Bible in 365 Days

Exodus 10-12 

Exodus 10

It would seem at this point that Moses himself was overawed by the fearful process of judgment and so before the next plague God announced to His servant a new reason for the whole movement. It was in order that posterity might have the solemn and awful warnings of the result of persistent rebellion.

Pharaoh was now beyond reason, and God did not reason with him. Pharaoh's servants, apparently more alive than he to his folly, pleaded with him to let the people go. Whereupon he sent for Moses and again attempted a compromise. He suggested that the children be left behind. This being refused, a further plague fell. Still Pharaoh persisted in his rebellion. The final plague of the third cycle fell without warning. In the presence of the appalling darkness, Pharaoh made his fourth and last attempt at compromise by suggesting that their cattle should be left. To this the reply of the servant of God was at once final and conclusive, "There shall not a hoof be left behind." Then Pharaoh's failure aroused his anger. All the evil passion of the man flamed out. He commanded Moses to see his face no more. This is indeed a story of long-continued and determined rebellion against God; first by Pharaoh's own choice, then by that choice ratified by the choice of God as the terrible judgment moved forward.

Exodus 11

In this brief chapter we have the most solemn account of communion between Jehovah and His servant Moses. Pharaoh had rejected God finally, and God had now finally rejected Pharaoh. Jehovah now announced that He Himself would come with the actual stroke of final punishment. He had sent His messengers, Moses and Aaron, and His ministers, blood, and frogs, and lice; flies, and murrain, and boils; hail, and locusts, and darkness. He had waited patiently for the effect of the plagues, allowing time for Pharaoh to relent and repent, all without producing any effect other than determined and willful and insolent opposition. The time for remedy had passed and now, as an avenging angel, He would Himself pass through the land. In this hour of communion Jehovah's final determination was indicated to Moses, and by him to the Hebrew people, in order to prepare for their departure according to the will and claim of God.

Exodus 12

While the subjects necessarily intermingle at this point, we turn from the contemplation of the judgments of Jehovah in dealing with Pharaoh to that of deliverance in His dealings with Israel. As these people were now to pass into national constitution, the calendar was altered. A rite was established which was called an ordinance, a feast, a sacrifice. Thus at the very beginning the nation was reminded that it was rooted in the fact of deliverance wrought by God through sacrifice.

The story of the actual exodus is told. It was indeed, as the sacred historian writes, "a night to be much observed." It was a night in which a people passed from slavery to liberty, from under the lash of oppression to the place of power under authority, from degradation to realization of national life. With them passed out a mixed multitude which constituted an element of danger, as tracing their history through subsequent books will show.

That exodus and the Passover feast were prophetic. Long ages were required fully to unfold the meaning, but in fullness of time its symbolism became manifest and Paul was able to write, "Our Passover also hath been sacrificed, even Christ . . . wherefore let us keep the feast".