"He smote all the first-born in Egypt."--_Psalm 78:51._
AFTER the nine sad plagues that had come upon the Egyptians--the blood
for water, the frogs, the lice, the flies, the cattle plague, the
boils, the hail, the locusts, the darkness--there was to be still one
plague more, the last and worst. That would make the Egyptians let the
people of Israel go, so they must be ready.
There should be a terrible night. God's holy angel would pass over the
whole land of Egypt that night, and in each house of the Egyptians
he would slay the eldest son of the family. No one would be spared:
Pharaoh's eldest son, the young prince, and the very poorest person's
son. They had killed the little Israelite babies, so God would punish
them by killing their children. None of the Israelites should lose
their children; only there was one thing for them to do.
[Illustration: THE FEAST OF THE PASSOVER.--Ex. 12:11-14.]
They were that night to sup on a lamb, and, with some of the blood of
the lamb, they were to make a mark on the door-post. Where that mark
was the angel would pass over and do no one any hurt; but the people
would be blest and set free, because they believed God, and did as He
bade them.