Exodus 11:1 And the LORD said unto Moses, Yet will I bring one plague more upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; afterwards he will let you go hence: when he shall let you go, he shall surely thrust you out hence altogether.
2 Speak now in the ears of the people, and let every man borrow of his neighbour, and every woman of her neighbour, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold.
3 And the LORD gave the people favour 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.
4 And Moses said, Thus saith the LORD, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt:
5 And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts.
6 And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more.
7 But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how that the LORD doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.
8 And all these thy servants shall come down unto me, and bow down themselves unto me, saying, Get thee out, and all the people that follow thee: and after that I will go out. And he went out from Pharaoh in a great anger.
9 And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you; that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.
10 And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh: and the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go out of his land.
God had worked systematically throughout the entire time of these plagues. He had shown His power and authority over the affairs of man. He was in charge of the weather and also of the environment. God would show one more time His power over the very breath of man. He knew all about man. He knew who was the firstborn and He would take the firstborn of all the nation of Israel.
God told Moses that this final plague would cause Pharaoh to let the children of Israel leave Egypt. Pharaoh would thrust them out this time. There would be no more negotiations about who can go and who cannot go. Pharaoh would demand that the people and their possessions leave.
In verse 2 we see that the plagues, up to this point, did have an affect upon the people of Egypt. They were going along with Pharaoh’s evil plans, but many were not happy with what was happening. Now God would use this displeasure to plunder the people of Egypt of their wealth. The Hebrew people were told to borrow jewels of silver and of gold from the Egyptians. Everything belongs to the LORD and He has His ways of taking from those who do not want to give what they should be giving to Him.
Verse 3 tells us that the LORD had given the Hebrews favour in the sight of the Egyptians. Pharaoh had a growing hatred for the Hebrews. That hatred did not translate down to the people. They saw things in a much different light than Pharaoh did. God had elevated Moses to a very prominent place among the people of Egypt. Even Pharaoh’s servants had a great respect for him. Pharaoh had threatened the life of Moses but he was alone in that sentiment. God is capable of protecting His servant against vile individuals.
In verse 4 the LORD began to lay out His plan for this tenth and final plague. This plague would come into effect at midnight on a certain day. There would be several days of observation where the Egyptians could see what the Hebrews were doing in preparation for this event. It would be a tragic event for those who did not believe in the true God.
In verse 5 we read that all the firstborn in Egypt would die suddenly. This would not be due to any sickness. We are hearing of doctors and others who are dying suddenly these days. The government and the medical officials do not want to say much about this. They know what is happening but they want to keep the truth from the people. They want more people to die and thus they are continuing to strongly encourage people to get the shots and the boosters.
In our text there will be no human explanation for the deaths that would take place. This would be a judgment of the LORD upon a wicked nation. No one would be able to dispute the fact that this event was an act of God. Even though God had granted the Hebrews favour among the Egyptians, that did not mean the Egyptians were willing to bow to the true God.
This death of the firstborn would be wide spread. No family would be untouched. It would even affect the livestock within the land of Egypt. God would give plenty of warning, but those who would disregard the warnings would suffer greatly.
In verse 6 the LORD warned of the severe impact this would have on the people. We must keep in mind that God was not rejoicing in this judgment.
Ezekiel 33:11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
The context of this verse is to the nation of Israel. We can make application to any people. God wants wicked people to be saved. He does not want them to perish. However, those who refuse to listen to the LORD will perish.
The mourning that would take place in Egypt as a result of this final plague would be such as had never occurred in Egypt to that point.
In verse 7 God stated that the Egyptians would not look at Israel as the enemy. They would not blame them for this tragedy. Even the dogs would not be hostile to Israel. God was going to impress upon the nation of Egypt the need to acknowledge Him as the true God, at least in their heads. Most of the nation would not bow their hearts to the true God. They needed to know that the LORD had made a difference between the Hebrews and the Egyptians.
In the Bible, God used Egypt as a type of the world. He used Israel as a type of the saved. The Bible teaches that the true child of God cannot be in love with the world. Much of the nation of Israel has never been saved and thus has not known the true God in their hearts. Today most of those who profess to be Christians are Christians in name only. They have never been born again.
Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
In verse 8 we see that Pharaoh’s servants would come and beg Israel to leave. Pharaoh’s servants would not wait for Pharaoh’s response this time. They were tired of his foolishness. They would take this matter into their own hands and they would submit to Israel and they would ask them to leave. We read that Moses left Pharaoh this time in great anger. Pharaoh had pushed so hard against the LORD. He had tried to mock Him and he had tried to keep his people from trusting in the true God.
In verse 9 the LORD continued to warn Moses that Pharaoh would not yet bow to the LORD. This event would not soon be forgotten in Egypt. It would also not be soon forgotten amongst other nations either.
In verse 10 we are reminded again that Moses and Aaron were obedient unto the LORD. Pharaoh was kept in the loop throughout all these plagues. He was not able to hide himself away in his palace and be untouched by them. He was well aware of what was happening and yet he still hardened himself against the truth. The LORD would also harden his heart against the truth. This was all necessary for Pharaoh to let the children of Israel leave his land. We have already seen how Pharaoh lied time and time again, and refused to let the nation go. The Egyptian army would not pursue the Hebrews into the wilderness. They would not sneak up behind them and trouble them after the LORD was finished with them. They would not create a threat for the children of Israel. The children of Israel would be their own worst enemy after this. They would doubt the LORD’s leading. They would doubt Moses’ leadership. They would long to go back to Egypt, but God would not allow that to happen, physically. Instead almost an entire generation of Hebrews would die out in the wilderness because they refused to bow before the LORD.
What a shame. They would witness all this, and yet still think Egypt was a better place than a land flowing with milk and honey. What a shame that so many today still think the world is a better place than knowing the Lord and serving Him. The world has crept into so many churches. Some churches were never godly. Others had a testimony of godliness at one time, but they have caved in and allowed the world to infiltrate them. Many are not even aware of the danger they are in because they are not being instructed in the truth. They have rejected the truth and have chosen to go where their itching ears can be scratched. This will not help. It is disastrous both now and for eternity.
The LORD is still on His throne. His will is going to be done. Those who humble themselves before Him will be blessed. Many others will miss out on His blessings because they chose wrong. Be sure you are being taught properly and be sure you are choosing wisely.
Pastor Bartel
