Exodus 11:1-10 Study Guide: The Warning of the Final Plague

Community Group Study Guide — Warning of the Final Plague
Exodus 11:1-10

Study Information:
God promised to rescue his people from slavery in Egypt and told them exactly how it would happen in Exodus 4:21-23. In that passage God warned Pharaoh to let God’s firstborn son go or God would kill Pharaoh’s first born son. This was not a threat that came out of nowhere, Pharaoh had been leading a harsh regime that included slavery and genocide against the people of God. Along the way God showed his power over Egypt and the Egyptian gods through the miraculous plagues, but Pharaoh would not repent. It also was not just a matter of needing more time; Pharaoh’s pride would not allow him to submit to the rule of God and in order to ensure the freedom of his people, God would execute judgement on Egypt. But notice three things in our text about this final warning that will help us understand the passover narrative in the next chapter. First, the Egyptians were favorable to Moses, second God provided a means to receive his mercy through faith in his word and finally, Pharaoh’s heart would never soften. 

As discussed in previous study guides, God used his power over creation to show his glory to Pharaoh and Egypt to subvert their pagan gods of wealth, comfort, security and life. The last Plague of the death of the firstborn was God’s judgement over Egypt’s culture of death and displayed his power over life and death.  The chart below helps us to make sense of the patterns we see in the plagues as a whole.

The Egyptians were Favorable to Moses
Exodus 11:1-3
Throughout the plagues, God judged the gods of the Egyptians and showed their powerlessness. It can be easy for us to imagine the Egyptians as a uniform group who all thought and felt the same as Pharaoh, but our text tells us the opposite (Exodus 11:3). Pharaoh’s servants and the people of Egypt were sympathetic to the people of Israel and to Moses. They were closer to Moses than they were to Pharaoh in their view on Yahweh and the plight of Israel. God cultivated this in the Egyptians and planned to use it to give his people an incredible blessing when they left Egypt. At the same time Pharaoh was not just on an island by himself, there were people in the military, court and power structures who were ruthless and harsh against the people of God, which is why the plague of the death of the firstborn son is not just against Pharaoh but against any who would refuse the offer of mercy. 

Receiving God’s Mercy
Exodus 11:4-8
God gave this warning through Moses to Pharaoh and “all the people,” so that there’d be opportunity to repent (Exodus 11:2). The coming plague would strike at midnight, which was the darkest part of the night in the ancient world’s mindset. Every firstborn from the slave all the way up to Pharaoh’s house, and even the cattle would be struck down. Also, people would not try to retaliate against the Israelites meaning that no one from man to dog would oppose the Israelites (Exodus 11:7). We are not given God’s rescue plan yet (that will come in chapter 12), but it is important to notice that this warning went out far and wide so that any who repented would hear and trust in God’s word for salvation. 

On a surface level this may feel unjust to many modern readers because we’re quick to presume innocence for the majority of the people affected by the plagues, but consider some of the context. First, the entire Egyptian culture profited from the slavery and genocide committed against Israel (Exodus 1). Second, as noted previously Pharaoh was not alone in his harsh treatment of Israel. Finally, the plagues overall have each served as a warning and opportunity to repent but Pharaoh’s heart remained hard towards God. 

Another key feature of this last plague is how God gave opportunity to receive his mercy. Just as with the plague of the hail and the opportunity to take shelter, so too God have them opportunity to turn from their hard heartedness. We will learn more about the specific plan in the next chapter, but so far God has made a distinction between his people and the Egyptians in the plagues and now God has called his people to actively participate through faith in his word to avoid the next plague. Anyone who would cover their doorpost with the blood of the lamb would be able to receive the mercy of God and be passed over by the angel of death. 

Thought the plagues God made a distinction between his people and the Egyptians just by sheer geography as he protected the land of Goshen, but now God moved from that passive protection to calling them to an active faith to make that distinction. The Israelites and any who would trust the word of God, would need to take a lamb without blemish and cover their door post with the blood of that lamb to be saved. This is one of the most powerful signposts to Jesus, the true and better passover lamb, and it required an active trust and demonstration of faith in the word of God. Through the blood another they could be saved from the angel of death, just as we can be saved through the sacrificial death of Jesus for us and for our salvation. 

Pharaoh’s Rock Hard Heart
Exodus 11:9-10
We were told in our previous passage that Moses and Pharaoh had one last encounter before the final plague, it is likely that this conversation is an extension of the encounter in chapter ten (Exodus 10:28-29, 11:8). The theme has been Pharaoh’s exceeding anger and hard heartedness towards God and God’s people. Throughout the plagues God has hardened Pharaoh’s heart and Pharaoh has hardened his own heart and through that process God has magnified his signs and wonders among the people to display his power so that they would know that he was Yahweh (Exodus 11:7). 

Pharaoh continued to resist God and no amount of time would soften his hard heart, it needed to be broken so that he’d let the people of God go. Pharaoh’s resistance caused immeasurable suffering for the people of Egypt and the people of God (Exodus 11:6). 

Throughout this series we’ve asked the question “who or what are you trusting?” It is hard to know what we are trusting for life, security and comfort until that thing is threatened. Is there something in your life that creates an obstacle for you to follow God? Many of us wouldn’t say that we’d be willing to trade the life of a firstborn son to protect our pride and self-centeredness, but that is what we see play out in the story of Pharaoh’s hard heartedness. Pride is not a neutral sin, it effects those around us and creates distance between us and others and us and God. 

Following Jesus begins with a soft heart towards God and repenting of our sin and looking to him for mercy. The good news is that if you’re feeling a desire to repent of sin and turn to God it is likely a sign of a soft heart to God and God’s word, turn to God and ask for his help and by faith we can walk in righteousness. 

At your community group:
Take 15-20 minutes to share about how God has been at work in your life, prayer concerns and pray for one another.

How did God speak to you through the scripture and the sermon this week? 

Discussion Questions:

How did the Egyptians think view Moses and the Israelites? Was it generally positive or negative? Why is this important for us to know?

What are some reasons God warned the Egyptians of this final plague?

Does the plague of the death of the firstborn son seem unfair or unjust? What is the background context that helps us understand why God would have this be the final plague?

Pride and hard heartedness is not a neutral sin, we have learned that it can lead to trusting in false gods and intentional or unintentional harm to others. How did Pharaoh’s hard heartedness harm others around him? How do you know if someone has a hard heart towards God, what can we do when we see hard heartedness in someone else? What can we do if we see it in us?