SCRIPTURE: EXODUS 11
BEST VERSE:
“There will be loud wailing throughout Egypt – worse than there has ever been or ever will be again. But among the Israelites not a dog will bark at any man or animal. Then you will know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.” (Exodus 11:6-7)
THE PLAGUE ON THE FIRSTBORN (vs. 1-10)
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. Tell the people that men and women alike are to ask their neighbors for articles of silver and gold.” (The Lord made the Egyptians favorable disposed toward the people, and Moses himself was highly regarded in Egypt by Pharaoh’s officials and by the people.
So Moses said, “:This is what the Lord says: ‘About midnight I will go throughout Egypt. Every firstborn son in Egypt will die, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, to the firstborn son of the slave girl, who is at her hand mill, and all the firstborn of the cattle as well. there will be loud wailing throughout Egypt – worse than there has ever been or ever will be again. But among the Israelites nota dog will bark at any man or animal.’ Then you will know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel. 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.
The Lord had said to Moses, “Pharaoh will refuse to listen to you – so that my wonders may be multiplied in Egypt.” 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.
THOUGHTS (From Life Application Study Bible)
Moses told Pharaoh that God made a distinction between Egypt and Israel. At this time the distinction was very clear in God’s mind. He knew the Hebrews would become his chosen people. The distinction was taking shape in Moses’ mind also. But the Hebrews still saw the distinction only in terms of slave and free. Later, when they were in the wilderness, God would teach them the laws, principles and values that would make them distinct as hi8s people. Remember that God sees us in terms of what we will become and not just what we are right now.
You may wonder how Pharaoh could be so foolish as to see God’s miraculous power and still not listen to Moses. But Pharaoh had his mind made up long before the plagues began. He could not believe that someone was greater than him. This stubborn unbelief led to a heart so hard and even a major catastrophe could not soften it. Finally, it took the greatest of all calamities, the loss of his son, to force him to recognize God’s authority. But even then, he wanted God to leave, not to rule his country. We must not wait for great calamities to drive us to God but must open our hearts and minds to his direction now.
Before the 10 plagues began, Moses and Aaron announced what God would do if Pharaoh did not let the people go. But their message only made Pharaoh stubborn – he was hardening his own heart. In so doing, he defied both God and his messengers. Through the first six plagues, Pharaoh]s heart grew even more stubborn. After the sixth plague, God passed judgment. Sooner or later, evil people will be punished for their sims. When it became evident that Pharaoh would not change, God confirmed Pharaoh’s prideful decision and set the painful consequences of his actions in motion. God did not force Pharaoh to reject him, rather he gave him every opportunity to change his mind.