(Exodus 11:7) “But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how that the LORD doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.”

Why did God make a difference in the Children of Israel in the land of Goshen, when they were Egypt’s bond slaves, from the fourth plague through the tenth plague? The answer is simple: God had a great Purpose for the Twelve Tribes of Jacob to bring God Glory and Honor. It is the same reason God has made, and does daily make, a difference in His children today from the children of the devil (or the children of darkness) It is because of God’s Eternal Purpose in Christ Jesus for His chosen people that they may be monuments of His Love, Grace and Mercy upon His children.

The first cause, or reason, is for the Glory of God Himself. God chose in His own good pleasure to make a difference in Abram and his descendants; with whom God confirmed the everlasting covenant of grace, to reveal His nature (or His characteristics) of Love, Grace, Mercy, Power, and Peace with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and their posterity. Later in the book of Romans, Paul called the ones to whom God made a covenant with “the children of the promise”; in contrast to the other seed of Abraham, which God called “the children of the flesh.”

God revealed Himself to His people, from the Book of Genesis to the Book of Revelation, as the only One and True Living God. To others God revealed Himself as God, the Creator, Who has all power over all His creation – but not as Jehovah, “I Am that I Am.” The height of this revelation of Himself is found in the face of Jesus Christ, God in the flesh (2 Cor.4:6-7). None who studies the Scriptures (especially from Genesis 12:1 and onward), can say that God Sovereignly did not chose a people to reveal Himself not only as the Creator, Controller and Consummator of all creation – but also as God, thy Salvation.

God chose Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and his children (the Twelve Tribes of Israel) to be a separate people in whom God would reveal His Law, His worship instructions, His salvation, and His blessings on a people of His choosing; and that they were His dwelling place on earth; and that they would be His Kingdom. God had a specific purpose in the Nation of Israel; and that would be that Christ would come through the tribe of Judah. This same Jesus was the answer to Isa. 9:6-7; 53:1-12; and many, many Old Testament prophecies of God coming in the flesh to this earth as King of kings and Lord of lords. The Nation of Israel would represent God and His Kingdom on the earth up until Mt. 21:43; then God would manifest the Body of Christ, or His Church, the Spiritual Kingdom of God on the earth. God revealed that His dwelling place would be in the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle and in the Temple; and later in the New Testament, in Jesus Christ, even in the Church (Eph. 3:21). The Nation of Israel would be His Witnesses, or His Ambassadors, of His love, grace and mercy in the Old Testament.

The reason God made a difference between the children of Israel in Goshen and the Egyptians was to reveal the difference between light and darkness; evil and righteousness; between children of the devil, or the spiritually dead in trespasses and sin, and the children of God, the children of the Light, those chosen of God to reveal Himself on the earth. These are the children of the Testimony of The Grace of God. The difference is God and not man.

The only righteousness that man ever possesses is the Righteousness of God. The Righteousness of God is a gift from God. When God chose Abram, and called him to leave his country, family, and friends, and go to a place of God’s choosing, Abram was living in the idolatrous Ur of the Chaldees. There is no evidence that Abram was a God-worshipper until God came to him and called him unto Himself. When God judged the land of Egypt, God made the difference between the people of Israel and the Egyptians; because of His Eternal Plan for Israel, which God revealed to Abraham in Gen. 12, Gen. 15, & Gen. 17. In Gen. 15 God told Abraham what He would do with the posterity of Jacob (called the children of Israel). In them, He would show the world of darkness (sin) that God has all power over His own creation (Ex. 9:15-16), as He would judge Pharaoh (type of the devil) and Pharaoh’s land (a type of land of sin), and would redeem Israel out of slavery (or out of the bondage of sin).

You may ask, ‘Why Abram? Why me God? Why did you choose me?’ The answer is the same for Abram as for you. (See Deut. 7:6-14.)

(6) “For thou art an holy people (or a set apart people) unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee (not that man chose God; but God chose) to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.

(7) The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:

(8) But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.”

The reason of the Difference is God and His Love, Grace and Mercy for you. Hallelujah! If the difference was up to us, we would never choose God, because until one is given “the gift of faith” (or given Christ Himself; for Christ is the Faith; Gal. 2:20; Eph. 2:8-9), or until one is “quickened” (Eph. 2:1; Jn. 6:63, 65) – he will always choose the lust of the flesh, lust of the eye and the pride of life; for he is “dead” – spiritually dead in trespasses and sin. He is blind and cannot spiritually discern the things of God (1 Cor. 2:10-14); he must be given the “mind of Christ” to ever choose Christ (1 Cor. 2:16). If God has not chosen; and has not called the person unto Himself; and has not brought the person to confess Christ with his mouth what he believes in his heart concerning that Jesus Christ is his personal Sacrifice for his sin debt, that Christ was his Substitute on the cross enduring the wrath of God on sin for the sinner, and that Christ is his personal Savior based upon the Christ being the ransom price paid (Eph. 1:7); and the result of this payment to God the Father being his redemption – then he will Never come to God (Jn. 6:44-45, 65).

The question to be answered is ‘Why the Difference between the Israelites and the Egyptians?’ Again, the Difference is God; for He and only He is the Difference; thus, saith the Word of God. This Difference is hated by many today in the religious world; for if God is the Difference, then man is not the difference. When man comes to this truth, he is close to the Kingdom of God. To God be the Glory, and not to man.