Exodus 11:1-10 - A Great Plague Threatened
Notes
Transcript
The Word Read
The Word Read
Please remain standing for the reading of the Holy Scripture. Hear the Word of the Lord from Exodus 11:4-7:
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. 6 There shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there has never been, nor ever will be again. 7 But not a dog shall growl against any of the people of Israel, either man or beast, that you may know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.’
Behold, brothers and sisters, this is the Word of the Lord. Please be seated.
Exordium
Exordium
One commentator writes readers should feel “dazzled and dazed” when reading through the 10 plagues. Each plague brings a greater intensity than the previous plague. Over the last few weeks, you should have felt a greater weight than when we began the first few plagues—Yahweh’s war against Pharaoh, Egypt, and their gods continues. We, as readers, are meant to be in awe of Yahweh’s divine power and majesty. There is no god and no person who can compare or compete with Him. In some ways, I’ve felt like Job over the past few weeks when the Lord answers Job in Job 38:2-7:
2 “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? 3 Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me. 4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. 5 Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? 6 On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, 7 when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
I’ve been overwhelmed with the truth that I am a creature, not God. His power has been displayed in the mighty signs, and a genuine smallness has come over me. God’s majestic power is shown in the ten plagues, and all who war against Him shall be defeated.
As I sat in these realities, another truth overwhelmed me. Had God not regenerated my heart, I would have never known Christ as my Divine Warrior, Defender, Liberator, Mediator, Light, and Savior. In God’s great judgment being poured out upon Egypt, we see Jesus, our Savior. Soon, we will see that He delivered His people out of oppression.
The sermon title is “A Great Plague Threatened.” My hypothesis for these verses is Yahweh’s inevitable triumph will bring death to Egypt and life to His people.
Exodus 11:1-3 - Yahweh’s Triumph is Promised
Exodus 11:1-3 - Yahweh’s Triumph is Promised
1 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.
Exodus 11 serves as a transitional passage. These ten verses take us out of the three triads of mighty signs and bring us to the institution of the Passover, the death of the firstborns, and Israel’s divine exodus. These verses lead us out of Yahweh’s warring to Yahweh’s triumph.
Yahweh tells Moses that one more mighty sign will be brought upon Pharaoh and all of Egypt before Pharaoh releases the people of Israel. There is a promise in verse 1, “Afterward he will let you go from here.” We aren’t sure how long it has been since Moses first presented himself to Pharaoh. However, most scholars and commentators agree it was over months, potentially even longer than a year. In Genesis 15:13-14, the Lord gives this promise to Abraham:
13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. 14 But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions.
The time has come for Yahweh to fulfill His promise. He has heard His people wailing in Egypt. The people of Israel will soon emerge from this land, freed from their oppressors, driven out by Pharaoh without any restrictions, leaving them with great possessions.
Moses is commanded to tell the people of Israel to ask their neighbors for silver and gold jewelry. In Exodus 3:21, Yahweh speaks these words to Moses:
21 And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and when you go, you shall not go empty,
This promise is about to be fulfilled.
What is incredibly fascinating about this is that the Egyptians abhorred the Israelites. In Genesis 43:32, it is recorded that the Egyptians would not even eat at the same table as the Hebrews because they considered the Hebrews an abomination. As the people of Israel prepare to leave, the sovereign hand of God changes the hearts of the Egyptians towards them. The people of Israel, who used to be viewed as an abomination, are now seen with favorable eyes.
Throughout Scripture, we see there is generally some form of persecution towards the people of God from unbelievers. However, there are times when the Lord, in His grace, ordains the world to have a favorable heart towards His bride. We see this clearly in Acts 2:42-47:
42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
As Matthew Henry wrote of this passage, “Genuine piety and charity will command respect.” Those early believers devoted themselves to following Christ and showing charity to those in need, and unbelievers in Jerusalem noticed. Their response? They viewed the Church with favorable eyes.
Between God’s people in Exodus and Acts, we see times when the Lord sovereignly gives His people favor amongst the lost. So it is good for us to ask the Lord to give us favor with our community, not to use it for our glory but for sinners to come to know Jesus.
The 2020 US religious census came out recently. The data revealed that approximately 48% of Rockingham County residents claimed some religion, while about 50% claimed no religion. Our prayer is, “God, would you please give us the vision to reach the approximate 45,000 who have zero religious affiliation? Would you give us favor with our community as we seek their good by sharing the Gospel with them?”
Years ago, a church filled with senior adults and no young people desired to reach a younger generation. They did a community report, seeking to know their community better. They were shocked to learn several single mothers lived in their community. They took hold of a vision to reach these young single mothers. They reached out to them and began to mentor those moms. Over time, the church began to thrive again with children and young adults.
The Lord worked on the hearts of those members, and they followed Him in willful obedience. As a result, the Lord gave them favor with the single moms He put on their hearts. Who is the Lord putting on our hearts to reach as a church? Are they those who live in the apartment complexes around us? Is it a younger generation? Is it single moms? And are we willing to follow the Lord as He pricks our hearts to reach them? How will we spread the glorious Gospel of God to our community? Will we pray for the Lord to give us favor to those people as we desire to make disciples for His glory in Eden?
Lord, would You give us favor with the people of Eden, not for our glory or reputation, but so that sinners might be saved so they can behold the glory of Christ by faith in this world and by sight in the world to come? We come to You knowing that it is only by Your hand that we could ever have favor with our community.
Not only did the people of Israel have favor with the Egyptians, but Moses was greatly respected and revered by all the people and even Pharaoh’s servants. The Lord is giving His leader and His people excellent standing in the sight of Egypt before a great plague befalls them.
As I quickly mentioned earlier, they will plunder the Egyptians. The people of Israel will leave Egypt with silver and gold from the Egyptians due to Yahweh’s divine power. In Ephesians 4:7-8, Paul writes these words,
7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.”
Christ defeated the demonic forces at the cross and ascended in victory to rule in His Heavenly session. Unlike kings of this world, Christ does not keep the spoils of victory to Himself. Notice what Paul writes in Ephesians 4:8, quoting Psalm 68:18: “He gave gifts to men.” There has never been a time in history when Christ did not give the Church these gifts. He never left them to mature alone. If you read Ephesians 4:11-16, you will find Christ’s gifts, which are church leaders who are gifted in articulating the Gospel to His bride so they can become a mature Church growing up into Him as the Head.
Think about the churches in China right now that sit under persecution. There is no promise for pastors or elders that they will not be imprisoned or killed by the end of the day. Yet, Christ has given those churches gifts to be mature. Think about the churches that sat under Hitler in Nazi Germany. Christ gave them these gifts so that every wind of doctrine would not carry about them. Think about FPC Eden. There have certainly been times when members have questioned whether God has left them alone. Yet, the promise of Ephesians 4:7-8 is still true today. Christ has given our church gifts so that we might build one another up in love. Jesus loves us so much that He still gives our church these gifts today. Do you believe that today in your heart? Do you trust that Christ has given our church the spoils of His victory so our church might be mature in Him? He is the Divine Warrior who gained victory by vanquishing His enemies, and He is the Divine Gift Gifter, ensuring every local church can become a fully mature congregation.
Exodus 11:4-10 - Death for Egypt, Life for God’s People
Exodus 11:4-10 - Death for Egypt, Life for God’s 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. 6 There shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there has never been, nor ever will be again. 7 But not a dog shall growl against any of the people of Israel, either man or beast, that you may know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.’ 8 And all these your servants shall come down to me and bow down to me, saying, ‘Get out, you and all the people who follow you.’ And after that I will go out.” And he went out from Pharaoh in hot anger. 9 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh will not listen to you, that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.” 10 Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, and the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the people of Israel go out of his land.
Every passage of Scripture has its own drama if you will. We read the account of the world’s creation, and the grandeur of God fills our hearts. We read of the crucifixion, and indeed, an emotion overcomes us. Last week, we journeyed through the ninth plague with darkness you could feel. We should have felt the spiritual darkness, and then we should have felt the truth that Christ is the light of the world who gives life to those who are His. Drama fills Scripture.
The Lord tells Moses that He will go out into the midst of Egypt at night, and every firstborn shall die. Social status does not matter at all. Pharaoh’s firstborn shall die, and so shall the slave girl who grinds flour down to grain. Even the cattle’s firstborn shall die. The Egyptians will wail like they’ve never cried out before as a result of these deaths. The intensity of the mighty signs has certainly heightened in this passage as this threat is given.
The question must be asked, “Is it right for Yahweh to kill the firstborn of all the households of Egypt when Pharaoh has refused to let the people of Israel go? Is it fair that the slave girl’s firstborn will die when she has not been involved in the decision-making process?” I do not think these deaths are mere collateral damage or incidental deaths of bystanders in the war between Yahweh and Pharaoh. I believe all of Egypt was guilty, and Yahweh was just in His threat and future actions.
We must remember that Pharaoh gave the commands to oppress the people of Israel, but it was the people of Egypt who carried out those commands. The Egyptians were responsible for throwing babies into the Nile River. Also, as I already mentioned, the Egyptians considered the Israelites an abomination. They were responsible for how the Israelites were treated as they implemented Pharaoh’s oppressive demands.
As the first part of Romans 6:23 states, the wages of sin is death. None can escape this reality. Not the Egyptians, not the Babylonians, not the Romans, and not us today. Most of us know the first part of Romans 6:23, but there is more to this verse.
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
There is eternal life in Christ Jesus. According to Colossians 1:18, the Son is the firstborn from the dead so that He might be preeminent in everything. The great death threat given to the Egyptians is still given today - the wages of sin is death. In Adam, there is death, but in Christ, there is eternal life.
12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— 13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. 15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. 16 And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. 17 For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
I have reflected much on the Gospel as we’ve traveled through these plagues. To think that I am deserving of eternal damnation because I have committed great sin against the Lord, and yet He saved me. Jesus took my place. He was the perfect, unblemished, spotless Lamb of God who paid for my sins so I could have atonement and God’s wrath would be satisfied. It’s too much to bear if I’m being honest. Adam leads to death. Christ is life.
35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Isn’t it amazing to know that God saw fit to give us life through Christ when we deserved death? Isn’t it incredible that you possess eternal life at this very moment? Don’t our hearts swarm with affection as we see the cross in Scripture and think, “I can’t believe my God would do that for me.” We stand amazed as we peer into love as vast as the ocean. We are moved in our spirits as we look to the cross and see the great love of God for His people. We can’t help but be forced to praise the living God as we understand that God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. And can you believe that now and forevermore, Christ is ours? He keeps us forever, and never lets us go. We behold His glory by faith in this world and then by sight in the world to come. Christ is our life, and He gives eternal life to those who belong to Him.
We see an incredible contrast between the Egyptians and the Israelites in verse seven. Verse six reveals that the Egyptians will be crying out as they have never done, and verse seven shows us that Israel shall leave the land without a dog snarling at them. The imagery shows that the people will leave Egypt without disturbance. In Egypt, there will be wailing; in Israel, there shall be silence. In Egypt, there will be death; in Israel, there will be life. In Egypt, there shall be wrath; in Israel, there shall be mercy. In Egypt, there will be judgment; in Israel, there shall be salvation. Yahweh will distinguish between the two.
This is not the only time in history when God distinguishes between people. Paul writes these words in Romans 9:10-15:
10 And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, 11 though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— 12 she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” 13 As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” 14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”
We should also be thankful for God’s mercy today. Our hearts should burst with joy knowing God shows us mercy, grace, compassion, covenant love, redemption, and salvation. There was no merit we could bring before Him to receive His love. As Ephesians 1:4 states, we were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. This means every moment of your day is clothed with His abundant grace based on His free will. Sometimes, we don’t feel His grace and compassion, but we trust He holds us in His hands, distinguishing between His children and His enemies, just as He did with the people of Israel and Egypt.
Do you know what this means for us? We walk as pilgrims in a foreign land with blessed assurance. When trials come our way, we keep our eyes on the glory to come. When tragedy comes into our lives, our gaze is directed to the cross where Christ’s blood ran red for us. Unbelievers have no steadfast anchor for the tribulations in life, but we, as Hebrews 6:19 states, have a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul. We navigate life’s troubles, walking in the light of life that only Christ can bring. When storms arise, we cling to the great love of God in Christ. We are never abandoned by the God who has claimed us.
Moses’s and Pharaoh’s conversation does not end on good terms. Moses proclaims that Pharaoh’s servants will beg for the people of Israel to leave the land, and then Moses storms off in anger. Yahweh reminds Moses that Pharoah will not listen and that there is a purpose for Yahweh’s great signs to be multiplied in the land. Pharaoh’s heart is hardened. The stage is set. Death is coming to Egypt. Dazzled and dazed are those who lived and read these passages.
Conclusion
Conclusion
As we get closer to the Exodus event, we can see Yahweh’s triumph is near. Yet, freedom from the Egyptians was not what the people of Israel ultimately desired. As were their forefathers, they were looking for the Messiah to save them from their sins. We get to look back to the cross in the Lord’s providence and see the triumph of Christ Jesus! He’s already won the war and sits victorious on His throne. Let us continually love, adore, and worship the King of kings, and the Lord of lords.
