Death Of The Firstborn – Exodus 11:1-10

The events of chapter 11 appear to be taking place before Moses leaves the presence of Pharoah in chapter 10.  The Pharoah has given his decree of death for Moses and Aaron if he sees them again (10:28).  In pronouncing the death of Moses and Aaron if he sees them again, he has cut off all means of hope.  In fact he has instructed God, “I will have no more”, so God tells Moses to give Pharoah this final message which will be the death of all the first born of Egypt.
The events of verses 1-3 most likely had taken place during the three days of darkness, so this would be a parenthesis in the narrative of chapters 10 and 11.  Remembering that in the original writing they had no chapter division or verses separated to give the distinction we have today.

OUTLINE –
I.  A TENTH PLAGUE WHICH IS TO COME WILL FREE ISRAEL FROM EGYPT (v. 1).
II.  THE ISRAELITES ASK THE EGYPTIANS FOR THEIR GOODS, AND THE LORD GIVES THEM FAVOR WITH THE EGYPTIANS (vv. 2-3).
III.  MOSES TELLS PHAROAH OF THE TENTH PLAGUE, COMING AT MIDNIGHT, AND STRIKE THE FIRSTBORN (vv. 4-6).
IV.  THE RESULT WILL BE THAT THE EGYPTIANS WILL PRACTICALLY BEG THE ISRAELITES TO LEAVE EGYPT (vv. 7-8).
V.  EVEN WITH THIS FEARFUL MESSAGE PHAROAH’S HEART IS HARDENED (vv.9-10).

Study Questions –

1.  The ______________ tells Moses He will bring one more plague upon _____________. (v. 1)

2.  At this point of time Moses is still in the Pharoah’s court for the final time.  True   False  (vv.  2-3; 12:31-32)

3.  It is probably during the _____________  _______  ________________ that the children of Israel collect the goods from the Egyptian people. (vv. 2-3)

4.  This final plague seems to come from a response to Pharoah’s own anger when he…  (vv. 4-6; 10:29-29)
A. threatened to beat Moses and Aaron.    B.  When he was called an ignorant slug.
C.  threatened to kill Moses if he saw him again        D.  None of these.

5.  The ____________ plague would be upon the first born of Egypt, and would bring a great ___________ throughout all the land.  (v. 6)

6.  This tenth plague will take the lives of Israelite as well as Egyptian first born sons.   True     False  (vv. 5, 7-8)

7.  In verse 8 we are told that Moses “went out from Pharoah in great anger”; this was probably because…
A.  …he enjoyed the battles with Pharoah.    B.  …he relished the opportunity to show Pharoah wrong.
C.  …Pharoah’s announcement was a judgment upon the innocent in Egypt.    D.  All:  A, B, & C

8.  Even with the threat of impending judgment upon the first born Pharoah _______________  his heart, and refuses to let the Israelites go free.  (vv. 9-10)

Answers:

1.  LORD, Egypt;  2. False;  3. plague of darkness;  4. C;  5. tenth, cry;  6. False;  7. C;  8. hardened.

-Tim A. Blankenship