The Lord Judges the False gods
In his pride Pharaoh refused to listen to God. (Exodus 7:13) At the moment, God could have stretched out His hand and with one plague simply wiped Egypt off the face of the earth. But He had other plans. Exodus 7-12 describe a series of ten plagues that God brought upon Egypt. Each one demonstrated the power God had over the false gods of the Egyptians. (Numbers 33:4) God’s heart was not only for the Israelites. (Exodus 6:6-7) He also wanted the Egyptians to know that He alone was the one true God. (Exodus 7:5) Each plague exposed to the Egyptians that the false gods in whom they trusted, were completely incapable of saving them. (Exodus 7-12) Hapi was powerless to prevent the Nile from turning to blood. Heket was powerless to stop the animals from overwhelming the land. Hathor was powerless to prevent the livestock from dying. Shu was powerless to prevent the hail from raining from the sky. Amun-Ra was powerless to stop the darkness from covering the sun. And even Pharaoh, the god-king, was powerless to protect his own son from death. In the wake of God these idols were nothing.
One Way to Escape Death
Pharaoh’s heart remained hardened through the first nine plagues. As the tenth plague approached, the LORD explained to Moses what was about to take place. At midnight, the LORD would send the death angel to strike down the firstborn son of every household. (Exodus 11:4-5) There was only one way to escape death. If a year old, perfect, male lamb’s blood was shed and placed on the door posts of the home, God promised that He would not permit the Destroyer to enter that home and strike them down. (Exodus 12:3-23)
Salvation Comes Through Belief
What if that day someone heard God’s message through Moses, but did not put blood on their doorway. Would simply knowing the truth be enough to save them? No. They had to believe and apply the blood to their doorway. What if someone else decided that instead of the blood of the lamb, they would put a sign on their doorway that stated: “We are good people. We are religious. We give to the poor. We are law-abiding citizens.” Would God be so impressed with their good deeds and spare them? No. Before God, only one factor determined whether the firstborn son lived or died. A lamb, perfect and without blemish had to die in their place. God said, (Exodus 12:13) “When I see the blood I will pass over you.”
Slaves Set Free
That night, the Israelites obeyed what the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron, and lived. It was only after the Pharaoh lost his oldest son that he released the Israelites… (Exodus 12:28-31) God’s people would forever remember the events that led up to their deliverance: certain death, only one way to be saved, an innocent lamb dying so that they might live, no broken bones, shed blood, the power of the enemy broken… slaves set free! This is a beautiful picture of future Deliverer who would one day set the whole world free. That night six hundred thousand men set out from Egypt, along with their families and many other people. (Exodus 12:37-38) Surely, some of the Egyptians must have seen the futility of their false gods and chosen to believe the one true God who is LORD of all the earth.
Total Deliverance
Yet, Pharaoh’s heart became hardened once more. He sent his army in pursuit of the Israelites, where they overtook them as they camped by the Red Sea. (Exodus 14:5-9) Unbeknownst to the Egyptians, this was also part of the sovereign plan of God. To the terror-stricken Israelites Moses said, (Exodus 14:13-14) “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the Deliverance the LORD will bring you today… The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” As Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind. All night the Israelites crossed the sea. When Pharaoh’s army rushed after them into the sea, God threw their horses into confusion. When all the Israelites had crossed safely to the other side, Moses extended his hand out over the sea, and the waters flowed back and covered the Egyptian army; not one of them survived. (Exodus 14:19-28) The Israelites had now been totally freed from the bondage of the Egyptians, never to be enslaved by them again. The LORD had fought for them and had given them total Deliverance.
Sources:
https://www.bibleinfo.com/en/questions/what-are-10-plagues-egypt
https://amazingbibletimeline.com/blog/old-testament-timeline-passover/
Millar Bible 