July 22, 2026
Wednesday, July 22
Does the story of Passover bother you? I believe it should. There are several stories in Scripture that trouble me; times when God commands His people to kill an enemy indiscriminately, or moments when His own wrath breaks out in a shocking and fatal way. But this might be the most disturbing biblical story of all. God sends His angel to take the lives of thousands of children, presumably none of whom had committed acts of violence against Israel (or anyone else). How can we square this with a God who crafts every infant in their mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13-16), who rebuked the Twelve with the words,” Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven” (Mt. 19:14), who brought a child into the midst of His disciples and said that becoming child-like is the key to heavenly greatness (Mt 18:1-4)?
Some might say it’s wrong to ask such questions. But then I read about Abraham questioning God before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. How could the Lord wipe out two large cities full of men, women and children? As the patriarch put it, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” (Genesis 18:25). True, God is God, and we’re not. His ways are always right, no matter how we feel about them. But it’s good—and biblical--to ask Him about the things we don’t understand.
On the other hand, it’s evil for us to rejoice in—or even express indifference toward—someone else’s suffering or death. Look at what Scripture says about how God feels:
Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live? (Ezekiel 18:23. He says virtually the same thing in Ez 33:11)
The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)
I believe every human death impacts God emotionally with a pain we cannot comprehend. Therefore, we’re never more Christlike than when we grieve those who perish.
But God is also a righteous judge. He alone knows what it takes to balance the scales of justice. He also knew this was what it would take for Pharaoh to set the enslaved people of Israel free. And let’s not forget, at every stage, the Egyptian people had a chance to listen to the voice of God. Remember, there were times during the earlier plagues when some Egyptians knew what was coming and took measures to protect themselves. They brought their animals in from the fields, for instance, when they knew God was sending a hailstorm. I can’t say if any Egyptian home put the blood of a spotless lamb on their doors that night, but if they had, they would have been spared. Here is what I know: In every house in that country that night, Egyptian, Israelite or otherwise, there was either a dead son or a dead lamb.
One more thing: Everyone who dies stands before a God who loves them more than life itself. I can’t guarantee that those Egyptian children all entered Heaven that day. But I can guarantee that the Lord who later died to save sinners did what was right and just.
“Lord, thank you for sharing the whole truth with me, even the hard parts. I will not understand it all, at least on this side of Heaven, but you have more than earned my trust. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Senior Pastor
First Baptist Conroe
More from Pastor Jeff at his website: jeffbergerwriting.com
