EXODUS 11
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. 2 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.” 3 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.4 So Moses said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘About midnight I will go out in the midst of Egypt, 5 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.– Exodus 11:1-5
EXODUS 11 WARNING ON THE DEATH OF FIRSTBORN
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
After many times Pharaoh was given a warning to release God’s people
His heart continued to harden because it was all in God’s plan and timing
This last warning was to give Pharaoh notice of all the death of firstborn
After this, the king will eventually yield to release the Israelites.
We witness here God’s sovereignty to execute his plan on how his people will exit Egypt. They will not be empty-handed when they leave. Even though Pharaoh’s heart was hard, his servants knew that the Lord of Moses is much more powerful than any of their other gods. They wanted to be free from the worst punishment that God was going to inflict, but it was too late because their king was foolish not to see the power of the God of the Israelites. The Egyptians gave all their silver and gold to the Israelites to send them off so they can be spared of death, but it was too late. They had no idea that it was already the last plague announced with the killing of the firstborn. This was how God avenged his people from their abuses and over working and mistreating the Israelites.
REFLECTION
- How did God avenge his people from the cruelty and wickedness of the Egyptians as narrated in these verses?
