Exodus 5-12 (The Ten Plagues)

At the start of the story Pharaoh asks, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice?” (Exodus 5: 2). By the end, God shows how he is worthy of worship and obedience. He proves he’s both
all-powerful and eager to fight for his people when they’re being hurt. The plagues show that he’s mighty to save.

This does not happen without blood. The final plague is death. It’s sad and scary. And unlike many of the other plagues, it threatens everyone in Egypt—even the Israelites.

One purpose of this last plague is “that you may know that the Lord makes a distinction” (Exodus 11:7). The Israelites may escape if they trust God and paint their doorposts with the blood of a sacrificed lamb. There’s a distinction between those who have faith in God and those who don’t—and it makes all the difference.

Today, death still threatens everyone in this world. But now too there’s a way of escape. The blood of Jesus saves everyone who trusts in him. Those of us who put our faith in him become his distinct people. He fights for us.

At the cross, Jesus became our sacrificial lamb. He fought for us against sin and death. He died to save us from everything that hurts us; from everything sad and scary. Surely he will be on our side always, and surely he is worth obeying.

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