Why didn't God kill Pharaoh instead of killing all the firstborns?

[tonychanyt]

Killing the pharaoh would cause political chaos in Egypt. God wanted him alive to use him.

After the firstborns were dead, the Israelites left Goshen. Pharaoh changed his mind and pursued them into the Red Sea. Ex 15:

21 Miriam sang to them: “Sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.”

God used Pharaoh to glorify himself.

Further in Numbers 3:

11 The Lord also said to Moses, 12 “I have taken the Levites from among the Israelites in place of the first male offspring of every Israelite woman. The Levites are mine, 13 for all the firstborn are mine. When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set apart for myself every firstborn in Israel, whether human or animal. They are to be mine. I am the LORD.”

Killing the Egyptian firstborns laid the basis for God to claim the Levites instead of the Israelite firstborns to be priests to serve him. The Levites substituted for the firstborns in service to God. In the NT, Christ superseded the high priest (He 9:11). Jesus, the firstborn (Col 1:15), substituted for the priesthood.

God kept Pharaoh alive to use him to glorify God. Killing the Egyptian firstborn foreshadowed Jesus' redemption.

 

[throughfiierytrial]

I believe there may be more to the fact that God took the first born of the Levites because He struck down all the Egyptian males. Could you parse that out a bit?
Maybe some salvation symbolism?

 

[okay]

Killing the pharaoh would cause political chaos in Egypt. God wanted him alive to use him.

After the firstborns were dead, the Israelites left Goshen. Pharaoh changed his mind and pursued them into the Red Sea. Ex 15:

God used Pharaoh to glorify himself.

Further in Numbers 3:

Killing the Egyptian firstborns laid the basis for God to claim the Levites instead of the Israelite firstborns to be priests to serve him. The Levites substituted for the firstborns in service to God. In the NT, Christ superseded the high priest (He 9:11). Jesus, the firstborn (Col 1:15), substituted for the priesthood.

God kept Pharaoh alive to use him to glorify God. Killing the Egyptian firstborn foreshadowed Jesus' redemption.

Is this a correct rephrasing of your argument?

God killed thousands (10s of thousands? 100s of thousands?) of children so a) God could use Pharaoh to glorify himself, and b) to foreshadow Jesus' redemption.

If that is correct, do you see a justice issue with that? Does it mean there is nothing fundamentally wrong with killing children in order to make a point?

 

[Apple Sky]

How did Pharaoh die ?

 

[the Vital One]

How did Pharaoh die ?

The exact identity of the Pharaoh in Exodus has never been determined. Ahmose I, Ramses II, Thutmose II are frequently mentioned as possible identities.

 

[tonychanyt]

If that is correct, do you see a justice issue with that?

That depends on how one defines justice.

Does it mean there is nothing fundamentally wrong with killing children in order to make a point?

No, it does not mean that.

 

[tonychanyt]

How did Pharaoh die ?

Historically, we don't know which Pharaoh he was. Whoever he was, he probably died of natural causes after the Exodus.

 

[okay]

That depends on how one defines justice

By what definition would killing thousands of children because of Pharaoh’s actions be considered just?

 

[okay]

No, it does not mean that.

Please elaborate. To me it seems like there are three options:

1. God killed the firstborn, and it was not wrong

2. God killed the firstborn, and it was wrong

3 God did not kill the firstborn. That is, the story isn’t meant to be read literally.

If the answer is #1, then doesn’t it imply there is nothing inherently wrong with killing children?

 

[Apple Sky]

The exact identity of the Pharaoh in Exodus has never been determined. Ahmose I, Ramses II, Thutmose II are frequently mentioned as possible identities.

I just read it was Ramses II & he died by drowning in the Sea, not sure how true this is ????

 

[tonychanyt]

By what definition would killing thousands of children because of Pharaoh’s actions be considered just?

By God's definition. If you were God, what would you have done? Check out This life is a testing place for everyone

 

[tonychanyt]

If the answer is #1, then doesn’t it imply there is nothing inherently wrong with killing children?

For the 2nd time, the answer is 'no'.

 

[okay]

For the 2nd time, the answer is 'no'.

Thanks for the reply. I would like to apologize for my posts. They were more about me and not in the spirit that this forum should be about.

I do value the many thoughtful posts you make on this forum.

 

[Rose_bud]

Could possibly be delayed justice in the sense that Israelites were being abused and their children killed.. Moses would of been one of them