Mar 13, 2016
After systematically crushing nine of Egypt’s most revered gods, God reserved the last plague for Egypt’s trust in their own Pharaoh. Lies are eventually shattered against the rock of truth (Jer. 16:9). Because Egypt ‘kidnapped’ and abused Israel, God’s firstborn ‘son’, God will bring justice upon their firstborn sons for not letting Israel go (Ex. 4:23). The title ‘firstborn’ was for the firstborn male, thought to be the best or strength of the family or herd. The firstborn son received most of the family fortune at the father’s death and was treated with special favor as the future hope of the family. For the firstborn to die early was thought to be a curse from God and for it to happen to a nation in one night was catastrophic. This last plague challenged all the gods of Egypt and the Pharaoh himself as the self-proclaimed ‘blessed one’ of the gods. At first the Pharaoh wouldn’t obey as he didn’t ‘know the LORD’, now he knew the LORD in judgment rather than blessing (Ex. 5:2). Everyone will know the Lord as God the Judge, but not everyone will know the Lord as God the Savior (Is. 45:34; Phil. 2:9-11)!