And the LORD said to Moses, "I will bring yet one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. Afterward he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will surely drive you out of here altogether. "Speak now in the hearing of the people, and let every man ask from his neighbor and every woman from her neighbor, articles of silver and articles of gold." 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. Exodus 11:1-3
True men of God hear from God and the speak to others the words that God gives them to speak. But fools, who are proud, arrogant, obstinate, and unteachable, harden their hearts and then God hardens their hearts and brings judgments upon them that they never expected. The bible records:
Then Moses said, "Thus says the LORD: 'About midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt; 'and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the female servant who is behind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the animals. 'Then there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as was not like it before, nor shall be like it again. 'But against none of the children of Israel shall a dog move its tongue, against man or beast, that you may know that the LORD does make a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.' "And all these your servants shall come down to me and bow down to me, saying, 'Get out, and all the people who follow you!' After that I will go out." Then he went out from Pharaoh in great anger. Exodus 11:4-8
Just like Jesus, when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other (Mark 3:5), Moses was greatly angered that Pharaoh had hardened his heart and God would bring about a miraculous great judgment where the Lord made a difference between the Egyptians and Israel and slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt.
Judgment is never a pleasant thing but it becomes a necessity when people will not repent and do what God has instructed them to do including making restoration for their wrong doings. God’s word is unchanging:
Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house." So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.
But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, "He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner." Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold." And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; "for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." Luke 19:1-10
Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector when he got saved gave half of his goods to the poor; and restore fourfold what he had taken from anyone by false accusation. Restoration and restitution for offenses and wrong done including stealing and slander is part of what men owe to other men. And we are instructed to “Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law” (Romans 13:8). Pharaoh didn’t want to pay for unjustly oppressing God’s people who were in strangers in Egypt, and making slaves out of them. He ignored God’s word "You shall neither mistreat a stranger nor oppress him, …(Exodus 22:21) 'You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor.(Leviticus 19:15). As a result God would collect the due payment from Pharaoh and Egypt including their silver and gold and the lives of their first born for God loves justice and "He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing. (Deuteronomy 10:18). Hence the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying:
"This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you. "Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: 'On the tenth day of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. 'And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons; according to each man's need you shall make your count for the lamb. 'Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. 'Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. 'And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. 'Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. 'Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire-its head with its legs and its entrails. 'You shall let none of it remain until morning, and what remains of it until morning you shall burn with fire. 'And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD'S Passover. 'For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike 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. 'Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. Exodus 12:2-13
It’s to be noted that the children of Israel were instructed to take a lamb with out blemish for a household and take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. And they were to eat in haste with a belt on their waist, their sandals on their feet, and their staff in their hand the roasted lamb and to burn what remained for was the LORD'S Passover. For the LORD would pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and would strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt He would execute judgment. And when He would see the blood, He would pass over them; and the plague shall would not be on them to destroy them when He struck the land of Egypt. That is also how we come out from under the curse of sin and death. We must be washed from our sins in Jesus own blood and at the lamb, Jesus Christ, the Word. Physically we are what we eat. Spiritually we are what we spiritually eat. By consuming and digesting the Word of God, we are delivered from the curse and manifest our sonship. The bible records for our profit and instruction:
And it came to pass at midnight that the LORD struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of livestock. So Pharaoh rose in the night, he, all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead. Then he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, "Rise, go out from among my people, both you and the children of Israel. And go, serve the LORD as you have said. "Also take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone; and bless me also." … And the LORD had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. Thus they plundered the Egyptians. Exodus 12:29-36
The judgments then fell only on the Egyptians so that God’s people would be set free. So when we repent of living in Egypt, we do not have to live under the judgments. But if we return to Egypt we shall know the judgments of God and the curse. God’s word is unchanging:
Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, Hebrews 2:1-3
For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: "A dog returns to his own vomit," and, "a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire." 2 Peter 2:20-22
Yes, even this day, every transgression and disobedience receives a just recompense of reward. Those who recreationally indulge in hard liquor receive deterioration of the body and spirit. Those who smoke receive chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cancer, and other physical complications. Those who are bitter, angry, and unforgiving are delivered over to cancer, arthritis, and other immune deficiencies. Many with cancer or arthritis have kept up anger and bitterness in their lives. Anxiety and worry gives way to ulcers. Those who are lukewarm are vomited out of God’s mouth. God has ordained the entire curse system to come against those who transgress. God’s word is unchanging:
"And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ' These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. "So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. "Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'-and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked- "I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." ' " Revelation 3:14-22
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