RIGHTEOUS ANGER (EXODUS 11:1-10)
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YHWH IS:
1. BRINGING JUSTICE TO THE HEBREWS
2. BRINGING JUDGMENT TO THE EGYPTIANS
3. SHOWING HIS GLORY TO ALL CREATION
3X3 SIGNS - NOW A BREAK BEFORE THE FINAL SIGN
LAST TIME WE FINISHED CHAPTER 10 WE SAW:
27 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go. 28 Then Pharaoh said to him, “Get away from me; take care never to see my face again, for on the day you see my face you shall die.” 29 Moses said, “As you say! I will not see your face again.”
1 The Lord said to Moses, “Yet one plague more I will bring upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt. Afterward he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will drive you away completely.
EITHER GOD IS SPEAKING TO MOSES IN REAL TIME IN FRONT OF PHARAOH OR TRANSLATED AS “THE LORD HAD SAID”
PLAGUE= PHYSICAL BLOW/ASSAULT
He will utterly drive you out” features an emphatic construction of an already emphatic verb. The same word depicts God’s driving Adam and Eve from the garden of Eden.
1 But the Lord said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.”
2 Speak now in the hearing of the people, that they ask, every man of his neighbor and every woman of her neighbor, for silver and gold jewelry.” 3 And the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover, the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants and in the sight of the people.
EGYPTIANS WERE OBSESSED WITH JEWELRY. RELIGIOUS/MAGICAL ARTIFACTS.
GOD IS KEEPING HIS PROMISE!
13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. 14 But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions.
WHEN MOSES MEETS YHWH AT THE BURNING BUSH HE TELLS MOSES THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT HE IS GOING TO DO:
19 But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand. 20 So I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all the wonders that I will do in it; after that he will let you go. 21 And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and when you go, you shall not go empty, 22 but each woman shall ask of her neighbor, and any woman who lives in her house, for silver and gold jewelry, and for clothing. You shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians.”
4 So Moses said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘About midnight I will go out in the midst of Egypt,
God says, ‘I am going out’ through Egypt. This verb is used commonly in the exodus account in relation to Israel’s departure from Egypt. Because Pharaoh will not let God’s people go out of Egypt, God will go out in Egypt!
Night-time was an especially fearful time for the Egyptians. In the ‘Hymn to the Aton’, the author describes the dread of night because the sun-god has departed to the underworld and is no longer protecting the Egyptians. For the Hebrews, on the other hand, there is no fear, for ‘He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep’ (Ps. 121:4). Yahweh is awake, working, sustaining and protecting his people.
Exodus 11:5 (ESV)
5 and every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die,
FIRSTBORN: REMEMBER 2 THINGS.
1. PHARAOH IS CONSIDERED A GOD AND HIS FIRSTBORN SON WHO WILL REPLACE HIS IS ALSO THEN A GOD.
2. YHWH CONSIDERS ISRAEL HIS FIRSTBORN SON AND PHARAOH HAS BEEN MURDERING AND ABUSING ISRAEL.
22 Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord, Israel is my firstborn son, 23 and I say to you, “Let my son go that he may serve me.” If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.’ ”
5 and every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the slave girl who is behind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the cattle. 6 There shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there has never been, nor ever will be again. 7 But not a dog shall growl against any of the people of Israel, either man or beast, that you may know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.’
This ‘great cry’ will not be one of weeping or wailing, but rather a loud call for help under distress and duress. Egypt will call upon its gods for aid, but they will remain silent.
Whereas God will destroy the first-born of both man and beast in Egypt, not even ‘a dog will sharpen its tongue’ against the Hebrews or their animals. That expression signifies angry growling.4 There will be no such hostility in Goshen.5
DOGS = RATS IN MODERN SENSIBILITIES
POLEMIC: The god of the dead was Osiris, whose name meant “the Mighty One; he who has sovereign power.” His assistant was Anubis, the god of the underworld. Anubis supervised the embalming process and guided the dead during their passage to the afterlife. He came in canine form
HOW CAN YHWH DO THIS?
11 Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?
? IS NOT WHY WOULD YHWH KILL THE FIRSTBORN BUT REAL ? IS WHY DOESN'T GOD DESTROY ALL OF EGYPT?
9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
GOD'S HEART IS NOT DESTRUCTION OR DEATH. GOD'S HEART IS LIFE.
JESUS DIDN'T COME TO CONDEMN BUT TO SAVE AND RESCUE.
GOD WILL GIVE UNREPENTANT PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT.
8 And all these your servants shall come down to me and bow down to me, saying, ‘Get out, you and all the people who follow you.’ And after that I will go out.” And he went out from Pharaoh in hot anger. 9 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh will not listen to you, that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.” 10 Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, and the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the people of Israel go out of his land.
HOT ANGER = LITERALLY "WITH A HOT/SCORCHING NOSE"
RIGHTEOUS ANGER
To be in the presence of evil and not be angry is a dreadful spiritual and moral malady.
WALT KAISER JR.
IF YOU'RE NOT OUTRAGED YOU'RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION.
TOO LONG CHRISTIANS HAVE BELIEVED ANGER TO BE A SIN. ANGER IS NOT A SIN. ANGER CAN LEAD TO SIN BUT ANGER IS NOT A SIN.
1 Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. 2 And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. 3 And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.” 4 And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. 5 And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.
To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm of David. 1 Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have given me relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer! 2 O men, how long shall my honor be turned into shame? How long will you love vain words and seek after lies? Selah 3 But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him. 4 Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah 5 Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the Lord. 6 There are many who say, “Who will show us some good? Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord!” 7 You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound. 8 In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.