The God Who Makes a Distinction Text: Exodus 9:1-7
Introduction: A War on the Gods
We live in an age that prides itself on its sophistication, an age that looks back on the account of the plagues in Egypt as a collection of primitive fireside stories. At best, they are moral fables for children; at worst, they are the mythological ramblings of an ancient tribe. But this is a profound and catastrophic misreading. The plagues are not a random assortment of unfortunate natural disasters. They are a systematic, targeted, and utterly devastating declaration of war by Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, against the entire religious, economic, and political infrastructure of Egypt.
The central question of the book of Exodus is the question Pharaoh himself asks: "Who is Yahweh, that I should obey His voice?" This is the question every man, every ruler, and every nation must answer. There is no neutrality. You either bow to Yahweh or you declare yourself His rival. Pharaoh, puffed up in his own imagined divinity, chooses the latter. And so God proceeds to answer his question. He does so by dismantling the Egyptian pantheon, god by god, pillar by pillar. The plague on the Nile was an attack on Hapi and Osiris, the gods of the river. The plague of frogs was an attack on Heqet, the frog-headed goddess of fertility. And now, in our text, we come to the fifth plague, a direct assault on the bedrock of Egypt's wealth and worship: their livestock.
This is not just a story about sick cows. This is a story about the absolute sovereignty of the one true God over every false claimant to the throne. It is about the great antithesis, the division that God Himself places between His people and the world. And it is a story that reveals the nature of a rebellious heart, which, when confronted with undeniable evidence of God's power, does not soften but rather calcifies into harder rebellion.
The Text
Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Come to Pharaoh and speak to him, ‘Thus says Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, “Let My people go, that they may serve Me. For if you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them, behold, the hand of Yahweh will come with a very heavy pestilence on your livestock which are in the field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the herds, and on the flocks. But Yahweh will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that nothing will die of all that belongs to the sons of Israel.” ’ ” Yahweh also set a definite time, saying, “Tomorrow Yahweh will do this thing in the land.” So Yahweh did this thing on the next day, and all the livestock of Egypt died; but of the livestock of the sons of Israel, not one died. And Pharaoh sent, and behold, there was not even one of the livestock of Israel dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened with firmness, and he did not let the people go.
(Exodus 9:1-7 LSB)
The Unchanging Summons (v. 1-2)
The encounter begins, as it always does, with the unwavering command of God.
"Then Yahweh said to Moses, 'Come to Pharaoh and speak to him, 'Thus says Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, Let My people go, that they may serve Me. For if you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them...'" (Exodus 9:1-2)
We must never lose sight of the central issue. The conflict is not primarily about economic liberation or social justice, though those things are involved. The conflict is about worship. "Let My people go, that they may serve Me." The Hebrew word for serve here is the same word for worship. God is not liberating His people so they can go be autonomous individuals and discover themselves. He is liberating them from the service of a false god, Pharaoh, so that they might enter into the service of the true God, Yahweh. All men serve. All men worship. The only question is whom you will serve.
Pharaoh's sin is that he continues to "hold them." He sees the people of God as his property, his labor force, his possession. This is the essence of tyranny. It is the creature claiming the rights of the Creator. God says, "They are My people." Pharaoh says, "No, they are my people." This is a dispute over ownership, and God is about to settle it decisively.
A Theological and Economic Attack (v. 3)
God then announces the specific nature of the judgment. It is not random; it is precise.
"...behold, the hand of Yahweh will come with a very heavy pestilence on your livestock which are in the field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the herds, and on the flocks." (Exodus 9:3 LSB)
This was a crippling blow aimed at the heart of Egypt. Economically, livestock represented wealth, food, and transportation. The horses were the backbone of the Egyptian military machine, their version of a tank division. To strike the horses was to strike at Pharaoh's military pride and power.
But the attack was primarily theological. Egypt was a zoological garden of deities. The bull was sacred, worshipped as the incarnation of the god Apis or Mnevis. The cow was the symbol of Hathor, a mother goddess. The ram was associated with the creator god Khnum and the great state god Amun-Re. God is not just killing their animals; He is executing judgment on their gods. He is demonstrating that these so-called deities, which were supposed to protect the animals, were utterly powerless to save them from the hand of Yahweh. He is showing them to be what they are: nothing. Just dead animals, rotting in a field.
The Great Distinction (v. 4)
Here we find one of the most important theological statements in the entire narrative.
"But Yahweh will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that nothing will die of all that belongs to the sons of Israel." (Exodus 9:4 LSB)
The modern, sentimental mind hates this verse. It seems unfair, exclusive. But this is the very nature of God's covenant love. God always makes a distinction. He is the one who separates light from darkness, clean from unclean, the holy from the profane, and the church from the world. The word for "make a distinction" means to set apart, to make wonderfully separate. This is not a natural phenomenon. A virus does not check genealogies. A pestilence does not stop at a property line. This is a supernatural, surgical strike. God is drawing a line in the sand, and that line is the covenant.
This distinction, this divine separation, is a profound comfort for the people of God and a terrifying reality for His enemies. It means that God's judgments are not arbitrary. He knows His own. He is not a blind force, but a personal, covenant-keeping God. While the world is being shaken and its foundations are crumbling, God builds a wall of protection around His people. The land of Goshen becomes an island of grace in a sea of judgment.
The Appointed Time and the Fulfilled Word (v. 5-6)
To remove any doubt that this is His own doing, God sets an appointment.
"Yahweh also set a definite time, saying, 'Tomorrow Yahweh will do this thing in the land.' So Yahweh did this thing on the next day, and all the livestock of Egypt died; but of the livestock of the sons of Israel, not one died." (Exodus 9:5-6 LSB)
God puts the judgment on the calendar. "Tomorrow." This act of scheduling the plague elevates it from a mere wonder to a direct sign. It strips Pharaoh of any ability to explain it away as a coincidence or a natural occurrence. The God of the Hebrews is the Lord of time. He does what He wants, when He wants. His Word does not just predict the future; it creates it.
And the fulfillment is absolute. "All the livestock of Egypt died." This is likely a classic piece of Hebrew hyperbole meaning a catastrophic, nationwide loss that shattered their economy and military, specifically referring to the animals in the open field as stated in verse 3. The contrast could not be more stark. Of all the thousands of animals belonging to Israel, "not one died." The distinction was perfect. God's protection was total.
The Investigated Miracle and the Hardened Heart (v. 7)
Pharaoh is not left in ignorance. He is a man who deals with facts. He wants the data.
"And Pharaoh sent, and behold, there was not even one of the livestock of Israel dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened with firmness, and he did not let the people go." (Exodus 9:7 LSB)
Pharaoh sends his agents. He gets the report back. The miracle is confirmed. The distinction is undeniable. He is holding in his hands empirical, verifiable proof of the power of Yahweh and His special care for Israel. And what is his response? Repentance? Submission? No. His heart was "hardened with firmness." The Hebrew says his heart "became heavy." It became stubborn, resolute, and unmovable in its rebellion.
This is a critical lesson for us. Evidence does not produce faith. Miracles do not, in themselves, convert the soul. The problem with the unregenerate man is not a lack of information but a love for his sin. His will is in rebellion. Faced with the truth of God, a truth he cannot deny, the rebel does not bow. He digs in his heels. The same sun that melts the wax hardens the clay. And so it is with the gospel. The same message that is a savor of life unto life for the believer is a savor of death unto death for the unbeliever. Pharaoh's investigation only served to confirm him in his defiance. He saw the power of God and chose to resist it anyway.
Conclusion: The Goshen of the Gospel
This plague is a foreshadowing. It is a historical object lesson that points us to a far greater reality. The world, like Egypt, lies under the judgment of God. Its idols, whether they are made of gold and stone or of ideologies like materialism and secular humanism, are being systematically exposed as impotent and worthless.
And in the midst of this world under judgment, God has His Goshen. He has His church. He has a people for whom He makes a great distinction. That distinction is not based on our ethnicity or our moral performance. The line is drawn in blood. It is the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. The final plague in Egypt was the death of the firstborn, and the only thing that protected Israel was the blood of a lamb on the doorposts. That was the ultimate distinction.
Through faith in Christ, we are brought out of the kingdom of darkness, the Egypt of our sin, and into His marvelous light. We are transferred from the dominion of the great Pharaoh, Satan, and brought into the service of our true King. God's judgment on the world is not something we need to fear, because He has made a distinction. He has set us apart. While the spiritual livestock of this world, its proud institutions and empty philosophies, die off and decay, the flock of God is kept secure. Not one of His sheep will be lost.
The question for every person is the same one that confronted Pharaoh. The evidence of God's power and His grace in Christ is before you. You can investigate the claims. You can see the distinction He makes in the lives of His people. But when the report comes back, what will you do? Will you bow the knee and ask to be included in His Goshen? Or will you, like Pharaoh, allow your heart to become heavy, firm, and fixed in a rebellion that can only end in utter ruin?