Read: Exodus 10:1-12:13; Matthew 20:1-28; Psalm 25:1-15a; Proverbs 6:6-11
God hardened Pharaoh’s already hard heart causing him to not make sane decisions. Pharaoh was evil from the core so God used him for his purposes. God’s intentions were to show his power over all their gods and destroy their land and their harvest. Everything in the Old Testament is a natural picture to teach us spiritual things. God has put Satan under our feet. We are to use demons like slaves, they are to serve us just as Pharaoh served the Lord. Satan is after our harvest and our land so we need to spoil his to take it for the Lord.
The eighth plague was locusts which destroyed everything the hail had left alive. Even Pharaoh’s officials realized that all Egypt was being ruined. The ninth plague was darkness that could be felt. Pharaoh tried to bargain with Moses and told him he could go with his people but they had to leave their flocks and herds behind. Pharaoh wanted security that they were returning. Moses refused to compromise because he knew that they were never coming back.
God had one more plague which would be the one that would cause Pharaoh to drive them out, so God told Moses to prepare to leave. First they were to plunder the Egyptians of their silver and gold which would be needed for the tabernacle. The people had become more afraid of the Israelites and Moses than their own Pharaoh, who was suppose to be a god.
God told Moses that he was going to kill every first-born son in Egypt, including Pharaoh’s and everyone would know that God made a distinction between his children and Egypt’s. The same thing will happen in the end of time. The world will not be able to miss seeing God’s favor on his children.
Then God did something amazing; he gave them a new birthday. Now, the first day of the seventh month -Nisan - would be their spiritual birthday. They would keep their other birthday which was the birthday of the earth - Tishri One. This is the picture of us being born again. We have a natural birthday and a spiritual birthday. Moses gave them the instructions of how to kill the passover lamb which represented Christ. They were to apply its blood to the door of their house in the places that Jesus bled and then walk through that bloodied door to safety. The door was Christ.
God’s kingdom does not make sense to our natural minds. The parable about the landowner is one of those examples. God calls people at different times in their lives and they all are promised the same reward. He ended it with “the first shall be last.”
Jesus got to explain it again in another way in the next story. . The mother of James and John came to ask if her sons could sit on either side of him when he got to his kingdom. Jesus knew that she didn’t understand the ramifications of her request. He explained that if you want to be “first” in the kingdom of God then you have to be a slave which is “last” in this kingdom on earth. Jesus came first as a servant. He will come last as a king.
Lord, help us to humble ourselves in this life and serve one another as unto you.
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