This blog post will cover the devotional #43 for Exodus Chapter 11.
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[43] Exodus 11:1-10
God told Moses what the final plague would be, and that Pharaoh would finally let them go because of it—but unfortunately, not until afterwards. He’d given in a few times under pressure, but when the pressure was removed, he went back to his stubborn refusal—denying what he’d said he’d allow. He never caved more than he was required to in order to end each plague. Regardless of seeing the exact plagues and the exact results played out as they were always foretold, he still refused to yield, even after Egypt was completely destroyed. Though threatened with death, Moses did indeed see Pharaoh once again, but as always, God kept Moses protected so Pharaoh could do him no harm. He had to deliver the final message. Moses told Pharaoh what’d happen. He reminded him of how God had foretold before all the plagues started what the outcome would be. God’s so merciful and doesn’t want any to die. If they’d be convicted before any plagues, or by the mere loss of their crops and cattle, God wouldn’t have allowed it to go so far. However, they didn’t surrender. The first warned judgment was the last to be executed. All the firstborns in the land (from animal, to servant, to royalty) would die at midnight, and such a great cry would go up in Egypt—unlike anything before or to come. However, Israel’s firstborns wouldn’t be touched, that way he’d know God differentiated between the two. He also told him how he’d be humbled—all of Pharaoh’s servants would bow down to Moses, telling him to take his people (Israel) and leave…and he would. Moses told him this, and left Pharaoh in a great anger. He was enraged that he couldn’t intimidate Moses with his authority as king. Moses trusted in a much higher, authoritative King, and had no fear in Pharaoh’s presence. Pharaoh didn’t let them go. It was at this point that God had the people prepare the way for their journey. They were now to ask their Egyptian neighbors (overseers) to lend them valuables that’d be easy to carry (clothing, silver and gold jewelry, etc.). The people didn’t withhold from Israel, and they were spoiled of all their goods. Israel wasn’t fairly compensated for their many years of forced labor, but it was fair that they were compensated what they could be before leaving. Furthermore, Moses was ‘very great’ in Egypt—in the eyes of Pharaoh’s servants, as well as the people. The tune had started to change. The Egyptians were in awe of Moses. The king didn’t dare hurt him because the people viewed him as the only one capable of ending the plagues. They wanted the Israelites to be able to leave Egypt, but the king and priests were the ones who denied Moses’ demands. They were reaching a point of despair. The plagues that had impacted them were almost unbearable and they were scared of what’d come in the future. They’d worshipped Pharaoh as a representative of their god, but many now believed he was opposing himself to the God that directed the forces of nature for His own purposes. Proverbs 16:18 tells us, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” His very own stubborn pride caused him to be brought low in the eyes of his subjects. On the other hand, the Hebrews were gaining confidence in God’s deliverance, having watched Him favor them with protection. The Egyptian taskmasters didn’t have the nerve to be as oppressive as before, and they secretly feared the slaves would rise up and get revenge.
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