Driven Out

Exodus 11:1 Now the LORD said to Moses, "One more plague I will bring on Pharaoh and on Egypt; after that he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will surely drive you out from here completely.

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה עֹוד נֶגַע אֶחָד אָבִיא עַל־פַּרְעֹה וְעַל־מִצְרַיִם אַחֲרֵי־כֵן יְשַׁלַּח אֶתְכֶם מִזֶּה כְּשַׁלְּחֹו כָּלָה גָּרֵשׁ יְגָרֵשׁ אֶתְכֶם מִזֶּה׃


There is something that I think we tend to miss when we consider the Exodus account.  It is certainly difficult to pick up from the movie with Charlton Heston.  But here we really see it brought out with the construct גָּרֵשׁ יְגָרֵשׁ .  The use of the infinitive emphasizes a point here.  Pharaoh was ready to drive the Israelites away.

It is easy to think of Pharoah begrudgingly letting them go.  However, the language throughout the account is of sending the people away, not merely releasing them.  Here we actually have something translated "drive them away."  In other words, by this time Pharaoah was ready to drive them away so that the plagues would stop.

Why do I mention this?  It really underscores the power and majesty of the Lord.  He is not just tinkering with a big Rube Goldberg machine.  He is directing the world.  He really does have it all in His hands.  This is the God that I worship and serve.  What a privilege to know this awesome God!