Tenth Devastating Plague in Egypt
Pass Over and Death of All Firstborn
The tenth and perhaps most devastating plague in Egypt in 1491 B.C. is the basis of the Passover observance held in modern times, and continues our Bible study of the book of Exodus. The first 9 of 10 plagues were covered in a previous study and they are: blood, frogs, lice, flies, murrain, boils, hail, locust, and darkness in that order.
Exodus 11:1 begins with God speaking to Moses about the next prophesy to announce the tenth plague, and verses 1 through 3 are in parentheses for a reason. Verse 2 begins with "Speak now in the ears of the People..." and continues through verse 3 with instructions in preparation for leaving Egypt. For clearer understanding of the place and time of this address and the continuation in verse 4, students should note the last two verses of chapter 10.
And Pharaoh said unto him, Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die. Exodus 10:28 (KJV)
And Moses said, Thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face again no more. Exodus 10:29 (KJV)
Moses did not leave his meeting with Pharaoh after what seems like a final statement in that last verse. Instead, as you continue in Exodus 11, the first three verses in parentheses with God speaking to Moses took but a moment in time in the presence of Pharaoh.
With that in mind, it might seem the beginning of the description of the tenth plague in Exodus 11:4 is spoken to the People. Verses 4 through 8 are in fact being told to Pharaoh as evidenced with the last sentence of verse 8 "And he went out from Pharaoh in a great anger.", which speaks in reference to Moses.
The third, sixth, and ninth plagues of lice, boils, and darkness were executed without warning. Plagues 1,2,4,5,7,8, and 10 were announced in person as direct warnings to Pharaoh to let the Hebrews leave Egypt.
Exodus chapters 12 and 13 explain Passover in great detail including the sprinkling of sacrificial lamb's blood above the door and on the side posts, and the tenth plague is summarized in Exodus 12:12 as follows:
For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. Exodus 12:12 (KJV)
Tenth Plague Executed and Reaction of Pharaoh
Just as God protected the Hebrews living amongst the Egyptians during the devastation of the first 9 plagues, the physical sign of obedience written in blood caused the destroyer to pass over His People. Every first born in Egypt died that night, both man and beast, including Pharaoh's son.
His reaction was immediate, and in the middle of the night Pharaoh agreed to the demands of God spoken through Moses. The 400 years of bondage were finally over.
And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the LORD, as ye have said. Exodus 12:31 (KJV)
And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children. Exodus 12:37 (KJV)
Some skeptics doubt the number of persons who fled Egypt as estimated by some scholars to be up to 2 million. The reference to 600,000 "men" in verse 37 was translated to English from the Hebrew word "geber" (men of military age), not "ish" (males). Add the wives, children, and elders beyond the strong men, and the Exodus population of nearly 2 million people is very believable.
Verse 38 continues with "And a mixed multitude went up also..." which means Egyptian citizens were camp followers traveling with the Hebrews. I don't recall these numbers or facts from years ago as a child being taught in Sunday school. After ten plagues, I can imagine why the Egyptian survivors wanted to tag along. Unfortunately, their presence and culture would cause serious problems for their hosts for years to come. These will be covered in more than one future article.
Celebration of Passover by Jews and Christians
The memory of this historical event nearly 3500 years ago continues today with the celebration of Passover by Jews and Christians. Most mainstream Christians celebrate Easter while others do not recognize Easter in preference to Passover. Here's more information to put the day in perspective.
And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance forever. Exodus 12:14 (KJV)
Jews and Christians celebrate in spring according to tradition. The reasons vary, yet where did Easter originate? In reference to King Herod and persecution of the early church, Acts chapter 12 speaks of the arrest of Peter and verse 4 includes the only place in the Bible with the word "Easter".
And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people. Acts 12:4 (KJV)
The Greek word translated to Easter is pascha (PAS-khah) which is of Chaldee origin, and it means "passover" to include the meal, day, and festival. In the original Greek manuscripts of the New Testament the word "pascha" occurs in 27 verses 29 times. In each instance it is translated to English as "passover" except for the single occurence of "Easter" in Acts 12:4.
The earliest Christians only had the original manuscripts in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Chaldee for the Old Testament and Greek for the New Testament. Easter was introduced in the Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible long before the first English translation or the later King James Authorized Version (KJV) in 1611.
Easter was a pagan holiday introduced in part to the church to attract unbelievers to Christianity, and it became tradition. The King James authors used the corrupted Latin Vulgate which is how the word pascha was mistranslated as Easter in Acts 12:4. By knowing the difference now, it makes sense for Christians to celebrate Passover, yet keep in mind that our true Passover sacrifice is now Christ. Be wary of the traditions of mankind, and keep in His Word to understand that some Old Testament traditions were nailed to the cross, and today communion is the Passover celebration for Christians.
Article Source: www.ultimateriddles.com/exodus-bible-lesson-04.html.
About the Author: Jim Degerstrom is an author who works in a faith based business offering custom website design and graphic art services, and documents Bible studies at his Ultimate Riddles Spiritual Journey website and blogs about spiritual growth on his Ultimate Riddles Spiritual Study blog from Kissimmee, Florida USA.
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