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Jan. 27, 2023
The Firstborn
This week we read about the tenth and final plague in Egypt: death of the firstborn, a plague that seems horribly cruel. Many skeptics have used this story to disavow the Bible—and the God of the Bible. But we find the mercy of God (and his judgment) at work in the plagues. He wanted the people of Egypt to know He was the true God and mightier than all their false gods. He also was faithful to His word and promised Abraham that his descendants would become a great nation and be a blessing to the entire world. God’s plan would offer redemption to the entire pagan world, but His people had to be freed to get on with it.
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The Firstborn (Out of Zion Episode #162)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Transcript
1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,000
Well, hey there. Are you ready for the weekend? I am, so let's get on with this.
2
00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:14,000
This week we read about the tenth plague, the final plague of Egypt, the death of the firstborn.
3
00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:22,000
This plague seems horribly cruel, and the story has been used to disavow the Bible and the God of the Bible
4
00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:33,000
by Bible critics for years, but we find the mercy of God at work, even in the plagues and even in his judgment.
5
00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:44,000
So welcome to this week's Shabbat Shalom devotional, when I seek to share just a little inspiration and bring a little piece to the close of your very busy week.
6
00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:56,000
This week we're reading Exodus 10 verses 1 through chapter 13 verse 16, and it's called Bo in Hebrew, Bo means to go.
7
00:00:56,000 --> 00:01:04,000
And this is where God tells Moses and Aaron to go to Pharaoh. So once again they're being sent to Pharaoh.
8
00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:13,000
And this week we read about the ninth plague of darkness and then that final plague, the plague of the death of the firstborn.
9
00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:19,000
So let's take a deeper look at this final and very deadly blow.
10
00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:31,000
First you need to know God had warned Pharaoh in the very beginning in Exodus chapter 4 that if he refused to release God's firstborn son,
11
00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:40,000
that then Pharaoh's punishment would be to lose his firstborn son. Let's read that in chapter 4 verse 22 and 23.
12
00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:48,000
Then you shall say to Pharaoh, Thus says the Lord, Israel is my son, my firstborn.
13
00:01:48,000 --> 00:02:02,000
So I say to you, Let my son go that he may serve me. But if you refuse to let him go, indeed I will kill your son, your firstborn.
14
00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:12,000
Now you might be thinking, Tit for tat? Well, no, actually Pharaoh had killed all the male babies.
15
00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:23,000
God here is judging the firstborn male. Why the firstborn male? Well, the firstborn of the Egyptians belong to their gods.
16
00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:32,000
Just like Israel, the firstborn son belong to the God of Israel. So by killing the firstborns of the Egyptians,
17
00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:39,000
God was executing judgment against the gods of the Egyptians. This is a very important point.
18
00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:48,000
I quoted this verse last week and I'm going to quote it again this week. It's found in Exodus 12 verse 12 and it says this,
19
00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:57,000
For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast.
20
00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:07,000
And against all the gods of Egypt, I will execute judgment. I am the Lord.
21
00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:17,000
So the judgment is against the gods of Egypt. Yes, the people would suffer because they had put their hope in those false gods.
22
00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:25,000
Why such a strong judgment? Well, God's plan of redemption was being held captive in Egypt. You understand?
23
00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:38,000
The Exodus from Egypt was not simply a migration of some tribe. It was the necessary prerequisite to God's plan to make this tribe a great nation
24
00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:47,000
and through them to bless all the families of the earth. Now, we don't like the idea of a God who executes judgment.
25
00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:58,000
We prefer him to always be merciful and forgiving and looking the other way. But there comes a time when time is up.
26
00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:08,000
Judgment must be executed and our merciful God will give you plenty of opportunities to turn things around.
27
00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:20,000
He gave the Egyptians nine different plagues to warn them of judgment, but Pharaoh did not listen so the 10th plague brought the house down.
28
00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:28,000
Now, God's firstborn was set free and the story of redemption continued.
29
00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:40,000
This weekend, take a break and reflect on the fact that we do not serve a weak-need God who is all talk, no action.
30
00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:50,000
We serve a mighty God who is stronger than all the false gods of our world and when their time is up, he will judge them.
31
00:04:50,000 --> 00:05:02,000
Until then, let's learn to apply the blood of the Lamb to our lives and our homes and live a life of faith in him.
32
00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:12,000
With that, I wish you Shabbat Shalom.
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,000
Well, hey there. Are you ready for the weekend? I am, so let's get on with this.
2
00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:14,000
This week we read about the tenth plague, the final plague of Egypt, the death of the firstborn.
3
00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:22,000
This plague seems horribly cruel, and the story has been used to disavow the Bible and the God of the Bible
4
00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:33,000
by Bible critics for years, but we find the mercy of God at work, even in the plagues and even in his judgment.
5
00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:44,000
So welcome to this week's Shabbat Shalom devotional, when I seek to share just a little inspiration and bring a little piece to the close of your very busy week.
6
00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:56,000
This week we're reading Exodus 10 verses 1 through chapter 13 verse 16, and it's called Bo in Hebrew, Bo means to go.
7
00:00:56,000 --> 00:01:04,000
And this is where God tells Moses and Aaron to go to Pharaoh. So once again they're being sent to Pharaoh.
8
00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:13,000
And this week we read about the ninth plague of darkness and then that final plague, the plague of the death of the firstborn.
9
00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:19,000
So let's take a deeper look at this final and very deadly blow.
10
00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:31,000
First you need to know God had warned Pharaoh in the very beginning in Exodus chapter 4 that if he refused to release God's firstborn son,
11
00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:40,000
that then Pharaoh's punishment would be to lose his firstborn son. Let's read that in chapter 4 verse 22 and 23.
12
00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:48,000
Then you shall say to Pharaoh, Thus says the Lord, Israel is my son, my firstborn.
13
00:01:48,000 --> 00:02:02,000
So I say to you, Let my son go that he may serve me. But if you refuse to let him go, indeed I will kill your son, your firstborn.
14
00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:12,000
Now you might be thinking, Tit for tat? Well, no, actually Pharaoh had killed all the male babies.
15
00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:23,000
God here is judging the firstborn male. Why the firstborn male? Well, the firstborn of the Egyptians belong to their gods.
16
00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:32,000
Just like Israel, the firstborn son belong to the God of Israel. So by killing the firstborns of the Egyptians,
17
00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:39,000
God was executing judgment against the gods of the Egyptians. This is a very important point.
18
00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:48,000
I quoted this verse last week and I'm going to quote it again this week. It's found in Exodus 12 verse 12 and it says this,
19
00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:57,000
For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast.
20
00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:07,000
And against all the gods of Egypt, I will execute judgment. I am the Lord.
21
00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:17,000
So the judgment is against the gods of Egypt. Yes, the people would suffer because they had put their hope in those false gods.
22
00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:25,000
Why such a strong judgment? Well, God's plan of redemption was being held captive in Egypt. You understand?
23
00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:38,000
The Exodus from Egypt was not simply a migration of some tribe. It was the necessary prerequisite to God's plan to make this tribe a great nation
24
00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:47,000
and through them to bless all the families of the earth. Now, we don't like the idea of a God who executes judgment.
25
00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:58,000
We prefer him to always be merciful and forgiving and looking the other way. But there comes a time when time is up.
26
00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:08,000
Judgment must be executed and our merciful God will give you plenty of opportunities to turn things around.
27
00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:20,000
He gave the Egyptians nine different plagues to warn them of judgment, but Pharaoh did not listen so the 10th plague brought the house down.
28
00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:28,000
Now, God's firstborn was set free and the story of redemption continued.
29
00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:40,000
This weekend, take a break and reflect on the fact that we do not serve a weak-need God who is all talk, no action.
30
00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:50,000
We serve a mighty God who is stronger than all the false gods of our world and when their time is up, he will judge them.
31
00:04:50,000 --> 00:05:02,000
Until then, let's learn to apply the blood of the Lamb to our lives and our homes and live a life of faith in him.
32
00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:12,000
With that, I wish you Shabbat Shalom.
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