Norwegian 2018 (Bibelen - Guds Ord Hverdagsbibelen (Hermon Forlag))
Da sa Moses til farao: «Dette sier Herren: Ved midnatt skal alle de som er født først i sine familier, dø; det gjelder alle, fra den kongelige faraos familie til tjenere. Det gjelder også dyrene i Egypt. Over hele landet skal det høres gråt og jamring som en aldri har hørt – verken før eller senere. Men for at du, farao, skal forstå at Gud gjør forskjell på Egypt og Israel, skal ingen mennesker i Israel, heller ikke så mye som en hund eller noen andre dyr, gi lyd fra seg. Folkene dine skal komme ned til meg og falle ned på kne foran meg og bønnfalle meg om å dra. De vil si: ‘Dra ut, du og folket ditt!’ Så kommer jeg til å dra.» Da han hadde sagt dette, forlot han farao, som var rasende.
What Does This Mean?
In this verse, Moses tells the people that God will come out into the middle of Egypt around midnight. This message comes from God, delivered by Moses, and the key message is the timing of God's action against Egypt.
Explained for Children
Imagine it's bedtime, and your mom tells you, 'around midnight, I'll come check on you.' Moses is like your mom here, telling the people that God will visit Egypt at midnight, just like how your mom will visit your room at night to make sure you're okay.
Historical Background
The book of Exodus was written by Moses around 1446 BC, and it tells the story of the Israelites' liberation from slavery in Egypt. The audience was the Israelites, and the cultural setting was one of oppression and hardship under the Pharaoh's rule.
Living It Out Today
Today, if you're facing a difficult situation, like an upcoming exam or a challenging project, this verse reminds us that God acts at the right time. Just as God acted at midnight, we can trust that God will act in our lives when the time is right.
In Exodus 11:4, 'midnight' symbolizes the time when the Israelites were in the deepest darkness of their oppression, and it was also the time when God acted decisively to free them from Egypt.
How does this verse relate to God's timing?
This verse demonstrates God's perfect timing. Just as God chose midnight to act, we can trust that God acts at the most appropriate times in our lives, even when we may not understand why.
What can we learn about trust from this verse?
From this verse, we learn that trust involves believing in God's promises, even when we cannot see how they will come to fruition. Moses trusted God's word about the timing of the visit.
How does this verse connect to other parts of the Bible?
This verse connects to other parts of the Bible that talk about God's timing and faithfulness, such as Luke 23:44, where Jesus was crucified at the sixth hour, a significant moment in God's plan.