Exodus—Week 9
In the beginning of the Book of Exodus, we meet Pharaoh, a murderous tyrant who literally kills children and babies. He’s clearly the worst villain we’ve encountered yet in the story. But then, in Exodus 11, after giving Pharaoh 9 chances, God sends down a 10th plague in which every first-born in the entire land of all of Egypt are killed. So God kills? Babies?
This raises some serious questions about God’s character. Is Yahweh as murderous as Pharaoh? Why would God kill so many people (and animals)? Wasn’t there another way?
As we step into this passage, and examine it in light of the larger story, we find that like so many other passages in the Bible that on its face at first glance seem troubling, there’s actually a lot more going on that will give our hearts deep comfort that God is - in the end, now and forever - good and loving.
