32 “Take your flocks and herds, as you have said, and go. And also bless me.”
Even as Pharaoh is kicking the Israelites out of Egypt as all the firstborn have been killed during that night, Pharaoh still asks for the Lord’s blessing! He has brought all this suffering upon himself and his people by his own refusal to listen to the repeated messages from the Lord. He could still have his firstborn alive, but instead he has held his lifeless body in his arms and heard the tears of anguish from his wife. I think at a very deep level he knows the truth of what the Lord has been saying. Again and again His word has come true exactly as Moses has said. What a terrible price to pay for stubbornness and pride. We don’t know exactly which Pharaoh this was in Egyptian history, but the probable one did have a son who died very unexpectedly at a young age. Sometimes our decisions carry a very great cost. When someone has an affair they often don’t realize the impact this act will have for generations to come. Often it is a moment of passion after a string of small connections. And then the atomic bomb gets dropped in the pond of their life. The ripples are more like titanic IEDs ripping apart the fabric of their relationships. Often the offending person feels like it is no big deal, like everyone around them should be able to get over it like they have. But the ripples continue, the marriage crumbles, the kids get tossed around, the in-laws, the friends, the familiar rituals, all changed in an instant. And the ripples continue in the new relationships that start after the breakup. Only when repentance and forgiveness happens can healing start. Pharaoh had no idea what his refusal would do until he had to see his son in that bed lifeless, hear the wails of his wife and feel the emptiness in his own heart. But then it was too late. Let’s not be like Pharaoh, waiting until it is too late. Let’s repent early and often, turning and drawing in close to the Lord in obedience.
The Arnold Journey 