Why did God choose to strike down the firstborn in Psalm 105:36? Historical Background: The Tenth Plague (Exodus 11–12) After nine escalating judgments, Moses announced: “About midnight I will go throughout Egypt, and every firstborn … shall die” (Exodus 11 : 4-5). At midnight “the L ORD struck down every firstborn … from the firstborn of Pharaoh … to the firstborn of the captive … and the firstborn of the livestock” (Exodus 12 : 29). Only households sheltering under lamb’s blood were spared. Psalm 105 : 36 therefore recalls an event already attested by two separate Pentateuchal narrative strands (Exodus 11–12; Numbers 33 : 4) and by intertextual echoes throughout Scripture (Psalm 78 : 51; Hebrews 11 : 28). Firstborn in Biblical and Ancient Near-Eastern Thought The firstborn son carried legal rights of succession, inheritance, priestly representation, and family continuity (Deuteronomy 21 : 17). In Egypt, this concept intertwined with the cult of the divine Pharaoh, whose own firstborn embodied political and religious perpetuity. Striking “the firstfruits of all their vigor” therefore dismantled Egypt’s future strength in a single night. Divine Justice Against Systemic Evil Measure-for-measure justice threads the Exodus story. Pharaoh had decreed, “Every son who is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile” (Exodus 1 : 22). God’s reply mirrors the crime: the death of Egypt’s firstborn. This is covenantal lex talionis (cf. Galatians 6 : 7)—not caprice, but retributive righteousness applied after repeated warnings and nine prior, revocable plagues. Confrontation with Egypt’s Pantheon and Pharaoh’s Deity Claims Yahweh’s plagues targeted specific Egyptian deities (e.g., Hapi, Heqet, Khepri). The firstborn plague struck at the supposed divinity of Pharaoh himself and of gods like Min, the patron of procreative power. Exodus 12 : 12 explains, “I will execute judgment on all the gods of Egypt.” By taking the heirs, God exposed those gods as impotent. Covenant Fulfillment: Israel God’s “Firstborn Son” Before the plagues, God told Pharaoh, “Israel is My firstborn son” (Exodus 4 : 22). Liberating His own “firstborn” required the surrender of Egypt’s. Psalm 105 connects the event directly to covenant promises, quoting earlier: “He remembered His holy promise to Abraham His servant” (Psalm 105 : 42). Typological Foreshadowing of the Passover and Christ The plague established the Passover pattern: a spotless lamb’s blood shielding from judgment (Exodus 12 : 13). The NT identifies Christ as “our Passover lamb” (1 Corinthians 5 : 7) and “the firstborn from the dead” (Revelation 1 : 5). Thus the death of Egypt’s firstborn anticipates the substitutionary death of God’s own Son, providing ultimate deliverance. Mercy Amid Judgment: Universal Offer of Protection Salvation was available to any who obeyed the Passover instructions; Exodus 12 : 38 mentions a “mixed multitude” leaving with Israel, implying some Egyptians believed. The plague was therefore not ethnic but moral and covenantal, targeting rebellion while offering refuge under the blood. Moral and Philosophical Considerations 1. Repeated Warnings: Nine plagues preceded, each a call to repent. 2. Divine Patience and Human Hardening: Pharaoh hardened his heart (Exodus 8 : 15), then God judicially confirmed that hardness (Exodus 11 : 10). 3. Corporate Accountability: Egyptian society benefited from enslaving Israel (Exodus 1 : 13-14); collective guilt warranted corporate judgment. 4. Creator’s Prerogative: As Author of life (Deuteronomy 32 : 39), God possesses rightful authority over life’s duration. Archaeological and Documentary Corroboration • The Brooklyn Papyrus (13th c. BC) lists Semitic slaves in Egypt, consistent with the Exodus setting. • The Merneptah Stele (c. 1208 BC) attests an Israel already in Canaan, implying an earlier exodus. • The Ipuwer Papyrus (Papyrus Leiden 344) laments that “the river is blood … the land is in death,” paralleling plague language. • Tomb wall scenes (e.g., tomb TT 359) depict funeral processions of firstborn sons during periods of sudden mortality. While not conclusive, these data points corroborate a memory of national catastrophe striking Egypt’s children. Continuing Theological Implications The aftermath established the law of redemption of every firstborn (Exodus 13 : 2; Numbers 3 : 13), reminding Israel perpetually that they were bought at a price. It also prefigures the eschatological judgment when only those “sealed” in Christ will be spared (Revelation 7 : 3-4). Practical Applications Today The tenth plague calls individuals to examine loyalties: align with self-exalting Pharaohs or shelter under the Lamb. God’s judgment is real, His mercy accessible, and His purpose unchanging: “that you may know that I am the L ORD” (Exodus 10 : 2). |
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