Exodus 11:1-3  Now the LORD said to Moses, "I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt.  After that, he will let you go from here, and when he does, he will drive you out completely.  Tell the people that men and women alike are to ask their neighbours for articles of silver and gold."  (The LORD made the Egyptians favourably disposed towards the people, and Moses himself was highly regarded in Egypt by Pharaoh's officials and by the people.)

How encouraging it is to read and reflect on this part of God's revealed Word at this particular time in history.  The world is looking down the barrel at the looming possibility of World War III which could make the previous two international engagements look like a game of 'Cowboys and Indians' in a neighbourhood backyard!

It is not hard to see the striking similarities between the Egyptian Pharaoh Moses was challenging and Vladimir Putin - a man determined to carry through what he has planned in his heart, regardless of contrary wisdom, or the possible devastating consequences.
The LORD is telling Moses what HE is going to do, and the means he is going to use to achieve his purposes - and that's exactly how things panned out.  The previous nine plagues had merely 'hardened Pharaoh's heart', making this sociopath ready for the final showdown.  The LORD has spent the previous 80 years preparing 'this Moses' for all the challenges of the task at hand.  And he has even been preparing the hearts of the Egyptians to play their significant part in the 'plundering of Egypt' (cf Exodus 3:22)!

Pharaoh wants to be the big, all-powerful hero in the outworking of history, but he will find he is nothing but a helpless 'puppet' on the strings of the Sovereign Controller of history.  WE might not know what the future holds in terms of suffering, pain and hardship for the people of Ukraine and the surrounding nations, but we DO KNOW that it is NOT all 'out of control' or in the capricious hands of sinful humanity.   Our Sovereign God, who has established a firm, dependable Covenant with his people, and SEALED it with the precious BLOOD of his SON, is inexorably bringing HIS world - HIS whole Universe - to its final PERFECT fulfilment when Jesus returns as King.  In the meantime, let us keep on TRUSTING HIM because he is the same God who rescued Israel from the hands of a self-serving, arrogant and wicked Pharaoh.