has done is one of the most important things His people have ever been asked to do.
Memorize God's Word
John 6:35: "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."
Hand Motions:
- "I am the bread of life." Hold both hands out flat in front of you like offering a loaf of bread, then bring them to your heart.
- "Whoever comes to me will never go hungry," Walk two steps forward with arms open wide, then rub your stomach and smile.
- "and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." Pretend to drink from a cup, then set it down and open your hands wide, showing it is enough.
Praying with Kids
Lord, You are the bread of life. No locust, no drought, no disaster can take You away from us. Forgive us for the times we trust in our own plans and resources more than we trust in You. Help us to be people who tell the next generation about what You have done, just like You asked Israel to do. Thank You for Jesus, who gives us nourishment that never runs out. In His name, Amen.
Craft: Locust Story Bookmark
Children make a simple folded bookmark shaped like a locust, with the John 6:35 memory verse written on the inside, turning a picture of destruction into a daily reminder of the Bread of Life.
Materials Checklist:
How to Assemble:- Fold the cardstock strip in half lengthwise to create a slim bookmark.
- On the outside of the bookmark, draw or stamp a simple locust shape with a black marker. Add legs and antennae.
- Cut two small oval shapes from green tissue paper or cellophane and glue them to the locust as translucent wings.
- Open the bookmark and write on the inside: "I am the bread of life." John 6:35
- Place the bookmark in a Bible or a book they are currently reading, so they see the verse every time they open it.
- Say: "The locusts ate everything in Egypt. But Jesus is the one thing that nothing can take away from you."
Effective Teaching Techniques
Open by showing a picture of a real locust swarm if you can find one. Modern locust swarms in Africa are well documented and there is stunning footage available. Even a printed photograph of a landscape turned black by locusts creates an immediate, visceral connection to the story. Then say: "Now imagine this covering the entire country. Every field. Every tree. Every garden."
The officials begging Pharaoh is a scene worth acting out. Choose a volunteer to be Pharaoh sitting on a throne. Have several other students come up urgently and tug on his sleeve, saying: "Pharaoh, please! Egypt is ruined! Just let them go!" Then have Pharaoh shake his head and cross his arms stubbornly. The physical representation of the scene makes the stubbornness feel real.
For younger children, land on two truths: God planned this story so that kids like them would hear it, and Jesus is the bread of life who never runs out. For older children, press into the God-sovereignty question raised at the start of the passage, where God explicitly says He hardened Pharaoh's heart so that His signs could be performed. That is a rich theological conversation for kids who are ready for it.