Now it came about at midnight
that the LORD struck all the firstborn
in the land of Egypt,
from the firstborn of Pharaoh
who sat on his throne
to the firstborn of the captive
who was in the dungeon,
and all the firstborn cattle.
Exodus 12:29
The LORD has once again done just as He said He would do exactly when He said He would do it. Our God is always true to His Word. You may read this and think for a moment that God is cruel. The thought of a mother holding her dead son in her arms while she screams out in the night probably strikes a cord in your emotional heart. You may even feel sorry for Pharaoh, even though the death of his firstborn son was his own choosing.
My friend, don’t forget that all the people of Egypt now knew the power of God and the authority of His Word. In Exodus 11:3 we read, “The LORD gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Furthermore, the man Moses himself was greatly esteemed in the land of Egypt, both in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants and in the sight of the people.”
When God delivered His seventh plague of hail upon the land of Egypt we read in Exodus 9:20-21 how some of the servants of Pharaoh feared the word of the Lord and they brought their livestock inside, yet others had no regard for God’s word and they left their livestock in the fields. Oh precious one, the issue is not with God, the issue is with the hearts of these people who chose to have no regard for His word.
Anyone choosing to endure ill-treatment with the people of God rather than the passing pleasures of sin and the momentary pleasures of Egypt would have been spared by the blood of the lamb. They needed only to humble themselves in obedience to the Word of God. It was faith in God’s Word that moved Moses and the Hebrew slaves to keep the Passover (Hebrews 11:24-28). Anyone with the faith to keep it and observe it that night would have been saved.
There is a passage in the book of Job that describes this night perfectly. It is believed that the book of Job was written before the time of Abraham or during it. We know it is post-flood by the references to weather and post Tower of Babel by the references to kings and nations. However, it is very possible that is pre-Abraham because there is no reference to Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob or the nation of Israel.
Possibly even this passage of Scripture could be a foreshadowing of this night, but I also believe it is the standard of judgment that God will bring upon any nation whose leaders continually refuse to obey His Word.
But if you have understanding, hear this;
Listen to the sound of my words.
“Shall one who hates justice rule?
And will you condemn the righteous mighty One,
Who says to a king, ‘Worthless one,’
To nobles, ‘Wicked ones’;
Who shows no partiality to princes
Nor regards the rich above the poor,
For they all are the work of His hands?
In a moment they die, and at midnight
People are shaken and pass away,
And the mighty are taken away without a hand.
For His eyes are upon the ways of a man,
And He sees all his steps.
There is no darkness or deep shadow
Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
For He does not need to consider a man further,
That he should go before God in judgment.
He breaks in pieces mighty men without inquiry,
And sets others in their place.
Therefore He knows there works,
And He overthrows them in the night,
And they are crushed.
He strikes them like the wicked
In a public place,
Because they turned aside from following Him,
And had no regard for any of His ways;
So that they caused the cry of the poor to come to Him,
And that He might hear the cry of the afflicted-
When He keeps quiet, who then can condemn?
And when He hides His face, who then can behold Him,
That is, in regard to both nation and man?-
So that godless men would not rule
Nor be snares of the people.”
Job 34:16-30
Elihu speaks these words to Job as he struggles with the pain of current circumstances that he just does not understand. He speaks these words to Job, but he also speaks them to us.
My friend, if you struggle with this tenth plague as you consider the magnitude of the moment in its reality, do not forget that our God has given all ample time to turn and trust in Him. If you are honest with yourself you will have to admit that He has been much more patient than either you or I would have been.
Oh Father,
You are God and there is no other. You are so patient with us. You give us every opportunity to submit to Your authority, to regard Your Word, but there comes a time that judgment must fall. You are a just God. You watch all our ways. Your eyes are upon us. My Jesus You are my Lord, my King. It is to You that I bow. Help me Father to always have the strength to choose the ill-treatment with the people of God rather than the momentary comforts of the world. I am so thankful that You judge godless men who sit in positions of leadership. Thank You that You will only allow a wicked ruler the throne for so long before You remove his power. How thankful I am that You are my God, and You are soveriegn over every throne!
My Jesus, it is in Your name I pray,
Amen