Dearly beloved congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, the seventh plague was climactic in many ways. But the eighth plague is surely a match for it: Locusts come up on the land and devour absolutely every last green thing. Whatever was not smashed by the hail is inhaled by the locusts. Pharaoh's courtiers are openly shaken, and even Pharaoh appears to genuinely consider meeting God's demands. Yet at the end of the plague, God hardens Pharaoh's heart. We'll talk about that. It seems that the text is saying that Pharaoh has gone so far in hardening his heart that he is now in the red zone, where he can't back down even if he wants to. God is punishing his sin with more sin. Why would God do such a thing? Well, this plague, like the previous one, begins with a speech in which God addresses that very question. As we saw last week, God sends His servants to evangelize people whose hearts He's hardened because His goals are broader than simply saving individuals or even delivering His people. He is also concerned to show Himself, His power, and His name. Know, then, that the locust plague reveals these very things. It teaches us the difficulty of true repentance, the power of God to fight those who stand against Him, and the danger of persistently hardening yourself against God's judgments.