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In verse 3, Moses asks Pharaoh how long he will go before humbling himself. This seems to be a contrast to the many verses thus far which have outlined God’s hardening of Pharaoh’s heart.
Although Scripture is clear that God gives us up to our natural desires at times, this does not negate the personal responsibility we have to respond to situations with repentance. We see both God’s will accomplished as well as His grace being given. The opportunity for Pharaoh to repent was a gift from God.
Verse 14 tells us that this locust swarm was greater than anything Egypt had seen (or would ever see again). It was foreign to them, and most likely a much greater shock than the previous plagues. Locust invasions were feared in Egypt to the point of farmers praying to the ‘locust god’ in order to protect their crops. After this plague, there was nothing green left in their fields.
If the locust plague struck fear into the Egyptians, the ninth plague of darkness completely humiliated them. As Hank mentioned, Amon-Re was the sun god and highly exalted by their culture. By striking darkness into the land, God had destroyed the heart and soul of their false religion. Their worldview was demolished, and the true and only God was glorified.
God does the same today. He will destroy our worldview to proclaim His glory. Even in our hard-hearted nature, He will come to us in grace with opportunities to repent. He gives us overwhelming evidence in the physical world, our minds and our hearts that draw us toward His truth.