Episode 365 - "Warning of the final plague" - Exodus 1
Ex. 11:1 The LORD said to Moses, “Yet one plague more I will bring upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt. Afterward he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will drive you away completely. 2 Speak now in the hearing of the people, that they ask, every man of his neighbor and every woman of her neighbor, for silver and gold jewelry.” 3 And the LORD gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover, the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants and in the sight of the people.
Ex. 11:4 So Moses said, “Thus says the LORD: ‘About midnight I will go out in the midst of Egypt, 5 and every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the slave girl who is behind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the cattle. 6 There shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there has never been, nor ever will be again. 7 But not a dog shall growl against any of the people of Israel, either man or beast, that you may know that the LORD makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.’ 8 And all these your servants shall come down to me and bow down to me, saying, ‘Get out, you and all the people who follow you.’ And after that I will go out.” And he went out from Pharaoh in hot anger. 9 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh will not listen to you, that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.”
Ex. 11:10 Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, and the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the people of Israel go out of his land.
We concluded the last episode with a warning to Moses from Pharaoh that if they saw each other again, Moses would die. We need to understand that their conversation doesn’t end in chapter ten. The LORD revealed to Moses that one more plague was coming. It’s evident in verse 8 that Moses is speaking to Pharaoh when he says, “And all these your servants shall come down to me and bow down to me, saying, ‘Get out, you and all the people who follow you.’ And after that I will go out.” And he went out from Pharaoh in hot anger.” (Ex. 11:8) It’s Moses’ way of telling Pharaoh, “Save your threats. The LORD is about to move you and your people to let the Hebrews go, and we will go out.”
The first thing we should notice in chapter 11 is that the LORD is calling the shots. One more plague will come, and this time Pharaoh will let the Israelites go. Then the LORD instructed Moses to send the people to the Egyptians and ask for valuables, and the Egyptians responded as the LORD had said they would. Does this sound familiar? It’s exactly what the LORD had told Moses would happen during his commissioning at the burning bush to go lead the people out of Egypt. (See Exod. 3:21-22)
Beginning in verse 4, Moses delivers an ominous warning to Pharaoh about the coming plague. The firstborn of every household, human and animal, would die that night. Once again, it would be easy for someone to think that is quite harsh. Is this an arbitrary and unjust act by the LORD upon Egypt? Let me remind you of what the LORD told Moses to say to Pharaoh when the LORD first sent Moses back to Egypt. Exodus 4:22-23 reads, “Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD, Israel is my firstborn son, 23 and I say to you, “Let my son go that he may serve me.’ If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.’”
Pharaoh has been abusing, oppressing, and killing people of Israel whom the LORD considered his “firstborn son.” What’s more, the LORD had previously shown favor to Egypt by protecting them from the seven-year famine. But the new Pharaoh rejected God’s grace to them and oppressed Israel. What’s amazing is that the LORD did not execute this plague first. Rather, he brought these plagues to reveal his power not just to Pharaoh and the Egyptians, but to the nations as well. It would be inaccurate to read the account of these plagues and interpret them as though the LORD is mad and taking vengeance.
Moses adds to the message that Israel will not be affected by this plague in order to demonstrate their relationship to the LORD. As we will see shortly, Israel must obey the LORD’s instructions in order to receive the LORD’s protection from this plague. He concludes his message to Pharaoh by informing him that this will be the last straw for the people. They will demand that Moses and the Israelites leave Egypt.
What strikes me most about this warning of the final plague is how precisely accurate the LORD is in fulfilling his promises. I find that deeply comforting to know that the LORD knows what is going to happen and can do exactly what he promises regardless of time or circumstances. The LORD is faithful to his word.