Exodus 9:1-7 -- Death of Livestock

Exodus 9:1 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and say to him: This is what Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let My people go, so that they may worship Me. 2 But if you refuse to let them go and keep holding them, 3 then the Lord’s hand will bring a severe plague against your livestock in the field—the horses, donkeys, camels, herds, and flocks.

 So the Lord said he would strike their "horses, donkeys, camels, herds, and flocks."  The horses, donkeys and camels were the animals they would have used to work and travel.  If they die, then their work and travel would become much harder.  Their flocks and herds, talking about goats and sheep most likely, were a source of food.  With out meat or milk, their food supply would diminish greatly.

Exodus 9:4 But the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that nothing of all that the Israelites own will die.”

 Again, the Lord does not touch the flocks, herds or animals that belonged to the Israelites.  He made a distinction between his people and the people of Pharaoh.

Exodus 9:5 And the Lord set a time, saying, “Tomorrow the Lord will do this thing in the land.” 6 The Lord did this the next day. All the Egyptian livestock died, but none among the Israelite livestock died. 7 Pharaoh sent messengers who saw that not a single one of the Israelite livestock was dead. But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not let the people go.

Again, the reports of Moses and Aaron became true.  The Lord promised death of all the Egyptian animals and life for all the Israelites' animals.  Pharaoh saw that all this came about, but his heart was still hardened and he refused to listen to God.  He knew this was God who preformed these things, but he still did not listen, much like the merchants watching the destruction of Babylon at the end of times.

Revelation 17b And every shipmaster, seafarer, the sailors, and all who do business by sea, stood far off 18 as they watched the smoke from her burning and kept crying out: “Who is like the great city?” 19 They threw dust on their heads and kept crying out, weeping, and mourning:

Woe, woe, the great city,
where all those who have ships on the sea
became rich from her wealth,
for in a single hour she was destroyed.
20 Rejoice over her, heaven,
and you saints, apostles, and prophets,
because God has executed your judgment on her!

Those who watched the destruction of the great city recognized that God had executed his judgments on Babylon.  They did not, however, turn and repent, or even attempt to help save the city.  They stood on their boats and watched, crying at the loss of all their worldly treasures. It is almost like they are angry at the saints, apostle and prophets: the city was destroyed because of you!  That is the wrong attitude.  They should have been saying "God your power is great and your judgment is just, we believe you are God"  But again, their hearts were hard, just like Pharaoh's.  They would not listen to God, even when his majesty and power were on display for them.