Review of Exodus 11

by Victor Fawole

I welcome everyone to Exodus 11, where we read God’s announcement of the final and most deadly of the 10 plagues. This is the shortest chapter in Exodus, with 10 verses only. Without further ado, let us review.

THE FINAL DEADLY DISASTER…
Flashback to Exo. 4:21-23, God had told Moses that He would plague Egypt with the death of their firstborns. This final plague would bring Egypt to rock bottom. Not only would Pharaoh allow Israel to leave, he would actually compel them to go. He would literally open all borders and drive them out. I can imagine him releasing charter trucks to move them to the borders. What an interesting time in the history of Egypt!

× No Customs duties…

× No immigration charges…

× No verification of travel documents…

× No visa interviews…

× No flight ticket…

× No proof of funds needed…

Just a direct exit permit: “GET OUT!”

• PLAGUE 10: FALL OF FIRSTBORNS

Exo. 11:4-6 Then Moses said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘About midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt; and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the female servant who is behind the hand mill, and all the firstborn of the animals. Then there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as was not like it before, nor shall be like it again.

Notice the:

• Predicted Plague:
  I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. Afterward he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will surely drive you out of here altogether

This plague would directly fall on Pharaoh. He would lose his own firstborn. But it would also fall on all the families of Egypt. God is sovereign over life and death. He guaranteed that the 10th plague would definitely result in Pharaoh letting Israel leave Egypt. The same Pharaoh who had previously said he would send them out without their children (Exo. 10:10), at another time said they could go without flocks (Exo. 10:24), and even at an earlier instance said that they could go only if they remained nearby (Exo. 8:28), is the same Pharaoh that would vigorously send them out of the land. Israel would leave Egypt in totality, without restriction or limitation.

• Public Plunder:
  let every man ask from his neighbour and every woman from her neighbour, articles of silver and articles of gold…

Flashback again to Exo. 3:22, God had earlier told Moses that He would engineer how they would plunder the Egyptians. It is clear that God intended the Israelites to plunder the Egyptians, in a manner that a defeated enemy is plundered in war. They would not go out empty. The Israelites had been forced to work for many years in bondage without pay. Now, God would ensure that they eat some fruit of their labour. This plunder is to be seen as wages or compensation for the oppression and hard labour they had suffered for many years.

• Providential Promotion:
  And the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians…

Grace at work. Whenever, whatever or to whomever the Israelites asked a treasure, it was given. They sought, and they found. They knocked, and the door was opened. Grace! The people who hated them bitterly now pour out their treasures unto them. Unmerited favour. They did absolutely nothing to merit God’s favour.

• Powerful Pronouncement:
  all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne

Death would have a leeway to operate in Egypt, from the highest to the lowest, free and slaves, humans and animals, touching the firstborns in all families and species. The firstborns of Egypt shall die, all of them, because the Egyptians would not let God’s firstborn go. Observe the A to Z of this proclamation:

• The afflictors would be greatly afflicted.
• The boasters would be greatly battered.
• The cruel captors would suffer great calamity.
• The dictators would be greatly distressed.
• The enslavers would see the extinction of firstborns.
• The fierce foes would suffer the frightful fall of firstborns.
• The guilty Egyptians would fall into the grievous hands of death.
• The haughty harassers would be humiliated in their own land.
• The ironfisted masters would suffer inescapable loss.
• The jailers would be judged.
• The killers would suffer war-less killings in their land.
• The lawless land would languish in lamentation.
• The merciless masters would suffer merciless mayhem.
• The notorious would face their nemesis.
• The oppressors would be greatly oppressed.
• The persecutors would suffer great peril.
• The quellers would quake under the mighty Hand of God.
• The ruthless would receive ruthless retribution.
• The scoffers would suffer great sorrow.
• The troublers/tormentors would be greatly troubled/tormented.
• The unyielding unrighteous would suffer unbearable disaster.
• The violent would suffer the great vengeance of God.
• The wicked would wither and wail under the woe from God.
• The x-factors of evil would face an x-out from God.
• The yoke-makers would yield to God’s command by force.
• The zealots of Egypt would suffer zonal devastation.

Something huge is coming upon Egypt! It will be VERY LOUD!

Let’s move on…

• Promised Preservation:
  But against none of the children of Israel shall a dog move its tongue.

While the A-Z tragedy strikes Egypt, Goshen would be so peaceful that not even a dog would bark. As God had done in the previous plagues, He would intentionally make a distinction between the Egyptians and the Israelites. This preservation was not on the basis of merit or goodness – it was purely the grace and mercy of God.

• Parting Protest:
  Then he went out from Pharaoh in great anger

By the time God would really hit Egypt with the death of their darling firstborns, Pharaoh’s servants would bow down in submission. Those who refuse to take the “Yet not I” posture in peace would take it by force! When I played the video of the Egyptians prostrating themselves before Moses in my head, I was truly excited.

In Pastor Dammy’s sermon titled “I am a Chosen”, he taught us the five locks of the Chosen Chain, and the five locks of the Condemned Chain. We see how Pharaoh is a practical example of those in the Condemned Chain. He was foreknown, but he procrastinated (he hardened his own heart). Hence, he was cursed, nullified (God hardened his heart), and was eventually terrified.

Dear Gogolights, before I round up this review, permit me to share five important lessons from this chapter:

• All of humanity has fallen short and we were cursed with certain death (Rom. 3:23, Rom. 6:23, Gen. 3:19, 1Cor. 15:22, Rom. 5:12-14).
• Those who believe in Jesus for salvation are saved from the curse of death (Rom. 5:17, John 11:25-26, 1Cor. 15:55-57, 2Tim. 1:10).
• Because of our faith, Jesus freed us from the devil’s hold. He gives us the power to resist the temptation to return to our former slave master (Satan). It is through Christ that we have the power to overcome all sins and addictions (Gal. 5:1, John 8:32, 36, Rom. 8:37, Phil. 4:13).
• Because of our faith, Jesus gives us the empowerment to stay free of the devil. Just as He blessed and sustained the Hebrews, He blesses and sustains us.
• Because of our faith, Jesus causes our enemies to fear us. It is the same godly terror that God blessed Jacob with (Gen. 35:5). God not only blessed the Jews financially, He made the Egyptians to fear and respect them. When we walk with God, even our enemies will be at peace with us (Prov. 16:7, 1 Pet. 3:13, Deut. 28:7).

We shall continue tomorrow. God bless you for reading.

Grace to you, Church!