Wednesday Studies No. 3
Takeaway for The Tenth Plague
The death of the first born.
All of the other plagues did not require the Hebrews to do anything! most of them had no effect on the Hebrews or their animals.
The tenth plague was different, it effected all of Egypt, and it required the Hebrews to do something quite specific and detailed. An unbelieving Hebrew family suffered the same fate as Egypt.
The parallel structure of the tenth plague and our Savior is worth pondering
1. Each family must acquire a lamb without blemish, a sin-free lamb.
2. Each family must slay the lamb.
3. The blood of the lamb is used to save the family.
4. Without blood there is no salvation, more specifically, the blood of the Lamb gives salvation.
5. The death of the Lamb is substitutionary, for the sin of the people.
6. Upon being saved, the people are to go forth from the land.
7. The act of salvation is to be remembered.
This event is larger than a display of power against the Egyptian gods. Yes it was to show that power, but to who? Pharoah? Who created the hardness of Pharoah’s heart?
There was a need to train up the Hebrews. Yes, they believed in Yahweh, yes they believed (after the miracles that Moses had shown them), but now God was punctuating His reality in public sight of the most powerful kingdom on the planet. The very people that held the keys to their shackles. After this, even the Egyptians believed in the power of Yahweh. Not only that but the far off peoples heard what had happened and later when the Hebrews had entered their lands, well their reputation came ahead of them.
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Another point to consider is the importance of obedience, trust and complete adherence to God’s commands, even in the small things. After the tenth plague the Hebrews were trained to to face the desert. In God’s plane we too are trained up by the event because they were called to remember.
Notice what Moses said in Exodus 8:26. Compromise is the worst of two worlds. You live outside God’s will and protection and open yourself to the attacks of the devil. Compromise is sometimes a result of our wanting to please our flesh, or enjoy the ‘pleasures’ of the world and serve God at the same time. Jesus was very clear about the implications of this.
Matthew 6:24
No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and *wealth.
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. CWS
No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise and be *against the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (*deceitful riches, money, possessions, or *whatever is trusted in). AMP
No one can be a slave of two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot be slaves of God and of money. Holman
This is final ended with one of the last statements of Joshua.
Joshua 24:14 “Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 “If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
