Hello my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
I’m sure you’ve heard this phrase: “From Bad to Worse”! It’s used in all types of situations, but most frequently it is a commentary on poor leadership, causing a declining situation, which brings with it great disappointment and sometimes significant, long lasting, problems, That is exactly what was happening in Egypt, as we continue today watching the battle between Pharaoh and God. While Moses is the messenger, he has no real authority or power which is why I say the battle is between Pharaoh and God.
As the Egyptian people are recovering from the painful plague of their skin boils, I left you yesterday in the Egyptian palace throne room as Moses was delivering a very forthright message from God. “This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may worship Me, or this time I will send the full force of My plagues against you and your officials and your people, so that you may know that there is no one like ME in all the earth. For by now I could have stretched out My hand and struck you and your people with a plague that could have wiped you off the face of the earth.” (Ex. 9:13-15) I imagine Moses paused right there to let Pharaoh ponder this frightening, undeniable truth. Each of the plagues he and Egypt have suffered has been an amazing miracle proving the limitless power of Almighty God and the last three great plagues… the flies, the death of livestock and the boils have ONLY struck the Egyptians. God has made a clear distinction and protected the Hebrews and the region of Goshen where they live. It is true, God had been very careful to demonstrate His power with restraint thus far. If God can do all these things, then YES, God certainly could have sent a plague that would have killed every Egyptian, including the Pharaoh. But Pharaoh’s heart was hard, his mind resolute.
Has that ever happened to you? Have you rejected common sense and stood inflexible on a wrong decision? Have you been urged by family or friends to see the error of your ways, but you refused? Why? Where is such hard heartedness rooted? Pride and refusal to admit wrong are certainly two such places, right? Pharaoh would not bend. He would not release the Hebrews from their slave pits, nor would he acknowledge the supremacy of Moses’ God! May I ask, what has your stubbornness cost you in your lifetime?
Seeing Pharaoh was unaffected by the words of God he had spoken, Moses delivered the rest of the message God had given him for hard hearted Pharaoh: “You still set yourself against My people and will not let them go. Therefore at this time tomorrow I will send the worst hailstorm that has ever fallen on Egypt, from the day it was founded until now.” (Ex. 9:17,18) We have no record that Pharaoh said anything to Moses, but I can see his face turning red with anger, the veins in his neck bulging and perhaps he raised his right arm and pointed to the door and simply shouted “get out”!
His officials stood by wondering what to say or do. I suppose Pharaoh ranted and raged after Moses left and finally settled down enough to ask these officials what their plan would be to protect people and animals, crops and homes, from this predicted hail storm? And please take note that Moses had predicted the storm would come ‘tomorrow’! They have less than 24 hours to spread the word and call Egypt to prepare, and they do not have radio or tv or internet or cell phones! We have no record of how they spread the word or even what warning they gave the people of Egypt. But we do have this record of what God did: “Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that hail will fall all over Egypt – on men and animals and everything growing in the fields of Egypt…. The LORD sent thunder and hail and lightning flashed. It was the worst storm in the land of Egypt… Throughout Egypt hail struck everything in the fields, it beat down everything growing and stripped every tree. The only place it did not hail was the land of Goshen, where the Israelites were.” (Ex. 9:22-26)
Are you able to imagine this storm my friends? Have you experienced hurricanes or tornadoes or typhoons or powerful thunderstorms with damaging hail? These types of severe storms can be devastating, can’t they? The path of destruction left behind after the skies clear, often requires a very long time to clean up the debris and rebuild some degree of normal life again. Look out over the landscape of Egypt… what do you see? Where would you begin the cleanup process? And once again those Egyptians living near Goshen are baffled. That region where the Hebrew slaves lived was untouched! How do you explain that?
A messenger came running to Moses… ‘the Pharaoh is calling for a meeting with you, come quickly.’ As Moses and Aaron walked through the debris of destroyed crops in the fields, trees stripped bare of leaves and bark, animals killed by huge hail… the sight likely looked like the region had been bombed. As they entered the palace, the atmosphere was different from the last time they had seen angry Pharaoh. The record says: “Pharaoh said, ‘This time I have sinned. The LORD is right and I and my people are wrong. Pray to the LORD, for we have had enough thunder and hail. I will let you go; you don’t have to stay any longer.” (Ex. 9:27,28)
Moses was stunned, as were Pharaoh’s officials. Such words had never been uttered by this Pharaoh. He was actually acknowledging that he has acted wrongly, that his hard heart was causing great damage to his country and his people! Pharaoh was doing something leaders rarely do… he was taking responsibility for his wrong actions and acknowledging his sin publicly! Have you discovered that this attitude, this place of repentance and humility is the foundation for rebuilding an honorable life? God can work in such a repentant, humble heart… if it is genuine!
But Moses was skeptical. He had known this Pharaoh as a boy and young adult. In these several encounters Moses has had a good chance to look deeply into Pharaoh’s heart now as the most powerful man in the world. Moses spoke: “When I have gone out of the city I will spread out my hands in prayer to the LORD. The thunder will stop and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that the earth is the LORD’s. But, I know that you and your officials still do not fear the LORD God.” (Ex.9:29,30) Moses was doubtful that any real change had taken place in Pharaoh or his officials. Their request and promise was a ploy, a negotiating tactic trying to gain relief from the damaging storm, but never any real intent to honor God or release the slaves.
Moses did as he promised. He did pray and the LORD God did stop the storm. But as Pharaoh and his officials stood on their balcony overlooking the devastation as far as their eyes could see, Pharaoh became angry and his heart hardened again. By the way, have you ever given thought to WHO was tasked with cleaning up all the mess left in the wake of this storm? While the record doesn’t tell us, I presume it was the slaves, and as they worked, can you imagine their amazement as they compared the devastated countryside with where they lived in Goshen, which had not been touched by the storm at all? What do you suppose God was doing in their hearts as I presume the Hebrew slaves very carefully tracked each miracle, each plague and what God was doing to prove His power but also provide His protection for His people!? Do you see God was preparing them for when God would invite them to trust HIM and step out in faith, preparing for the angel of death?
Let’s pause here friends. I invite you to walk around amidst the rubble and simply be amazed at the amount of destruction caused by this hail storm. Remember, it didn’t need to happen had Pharaoh released the slaves. But then again please remember God is causing Pharaoh’s heart to harden each time, providing God the platform to continue proving His power. Remember friends, the Exodus is a picture of your life and mine, and every person. We are born into slavery to Satan and sin, we can do nothing to escape. Our freedom requires a power stronger than Satan, and that is ONLY Jesus! But our deliverance requires our acknowledgment that we are sinners and can’t help ourselves since it is in our very nature. We have sin guilt we can never undo. We deserve God’s judgment. But Jesus paid our sin death price, and when we turn from our sin and trust Jesus fully to be our Savior, then God delivers us from our sin and breaks the stronghold of sin in our lives.
But, the ongoing question is… will I continue to have a hard, refusing heart, like Pharaoh, or will I repent and trust Jesus, yielding to Him to be Lord of my life? It’s a choice we face everyday isn’t it my friends? Who was Lord of your life yesterday and who will it be today? You or Jesus? Let’s ponder that today and here’s a song to help us. . .
Today’s Scripture is Exodus 9:17-35.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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