Exodus
11: Warning of the TENTH Plague
v.1-3
The Final Plan
v.4-10
Warning of the Last Plague given
v.1-3
The Final Plan
v.1
Now
the Lord had said to Moses, “I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh
and on Egypt. After that, he will let you go from here, and when
he does, he will drive you out completely.
v.2
Tell
the people that men and women alike are to ask their neighbors
for articles of silver and gold.”
v.3
(The
Lord made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people,
and Moses himself was highly regarded in Egypt by Pharaoh's officials
and by the people.)
[Notes:
This is it! The FINAL and most devastating of the plagues.
Please note in what follows that Pharaoh has the choice of how
to respond. He could have done what clearly some of his people
did, who saved themselves from destruction and left Egypt with
the Israelites [see 12:38]. The fact that some of the Egyptians
were saved suggests they were already sufficiently close to Israelites
that they heard from them how to avoid the work of the destroying
angel. These three verses are obviously an insertion, in the previous
conversation, to remind us what was in the background – God's
revelation of how this will all pan out.]
v.4-10
Warning of the Last Plague given
v.4
So
Moses said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘About midnight I will
go throughout Egypt.
v.5
Every
firstborn son in Egypt will die, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh,
who sits on the throne, to the firstborn son of the female slave,
who is at her hand mill, and all the firstborn of the cattle as
well.
v.6
There
will be loud wailing throughout Egypt—worse than there has ever
been or ever will be again.
v.7
But
among the Israelites not a dog will bark at any person or animal.'
Then you will know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt
and Israel.
v.8
All
these officials of yours will come to me, bowing down before me
and saying, ‘Go, you and all the people who follow you!' After
that I will leave.” Then Moses, hot with anger, left Pharaoh.
v.9
The
Lord had said to Moses, “Pharaoh will refuse to listen to you—so
that my wonders may be multiplied in Egypt.”
v.10
Moses
and Aaron performed all these wonders before Pharaoh, but the
Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let the
Israelites go out of his country.
[Notes:
Remember at the end of chapter 10 there was a parting
of the ways when Pharaoh declared he would never see Moses again
and Moses agreed. However now in verse 8 it is clear that Moses
has been communicating this warning to Pharaoh directly and so
this is included in that particular interaction. Pharaoh does
know and could take remedial action but he refuses to do so. The
warning has been clearly given and in the light of the previous
accurate warnings, it was purely folly to ignore it.]
Continue to Chapter 12