Exodus 11 – Preparation for the Last Plague
In our study last week, we studied two more plagues. Tonight, we study the preparation for the last and final plague!
In our study the past few weeks, we studied the first nine plagues:
The first, the Waters turned into Blood, took place, the 18th day of the sixth month; Exo_7:20.
The second, the plague of Frogs, on the 25th day of the sixth month; Exo_8:2.
The third, the plague of Lice, on the 27th day of the sixth month; Exo_8:16.
The fourth, grievous Swarms of Flies, on the 29th day of the sixth month; Exo_8:24.
The fifth, the grievous Plague on the livestock, on the 2d day of the seventh month; Exo_9:3.
The sixth, the plague of Boils and Blains, on the 3d day of the seventh month; Exo_9:10.
The seventh, the grievous Hail, on the 5th day of the seventh month; Exo_9:18.
The eighth, the plague of Locusts, on the 8th day of the seventh month; Exo_10:12.
The ninth, the Thick Darkness, on the 10th day of Abib, (April 30), now become the first month of the Jewish year; Exo_10:22.
Our study tonight is the preparation for the last and final plague that will result in the release of the Children of Israel from bondage.
(Exo 11 NKJV) And the LORD said to Moses, "I will bring yet one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. Afterward he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will surely drive you out of here altogether.
God is God. He is never confused. As He says in Isaiah, “Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, {10} Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, 'My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,'” (Isa 46:9-10)
Remember what God had already told Moses would happen when the Children of Israel left Egypt:
(Exo 3:21-22) "And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be, when you go, that you shall not go empty-handed. {22} "But every woman shall ask of her neighbor, namely, of her who dwells near her house, articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing; and you shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians."
Now it is time to begin preparations so that this will happen.
They will leave with at least part of the wages they had never been paid:
(Ex 11:2) "Speak now in the hearing of the people, and let every man ask1 from his neighbor and every woman from her neighbor, articles of silver and articles of gold."
1Ask: from shaw-al'; --ask (counsel, on), beg, borrow, [KJV] . . . demand, . . . request. . .”
How will this be accomplished?
What power do the Children of Israel – a group of slaves – have over the Egyptians?
Here is the anwer!
(Ex 11:3) And the LORD gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's servants and in the sight of the people.
Moses tells the people what is about to Happen:
(11:4) Then Moses said, "Thus says the LORD: 'About midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt; {5} 'and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the female servant who is behind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the animals.
(Ex 11:6) 'Then there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as was not like it before, nor shall be like it again. {7} 'But against none of the children of Israel shall a dog move its tongue, against man or beast, that you may know that the LORD does make a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.'
“The dog points its tongue to growl and bite. The thought expressed in this proverb . . . was that Israel would not suffer the slightest injury, either in the case of “man or beast.”’ -- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament.
The NASB and the NIV, take the movement of the dogs tongue to refer to barking:
(Exo 11:7 NASB) 'But against any of the sons of Israel a dog shall not even bark, whether against man or beast,
(Exo 11:7 NIV) But among the Israelites not a dog will bark at any man or animal.' Then you will know that the LORD makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.
Adam Clarke has this comment:
Not a dog move his tongue - This passage has been generally understood as a proverbial expression, intimating that the Israelites should not only be free from this death, but that they should depart without any kind of molestation. For though there must be much bustle and comparative confusion in the sudden removal of six hundred thousand persons with their wives, children, goods, cattle, etc., yet this should produce so little alarm that even the dogs should not bark at them, which it would be natural to expect, as the principal stir was to be about midnight.
7: that you may know that the LORD does make a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.'
This is an interesting statement when analyzed. For 400 years, there had seemed to be no difference. If there was a difference, it seemed the Egyptians were the winners,
(they were the taskmasters, not the slaves), but now things are different:
It’s judgment day!
It is a preliminary judgment.
It isn’t the final judgment, but it’s judgment.
Judgment day makes a big difference.
The final judgment is yet to come.
There will be a big difference then,
and perhaps before the final end.
In (Rev 12:6 NKJV) we read: “Then the woman [Who I believe to be Israel] fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.”
(Luke 21:36 NKJV) "Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."
Is the “place prepared by God,” the way “to escape all these things that will come to pass?” at least for Israel in this case. I’m sure that God can provide for us as well.
(Ex 11:8) "And all these your servants shall come down to me and bow down to me, saying, 'Get out, and all the people who follow you!' After that I will go out." Then he went out from Pharaoh in great anger.
This is a challenging verse to understand. I take it to be a reference to what happened at the end of chapter 10: (Exo 10:28-29 NKJV) “Then Pharaoh said to him, "Get away from me! Take heed to yourself and see my face no more! For in the day you see my face you shall die!" {29} And Moses said, "You have spoken well. I will never see your face again."
I assume that this is when Moses went out from Pharaoh in great anger.
(Ex 11:9) But the LORD said to Moses, "Pharaoh will not heed you, so that My wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt." {10} So Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh; and the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go out of his land.
The NIV agrees with a translation by Hebrew translators, and I think helps greatly to understand this verse:
(Exo 11:9-10 NIV) The LORD had said to Moses, "Pharaoh will refuse to listen to you--so that my wonders may be multiplied in Egypt." {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.
The “had said” makes much more since in light of the end of chapter 10. These verses are now simply restating what has already happened. We are now ready for Chapter 12 which will be the instructions to the children of Israel to prepare for the Passover. We plan to continue our study with Chapter 12 next time.
The Passover! It will make all the difference!
Christ is our Passover! (1 Cor 5:7) “For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.”
Scripture quotations marked "NKJV™" are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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