Give thanks to God, because His mercy endures forever, because He killed somebody… WHAT? If you are not reading simply to hear your head roar, this verse has to make you stop and wonder what is going on. But there it is: God smote the firstborn of Egypt, for His mercy endures forever. I’m not so sure that the Egyptians would have been singing in harmony on this one.
But that is the point of this verse and many others like it in scripture. Scripture is written from God’s and His people’s perspective; it was inspired by Him. The destruction of Egypt must not be read from the Egyptian’s viewpoint. CNN and the rest of the media have worked too hard to try to put the microphone in every dictator and despot’s face; but we have to learn to reject that. Egypt had oppressed the people of God for four hundred years! They had sinned against God and against His people. God’s judgment upon His people’s enemy was a merciful act toward His people.
People often do not want to hear about the hard side of God. God must be all mush, or He becomes offensive to some. But God is a righteous sovereign who rules the universe. One day He will rule the nations, not with a lollipop but with a rod of iron. The destruction of the wicked happens every day and will happen with finality. It will be a just act of God, but it will also be an act of mercy toward His people and the whole of creation to remove the wicked from off the earth. So give Him thanks, for His mercy endures forever.
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