Lesson 5: Passover
5.5 The Divine Judgment
Divine Judgment – When Justice Is Revealed
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Introduction
The tenth and final plague was the climax of God’s intervention against Egypt’s oppressive system. What began as a promise of liberation now finds its radical fulfillment: the Egyptian firstborn die – a deeply shocking but justified judgment.
Why did God strike the firstborn specifically? What does that tell us about justice, retribution – but also hope? And what does it mean for us today, in a world full of injustice, pain, and consequences?
This lesson brings us to a point where we begin to grasp the weight of sin and the depth of divine justice – and at the same time realize: salvation comes through the blood of a lamb.
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Bible Study: Exodus 12:29–30 + Hebrews 11:28
Theme: “The Judgment on the Firstborn – Final Consequence or Final Chance?”
Text Base: Exodus 12:29–30 / Hebrews 11:28 / Exodus 1:16–22 / Exodus 15:11 / Exodus 18:11
1. Historical and Biblical Context
The story of the ten plagues is not a myth or a fable – it is God’s direct confrontation with a system of oppression that defied life, freedom, and truth.
Pharaoh was more than just a man – he embodied a divinely legitimized system of power that enslaved his own people and others. The tenth plague was not only directed at Pharaoh himself, but at everything he represented:
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Power without justice
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Religion without truth
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Progress without regard for life
God’s decision to strike the firstborn was not cruel – but consistent. It was the final step, after God had warned, waited, and called out nine times before.
2. Why the Firstborn?
In ancient Near Eastern culture, the firstborn carried the family’s legacy, identity, and hope. They symbolized:
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The future of the family
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The continuation of the lineage
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The pride and status of the parents
In Egypt, this had religious implications:
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Pharaoh’s son was considered divine
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Goddesses like Isis, Heqet, and the god Min were seen as protectors of life, fertility, and children
So the tenth plague was:
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A blow to Egypt’s religious foundations
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An exposure of the gods’ powerlessness
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A reflection of Egypt’s own sin – they had murdered Israel’s firstborn (see Exodus 1:16–22)
God’s judgment is never arbitrary – it is both mirror and response.
What a person sows, that will they also reap.
3. Passover as a Gift of Grace in the Midst of Judgment
God could have judged without warning.
But instead, He offers salvation – through a sacrifice, a lamb, through faith and obedience.
Passover was:
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A sign of faith – not understanding saved them, but trusting did
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A sign of separation – those who obeyed were under divine protection
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A sign of redemption – not through effort, but through the lamb’s blood (Hebrews 11:28)
➤ Protection from destruction didn’t depend on origin, status, or knowledge – only on the blood.
Parallel to the gospel:
Jesus is our Passover Lamb (see 1 Corinthians 5:7).
Only His blood saves us from eternal judgment.
Yes, God judges – but He offers protection first.
4. The Character of God in Judgment
We must learn to see God not only as “loving” – but as holy, just, slow to anger, and rich in mercy.
God is no tyrant – but He is also not a passive observer.
In Exodus 12:29–30, we see:
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God’s resolve – He acts when the time is right
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God’s control – He chooses the target (firstborn), the time (midnight), the scope (all of Egypt)
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God’s patience – He had warned them nine times before
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God’s grace – He offered a way of salvation beforehand
God does not judge out of anger – but out of justice.
And His justice is never separate from His mercy.
5. Judgment as a Response to Systemic Sin
The tenth plague did not strike only individual sinners – but an entire system, which over generations had:
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Killed children
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Enslaved peoples
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Ignored the voice of God
God’s judgment strikes structures – not just actions.
This is true today too:
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Systems that destroy life (human trafficking, environmental abuse, exploitation)
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Systems that suppress truth (propaganda, censorship, persecution)
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Systems that prioritize power over people
God does not remain silent – at some point, He speaks through events, upheaval, and judgment.
6. What Does This Have to Do with Us?
The story of the ten plagues is not just history – it is prophecy.
Even today, there are modern-day Pharaohs – in politics, economics, ideology.
Even today, innocent blood cries out from the ground to God.
Even today, God offers protection – but not forever.
The real question is:
“Am I under the protection of the Lamb – or living in my own strength?”
7. The Deep Truth of Passover
God saves through substitution.
An innocent dies – so the guilty may live.
A lamb sheds its blood – so destruction passes by.
What happened literally in Egypt happens spiritually today:
Whoever trusts in Christ is no longer under condemnation – but under grace.
8. Spiritual Lessons for Today
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Judgment is real – but never without warning
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Faith is shown through obedience
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Our decisions deeply impact others
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No idol, no technology, no achievement can save – only the blood of Jesus
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God’s goal is always salvation – never destruction
Final Thoughts
The tenth plague may be one of the hardest stories in the Bible – but it is also one of the clearest revelations of the gospel.
God judges – yes.
But first, He calls.
He warns.
He offers salvation.
He waits.
But when the measure is full, He acts – justly, righteously, and decisively.
What does this mean for you today?
Are you ready?
Are you under the protection?
Or are you deaf to God’s warnings?
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Answers to the Questions
Question 1: Why the Firstborn?
God’s decision to strike the firstborn in the tenth plague was not random or cruel – it was deeply symbolic, just, and purposeful. It was the final step in a long process of divine warnings, patience, and mercy.
In ancient society, the firstborn:
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Carried the blessing
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Represented the family’s hope
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Were heirs and symbols of the future
In Egypt, the firstborn had divine significance:
Pharaoh’s firstborn was considered the son of a god. Pharaoh himself was seen as the incarnation of gods like Ra or Horus.
Striking the firstborn exposed the powerlessness of Egypt’s religion. Gods like:
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Isis (protector of children)
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Heqet (goddess of birth)
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Min (god of fertility)
– all were powerless to save. The plague was a judgment on Egypt’s gods, not just its people (see Exodus 12:12).
It was also a response to the killing of Israel’s sons by Pharaoh (Exodus 1).
This was not vengeance – but restorative justice:
“What a man sows, that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6:7).
But God did not act without restraint: He gave nine chances to repent – nine warnings. Only after all were rejected did judgment fall.
It struck at:
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The heart of Egyptian identity
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The pride and religious arrogance of the system
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The Pharaoh’s god-like self-image
And it stood for the sake of the oppressed – those whose children had been killed.
Hebrews 11:28 reminds us that Moses, by faith, kept the Passover so that “the destroyer would not touch the firstborn.” God’s judgment makes a distinction – and obedience through faith brings protection.
Israel was not better – but they trusted the blood of the Lamb.
Question 2: How Have Others Suffered from Your Sins?
This question invites honest reflection – not as theory, but personal experience.
How have we suffered from others’ sins?
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We’ve been lied to – and trust broke
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Wounded by harsh words
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Abandoned or disappointed by loved ones
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Hurt by injustice – in families, workplaces, or society
Some wounds heal slowly, or never fully. They shape our view of people – and sometimes, of God.
But also:
How have others suffered from our sins?
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We spoke impatiently when someone needed comfort
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Acted selfishly when someone relied on us
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Crossed lines that hurt someone’s dignity
Our actions leave marks – seen or unseen.
God knows every consequence.
Sin is never private – it spreads like a virus.
It hurts the guilty – and also the innocent (as in the tenth plague).
Our Only Hope?
Not in self-help.
Not in remorse.
Not in trying to earn justice.
Our only hope is what Israel had:
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A lamb
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Blood on the door
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A sacrifice that dies in our place
Jesus Christ is our Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7).
His blood speaks life, not death.
It protects us not just from earthly destruction – but from eternal judgment.
It covers our guilt – and heals the wounds others caused us.
God’s grace means:
– I am not forever defined by my failures.
– I can receive forgiveness – and extend it.
– I don’t have to live in bitterness – but seek reconciliation through God’s help.
Our hope is not “improvement” – but redemption.
And it is a gift – to all who step under the blood by faith.
Summary of Both Questions
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God’s judgment on the firstborn was just, necessary, and intentional
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It was the final act after immense patience and mercy
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The firstborn symbolized Egypt’s power and pride – the core was struck
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Passover was the way to salvation – through blood, not merit
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Our only hope today is also in Christ’s sacrifice
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Sin has consequences – but grace has the final word
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Spiritual Principles
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God’s judgment is just and specific – never arbitrary
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Sin has consequences – for us and others
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Idols – even modern ones – are powerless in times of crisis
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Mercy and protection are found only under the Lamb’s blood
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Faith acts – it’s not enough to know truth; we must live it
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Application for Daily Life
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Reflect honestly: What decisions of yours have harmed others? Ask God (and possibly people) for forgiveness
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If you’re suffering because of others: Bring your pain to God – He sees the injustice and will act
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Identify modern idols: success, control, security, image – they can’t save you
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Trust in Christ – actively, daily, with gratitude
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In suffering, remember: God sees you – and His judgment also brings hope for the oppressed
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Conclusion
The tenth plague was God’s judgment – clear, just, and inescapable.
But it was also a signal of protection for those under the blood of the Lamb.
The question is not if judgment will come –
but where will you stand when it does?
Only under God’s protection is there safety.
And only there does true hope begin.
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Thought of the Day
“What a man sows, he will reap. But through Christ, even the seeds of guilt can grow into a harvest of grace.”
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Illustration – “When the Light Fell Silent”
A story about guilt, grace, and rescue through the blood – from South Africa
Chapter 1 – The Inheritance
Mossel Bay, Western Cape, South Africa. The ocean glittered as if God had scattered diamonds across the water. But further inland, beyond the tourist roads, a different reality unfolded – one of townships, corrugated metal shacks, crumbling schools, and endless clinic lines.
Dumisani Mahlangu, 48, was the most powerful man in the province.
CEO of KuhleChem, a corporation producing pesticides, genetically modified crops, and cheap agricultural chemicals.
He was the son of an anti-apartheid hero – and yet, he was now accused of everything his father had once resisted: exploitation, corruption, oppression.
“It’s for economic growth,” Dumisani would say in interviews.
“If we don’t produce, Africa starves.”
His son Sipho, 17, was his pride and joy. Bright. Athletic. Respected.
He was to inherit the company, carry on the family legacy. Sipho was his firstborn – his heir.
Chapter 2 – The Voice from the Desert
In a small town called Riverside, just 40 kilometers away, lived a quiet, unassuming pastor:
Themba Ndlovu – a man with a raspy voice, a deeply lined face, and a Bible so worn its edges crumbled like dust.
He had spent years in prison – not for crimes, but for resisting illegal land seizures by corporations.
Now he lived simply, running a small community center, leading Bible classes for children – often beneath the shadow of a scorched, ancient acacia tree.
Themba did not preach loudly – but every word struck deeply:
“When the blood of children cries from the ground, God will answer.”
“When money becomes god, we lose our humanity.”
“When the firstborn die, it is not because God is cruel – but because we mocked Him too long.”
No one laughed.
But many went silent.
Chapter 3 – The Fog
In April, the fog came. First as a weather phenomenon – then as a metaphor.
Around the plantations of Mossel Bay, children started falling ill – skin rashes, shortness of breath, difficulty concentrating.
Local doctors blamed stress and poverty.
But Themba knew more. He had seen lab reports – confidential, anonymous, explosive.
A new chemical additive from KuhleChem had leaked – accidentally or deliberately, no one knew.
But the poison crept into ventilation systems, rivers, wells – it reached even supermarket produce.
The government remained silent.
Chapter 4 – The Night
It was June 16th – Youth Day in South Africa.
In memory of the Soweto students who once protested apartheid.
That night, a large celebration took place at the coastal park.
Sipho Mahlangu stood on stage – microphone in hand, surrounded by friends, cameras, applause.
At exactly midnight, he collapsed.
No gunshots. No accident. No murder.
Just a sudden stop of breath.
Then the heart.
Then silence.
Sipho was dead.
Minutes later, more teenagers collapsed – all firstborn sons and daughters of KuhleChem executives, politicians, investors.
Nine.
Then twelve.
Eventually seventeen.
Medical exams revealed nothing. No cause. No explanation.
Chapter 5 – The Cry
The next morning:
Sirens howling for hours.
Funeral processions.
TVs displaying only black screens.
And then – a social media post from Pastor Themba:
“The angel passed through the land.
Those under the blood were spared.”
(Exodus 12:29)
It was shared 20 million times.
Some demanded his arrest.
Others knelt in the dirt and wept.
Chapter 6 – The Turning
On the following Sunday, Dumisani Mahlangu appeared at Pastor Themba’s small church.
Not in a suit.
Not with bodyguards.
Only with his son’s shoes in his hands.
“I thought I could control everything,” he whispered.
“But I lost the one thing that mattered most.”
Themba was silent for a moment. Then he replied:
“Your son was not the punishment.
He was the sign.
You sacrificed other children on the altar of profit –
and now the system has taken your own.
But it’s not too late.
Not for you.
Not for this land.
If you come under the blood – you can begin again.”
Dumisani knelt.
For the first time in his life.
Chapter 7 – The Lamb
Six months later, KuhleChem was dismantled.
Dumisani publicly released all internal documents.
He sold his assets, created a fund for environmental restoration, and began helping build new schools in rural communities.
Pastor Themba started teaching about the “blood of the Lamb” – not as a symbol, but as real protection in a self-destructive world.
On the wall of his church hung a note written by a child:
“God didn’t kill first.
He warned first.
And then He saved.”
Core Message of the Story
God still speaks today –
Through disasters,
Through lost children,
Through brave voices.
He does not judge out of anger – but out of love.
Not to destroy – but to save.
When modern systems become like Egypt – powerful, proud, and blind to justice – God will not remain silent.
But before He judges, He always sends a sign,
a sacrifice,
a lamb.
The Final Question
Are we under the blood?
Or are we still trusting in power, money, and control?
