Exodus 11 · a question people ask
Why would God take the firstborn of Egypt?
Exodus doesn't soften it: "There will be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there has not been, nor will be any more" (11:6). The text doesn't answer every question this raises, but it does say several things about it. Before the first plague, God gave Moses this warning for Pharaoh, tied to Pharaoh's refusal: "Israel is my son, my firstborn… you have refused to let him go. Behold, I will kill your firstborn son" (4:22-23). After all the wonders, Pharaoh still "didn’t let the children of Israel go out of his land" (11:10). God had said he would bring Israel out "by great judgments" (7:4), and of that night he says, "I will execute judgments against all the gods of Egypt" (12:12). Israel was to explain it to their sons this way: "When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the LORD killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt" (13:15). And for Israel the same night came with a way to be passed over: "When I see the blood, I will pass over you" (12:13).
The verses
“There will be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there has not been, nor will be any more.”
“You shall tell Pharaoh, ‘The LORD says, Israel is my son, my firstborn, and I have said to you, “Let my son go, that he may serve me;” and you have refused to let him go. Behold, I will kill your firstborn son.’””
“Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, but the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he didn’t let the children of Israel go out of his land.”
“But Pharaoh will not listen to you, so I will lay my hand on Egypt, and bring out my armies, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments.”