cristianismo Ex. 11:1–12:36 Death of the Firstborn

caramelmilk posted on Apr 13, 2011 at 12:23AM
This is what the Lord says: 'About midnight I will go throughout Egypt. Every firstborn son in Egypt will die, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, to the firstborn son of the slave girl, who is at her hand mill, and all the firstborn of the cattle as well. There will be loud wailing throughout Egypt—worse than there has ever been or ever will be again.'

(Guess the Lord killed a lot of children in only one night.)

I was curious what you think about this "event" ? I remember I heard this when I was a cute little kid and didn't understand much of the world. I heard it a lot more times later on since I went to a catholic private school for 8 years, but I could never agree with it nor could I understand how someone would want to follow a god who killed innocent children.

I do understand that it had a purpose, call it a "greater good", but I can't bring myself to support the killing of firstborns, who had nothing to do with the situation itself.

How was it for you, when you first read that part of the bible? Could you just accept it? Did I get something wrong? What are your thoughts on this?

cristianismo 3 respuestas

Click here to write a response...
hace más de un año Dearheart said…
It's tragic, yes, but God wasn't just senselessly killing off the first born. Take a look at Exodus 1:8-15...

Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt. 9 “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become far too numerous for us. 10 Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.”

11 So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. 12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites 13 and worked them ruthlessly. 14 They made their lives bitter with harsh labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly.

15 The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, 16 “When you are helping the Hebrew women during childbirth on the delivery stool, if you see that the baby is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.”


Long story short, Pharaoh was the one who started it! God's punishment on him was an echo on that. It had EVERYTHING to do with the situation. If you think all the firstborn of Egypt is a large number, just think how many more countless Israelite slaves - men and women as well as children - suffered and died under Pharaoh's hands and all the people of Egypt. The plagues were tragic, but justified. God's not the cuddly cosmic teddy bear a lot of people make Him out to be. You don't mess with Him, or His people. If He has to use tragedy to get that across, so be it.

I'd talk about this a little more, but I'm really short on time today... >.<
last edited hace más de un año
hace más de un año caramelmilk said…
Thank you for your answer :)
I understand that something had to be done about the situation, but couldn't he find a way without killing innocents? I mean...he created earth, plants, animals, humans...
23 And the LORD said to Moses, “Is the LORD’S power limited? Now you shall see whether My word will come true for you or not” (Numbers 11:23, emphasis mine).
17 “‘Ah Lord GOD! Behold, Thou hast made the heavens and the earth by Thy great power and by Thine outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for Thee’” (Jeremiah 32:17).

26 And looking upon [them] Jesus said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).


So why- if he is so powerful- couldn't he find a "less bloody" way out of this? If everything is possible for him, then did he just not WANT to find another way? Did his rage take over him?

I'm also a bit confused about the wording "HIS people" - I thought god loves everyone the same? Or why were these people more important than the firstborns?
hace más de un año misanthrope86 said…
I have an Atheist interpretation that is not appropriate to share here, but I think this is a really interesting topic of discussion. Hope some other people comment with some more christian perspectives.