This is it. This is God’s time. God tells Moses, “I will strike Pharaoh and the land of Egypt with one more blow. After that, Pharaoh will let you leave this country. In fact, he will be so eager to get rid of you that he will force you all to leave.” I can just imagine Moses thinking, “I’ll believe it when I see it!”
Then we hear what God is planning to do. Imagine your firstborn son dead! Everyone’s firstborn, including livestock. The sound of wailing would be eerie and deafening. But the Israelites will be at peace. Pharaoh will lose his son.
It’s a closed circle. The previous generation of rulers in Egypt had called for the death of all firstborn sons. Now, we will see that the Egyptians are about to lose their firstborn sons. We just learned at our speaking conference that this is a powerful way for speakers to start and end their talks. To close the loop. It’s cool to see our heavenly Father doing the very same thing in a very POWERFUL way.
God has so much power. Now we see how he has made it so the Israelites have found favor. They will be receiving the gold and silver from the Egyptians, eluded to earlier in the story. Another closed loop. Genius.
But even after this final message from God, Pharaoh was not going to give in. I don’t think he let it sink in that he had a son. Was he not afraid? Did he think that God would leave him alone? God was hardening his heart.
If God hardened hearts in this story for his own purpose, I’ve got to believe he still hardens hearts. People whom we trust and love often act in strange, unloving ways. Could it be that those hearts are being hardened? I suppose we’ll never know. God’s ways are a mystery. That’s not all bad.
So how did this story speak to you?
Let’s pray. Lord, you are good! You are moving in my life and I thank you for how you are building my character. May I not question your ways but look forward to how you are working in the world around me. Help me to be that light of hope to those who are struggling. You have gifted me as an encourager with so much to offer. I trust you are working in the hearts of those I encounter to be ready for a word from you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
