A Final Plague Threatened

Story: A Final Plague Threatened

Passage: Exodus 11

Characters:  Moses, Aaron, God, Pharaoh

Summary: God had Moses and Aaron warn Pharaoh that there would be one last plague.  The Israelites were supposed to ask their neighbors for gold and silver jewelry and they would give it to them.  Moses warned Pharaoh that God would come down in the night and kill the firstborn of every person in Egypt from the Pharaoh to the lowliest servant.  Even animals would be affected.  After this Pharaoh will let the Israelites go.

Notes:  Not only would Pharaoh let them go, God says he will drive them out of Egypt.  Apparently, the Hebrews are not winning any popularity contests with Pharaoh.  Interestingly though, the Egyptian people seem to like them.  God says that their neighbors will just give them jewelry as they leave.  Moses is apparently a great man Egypt.  This final plague is awful.  Every firstborn child in Egypt will die.  This even affects animals.  The poor livestock in Egypt really took a hit from these plagues!  Egypt would be messed up after this is all over!  According to God though, the Israelites would not be affected.  His protection even extends to the Hebrew animals.  It is interesting to me that God lumps animals in with the people for Egypt and Israel.  I assume that this is because the animals also have the breath of life.  It appears to me that God set up a hierarchy of creation.  He set animals above many things, but under humans.  Humans were over creation in general but under God.  It is interesting that Moses was “hot with anger” after this encounter with Pharaoh.  I wonder if he inherited some of God’s frustration while delivering God’s message or if Moses himself was upset with Pharaoh. This passage concludes with a sentence which basically serves to change the direction of the narrative.  We are about to slow down and get more detail.  Any time the narrative slows down to give more detail there is a good chance that we are coming to an important part of the redemptive story of the Bible as a whole.

Questions:  Were the Israelites really immune to this final plague?  Did Pharaoh really not think that his son would die?  Hadn’t God come through on all of His other plagues?  What was the general reaction of the Egyptian people when they heard about this plague?   What have the magicians been doing for the last several plagues?

Lessons: Once again we learn that Pharaoh was not listening so that God’s wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.  This passage serves to show that God wants to be glorified.  The Egyptians elevated Pharaoh above God.  Pharaoh was considered to be a god himself.  God does what is necessary to show the Egyptian people that He alone deserves worship and glory.  He unleashes His power and judgment on Pharaoh and Egypt so that they would know that He is God.  It is vital that we understand that God is about God and that we give Him the worship and glory that He deserves.  From creation forward, we see that our purpose is to bring Him glory.