Exodus 12:29 – 42 “Now at midnight the LORD struck down every firstborn male in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on his throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner in the dungeon, as well as all the firstborn among the livestock. During the night Pharaoh got up—he and all his officials and all the Egyptians—and there was loud wailing in Egypt; for there was no house without someone dead. Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron by night and said, “Get up, leave my people, both you and the Israelites! Go, worship the LORD as you have requested. Take your flocks and herds as well, just as you have said, and depart! And bless me also.”
And in order to send them out of the land quickly, the Egyptians urged the people on. “For otherwise,” they said, “we are all going to die!” So the people took their dough before it was leavened, carrying it on their shoulders in kneading bowls wrapped in clothing. Furthermore, the Israelites acted on Moses’ word and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold, and for clothing. And the LORD gave the people such favor in the sight of the Egyptians that they granted their request. In this way they plundered the Egyptians.
The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Succoth with about 600,000 men on foot, besides women and children. And a mixed multitude also went up with them, along with great droves of livestock, both flocks and herds. Since their dough had no leaven, the people baked what they had brought out of Egypt into unleavened loaves. For when they had been driven out of Egypt, they could not delay and had not prepared any provisions for themselves.
Now the duration of the Israelites’ stay in Egypt was 430 years. At the end of the 430 years, to the very day, all the LORD’s divisions went out of the land of Egypt. Because the LORD kept a vigil that night to bring them out of the land of Egypt, this same night is to be a vigil to the LORD, to be observed by all the Israelites for the generations to come.”
Until now, Pharaoh had steadfastly ignored all the advice from his chancellors. As Egypt turned into a rubbish heap, the poor Egyptians came to realize that the God of the Israelites was far more powerful than the gods that they had been worshiping. Even before the tenth plague hit, many Egyptians were changing their minds about Pharaoh.
The death of every single first born male in Egypt was incredible! Nobody was spared, not even the animals. Faced with such terror, no wonder the Egyptians literally forced their best clothing and their jewelry on the Israelites! If only these people would just LEAVE before Egypt ceased to exist!
Who was in the “mixed multitude” that accompanied the Israelites? Perhaps there were sincere Egyptians who had come to realize that their gods were useless while the God of the Israelites was all – powerful.
APPLICATION: GOD’S TIMING IS SPLIT SECOND! God waited until every Israelite was safely inside with blood smeared on the doorposts, and then the Death Angel struck! The scripture says that God kept track of the time “to the very day;” however, it’s quite likely that God actually kept track to the very hour and minute.
So many times we pray and long to see the answers to our prayers. When our prayers are not answered within the time frame we expect, sometimes we feel like giving up. Certainly, at least some of the Israelites had been praying for a very long time! But God who is rich in mercy was trying to give as many Egyptians as possible the opportunity to turn away from the demons they had worshiped and to worship Him instead.
Only God knows the human heart. Only God can truly handle split – second timing. Are you praying for something that you feel is in God’s will? Then, DON’T GIVE UP!!! The answer to your prayers might come at any moment. Jesus told his disciples a story about a widow lady who had a just grievance but who was frustrated by an unjust judge. But that little lady refused to give up! Eventually, the crooked judge decided it was better to give justice to the widow than to have to put up with her troubling him constantly. “And the Lord said, “Listen to the words of the unjust judge. Will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night? Will He continue to defer their help? I tell you, He will promptly carry out justice on their behalf. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?” Luke 18:6-8
PRAYER: Father God, thank you that you are a prayer – answering God! Thank you that your timing is perfect. Lord, help us to trust you and to continue to cry out to you until we see your kingdom fully come and your will perfectly done on the earth! In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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