Read Exodus 11
The Plague on the Firstborn
1 Now the Lord had said to Moses, “I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. After that, he will let you go from here, and when he does, he will drive you out completely. 2 Tell the people that men and women alike are to ask their neighbors for articles of silver and gold.” 3 (The Lord made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and Moses himself was highly regarded in Egypt by Pharaoh’s officials and by the people.)
4 So Moses said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘About midnight I will go throughout Egypt. 5 Every firstborn son in Egypt will die, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, to the firstborn son of the female slave, who is at her hand mill, and all the firstborn of the cattle as well. 6 There will be loud wailing throughout Egypt—worse than there has ever been or ever will be again. 7 But among the Israelites not a dog will bark at any person or animal.’ Then you will know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel. 8 All these officials of yours will come to me, bowing down before me and saying, ‘Go, you and all the people who follow you!’ After that I will leave.” Then Moses, hot with anger, left Pharaoh.
9 The Lord had said to Moses, “Pharaoh will refuse to listen to you—so that my wonders may be multiplied in Egypt.” 10 Moses and Aaron performed all these wonders before Pharaoh, but the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the Israelites go out of his country.
Go Deeper
Over the past few days, we have seen nine different plagues come on the Egyptians. Surely by this point, Pharaoh has gotten the message, right? God tells Moses there’s one more plague to come, and this one will kill the firstborn of all the Egyptians, from Pharaoh’s own son to all the livestock in Egypt.
Reading this, you can’t help but hold out hope that Pharaoh will respond to these other nine plagues, repent from his evil ways, and let the Israelites go peacefully. But sadly, God tells Moses that Pharaoh isn’t going to listen.
Throughout Exodus so far, we have learned a lot about the character of God. Not only has He remembered His covenant with Israel, He also shows his mercy to Pharaoh, even when Pharaoh has proven to be undeserving. Scripture is clear, from the Old Testament to the New Testament, that God is full of mercy and extends it towards us, even when we don’t deserve it. Romans 2:4 talks about God’s kindness and how that very kindness is what leads us towards repentance.
As we’ll read about in the next chapter, God is going to offer His protection and deliverance for the Israelites. He’ll save them from what’s coming to Pharaoh. In that same way, God provided deliverance to us through Jesus. Our hearts have been hardened at times. We’ve wandered from God. We’ve ignored His signs and wonders all around us at times. We, like Pharaoh, have rejected God ourselves. But God’s kindness leads us to repentance. We have received mercy and grace because God loved the world so much that He sent His Son. May it never be lost on us that we didn’t get what we deserved.
Questions
Why did God have the Israelites ask the Egyptians for gold and silver? What was the response from the Egyptians?
Why did God offer Pharaoh so many chances to repent?
When reading this story through a gospel lens, what does it teach you about God’s character? What do you learn about yourself?
Did You Know?
At first reading, verse 6 is a little difficult to understand. What God is saying here is that the Egyptians will clearly be able to discern what’s going on all around them. The ramifications are a result of Pharaoh’s actions, not those of Moses or the Israelites. Their leader is the one to shoulder the blame, which is a political disaster for Pharaoh.
5 thoughts on “Exodus 11”
Galatians 6:7 says, “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap”
Pharaoh was about to recieve his sowing. God is so amazing in the intricacies of His word. We are about to see the Passover started into action. Moses had warned and warned Pharaoh, but he had no fear, so he did not take Moses words seriously. Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
There is also woven in this passage the second birth. God rejects the firstborn sons and chooses the second to carry on the family line. God watched His only begotten son, His firstborn die for us so that we can experience a “new birth”. God saw that our first birth was sinful in nature but when we experience the second birth through faith in Christ, we recieve God’s nature and are accepted. WOOHOO!!!
God thank You for Loving us (HESED, unfailing, neverending, beyond comprehesion, faithful, essential, convenant). God thank You that I can endeavor to love You back. Thank You that I can squash my pride. That I can give to You my unending worship and by seeking You, I let go of me. God thank You for listening with hearing ears for You, seeing eyes through Your love goggles, and words that glorify You, when I do speak. God thank You for these minutes of this day in Jesus name amen.
WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow! Just as God had said to Moses, the captors of the Israelites would actually pay them to leave! Another example of the wealth of the unrighteous being stored up for the righteous. Crazy!
PS – whenever I read about Pharaoh’s “hardened heart”, the 80s song “Harden My Heart” pops into my head and I can’t get rid of it!
God’s character never changes as he is the same yesterday, today and forever. He is “willing that no one should perish but all come to repentance.” (Yes, even Pharaoh) Where has my heart become hardened refusing to trust God? What are the idols that need to be demolished? Thank God for breath in my lungs and another opportunity to repent and follow Jesus by faith today. May I steward this day to the glory of God.
That’s so cool that god blesses the Israelites with silver and gold. Because god can redeem time. They were once in slavery but now they are repaid. I know paying reparations is a hot topic in politics but i’m curious if this now makes the Bible pro for that…
God’s promise to free the Israelites after one final plague reveals that Jesus will free us from the devil’s hold through repentance. The Egyptians giving of their gold reveals that Jesus will provide the means to stay free from bondage. Through His promise that the Israelites would find favor in the eyes of the Egyptians, He promises that your enemies will be at peace with you when you walk with Jesus. Death will surely come to the Egyptians, but God reveals that Jesus would provide a way for His believers to live eternally with Him. God is sovereign and we can trust in His promises. All glory to God.Amen!