Good morning and welcome to another Biblit! Before we jump in, I want to give y’all a heads up! Next week (if you didn’t know) is Thanksgiving (at least in the US). Therefore, I am going to take the week off, catch up on some writing, and spend some extra time with family. I will also be doing the same thing Christmas week, just fyi. In other words, there will not be a Biblit next week nor the week of Christmas :) Feel free to read a previous Biblit you missed or even get ahead of me in Exodus! Either way I highly encourage you to stay in God’s word each and every day!
Anyways, back to the Biblit. If you recall, last week we wrapped up the last act of the plagues. This leads us into the final climactic plague. We’ve seen Pharaoh continue to reject God, deny God, resist humbling himself before God, and also try to negotiate with God. Nothing has worked yet; will he ever submit to the Lord’s will? I guess we’ll find out in this commentary on Exodus 11.
Context
Exodus chapter 11 is a little confusing timeline-wise. It’s also incredibly short, ringing in at a mere 10 verses. How can a passage so short be so confusing?
The confusing part of this chapter is that we are now in a new plague period. However, unlike the other “acts” of plagues, this final plague doesn’t fall in line with a pattern. It is the climactic final act. The single plague to end them all, and this passage is the setup. This passage is also the preparation of the Passover. So it’s a big deal.
Exodus 11 picks up with Moses and Aaron still with Pharaoh where they are going to relay this threatening message from the Lord to Pharaoh. It’s confusing because the last thing we read in chapter 10 is this:
“Moses said, ‘As you say! I will not see your face again.’” (Exodus 10:29 ESV).
Then all of a sudden Moses is talking to Pharaoh again? What gives?
Most commentaries suggest that chapter 11’s discussion with Pharaoh is a continuation of chapter 10, meaning that before Moses actually left Pharaoh’s presence, he uttered the words in today’s chapter.
All that to say: Moses is not a liar.
Let’s move on to the plague threat.
The Lord tells Moses a few things before he relays the message to Pharaoh. God prophesies that after this final plague, not only will Pharaoh let the Israelites go, but he will drive them out with force. Let’s stop and sit in that for a second. If God told me that, I think I’d be pretty scared.
At this point, I would trust God’s word; every single plague He prophesied happened exactly as He said it would. I would trust this one would be no different. But I’d also recall how hard-hearted Pharaoh had been in response to all the other plagues. This means the final plague is going to have to be devastating beyond measure if Pharaoh will not only let Israel go but actually drive them out by force!
God also tells Moses to command the Israelites to ask the Egyptian neighbors for gold and silver so they won’t leave empty-handed. This is a direct reference back to God’s promise to Moses when he was confronted by the burning bush:
“However, I know that the king of Egypt will not allow you to go, even under force from a strong hand. But when I stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all my miracles that I will perform in it, after that, he will let you go. And I will give these people such favor with the Egyptians that when you go, you will not go empty-handed. Each woman will ask her neighbor and any woman staying in her house for silver and gold jewelry, and clothing, and you will put them on your sons and daughters. So you will plunder the Egyptians.” (Exodus 3:19-22 CSB).
After this assurance, God tells Pharaoh the final plague. He tells him very specifically that at midnight that very day every single firstborn child will die. No one will be spared; the king on the throne is not too mighty and the slave girl is not so lowly as to be overlooked. Every single firstborn will die. Human and beast included.
God prophesies that there will be a great cry from Egypt beyond any cry before or ever to come after. Egypt has had a rough history since then too. The Lord stays true, though. So no matter how bad it gets, this cry of anguish is beyond measure. I do not say this to diminish any hardship Egypt has gone through (it is horrible some of the things they have had to endure). I say that to highlight how traumatic and powerful the full wrath of God truly is.
However, there is hope!
God says even though this terrible plague is coming and no one is exempt within Egypt, not even a dog will harm any of the Israelites. None of their people nor beasts will be harmed.
The Lord then declares that once this is done, the Egyptians will beg Israel to leave.
After this revelation, Moses is infuriated and leaves Pharaoh in a hurry.
Pharaoh’s heart is hardened to this prophetic warning and does not let Israel go, ending with perhaps one of the saddest verses in the entire book:
“Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, but the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the Israelites go out of his land.” (Exodus 11:10 CSB).
Interpretation
This Biblit is a very sad one. We haven’t even gotten to the actual plague yet. It’s just sad to hear what is to come. To see how much of God’s power Pharaoh has witnessed and yet still is hard-hearted.
Don’t get confused in that last verse when it says the Lord hardened his heart. Remember, there is a bit of debate here, but we know for certain God does not put evil inside of someone’s heart. He can show mercy and save someone from their own evil ways, but all the evil Pharaoh possesses is already within him. That’s why that last passage is so sad to me. Pharaoh has witnessed God’s insane power and wrath upon Egypt due to his disobedience. He has now heard the threat of the final plague; a plague so powerful it will be remembered and talked about for all time, and no cry of anguish will ever be heard from Egypt more sorrowful. And yet despite all of this, Pharaoh is still prideful and hardens his heart. And what is to come is beyond sad.
Application
This view of Pharaoh reminds me of something we’ve been studying in Hebrews in our small group.
“Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news did not enter because of disobedience, he again specifies a certain day—today. He specified this speaking through David after such a long time:
Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts.” (Hebrews 4:6-7 CSB).
I feel like sometimes as a believer I forget about the wrath of God. I forget that for my loved ones and strangers alike that do not know Christ, that wrath is real and coming. Ephesians 5 also says,
“Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for God’s wrath is coming on the disobedient because of these things.” (Ephesians 5:6 CSB).
This puts a fire in my heart and a feeling of compassion and distress for those that don’t know. There is a direct correlation between the plagues in Exodus and the coming plagues we see in Revelation. It is a warning that one day...one day the full wrath of God will be revealed. He is patient. That is the good news, but eternity is not now. Eternity is after our physical earthly death.
There is HOPE, though! I can’t end it there. Hope is what we hold on to, and that hope is in Jesus Christ. Jesus took that wrath for us!
That insane, sad, distressing wrath we see in Exodus. The wrath and judgment from God for sins we commit. The ultimate separation from God due to our sin that we all deserve. Jesus Christ got nailed to a cross and took it all on for us. Words simply cannot describe the weight of that. When I read Exodus and I witness the wrath of God upon the disobedient and then recognize that Jesus bore that for my sake, I can’t help but be overwhelmed.
I know that’s a little different than my normal application format, but I felt like it just needed to be said. When I read Exodus 11 I just couldn’t help but feel the weight of it all. I think that’s an important piece in giving us motivation for witnessing to others. However, it’s not a weight we need to fear; for we have hope in Jesus!
Also, the next chapter is pretty long. We will be talking all about the Passover. I think I’m going to actually split it into two weeks. But again, we will pick that up the week after Thanksgiving! Have a happy Thanksgiving and I’ll talk to y’all soon! Thank you for all your support, please feel free to tell your friends and fam to sign up too :)