Tyndale Open Study NotesExodus 11

The final plague was the death of the firstborn sons. The Egyptians worshiped life. They gave so much attention to preparations for life after death because they wanted to ensure that it would be at least as good as their lives in Egypt. Death itself is in God’s hand. There is no underworld god who can ultimately defeat the God of life. Both life and death belong to the Lord.

Pharaoh refused to recognize the truth, but the Lord ensured that the rest of Egypt would recognize it.

In many parts of the world, people look to their children for survival. In many cultures, the firstborn son carries on the family line. If people have children, they may feel secure. They may believe that, even after they die, they will continue through their children.

When the Egyptian firstborn sons died, God showed that people cannot guarantee their own survival. Life is a gift. That gift is in the hand of the one Lord, the "I Am."

In the fourth, fifth, seventh, and ninth plagues, the Lord made a clear distinction between his people and the Egyptians (8:23; 9:6, 26; 10:23). These events clearly resulted from the express activity of God and were not random natural disasters.

Pharaoh had lost control. Moses was no longer making a request. He was now able to set the terms for the Israelites' departure from the country.