What Happens When God Finally Says “Enough is Enough”?
Exodus 12:29–32 (ESV)
At midnight the Lord struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the livestock. And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians, and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where someone was not dead. Then he summoned Moses and Aaron by night and said, “Up, go out from among my people, both you and the people of Israel, and go, serve the Lord, as you have said. Take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone, and bless me also.”
There are passages in Scripture that feel heavy the moment you read them, and these verses sit squarely among them. Judgment finally arrives. There is no plague to clean up after, no discomfort to endure for a few days, no warning to reconsider. The Lord moves through Egypt in a way that no one can ignore, and every household carries the weight of His holiness.
It is confronting, but it is also honest. God has been patient for chapter after chapter. He has given Pharaoh opportunity after opportunity to turn back. He has spoken clearly, shown His power, exposed Egypt’s idols and invited repentance. Yet the king’s heart has remained closed. Now the moment that has been announced for so long finally comes, and it comes with a grief that ripples through the whole nation.
The text makes no distinction between Pharaoh’s household and the poorest family in the land. Rank does not shield anyone. Power does not protect anyone. Human status does not soften divine judgment. It is a levelling moment, and it reminds us that sin is not contained by social boundaries. It reaches every home, and only God’s provision can shield anyone.
Then Pharaoh calls Moses and Aaron in the middle of the night. There is desperation in his voice. He does not negotiate, he does not bargain, he does not delay. “Go, serve the Lord.” For the first time, he says the words without conditions. His will has finally broken under the reality of God’s authority. And then he adds a small, almost tragic plea, “Bless me also.” The king who saw himself as a god now asks for mercy.
We may feel distant from Pharaoh, but his desperation reveals something we all know deep down. When we finally come face to face with the consequences of resisting God, our defences collapse. Pride only holds for so long. Eventually the soul knows it needs help. The question is whether we reach this point willingly through humble repentance, or painfully through hardening the heart until God says “enough”.
These verses also reveal something about God’s salvation. Judgment and mercy run side by side. On the same night that death sweeps through Egypt, life is preserved in every home marked by the blood of the lamb. The difference is not morality but mercy. Israel lives because the Lord Himself provides a covering. Egypt grieves because Pharaoh refuses it.
The passage asks us to consider our own hearts. Do we take God’s warnings seriously, or do we treat them as background noise. Do we come under the shelter He provides, or do we insist on our own stubborn independence. Do we wait until everything collapses before we bow our heads, or do we listen now while His mercy is offered freely.
Pharaoh reaches the point where he can no longer pretend to be in control. May we reach that point earlier and with softer hearts, trusting the God who judges rightly and saves generously.
Prayer
Father, help us to take Your word seriously and to listen when You warn us. Keep our hearts soft, and lead us to the shelter You provide in Christ. Teach us to turn to You before pride blinds us, and to trust Your mercy before judgment falls. Amen.