Chapter 24—The Passover
This chapter is based on
Exodus 11
;
12:1-32
.
When the demand for Israel’s release had been first presented to
the king of Egypt, the warning of the most terrible of the plagues had
been given. Moses was directed to say to Pharaoh, “Thus saith the
Lord, Israel is My son, even My first-born: 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 first-born.”
Exodus 4:22, 23
. Though
despised by the Egyptians, the Israelites had been honored by God,
in that they were singled out to be the depositaries of His law. In the
special blessings and privileges accorded them, they had pre-eminence
among the nations, as the first-born son had among brothers.
The judgment of which Egypt had first been warned, was to be the
last visited. God is long-suffering and plenteous in mercy. He has a
tender care for the beings formed in His image. If the loss of their
harvests and their flocks and herds had brought Egypt to repentance,
the children would not have been smitten; but the nation had stubbornly
resisted the divine command, and now the final blow was about to fall.
Moses had been forbidden, on pain of death, to appear again in
Pharaoh’s presence; but a last message from God was to be delivered
to the rebellious monarch, and again Moses came before him, with
the terrible announcement: “Thus saith the Lord, About midnight will
I go out into the midst of Egypt: and all the first-born in the land of
Egypt shall die, from the first-born of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his
throne, even unto the first-born of the maidservant that is behind the
mill; and all the first-born of beasts. And there shall be a great cry
throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor
shall be like it any more. But against any of the children of Israel shall
not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know
how that the Lord doth put a difference between the Egyptians and
[274]
Israel. And all these thy servants shall come down unto me, and bow
236