The Israelites obeyed the Lord and they went to their Egyptian neighbors and asked for objects of silver and objects of gold. And what does God do? Well, Scripture says he disposed the Egyptians favorably toward the people. In other words He gave the Egyptians a tendency, toward the Israelites, to give them gold and silver. We can only assume that left to their own devises the Egyptians would not be inclined to give the Jews their valuables.
There are theories as to why that happened but among the many theories is that of Josephus, a name we are used to hearing in our church. He was a first century Romano-Jewish historian, who believed the Egyptians were willing to give the Israelites anything they requested, including their most valuable possessions, just to finally get rid of them. But then we still have the question as to how does that fit with Scripture when it tells us God disposed their hearts favorably toward the people. However, just because we don’t know exactly how God changed their hearts at this moment, what we do know is it could only be accomplished by an all-powerful God.
Following that thought we then have the verse that follows after, that says, “Moses himself was much esteemed in the land of Egypt, among Pharaoh’s courtiers and among the people”. In spite of every plague that came upon the Egyptians, they had great respect for Moses. Then we come upon another paradox. Moses had told Pharaoh he would never see his face again, and now Moses is speaking to Pharaoh. Thus we see Moses did speak again to Pharaoh, although the message was not good. In fact, it may be the worst message Moses ever had to give to Pharaoh. Moses said, “Thus says the Lord: Toward midnight I will go forth among the Egyptians and every first born in the land of Egypt shall die. The first born male in Pharaoh’s family right on to the first born male in the slave girls family, and the first born among all the cattle.”
It all sounds so very cruel to kill all the firstborn under Pharaoh’s control, but then we have to remember this is not an arbitrary decision by a pouting God. Back in Exodus 4 verses 22 and 23 God told Moses: “And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my firstborn: And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn.”
And then we get an euphemism that is not really familiar to us. Pharaoh is told, “Not a dog shall snarl at any of the Israelites, at man or beast, so you may know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.”
Moses ends his conversation with Pharaoh by telling him all his courtiers would come and bow low to Moses and tell him to depart with all that was his. After all the warnings to Pharaoh, Moses got angry and left Pharaoh’s presence. And as sad as it turns out to be, God warned Moses that Pharaoh would not listen to him “so God’s marvels may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.”
In spite of the fact that Moses and Aaron had performed all these marvels before Pharaoh, God had hardened Pharaoh’s heart so he would not let the Israelites go. Pharaoh was not about to turn loose of all these productive workers he did not have to pay. It’s obvious it is going to take something earth shatteringly horrible to change Pharaoh’s mind.
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