God’s Might, God’s Mercy

God’s Might, God’s Mercy Our God is mighty

Exodus 11:1-10 (NET Bible) 1 The LORD said to Moses, “I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt; after that he will release you from this place. When he releases you, he will drive you out completely from this place. 2 Instruct the people that each man and each woman is to request from his or her neighbor items of silver and gold.” 3 (Now the LORD granted the people favor with the Egyptians. Moreover, the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, respected by Pharaoh’s servants and by the Egyptian people.)

Exodus 11:1-10 (NET Bible) 4 Moses said, “Thus says the LORD: ‘About midnight I will go throughout Egypt, 5 and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt will die, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, to the firstborn son of the slave girl who is at her hand mill, and all the firstborn of the cattle. 6 There will be a great cry throughout the whole land of Egypt, such as there has never been, nor ever will be again. 7 But against any of the Israelites not even a dog will bark against either people or animals, so that you may know that the LORD distinguishes between Egypt and Israel.’

Exodus 11:1-10 (NET Bible) 8 All these your servants will come down to me and bow down to me, saying, ‘Go, you and all the people who follow you,’ and after that I will go out.” Then Moses went out from Pharaoh in great anger. 9 The LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh will not listen to you, so that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.” 10 So Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, but the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not release the Israelites from his land.

God’s Might, God’s Mercy The tenth plague is a targeted death of the firstborn, and none will escape.

God’s Might, God’s Mercy In God’s mercy, He has given Pharaoh and Egypt nine warning shots—nine opportunities to repent and recognize His sovereign might. It’s time for God to release the Hebrews from their Egyptian slavery once and for all.

God’s Might, God’s Mercy “‘Midnight’ in the sense of the concept in the ancient world was the deepest, darkest time of night, the point during the night when the most people were likely to be asleep (since people tended to retire to bed at dusk) and the time of greatest vulnerability and defenselessness.” –NAC

God’s Might, God’s Mercy “A firstborn son received special honor and a Pharaoh’s son, heir to the throne, was even considered a god.” –BKC

God’s Might, God’s Mercy Our God is mighty

God’s Might, God’s Mercy Our God is mighty Our God is merciful

Exodus 12:1-13 (NET Bible) 1 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, 2 “This month is to be your beginning of months; it will be your first month of the year. 3 Tell the whole community of Israel, ‘In the tenth day of this month they each must take a lamb for themselves according to their families – a lamb for each household. 4 If any household is too small for a lamb, the man and his next-door neighbor are to take a lamb according to the number of people – you will make your count for the lamb according to how much each one can eat. 5 Your lamb must be perfect, a male, one year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats.

Exodus 12:1-13 (NET Bible) 6 You must care for it until the fourteenth day of this month, and then the whole community of Israel will kill it around sundown. 7 They will take some of the blood and put it on the two side posts and top of the doorframe of the houses where they will eat it. 8 They will eat the meat the same night; they will eat it roasted over the fire with bread made without yeast and with bitter herbs. 9 Do not eat it raw or boiled in water, but roast it over the fire with its head, its legs, and its entrails. 10 You must leave nothing until morning, but you must burn with fire whatever remains of it until morning.

Exodus 12:1-13 (NET Bible) 11 This is how you are to eat it – dressed to travel, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. You are to eat it in haste. It is the LORD’S Passover. 12 I will pass through the land of Egypt in the same night, and I will attack all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both of humans and of animals, and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment. I am the LORD. 13 The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, so that when I see the blood I will pass over you, and this plague will not fall on you to destroy you when I attack the land of Egypt.

God’s Might, God’s Mercy Exodus 12 describes a new, post-Egypt era that was meant to be a fresh start. God’s calling of Israel out of Egypt will be the way Israel will mark time from now on.

God’s Might, God’s Mercy “With a new calendar the Israelites were to receive a new identity as the favored people of the true God.” –BKC

God’s Might, God’s Mercy Passover meal

God’s Might, God’s Mercy “Thus the entire meal and its manner and posture of consumption were to indicate faithful readiness for a speedy departure.” –NAC

God’s Might, God’s Mercy “The blood on the doorposts showed acceptance of God’s plan for rescue and trust in his word.” –NAC

God’s Might, God’s Mercy “The slaying of the animals (instead of the Israelites’ firstborn sons, v. 13) and the sprinkling of blood prefigured the substitutionary death of Christ. He is ‘our Passover Lamb,’ ‘a Lamb without blemish or defect.’” –BKC

Revelation 5:9-14 (NET Bible) They were singing a new song: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals because you were killed, and at the cost of your own blood you have purchased for God persons from every tribe, language, people, and nation. You have appointed them as a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.” Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels in a circle around the throne, as well as the living creatures and the elders. Their number was ten thousand times ten thousand – thousands times thousands – all of whom were singing in a loud voice:

Revelation 5:9-14 (NET Bible) “Worthy is the lamb who was killed to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and praise!” Then I heard every creature – in heaven, on earth, under the earth, in the sea, and all that is in them – singing: “To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb be praise, honor, glory, and ruling power forever and ever!” And the four living creatures were saying “Amen,” and the elders threw themselves to the ground and worshiped.