English Stories

Hardening Pharaoh's Heart / One Final Plague

After the first nine plagues, God told Moses, “I have hardened Pharaoh’s heart to punish the Egyptians for their many gods. I’m doing these signs so you will tell your children and grandchildren and so you will know that I am the Lord. Now I’ll bring one more plague on Egypt, and then Pharaoh will drive you out completely.

God's Directions

“Now listen carefully:

1. Each family (or two families together if they are small) must take a one-year-old male sheep or It has to be perfect, not sick or lame. Slaughter it just as it gets dark.
2. Dip some hyssop in the blood and splash it along both sides and above the door of the house where you will eat the Then stay inside the house with the sign of the blood until morning.
3. Roast the meat and eat it Don’t leave any leftovers and don’t break any of the bones. Eat it with bitter herbs and flat bread without yeast. And eat the meal quickly, wearing traveling clothes.

“That night I will pass through Egypt and kill every firstborn to punish the Egyptians for worshiping false gods. But the blood will be a sign for you. When I see the blood around the doors, I will pass over you. And you must celebrate this feast every year.

When your child asks, ‘What does this mean?’ say to him, ‘On this day, the Lord brought us out of slavery in Egypt.’”

Sacrificing the Lamb / Deliverance

So the people sacrificed the animals, and the blood poured out, and they put the blood around the door. At midnight God passed through Egypt and killed every

firstborn---from Pharaoh’s palace down to the prisoner in the dungeon---and every firstborn animal too. But when God saw the blood of the sacrifice of the perfect lamb on the doors of the children of Israel, He passed over them. All was quiet where the Israelites were. Not even a dog was barking. But in the places where the Egyptians lived, wails of sorrow broke the stillness of the night.

It was still dark when Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron. He said, “Take everything you have and leave!” And their Egyptian neighbors said, “Yes, leave, or we’ll all die!” And they gave the Israelites their gold and silver jewelry and rich clothing, just as God told Moses…. and Abraham long before!

That day, God delivered His people from the land of Egypt…about 600,000 men plus the women and children and all of their livestock.