How does Exodus 9:10 demonstrate God's power over creation and human health? “So they took soot from the furnace and stood before Pharaoh. Moses tossed it into the air, and festering boils broke out on man and beast.” Context: Pharaoh, Plagues, and Hardened Hearts • The sixth plague follows a crescendo of judgments, each intensifying in scope and severity. • Egypt’s power centers—agriculture, economy, water, animals—have already been struck; now God touches bodies directly. • By moving from environmental disasters to personal affliction, the Lord exposes Pharaoh’s impotence at the most intimate level. God’s Mastery Over Material Creation • Ordinary soot becomes the instrument of the Almighty. • The substance, scattered on the wind, spreads instantly and precisely, showing that every particle in the cosmos answers to God’s command (Psalm 147:15–18). • Genesis 2:7 records God forming man from dust; here, dust-like soot corrupts flesh. The same Creator who fashions life can disrupt it. God’s Authority Over Human Health • Boils appear “on man and beast,” proving no living creature falls outside divine jurisdiction (Deuteronomy 32:39). • No incubation period or natural cause explains the outbreak; the suddenness highlights supernatural initiation. • Medical knowledge, royal power, or Egyptian deities offer zero relief. Only the One who sends the plague could remove it (Exodus 15:26). Defeat of False Gods and Human Pride • Egyptians revered Sekhmet (goddess of healing) and Imhotep (patron of medicine). Their silence in the face of boils reveals them as powerless idols (Isaiah 45:20). • The magicians, once imitating earlier plagues, now stand afflicted and unable even to appear before Moses (Exodus 9:11). God publicly overturns human expertise and occult practices. Echoes Across Scripture • Job 2:7–10: Satan inflicts boils, yet only with divine permission, underscoring ultimate sovereignty. • 2 Chronicles 26:16–21: Uzziah’s pride produces leprosy, paralleling Pharaoh’s arrogance and judgment. • Luke 4:40; Matthew 8:3: Jesus heals “all who were sick,” demonstrating the same authority in mercy that the Father displayed in judgment. Practical Encouragement for Believers • Illness and health rest in God’s hands; He is neither distant nor limited. • Suffering can expose misplaced trust and drive hearts to the true Healer (Psalm 73:26). • The episode strengthens confidence that every molecule and moment lies under a purposeful, righteous sovereignty—comfort for those who belong to Him through Christ. |
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