Exodus 9:13-21
The Plague of Hail, Part I
From time to time, someone will bring up the old tale about the guy who was questioned by his pastor why he stopped coming to church. The guy’s response was that he didn’t see any point in it because by Monday he didn’t remember a thing about the sermon.
“Hey Brian, I missed church Sunday. What did the pastor speak about?” He’d think and couldn’t remember, so he knew it wasn’t really of any value to him. So, he stopped going. The pastor then asked, “Brian, what did you have for dinner last Tuesday night?”
Brian’s answer, “I have no idea. Why?” The pastor’s response, “You’ve been eating three meals a day for your entire life and you might remember a handful of them. But every one of them nourished you until the next. Without them, you would waste away, and yet you can’t remember them! Sometimes, remembering isn’t the point. Instead, it is the nourishment you get.”
I think about that from time to time, but I would like to go a bit further. In a meal, there are all kinds of things you might eat. Normally, we don’t eat just a bowl full of potatoes, or even a bowlful of different foods pureed together.
Instead, we generally have some meat, some vegetables, some bread, a good dessert, a nice drink that we like, and so on. And if there is something in the meal that we really like, we’ll savor each bite of it. Suppose you love asparagus… you will eat each stalk slowly and with delight.
And even more, the things that are really good for you are the things that your mom or wife will try to get you to eat… at least my wife and mom do! Those are the things that will make you strong, mentally competent, and so on. And yet, by Tuesday you probably won’t remember any of it.
The sermons at the superior word are not made only of potatoes. Nor are they a lot of food pureed together. Instead, they are made of the most delightful of food from the word of God because they are based solely on the word of God. Line by line, bite by bite, we consume each tasty morsel.
Do not be disappointed if you don’t remember what you ate here on Sunday morning when you get to Monday afternoon. What you are consuming is my special meal, prepared for you with ingredients provided by the Lord in the honest hope and intent of having you grow to be healthy, wise, and competent in your faith, in your Bible knowledge, and in your relationship with Christ.
If the details seem overwhelming, they aren’t. The meal is prepared, it is just the right portion, and the table is set. And so pay attention because this Tuesday I will be calling to see if you remember any of it…
Text Verse: “I have not departed from the commandment of His lips;
I have treasured the words of His mouth
More than my necessary food.” Job 23:12
Job said that he treasured the words of the Lord more than his necessary food. Do you feel this way? Can you honestly say that your time in church is spent to feed your hungry soul? If so, I rejoice in you with my deepest heart. And if I do, how much the Lord who gave us this wondrous, superior word!
Let us rejoice in it now and all the days of our lives. May it be so! And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.
I. That My Name May be Declared in All the Earth (verses 13-17)
We are about to enter into the details of the seventh plague to come on Pharaoh and Egypt. The sixth plague came and went with no recorded effect on Pharaoh at all, except the continued hardening of his heart. There was no petition for the plague to end and there was no hint of any release as during some of the other plagues.
The suffering of his subjects, even up to the magicians who stood before him, had no effect on him. And so now the seventh plague will be added to what has already come about. However, there are differences in this plague than the others so far.
This one is introduced with an exceptionally long and fearful warning which is directed specifically at the heart of Pharaoh. Because his heart had been so hardened in the past, it would be directly attacked in this manner.
There is the claim that Pharaoh will realize the uniqueness of Yehovah. There is a note that up to this point that the Lord had withheld His power and actually shown mercy rather than coming at him with all the weight and force that He could have.
But there is also an explanation from the Lord as to why He had followed this path, which is that He may show His power through the plagues in order that His name would be declared in all the earth. Pharaoh is being told explicitly now of the reason why things had happened, and yet it will still not change him.
He will have to suffer through the final plagues before it does. This shows an immense dullness and obstinacy in the man. Think of when one person pushes another around simply to get them angry. Everyone around him can tell him, “He’s doing this just to get you riled up. Don’t let him do it.”
And yet, the instigator prevails because he understands the weak spot of the individual. That is something akin to what Pharaoh is going through. Even with advanced notice, he still follows the very path which he has been told about.
This seventh plague will be the first which actually brings destruction on human life. Unlike the others which merely afflicted them, this is one which is life-threatening and life-consuming. This plague will also be far more destructive because it will not only come against livestock, but against crops as well.
It will literally be able to ravage the country in a much greater way. Further, it will be a plague which has more than one means of destruction. It will have a combined arsenal of weapons united for greater effect. Additionally, though it is explained in advance like the other plagues, it will be a plague which can be avoided.
Thus it is a text of belief in the word of the Lord as much as anything else. Those who hear and comply with the warning will be safe from its consequences. Those who either don’t hear or fail to comply will not be safe. Several of the false gods of Egypt will come under attack during this plague.
The first will be Nut, the sky goddess. The next will be Osiris, the god of crops and fertility. And the third will be Set, the god of storms. The Lord, Yehovah, is teaching the Egyptians and He is teaching Israel. He is more powerful than these gods because He is the One, only, and true God. Let us pay heed to this truth as well.
13 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Rise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh,
Before the beginning of the plagues, we looked at the patterns which run through them. One of them was that there were three groupings of them. This is now the third and final group. Each of the three groups, as this one does, begins with the command to Moses to rise early in the morning to meet Pharaoh.
However, there is a difference in this one. In both the first plague and the fourth plague, not only was Moses told to rise early to go meet Pharaoh, but he was told to do so as he went out to the water. For example, here is how it reads at the beginning of the fourth plague –
“And the Lord said to Moses, “Rise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh as he comes out to the water. Then say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Let My people go, that they may serve Me.'” Exodus 8:20
In this seventh plague, the portion about going out to the water has been left off. In this meeting there is a sense of more urgency and the demand seems more of a fearful threat than a petition for reasonable understanding.
It is also true that Plagues 1 and 4 were announced by the Nile because they dealt with Nile’s waters. However, the location at the announcement of plague 7 isn’t given because it comes from heaven. Thus it will cover all locations.
13 (con’t) and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews:
This is the 18th time the term “Hebrew” has been used in the Bible and 12th in Exodus. We are again reminded that Yehovah is in fact the God of the Hebrew people. Five times in Exodus, the term “God of the Hebrews” has been used and this is the 4th time that the entire title Yehovah elohe ha’ivrim or “Yehovah, God of the Hebrews” has been used.
Considering that the term “Hebrew” is only used 38 times in the Old Testament and only about 50 total in the Bible, it’s important to remember how often it is used in Exodus. God has called out this people for Himself and has identified Himself with them.
This foundational principle is necessary to remember because He shows the same care for them in the book of Revelation which precedes the millennial reign of Christ where He will reign among them after bringing them out of the control of the world once again. When the church age is over, Israel will be the focus.
Those Gentiles, who see this and receive it, aligning with them, will fall under His care. Those who don’t will face a different end.
13 (con’t) “Let My people go, that they may serve Me,
This is the exact same wording that has been used on several occasions already. Pharaoh has His people in servitude and the Lord demands that they now be released to serve Him. They are not Pharaoh’s and therefore the demand is valid. If it is favorably responded to, all will go well. If it is not, there will be consequences…
14 for at this time I will send all My plagues to your very heart,
This is an emphatic announcement. The previous six plagues were brought against an already stubborn man with an already hard heart. The first five of them only made Pharaoh harden his heart by voluntary action. The sixth initiated a penal hardening of his heart by the Lord.
However, this one is intended to work on his heart in a new way. It is to begin to alert him to the power of the Lord and the immense consequences of continued obstinacy. In other words, even if his heart continues to harden, it is intended to ultimately bring it to the breaking point where he will voluntarily release the Hebrews.
Whereas several of the previous plagues only afflicted the external part of the man, these next three are intended to afflict his very heart. The words “at this time” are certainly speaking of all of the coming plagues. They would arrive in rapid succession as if blows in a boxing match.
In this verse, the term for “plagues” is unique to the book of Exodus. It is the noun form of the verb which is more commonly used. The word is maggephah and it indicates pestilence which leads to a slaughter, like a striking blow. Human death is associated with it.
It is the same word that is used three times in Zechariah 14, a passage which is speaking of the end times during the tribulation period of which the plagues on Egypt picture. Those three times read as follows –
“And this shall be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem:
Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet,
Their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets,
And their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths.” Zechariah 14:12
&
“Such also shall be the plague
On the horse and the mule,
On the camel and the donkey,
And on all the cattle that will be in those camps.
So shall this plague be.” Zechariah 14:15
So great will the coming plagues upon Pharaoh be that he will eventually have to admit defeat and let the people of Israel go. As John Calvin says about this verse –
“It announces that they will be plagues that will not only strike the head and arms, but penetrate the very heart, and inflict a mortal wound” (Calvin).
14 (con’t) and on your servants
Like previously, the plague will come upon the servants of Pharaoh. Because he fails to allow the Hebrews to serve the Lord, his own servants will suffer from the hand of the Lord.
14 (con’t) and on your people,
In the previous verse, the Lord said, “Let my people go.” If he fails to release the Lord’s people, his own people will suffer. If he complies, his people will be safe. And the reason for this is made explicitly clear…
14 (con’t) that you may know that there is none like Me in all the earth.
The Lord is God and beside Him there is no god. He is unique and He is sovereign. This 14th verse of Exodus 9 is tied directly to the opening statement and the first two of the Ten Commandments given in chapter 20. Here are those words –
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.
4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them.” Exodus 20:2-4
And this prohibition in the Second Commandment is explained in detail in Deuteronomy 4 –
“Take careful heed to yourselves, for you saw no form when the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, 16 lest you act corruptly and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of any figure: the likeness of male or female, 17 the likeness of any animal that is on the earth or the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air, 18 the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground or the likeness of any fish that is in the water beneath the earth. 19 And take heed, lest you lift your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun, the moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven, you feel driven to worship them and serve them, which the Lord your God has given to all the peoples under the whole heaven as a heritage. 20 But the Lord has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be His people, an inheritance, as you are this day.” Deuteronomy 4:15-20
The lesson of verse 14 is a lesson we are to never forget. We are to learn and remember that there is no god like the Lord because there is no god, but the Lord.
15 Now if I had stretched out My hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, then you would have been cut off from the earth.
This is actually a very difficult verse in the Hebrew. It is in the past tense, as noted by the NKJV, but their wording still is lacking in the force of the Hebrew. The KJV completely botched the translation, putting it in the future tense which sets up a contradiction with the account. They translate it as –
“For now I will stretch out my hand, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence; and thou shalt be cut off from the earth.”
Young’s Literal Translation says it as it is written in the Hebrew –
“…for now I have put forth My hand, and I smite thee, and thy people, with pestilence, and thou art hidden from the earth.”
The words are past tense and yet they show the entire scope of what the Lord is capable of doing, what He has done, and what He will do. It is an announcement of the whole process; beginning to end. He will strike Pharaoh, He will strike Pharaoh’s people, and pestilence will be a part of it, but not the whole of it. And the whole process will include their being cut off from the earth.
He could have already done this, but thus far it had not fully come to pass. And the reason for this is given in the next verse…
16 But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up,
The word translated as “I have raised you up” is a single word based on the verb amad – “to stand” or in essence “to keep alive.” The Lord kept Pharaoh standing through this entire process thus far instead of striking him down for a reason.
This is set in contrast, for example, with the magicians who in verse 11 were described as not being able stand before Moses. There the same word, amad, was used. Where they could no longer stand, Pharaoh could because the Lord caused him to stand. There is purpose and intent in this which is explained as we continue…
16 (con’t) that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.
This entire 16th verse is quoted by Paul in Romans 9:17 to reveal and demonstrate the absolute sovereignty of God. There he uses a different word for “raise up” than the Greek translation of the Old Testament. After citing this, he continues with the words, “Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.” (Romans 9:18)
Paul’s choice of wording is used to demonstrate to the Jews of his time that their national rights and privileges under the Lord were not inalienable. God was neither unjust nor arbitrary in His rejection of them. Rather, He is sovereign in His dealings with man, even man who bears His name, even Israel.
What God wills is what will happen, and at times He even explains the purposes for it, but He owes us no explanation at all. He is God and we are man. Pharaoh has been given an explanation for the events which have come to pass, and others which will transpire. Israel has likewise been given an explanation for their rejection.
What is most notable is that despite being told the reason, both Pharaoh and Israel continued to act exactly as the Lord intended. There is no outwitting God, even with all of His cards laid out on the table. Likewise, the antichrist who is coming already has the details of what will happen and how it will happen, and yet, it will still happen.
There is nothing he can do to change it, even if he tried. His attempts to subvert the Bible would only turn out to be a portion of the fulfillment of it. Pharaoh of the past, Israel of today, and the antichrist of the future were marked for ruin. Unlike Pharaoh and the antichrist, Israel’s ruin will end and they will again be exalted. Such is the nature of the sovereignty of God.
17 As yet you exalt yourself against My people in that you will not let them go.
Owdkha misto-el b’ammi – “As yet you exalt yourself against my people.” The word “exalt” is salal. It means to “cast up” or “lift up” as a dam or a rampart. It is connected to the word meaning “highway,” which carries the same connotation. A highway is built up higher than the surrounding terrain.
There is, in the Bible, a contrast between the correct highway and the incorrect one. Like Pharaoh here, in the book of Jeremiah, and to their detriment, the people of Israel had left the proper one –
“Because My people have forgotten Me,
They have burned incense to worthless idols.
And they have caused themselves to stumble in their ways,
From the ancient paths,
To walk in pathways and not on a highway.” Jeremiah 18:15
But Isaiah foresaw a time when they would take the correct one once again –
“Go through,
Go through the gates!
Prepare the way for the people;
Build up,
Build up the highway!
Take out the stones,
Lift up a banner for the peoples!” Isaiah 62:10
It might seem like a roundabout way of explaining Pharaoh’s actions, but his exalting himself is simply a pattern which is followed by others, be they Israel, or be they one of us. But whether it is casting up a rampart against the Lord’s people or even the Lord Himself, sometimes we just keep doing what makes no sense.
In this verse, the words are a statement, not a question, but in them may be a sense of incredulity. “Aren’t you tired of this yet? Aren’t you tired of heaping up a rampart which only hinders you, not Me? Stop opposing Me, stop exalting yourself, and let My people go!”
A point we can see from this verse, and which is plainly evident, is that if Pharaoh had already yielded to the word of the Lord, the plagues would have ended. If he were to yield to them now, there would be no further destruction. In other words, we cannot read into this that God created Pharaoh for destruction.
Rather, Pharaoh’s free will has acted against the Lord and his free will has brought him calamity. And it will continue to bring it on him until he is destroyed. God’s pre-knowledge of Pharaoh’s decisions does not mean that Pharaoh didn’t make them. He did and the consequences for them belong to him as well.
You’re a terribly stubborn soul there Pharaoh
Aren’t you ready yet to yield to Me?
You’re obstinate right down to your bone’s marrow
This will end badly for you, but you just can’t see
Your water has turned to blood
And zillions of frogs haven’t made you wise
You’ve seen the land filled with lice
And everything around you was corrupted with flies
Your livestock has died from pestilence
And your bodies have been covered with festering boils
Your hard heart just makes no sense
Now it’s time for you to end My people’s toils
II. Advanced Warning (verses 18, 19)
18 Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause very heavy hail to rain down, such as has not been in Egypt since its founding until now.
In past plagues, the day of the plague has been announced, “tomorrow.” However, with this plague, even the timing of the day is given. This is meant to demonstrate that Yehovah is the Lord of every aspect of what will occur, even of time itself.
Every element of the plague is under His control, the region of the plague is within His control, and the very timing of it is as well. The Lord is demonstrating absolute sovereignty over all aspects of creation. Further, the wording in the Hebrew of this verse is given as a confirmation of His words in verse 14.
There He said, ba’abur teda ki en kamoni – “that you may know (there is) none like Me.” In this verse He says, asher lo hayah kamohu – “such as not has been like.” There is none like Yehovah and none can do like Yehovah. What He does is beyond the ability of any other because it comes from the One who is, and there is no other.
What the Egyptians would experience on the morrow would be unlike any other such event in the entire history of the nation. The stories from years past of great storms or unique weather events would pale in comparison to what lies ahead, just a few hours hence. The event is referred to in both Psalm 78 and Psalm 105.
In fact, barad, or “hail” is mentioned only 29 times in the Old Testament and 20 of them are either in Exodus or are referring to the account in exodus. But despite the unique nature of the coming plague upon Egypt, there are other plagues of hail recorded in the Bible.
One notable one is found in Joshua. In a battle where the enemy was defeated and had gone into full retreat, the Lord handled those who fled –
“And it happened, as they fled before Israel and were on the descent of Beth Horon, that the Lord cast down large hailstones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than the children of Israel killed with the sword.” Joshua 10:11
And two more such displays are promised to come during the tribulation period. One is seen in the first trumpet judgment –
“The first angel sounded: And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. And a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.” Revelation 8:7
And the other is seen in the final bowl judgment –
“And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent. Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great.” Revelation 16:21
Egypt will receive a good resounding pounding during their plague, but unlike the coming tribulation period, at least the Lord granted them terms of mercy. He gave them the time of the plague, the nature of the plague, and what to do about it. It is to be a test of individual trust concerning the word of the Lord…
19 Therefore send now and gather your livestock and all that you have in the field, for the hail shall come down on every man and every animal which is found in the field and is not brought home; and they shall die.”’”
It is noted that in Egypt the livestock was left in the open country from about January to April. This was the time when the grass was most abundant. At other times, the Nile would overflow its banks and the livestock would be brought into shelters in the villages.
Now with the Nile having been dammed, this is no longer a problem, but the timing of this event is believed to be around February because of the wording concerning the flocks. This then aligns with the coming final plague being at the time of the Passover.
It is during this early part of the year that the announcement is made and the warning is given. Those who pay heed will be saved, those who don’t will die. It is the first time that the loss of human life is explicitly mentioned as a result of a coming plague.
The Lord has raised the stakes and yet has granted mercy at the same time through the warning. It is an exacting parallel to what is coming in the tribulation period. God has given a warning, in advance, for those who must suffer through that time.
Chapter 13 of Revelation says that in order to function in the coming post-rapture society one will need to take the mark of the beast –
“He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” Revelation 13:16, 17
However, chapter 14 shows what the consequences of taking the mark will be –
“If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” Revelation 14:9-11
A warning has been given to those who dwell in Egypt, Pharaoh’s domain, and a warning has been given to the world of the tribulation period, the domain of the antichrist. The question is, “Who will pay heed?”
In Your wrath, remember mercy O God
Remember that we are but flesh and wither as grass
Short is the time that on this earth we trod
And O, how quickly away do our days pass
Who could stand if You were to fairly judge our sin
Who could say, “Yes, I here today am free of guilt.”
No, our lives testify that we are done in
And with our deeds only condemnation we have built
But You, O God are rich in mercy to us
You have cut through the bars of iron and chains of brass
You have sent Your Son, Your beloved Jesus
For fallen man, this marvel has come to pass
III. Who Will Pay Heed? (verses 20 & 21)
We just noted at the end of section 2 the thought that a warning was given to those who dwell in Egypt, Pharaoh’s domain, and a warning has been given to the world of the tribulation period, the domain of the antichrist. The pertinent question in both of these circumstances is, “Who will pay heed?” And the answer is…
20 He who feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his livestock flee to the houses.
Of those Egyptians who realized that Yehovah is worthy of fear, there was a display of wisdom. As the proverb says –
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Proverbs 9:10
These servants of Pharaoh began to display wisdom because they began to fear the Lord. They paid heed to His words and they readied themselves for what they were certain was coming. Those in the tribulation period, those who missed the call of the Lord and the catching away, will have to decide what they will do.
Will they ignore the word, take the mark, and be lost, or will they take the narrow path? Only time will tell who is who, but the book of Revelation does say that there will be a great multitude that will finally learn to fear the word of the Lord and to pay heed.
Here are the words of their notable deeds of faith which will be rewarded with life –
“And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.” Revelation 20:4
It should be noted that in this verse, it never mentions Pharaoh’s people as it did in the previous verses. It says “the servants of Pharaoh” and then their servants after them. If I were to look for a reason why, it is because Pharaoh is a picture of the antichrist.
Everyone who enters the tribulation will be, by default, servants of the devil and thus servants of his representative, the antichrist. This then is a picture of those who realized that the Lord is the Lord, and they have eventually acknowledged that fact.
They may be the crummy preachers who never believed the Bible, which the world is full of at this time. Now, they are the devil’s servants and do his bidding. Not only that, they are also leading their flocks down that same crummy path to destruction.
However, when they realize their error after the rapture, they will finally learn to protect their own servants and the flocks under them. This then gives a reasonable explanation for the great multitude that will refuse the mark of the beast.
A simple word like “servant” give us clues to pay attention to in order to see the pictures of what lies ahead when the world heads into the great calamities it is destined to endure.
*21 But he who did not regard the word of the Lord left his servants and his livestock in the field.
Of course, there are those who had already endured six plagues and yet still refused to acknowledge the word of the Lord. They did not regard the word and they left their flocks out for destruction. Solomon beautifully describes this type of reprobate in the Proverbs as well, and he gives a contrast to him also –
“He who disdains instruction despises his own soul,
But he who heeds rebuke gets understanding.
33 The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom,
And before honor is humility.” Proverbs 10:32, 33
In order to be honored, one must show humility. Bowing to the Lord as the greater is a sign of humility. Fearing the word of the Lord and His instruction is also a sign of humility. When one fears the word, they will heed the word and carefully apply it to life.
Some will take this path and they will be saved, but there will be an immense number that will put their temporary desires for life and food above any eternal reward they could be granted. They will care nothing for their flocks and they will leave them for destruction. As Matthew Henry says about such folks –
“Obstinate unbelief is deaf to the fairest warnings and the wisest counsels, which leaves the blood of those that perish upon their own heads.” Henry
Only time will tell which are which. At the rapture, everyone left behind will be in the same position. However, the Lord is merciful and He will grant life to those who put Him above all else. Great is our God who grants us the freedom to accept Him or reject Him.
These stories have been recorded to show us what really happened in the past and to show us the story of redemptive history as it has slowly unfolded. In individual bites, they give us glimpses of what the Lord disdains and of the things He rejoices in.
In the larger picture, we see the whole scope of what God has done, is doing, and what He will do all the way through until the end of time. Many generations have come and gone and the vast majority of people have not had the enormous blessings that we have today.
We have the whole record of God’s word, we have churches everywhere, and Christian TV and radio in abundance. And yet, it may be that we have still not made peace with God. If the people of the past were swept away for not heeding the word of the Lord, how much more do we deserve it!
But the Lord is there, calling out to us and waiting on us to act. Time is fleeting though, and all things must come to an end. Before that day comes for you, and it very well may be today, I would hope and pray that you would make your peace and get right with God. The way to do that is through Jesus. So please let me tell you what you need to know…
Closing Verse: “He who heeds the word wisely will find good,
And whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he.” Proverbs 16:20
Next Week: Exodus 9:22-35 (The Plague of Hail, Part II) (27th Exodus Sermon)
Wasn’t that a nice closing verse! He who heeds the word wisely will find good. And whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he. What a Rock of refuge in a most unstable world! What a fixed and firm anchor in a sea of turmoil and chaos! Thank God for Jesus Christ who has bound us to Him for eternity! And thank God for the Bible which lights our path and gives us joy and comfort every time we pick it up and read it! What a great God!
The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. Even if a deep ocean lies ahead of You, He can part the waters and lead you through it on dry ground. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.
Raining Down from Above
Then the Lord said to Moses as we know
“Rise early in the morning
And stand before Pharaoh
And say to him this as a warning
“Thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews, plainly
“Let My people go, that they may serve Me
For at this time I will send all My plagues, even so
To your very heart, and on your servants too
And on your people, that you may know
That there is none like Me in all the earth, so I warn you
Now if I had stretched out My hand
And struck you and your people with pestilence
Then you would have been cut off from the land
A just and right display of my magnificence
But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up
In withholding from you destruction or dearth
That I may show My power in you, as I pour My cup
And that My name may be declared in all the earth
As yet you exalt yourself, yes even so
Against My people in that you will not let them go
Behold, tomorrow about this time
I will cause very heavy hail to rain down, and how!
Such as has not been in Egypt with its clime
Since its founding until now
Therefore send now and gather your livestock
And all that you have in the field
For the hail shall come down on every man
Any who to My word will not yield
And every animal which in the field is found
And is not brought home, shall die on that piece of ground
He who feared the word of the Lord, we will see
There, among Pharaoh’s servants
Made his servants and his livestock flee
To the houses, showing wise observance
But he who did not regard the word of the Lord
Left his servants and his livestock in the field
Shunning that kind and merciful word
Their hearts to Him they did not yield
How many times, I would like to know
Does the Lord have to prove His word is true?
What more could you ask, some great heavenly show?
Is it this that which is required by you?
His word is splendid, holy and pure
It is filled with proofs if you will but open your eyes
It is faithful, reliable, and sure
And it is sufficient to make you wise
Rain down, you heavens from above
And let the skies pour down righteousness
O God, Thou who art abundant in love
It is You alone our souls shall bless
Help us to receive and apply to our lives Your superior word
As we wait on the return of Jesus, our precious Lord
And then in that day, O great, glorious, and awesome God
In Your magnificent presence we shall trod
Hallelujah and Amen…
