Scripture: 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. 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.” 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.
So Moses said, “Thus says the LORD: About midnight I will go out in the midst of Egypt, 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. There shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there has never been, nor ever will be again. 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.’ 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. Then the LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh will not listen to you, that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.”
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.
Exodus 11:1-10 ESV [Click here to read the entire chapter.]
Observation: Recapping Yesterday’s Daily Focus, like plagues three and six, for the ninth, the Lord commands Moses to extend his hand and invoke the curse without warning to Pharaoh. This time, utter darkness cloaks the land, symbolically eclipsing the Egyptian sun god, Re. The intensity of the blackness of these three days was such that it could be felt (v.21). So Pharaoh summons Moses and presumptuously grants all the Hebrews permission to go and serve their God, but without their flocks and herds (v.25). Hence, Moses argues for taking their livestock since they will not know what animals will be required to serve the Lord adequately (v.26). And as occurs throughout this showdown of might, the Lord demonstrates his sovereignty by hardening Pharaoh’s heart (v.27). Thus, Egypt’s arrogant and stubborn ruler hastily speaks threatening dismissing words to Moses (vv.28-29).
For today’s reading, Chapter 11 presents the threat of the final plague: the death of all firstborn males in Egypt (livestock and humans alike). The narrative starts with God’s promise that this will be the last plague, producing the desired outcome. Yahweh then commands Moses to instruct fellow Israelites to ask their Egyptian neighbors for their gold and silver jewelry. Indeed, even though Pharaoh remained obstinate, his magicians and people feared the Hebrew God and his spokesman, Moses, and would grant whatever his people requested to avert further disaster. Thus, Moses confronts Pharaoh with no plea bargain but instead conveys the details of this plague of death and the Egyptians’ response:
- It will extend from the palace to the non-Hebrew slave quarters.
- Their cries of anguish will exceed past and future lament.
- Neither the Egyptians nor even their dogs will resist Israel.
- Pharaoh’s subjects will bow to Moses and implore the Hebrews and other God-fearers who follow them to leave.
Finally, Moses tells Pharaoh that God will leave Egypt when the Egyptians bow to him and beg him to leave, implying that Pharaoh will have no say in the matter. Then, burning with anger, Moses abruptly leaves Pharaoh’s court. Along the way, Yahweh reminds Moses that Pharaoh will not heed his words so that the Lord’s wonders “may be multiplied in the land of Egypt” (v.9). Lastly, to no surprise, hard-hearted Pharaoh would not let God’s people go.
Takeaway: First, this final plague will dramatically display the Lord’s power, unlike the others. Yahweh will supernaturally go through the land of Egypt, unaided by natural disasters, and inflict a devastating blow, causing the catastrophic loss of lives. He will show no discrimination or favor other than to those who heed his warning and obey his commands (tomorrow’s devotion). Thus, to emphasize the point that Yahweh will lead the charge, he tells Moses with repetition of the first-person personal pronoun “I” (Hebrew ʾanî), “I, I will go out.” (v.4). [Note: the ESV smooths the translation to “I will go out.”].
Second, the Hebrew word yôṣē, translated as “go out,” finds its origin in the Hebrew root yāṣāʾ, which is more commonly related to marching in warfare. Hence, the language here likely reminds the second generation of Israelites approaching the Promised Land that the Lord will go with them and fight for them (see Deuteronomy 20:1-4).
Third, Moses parts company seething with anger (v.8). His response is what we might term righteous anger, similar to Jesus’ display when he turned over the tables of the money-changers, shouted at them for turning the Lord’s house of prayer into a den of thieves, and then drove them out of temple courtyard with a whip (John 2:13-17). In both instances, each burned with anger over the ravishes of sin that bring about death (whether physical or spiritual) as perpetrated through godless humans.
Our takeaway? Whether a leader or a follower, we must wait on our mighty Warrior King to orchestrate circumstances if we want to see good triumph over evil. But it’s not about righteous anger in most instances we will face. It’s about maintaining a godly attitude, whether the confronter or the perpetrator.
Our part? For perpetrators of evil, we must humbly receive God’s reproof through those who speak his prophetic words, as did David when confronted by Nathan (2 Samuel 12:1-14). When we do, God will restore us in due time. For those who fight for the sanctity of life and other concerns regarding God’s holiness code, we must not indignantly rush into the fray of the battle in the Lord’s name but humbly wait for God to lead the way. If we persevere, prayerfully waiting on the Lord’s direction regarding timing and words, even if others reject the message and become hostile, the results will, in due time, produce the desired outcome—maybe not as we anticipate, but according to God’s will. And who knows, when we wait on our Warrior King, even adversaries can become allies and support us, as will some Egyptians (Exodus 12:38).
Prayer: Father God, we thank you for pouring out your favor on us in the life, death, and resurrection of your Son, our Warrior King. Still, we sometimes struggle to exercise patience and wait for your Holy Spirit’s direction so that we might align with your will when confronting perpetrators of evil. And sometimes, we quickly defend ourselves and retaliate when others rightfully confront us. So, please help remember that your power and timing can truly change hearts and bring about transformation that leads to reconciliation and redemption. Meanwhile, please help us wait for our Warrior King to lead the charge as the Holy Spirit guides our thoughts and words. Amen.
Rev. Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling
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