During Pharaoh’s asinine refusal to obey Jehovah God’s commandment of freeing Israel, his kingdom suffered vastly from the plagues that came as a consequence of his defiance. Plague after plague, Egypt slowly became depleted to the point where Pharaoh’s own servants pleaded “How long shall this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve the Lord their God. Do you not yet know that Egypt is destroyed” (Exodus 10:7, emphasis added)? Seven plagues had already been executed upon Pharaoh and his kingdom up to this moment and three remained, unless he humbled himself before God. The inspired Moses writes that he and Aaron had just informed Pharaoh and his court that if Israel were not allowed to leave Egypt to offer worship unto Jehovah, He would “bring locusts into your territory. And they shall cover the face of the earth, so that no one will be able to see the earth; and they shall eat the residue of what is left, which remains to you from the hail, and they shall eat every tree which grows up for you out of the field” (Exodus 10:4b-5). God’s warning of bringing an insurmountable army of locusts to Egypt, unless His voice was heeded, prompted Pharaoh’s servants to plead with him to let the people go. Pharaoh seemingly accepted his royal court’s counsel and conceded in allowing Israel to go and worship Jehovah God. However, his hubris would once more inebriate his reason as he decides to not fully submit to God’s demand. Despite witnessing the omnipotence of God and hearing his servants report of his kingdom’s deterioration, Pharaoh arrogantly decides to amend God’s order. After Moses confirms to Pharaoh that everyone in Israel is to be let go from Egypt to offer worship to Jehovah God, he declares, “The Lord had better be with you when I let you and your little ones go! Beware, for evil is ahead of you. Not so! Go now, you who are men, and serve the Lord, for that is what you desired. And they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence” (Exodus 10:10-11, emphasis added). Pharaoh’s adamant refusal to entirely acquiesce to the Lord’s command after suffering so much loss in his kingdom is dumbfounding. Indeed, his pride was deeply rooted in his heart and his obstinacy became the source of his lunacy. Yet, it is unwise to dismiss Pharaoh’s demand of keeping Israel’s “little ones” behind in Egypt as mere vindictive pettiness. Pharaoh’s “adjustment” to the Lord’s commandment was a very dangerous threat that, if heeded, would have been crippling to the people of Israel. The level of peril this royal edict posed to Israel is illuminated in the fact that God executes the eighth plague upon Egypt as a resounding NO to Pharaoh’s terms (Exodus 10:12-15). God’s pouring of the plague of locusts upon Egypt as a response to Pharaoh’s demand validates the seriousness of the proverb that exhorts, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6, emphasis added). It is imperative for the reader to understand the great worth God places on family values, as evidenced in this sacred passage. Although Pharaoh was attempting to hold Israel’s children hostage as leverage to insure they would return to him, he was also seeking to cease Israel’s future from flourishing. The Lord had already instructed Moses that their children needed to be present so “that you may tell in the hearing of your son and your son’s son the mighty things that I have done in Egypt, and My signs which I have done among them, that you may know that I am the Lord” (Exodus 10:2, emphasis added). Leaving their children behind in Egypt would have unequivocally impeded this commandment from being obeyed. Had Moses and Aaron agreed to Pharaoh’s request, this unholy choice would have erroneously taught their sons and daughters that God’s commandments can be compromised and are circumstantial. Hence the reason Jehovah God struck down Pharaoh’s cunning attempt to stop Israel from becoming His holy nation. Sadly, the devil (the antitype of Pharaoh) continues to implement this strategy in our society today. It is curious that a popular, modern concept regarding God’s worship is that it is meant for the older generations; the same age group Pharaoh designated to be allowed to go and hold a feast to the Lord. Once again, it cannot be ignored that God commanded the parents to have their children present at this feast. The purpose for this commandment was so that the parents would teach and instill in their offspring the knowledge of God. Once more, the Lord explained to Moses that they were to be taught “that I am the Lord” and not the idols they were accustomed to seeing in the land of Egypt. Thus, it was the parent’s responsibility to teach and explain to their children why the God of Israel is God, and not the gods of Egypt. A responsibility that is forgotten today. Leaving their children behind in Egypt was to deny them the freedom and promised land that Jehovah God would provide. To have chosen the compromise Pharaoh offered would have been negligent, selfish, and irresponsible when we learn what the child left in Egypt would have lost by remaining behind. In our world today, this negligence and irresponsibility is avidly practiced daily. Parents have lost sight of the true definition of what a parent is. The absence of Scriptural knowledge evident in our little ones reflects how today we are choosing to leave them behind in this world (the antitype of Egypt). Those who have failed to teach their offspring that God is Lord have allowed them to remain behind, at the mercy of an entire world that “lies under the sway of the wicked one” (1st John 5:19b). There is no question that had the children of Israel remained in Egypt, they would have been punished for the damages suffered by the various plagues. In other words, the little ones would have remained slaves and died in Egyptian bondage. The Master taught, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32, emphasis added). Observe that a person must first leave the world behind to come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ which brings about true freedom. Hence the motive of Jehovah God using His worship as the means to liberate His people from Egyptian slavery. Thus, when we do not instill upon our little ones heavenly wisdom found in Holy Scriptures we are permitting them to remain slaves of sin. When we do not appropriately train them in the ways of the Lord, the world will have the advantage to train them in the ways of Satan. Unfortunately, our world ignores more and more the importance of godly family values. Proof of this is that school counselors, teachers, psychologists, and perhaps even the preacher (if they even go) have regrettably replaced the parents for many children today. Due to this calamity, these children are being denied true freedom and the heavenly promised land.
