Compare Exodus 9:19 with Noah's flood; how does God provide protection? Setting the scene: two coming storms • Exodus 9:19—looming hail over Egypt • Genesis 6–7—world-engulfing flood In both moments the Lord announces judgment but also opens a door of safety before the first drop of rain or hailstone falls. The text—Exodus 9:19 “So give orders now that your livestock and everything you have in the field must be brought into shelter. Every person or animal that remains in the field and is not brought inside will die when the hail falls upon them.” Noah’s instructions—Genesis 6:18–19; 7:1,7 • “I will establish My covenant with you, and you will enter the ark…” (6:18) • “You are to bring two of every living creature into the ark… to keep them alive with you.” (6:19) • “Then the LORD said to Noah, ‘Enter the ark, you and all your household, for you alone I have found righteous before Me in this generation.’ ” (7:1) Shared themes of protection 1. Clear warning – Pharaoh’s court hears, “Hail is coming.” – Noah hears, “Floodwaters are coming.” 2. Specific provision – Shelter in houses and stables. – Shelter in the ark. 3. Opportunity for obedience – Egyptians who feared the word of the LORD “hurried to bring their servants and livestock inside” (Exodus 9:20). – “Noah did everything precisely as God had commanded him” (Genesis 6:22). 4. Universal equity – Egyptian and Hebrew alike could heed the warning. – All humanity was invited through Noah’s preaching (2 Peter 2:5) yet only eight entered. 5. Perfect effectiveness – Those under cover were untouched by hail. – Every soul in the ark was preserved (Genesis 7:23). Contrasts that enrich the comparison • Scope – Hail: regional, seventh plague. – Flood: global, reset of creation. • Duration – Hail: moments of destruction. – Flood: forty days of rain, more than a year in the ark. • Covenant signal – After hail: Pharaoh temporarily relents (Exodus 9:27–28). – After flood: rainbow covenant promises no repeat worldwide deluge (Genesis 9:11–13). God’s heart revealed • Mercy precedes judgment (Ezekiel 33:11). • Protection hinges on trust and action (Hebrews 11:7). • Salvation is by grace yet verified through obedient faith (Ephesians 2:8–10; James 2:22). Take-home reflections • The God who shielded servants under roofs and passengers in an ark still says, “Come to Me and be saved” (Isaiah 45:22). • Christ Himself is the ultimate shelter: “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). • Just as the warning was literal and the rescue tangible, His future promises are sure. Refuge remains available—run to it while the door stands open (Revelation 3:20). |
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