April 16, 2013
A JUST GOD
Exodus 9:18-35
Alison Treadaway
Central Truth
God shows us His compassion, His mighty power, and His justice in this seventh plague on the Egyptians.
Key Verse | Exodus 9:29
Moses said to him, "As soon as I go out of the city, I will spread out my hands to the Lord; the thunder will cease and there will be hail no longer, that you may know that the earth is the Lord's." (Exodus 9:29)
Exodus 9:18-35
18 Behold, about this time tomorrow I will cause very heavy hail to fall, such as never has been in Egypt from the day it was founded until now. 19 Now therefore send, get your livestock and all that you have in the field into safe shelter, for every man and beast that is in the field and is not brought home will die when the hail falls on them.”’” 20 Then whoever feared the word of the LORD among the servants of Pharaoh hurried his slaves and his livestock into the houses, 21 but whoever did not pay attention to the word of the LORD left his slaves and his livestock in the field.
22 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, on man and beast and every plant of the field, in the land of Egypt.” 23 Then Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and fire ran down to the earth. And the LORD rained hail upon the land of Egypt. 24 There was hail and fire flashing continually in the midst of the hail, very heavy hail, such as had never been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. 25 The hail struck down everything that was in the field in all the land of Egypt, both man and beast. And the hail struck down every plant of the field and broke every tree of the field. 26 Only in the land of Goshen, where the people of Israel were, was there no hail.
27 Then Pharaoh sent and called Moses and Aaron and said to them, “This time I have sinned; the LORD is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong. 28 Plead with the LORD, for there has been enough of God's thunder and hail. I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer.” 29 Moses said to him, “As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will stretch out my hands to the LORD. The thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that the earth is the LORD's. 30 But as for you and your servants, I know that you do not yet fear the LORD God.” 31 (The flax and the barley were struck down, for the barley was in the ear and the flax was in bud. 32 But the wheat and the emmer 1 9:32 A type of wheat were not struck down, for they are late in coming up.) 33 So Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh and stretched out his hands to the LORD, and the thunder and the hail ceased, and the rain no longer poured upon the earth. 34 But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet again and hardened his heart, he and his servants. 35 So the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people of Israel go, just as the LORD had spoken through Moses.
Dive Deeper | Exodus 9:18-35
Reading about the plagues always causes me to ask, "What was the purpose? Why did God have to do these things to these people?" The answer? A just God will show His true nature and will win in the end.
I've read this passage numerous times. But this time, something struck me differently. In just these 18 verses, God's true nature is revealed fully. In verses 18-20, God shows His compassion and love. He warns the Egyptians of what is to come. He gives them chance to protect their loved ones and livelihood. If He were a God who was merely out to prove His power, He wouldn't do this! But because He loves ALL OF US, He gives us ample opportunity to take His Word and believe it.
In verses 22-26, He reveals His mighty power. Through Moses merely raising his staff, hail, thunder, and lighting (the fire) rain down! By Moses merely raising his staff! This shows us how mighty our God is. He is the author and perfecter of all things, and even the winds obey Him!
And not only that, but in the midst of the hail coming down everywhere, He preserves one area, Goshen, from it all. Again with the compassion -- He is not just out to get us!
In verse 31, the hail ruined the crops that were budding (the things still sown in the ground weren't damaged). At this time, flax and barley were growing. They were the specific crops destroyed in the hail, along with many other things, like people, livestock, and other vegetation. The flax was used to make linen for the Egyptians priests, whereas the commoners wore wool. This plague was a judgment on the priests! It's as if God were saying, "It's not about your title (wearing the linen set them apart) or rituals . . . it's about your heart! And it is hardened to me." He was trying to get their attention and tell them to honor Him, let His people go, and stop holding them in slavery!
Discussion Questions
1. Do you believe God is a compassionate God who loves us all? Where have you seen God's compassion in your life?
2. Why is it important that God is just?
3. What areas of your life aren't aligning with the God you claim to love and serve?