Fit To Be Tied

 

Now the LORD said to Moses,

‘One more plague I will bring on Pharaoh and on Egypt;

after that he will let you go from here.

When he lets you go,

he will surely drive you out from here completely.  

Exodus 11:1

 

The climax is here. The tenth plague upon Pharaoh and the land of Egypt has been pronounced. The death of the firstborn son. This plague will be an attack on Pharaoh himself. The people of Egypt believed that their Pharaoh and his firstborn son was an incarnate god. He was believed to be a god-king. He was worshiped, as was his firstborn son. In all the land of Egypt the firstborn was often worshiped, the firstborn of man and beast.

One thing that never ceases to amaze me is the thin line of the thread of truth that can be found in all false religions. This proves to me the accounts of Scripture because all these thin threads when followed come to the Word of God. All roads point to the Word of God and the Word of God point to the one road of Jesus Christ. There is only one “firstborn” who is worthy of our worship.

He is the image of the invisible God,

the firstborn of all creation.

For by Him all things were created,

both in the heavens and on earth,

visible and invisible,

whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-

all things have been created through Him and for Him.

He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

He is also head of the body, the church;

and He is the beginning,

the firstborn from the dead,

so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.  

Colossians 1:15-18

In Exodus 4:22-23 we read “Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD, ‘Israel is My son, My firstborn. So I said to you, ‘Let My son go that he may serve Me’; but you have refused to let him go. Behold, I will kill your son, your firstborn.”  The word firstborn in Hebrew is bekor. This word does not just mean first from the womb, it also denotes preeminence. This preeminence means having the responsibilities, rights, and privileges of a firstborn.

Jesus is called the firstborn not because He is a created being, but because He is preeminent in power in all things. He holds the right of the firstborn in everything. He was the firstborn from Mary’s womb. He was the firstborn and only begotten Son of God. He is the firstborn among the dead as He is the first to die and rise to never die again. However at the peek of it all He holds the responsibilities, rights, and privileges of the firstborn because He was God the Son before He even entered Mary’s womb. He is the Creator and Sustainer of all things.     

Although Israel was not the first nation to exist, it is this nation that God says is His firstborn. He claims them and calls them His son. The people of Egypt believed that Pharaoh and his firstborn son were incarnate gods, but the True God is declaring that Israel is His son. Moses is to deliver this message to Pharoah after God has performed all His signs and wonders in Pharaoh’s sight. God knew before Moses started that it would come to this death.

God does not hide the pronouncement of this plague from Pharaoh. Moses explains to him that at midnight God will go through the land of Egypt and all the firstborn will die, from the very son of Pharaoh to the son of the slave, as well as the firstborn of the cattle. However, not one son of Israel will die, so that Pharaoh would understand how God makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel (Exodus 11:7). God began setting apart the land of Goshen with His fourth plague and the children of Israel have been protected from every plague since.

Moses is so very frustrated with Pharaoh. He knows that God has given Pharaoh opportunity after opportunity to let the Hebrew slaves go, yet he has refused. Pharaoh has continued to harden his heart. The judgments of God and the mercies of God have only angered Pharaoh.

In his stubbornness he has had absolutely no regard for the people of his nation. No concern for the plagues he has brought upon them because of his disobedience. Now Moses stands before him announcing this plague of death and still Pharoah refuses to bow, “With his mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor…” (Proverbs 10:9)

We read in Exodus 11:8 that Moses “went out from him in hot anger.” Moses was angry and God did not rebuke him for this anger. Moses was angry because Pharaoh continued to push God. He was angry because he had seen the torment that Pharaoh was bringing on his own nation because of pride. His refusal to repent and his refusal to do what was right for his people was beyond the understanding of Moses.

Oh precious one have you been there?

Have you watched friends and family continue to live in disobedience to their Creator even after they have experienced His judgments and His mercy?

Have you experienced the frustration of knowing that they have clearly seen the hand of God in their lives yet they still refuse to submit to His authority?

Have you sat by and had to watch the destruction they brought into the lives of others because of their disobedience?

Know precious one that it is okay for us to be angry. But also know that you must not act out in anger, but go out from them, and let God do what God has to do.        

 

Oh Father,

How easily we can be deceived by the deceitfulness of sin. The serpent of old is quite crafty and he knows us well. He is a master at perverting Your truth and there is no other who knows how to appeal to our pride as he. Oh Father may You open our eyes to Your thread of truth and may we follow it as a lifeline to Your Word. May Your Word then cut us to the quick and judge our thoughts and the intentions of our heart (Hebrews 4:12). My God, help me to walk in humility so that my pride would not be used by the evil one to destroy another.

 

My Jesus, it’s in Your name that I pray,

Amen