How does Exodus 9:25 connect with God's covenant promises to Israel?

The verse in context

Exodus 9:25: “Throughout the land of Egypt, the hail struck down everything in the field, both man and beast; it beat down every plant of the field and shattered every tree.”

• Seventh plague—literal, devastating hail and fire.

• Immediate sequel (v. 26): “Only in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites lived, was there no hail.”

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Judgment on Egypt fulfills covenant promises

• Genesis 12:3—“I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you.” Egypt’s harsh slavery placed it under the “curse” side of Abraham’s covenant; the hail is one expression of that curse.

• Genesis 15:13-14—God foretold bondage and promised, “I will judge the nation they serve.” The hail is part of that promised judgment.

• Exodus 6:6—“I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment.” Each plague, including the hail, is an “act of judgment” proving God keeps His word.

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Preservation of Israel showcases covenant protection

• Distinction: While Egypt’s fields are shattered (9:25), Goshen is untouched (9:26). God literally shields His covenant people.

• Exodus 2:24-25—God “remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” and acted accordingly.

• Isaiah 43:1-3 later echoes the pattern: God’s people pass safely through water and fire while nations are ravaged.

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Foreshadowing of future covenant themes

• Covenant blessings/curses pattern (Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28). Hail appears in Deuteronomy 28:24 as a curse on covenant breakers; here God reverses it—Egypt receives the curse, Israel receives the protection promised to the obedient.

• Eschatological preview—Revelation 16:21 describes future hail judgment on the world, again sparing those sealed by God (cf. Revelation 7:3-4). The Exodus hail anticipates that final deliverance.

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Takeaway truths

• God’s covenant promises are literal and time-tested; when He says He will judge oppressors and rescue His own, history records the fulfillment.

• The same power that shattered Egypt’s trees safeguards every Israelite dwelling; judgment and mercy flow from the same covenant faithfulness.

• Exodus 9:25 stands as a visible, historical milestone proving that God’s covenant with Israel is not merely theological theory but concrete reality.