At midnight the Lord struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner, who was in the dungeon, and the firstborn of all the livestock as well. Pharaoh and all his officials and all the Egyptians got up during the night, and there was loud wailing in Egypt, for there was not a house without someone dead.
During the night Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship the Lord as you have requested. Take your flocks and herds, as you have said, and go. And also bless me.”
The Egyptians urged the people to hurry and leave the country. “For otherwise,” they said, “we will all die!” So the people took their dough before the yeast was added, and carried it on their shoulders in kneading troughs wrapped in clothing. The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and for clothing. The Lord had made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered the Egyptians.
The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Sukkoth. There were about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children. Many other people went up with them, and also large droves of livestock, both flocks and herds. With the dough the Israelites had brought from Egypt, they baked loaves of unleavened bread. The dough was without yeast because they had been driven out of Egypt and did not have time to prepare food for themselves.
Now the length of time the Israelite people lived in Egypt was 430 years. At the end of the 430 years, to the very day, all the Lord’s divisions left Egypt. Because the Lord kept vigil that night to bring them out of Egypt, on this night all the Israelites are to keep vigil to honor the Lord for the generations to come. (New International Version)
“A horse may run quickly but it cannot escape its tail.”
Russian proverb
The ancient Israelites were in bondage to the Egyptians for hundreds of years. Their oppression finally came to and end with the Lord’s dramatic deliverance of them in the tenth and final plague directed against Egypt.
The actions of the Egyptians eventually and finally caught up with them. Their making slaves of the Israelites was not going to last forever. Even though it took a while, Egypt was held accountable and experienced divine judgment. The empire’s internal moral emptiness would not be able to hold up under the justice of God.
“Empty sacks will never stand upright.”
Italian proverb
Pharaoh was a hard man. The more Moses talked to him the more stubborn Pharaoh got. Eventually, Pharaoh’s heart became like stone; he and his empire fell because they were bent toward the way of injustice. Oppression had been Pharaoh’s proclivity by instructing the Jewish midwifes to kill firstborn sons of Israelite mothers. Now the Egyptians would fall into the very trouble they created for others.
“A tree falls the way it leans.” Walloon proverb
The death of so many on one night, all at once, was too much for Pharaoh and the Egyptians. In such a grief, Pharaoh’s dogged resolve in holding onto Israelite slavery and ostracizing Moses was loosened. He summoned Moses in the middle of the night and commanded the Israelite slaves to be gone – without any conditions or strings attached to it.
The Egyptians wanted them gone, and so, urged them to leave in a hurry – just as God had predicted. All sorts of articles – including silver and gold – were willingly given to the fleeing Israelites by the lamenting Egyptians. No matter how hard and stubborn any earthly ruler is, the plans and purposes of a sovereign God cannot be thwarted.
“Mess with the bull, and you will get the horns.” Latin American proverb
Finally, the deliverance out of Egyptian bondage happened. The Israelites were free. It was a hasty departure. It was as if the Hebrew people had become so upsetting to the great Egyptian empire, that they vomited them out of their land, projecting the former slaves as far away as they could.
Sometimes people get the notion that if they do something bad, they will be struck by lightning or have some sort of tragedy occur. And when it doesn’t happen, they might reason further in their misguided notions by believing they can get away with bad behavior. So, they keep doing it. But, eventually, this all has a terrible effect.
“Those who lie down with the dogs, rise with the fleas.” English proverb
Actions and inactions have consequences. Those consequences may not happen immediately. However, all of us shall someday harvest the fruit of decisions that were made months, even years or decades, ago.
Make no mistake, God is not mocked. A person will harvest what they plant. Those who plant only for their own benefit will harvest devastation from their selfishness, but those who plant for the benefit of the Spirit will harvest eternal life from the Spirit. Let’s not get tired of doing good, because in time we’ll have a harvest if we don’t give up. (Galatians 6:7-9, CEB)
Almighty God, Creator and Preserver of all humanity, we humbly ask that you make your ways known to people everywhere, and bring saving help to all nations. We pray for Christ’s Church, and all faith communities across the earth, that they be guided and governed by your good, gracious, and benevolent Spirit; and that all who profess and call themselves Christians may be led into truth, and hold the faith in unity, peace, and righteousness.
Blessed Lord, we pray for all who are afflicted or distressed in mind, body, or spirit. May your divine mercy bring them comfort and relief, according to their need. Give them patience through their sufferings, and a joyful outcome from their distress. This we pray through Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord. Amen.
Rev. Tim Ehrhardt 