Exodus 11:1-10. 11-11-14. GOD WARNS OF THE FINAL PLAGUE – my devotional

Exodus 11:1-10                                                                                 Kevin E. Jesmer

Key Verse: 11:9                                                                                11-11-14

“The Lord had said to Moses, “Pharaoh will refuse to listen to you—so that my wonders may be multiplied in Egypt.” (NIV)

Lord Jesus Christ, help me to learn something from this passage and grow in your image and knowledge of your grace.  I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!

 Part 1: God Goes On Ahead Of His People As He Calls The To Act In Faith (1-3)

Verses 1-3, “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.)”  (NIV)

God’s time for the Exodus was at hand. But one more plague would strike the hearts of the Egyptians before they would send the Israelites out of Egypt. This last plague would touch the dearest of all in Egypt, their first born. From Pharaoh on down, the consequences of their hardness of heart, would  touch all families.

Egypt had now become like a total disaster zone. Egypt had been the most powerful nation in the civilized world, but now it was almost destroyed. This shows that anyone or anything who sets themselves up against God, no matter how strong, rich and powerful they may be, will eventually face destruction. People and nations can never get away with flagrant sin. We saw this with the rise and fall of the Nazi regime. We saw this with the collapse of despotic rulers. Nations and governments that oppose God have no future. God himself will bring them down in his time and his way.

Eventually, Pharaoh would let the Israelites go. It took a long time. It was a very hard struggle, but they would be set free from their bondage to worship the Lord in the desert. All the Hebrew people needed to do is believe what Moses was saying and submit to his leadership knowing that Moses was delivering the word of God and leading the nation according to the will of the Lord.

In the same way, the believer who totally places their faith and trust in Jesus Christ and what Jesus has accomplished at the cross for them, can be rest assured that Satan will let them go free. Satan may put up a big fight, but he has no choice. God’s power and grace will compel him to let the captives go free. Romans 6:14 reads, “For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.”  (NIV)

God will provide material resources for the Israelites…from the Egyptians themselves. Look at verse 2, “Tell the people that men and women alike are to ask their neighbors for articles of silver and gold.” The Israelites would not leave empty-handed. By granting Israel silver and gold in large amounts, God was paying Israel back for their 400 years of slavery from the treasure of the Egyptians.  These are reparations.

In order to collect the riches, the Hebrews needed to believe God and obey him, by going to their neighbors, many of whom oppressed them, and ask for their wealth. How hard this would be to say, ”Can I have all of your silver and gold?” It really took faith to step out like this. They could do this because they believed that God was living and active and was calling them to obey. God was working in the Egyptians peoples’ hearts. Moses had become famous in Egypt, and the Egyptians had developed a great respect for the Hebrew people whom they saw that God had protected during this out pouring of plagues. God was going on ahead of his people, as he called them to step out in faith.

Part 2:  In All Of This Don’t Blame God, Reflect On Yourself (4-10)

Verses 4-10, “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.”  (NIV)

Moses warned Pharaoh that all the firstborn of Egypt, from Pharaoh’s son to the firstborn of the lowest slave girl, and the firstborn of all the cattle, would die. The Israelites, however, would be protected. Moses gave Pharaoh the final word of the Lord. It was an ominous word that signaled that the time of grace for Egypt was over and the final judgment of the Lord was about to begin.

Moses was full of holy anger for what Pharaoh had allowed his nation to become. Look at verse 8b, “…Then Moses, hot with anger, left Pharaoh.”  Moses delivered the message to Pharaoh. It was straight to the point. Moses was in great anger, because he knew that all of this suffering was very unnecessary. Hundreds of thousands would die, and the truth is, that not one single person needed to die for this reason. Pharaoh should have seen the writing on the wall and repented a long time ago. Moses watched Egypt, as it was destroyed because of those who refused to bend their knee to the demands of God. This made him angry. Moses was reflecting the Lord righteous anger.

We can also see the change the God brought about in Moses’ inner person. Over the course of this mission, Moses was a changed man. He had grown from a hesitant man, who no longer had anymore confidence in his own abilities, a man who needed his brother to do his talking for him, into a powerful spiritual leader and speaker of God’s word. God changes people as we follow him. God transforms us and makes us into new creations. 2 Corinthians 5:17 reads, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (NIV) I thank God for making me into a new creation, by his saving grace and transforming power. I was a man who stammered from age 7 to age 22. I lacked self confidence and true identity. Then Jesus came into my life. He forgave me of all my sins and made me into a new creation. He healed me of my stammering and helped me to live as a child of God and a servant of Christ. He totally changed this stammering young man and I thank God for his grace.

Again, the plague was highly symbolic and struck to the hearts of every Egyptian. There was going to be so much suffering in the land because of this last plague. Look at verses 4-6, ““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.“ The death of the first born was the hardest of blows that could be delivered to Egypt, The monarchy was hereditary. Estates were passed on to the oldest son. The Egyptians also believed that their afterlife continued on through the first born son. If the first born male child, perished then there would be no afterlife. This plague had far reaching and lasting affects on the hearts of the Egyptian people.

Pharaoh’s hardened heart was so unreasonable. Look at verse 9-10, “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.”  (NIV) You may wonder how Pharaoh could be so foolish as to see God’s miraculous power and still not listen to Moses and change his ways. But the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart occurred a long time before the plagues began. He couldn’t accept that there was someone greater than he in his land. And so, even grace and then a major catastrophe couldn’t soften him. Finally it took the greatest of all the plagues, the loss of his son, to force him to recognize God’s authority. But even then, though Pharaoh let the Hebrews go free, he wanted God and the people of God to leave his country.

He should have seen the error of his ways, acknowledging God’s goodness and inviting God to rule his country. We must never wait for great suffering to drive us towards God Why not open our hearts to the Lord now? Why not invite him to be our King now. 2 Corinthians 6:2 reads, “For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” (NIV)

The cries that arose out of this plague must not be blamed on God. They are to be blamed on the stubbornness of Pharaoh and the Ancient Egyptian people. God actually dealt with Egypt with grace upon grace. But yet they would not yield to the Lord. It is not God’s fault. Think of is this way, since today is Veteran’s day in America, was the destruction of Nazi Germany the fault of the Allied Armies? Or was it the fault of an unrepentant Hitler and Nazi regime? The Allies were doing the bombing, but the Nazi’s were the cause of the destruction.

Neither did God did not force Pharaoh to do the wrong thing. God had warned Pharaoh all along. Before the ten plagues began, Moses and Aaron announced what God would do if Pharaoh didn’t let the people go. But the message made Pharaoh stubborn. He was hardening his own heart, by defying God. The first six plagues saw Pharaoh’s heart grew more stubborn. After sixth plague, God passed judgment.

Sooner or later, those who defy the Lord will face God’s judgment for their sins. This is never God’s hope. In Ezekiel 33:11, God says, “Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’” God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. He is seeking repentance and restoration.

Yet, God’s purpose is never thwarted by the hardening of their hearts. No matter what we do, God is winner. Look at verse 9 again, “The Lord had said to Moses, “Pharaoh will refuse to listen to you—so that my wonders may be multiplied in Egypt.”  God’s wonders will be multiplied throughout the world. No matter what happens in countries that oppress the Gospel, the wonders of Jesus Christ will be multiplied in the earth. Nothing can stop the advancement of the kingdom of God.

Prayer: Lord, I repent of my stubborn, hardening of my heart. I come to you for forgiveness and grace and restoration. Please come to be the king of my life and my family and nation.

One Word: Soften our hearts and listen to the word of God.