What does "hurls down His hail" teach about God's control over weather? Zooming In on the Phrase Psalm 147:17: “He hurls down His hail like pebbles; who can withstand His icy blast?” What the Verse Conveys at First Glance • God is the direct Actor—“He hurls.” • Hail is not random; it is dispatched. • The force is vivid—hail arrives “like pebbles,” fast and unstoppable. • The rhetorical question—“who can withstand”—underscores absolute power. Broader Biblical Echoes of God Governing Weather • Job 37:6 — “For He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’ and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’” • Job 38:22–23 — “Have you entered the storehouses of snow or observed the storehouses of hail…?” • Exodus 9:18–26 — God’s plague of hail in Egypt distinguishes between the Egyptians and Israel. • Psalm 78:47–48 — “He destroyed their vines with hail… He abandoned their cattle to the hail.” • Matthew 5:45 — “He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” Divine Attributes on Display • Sovereignty — Weather is not autonomous; it answers to God’s command. • Omnipotence — Hail, snow, wind, and ice are tools in His hand. • Wisdom — He knows when, where, and how intensely to send each element. • Justice & Mercy — He can use hail to judge (Exodus 9) or to bless (Isaiah 55:10 snow/rain nourishing the earth). Purposes Behind God-Directed Hail 1. Warning and Judgment – Pharaoh’s hardened heart met literal hard ice (Exodus 9). 2. Protection of His People – Israel was spared while Egypt suffered (Exodus 9:26). 3. Display of Glory – Nature’s extremes testify that humanity is not ultimate (Psalm 147:18). 4. Invitation to Humility – “Who can withstand His icy blast?” invites repentance and awe. Practical Takeaways for Today • No weather event is outside God’s jurisdiction; forecasts describe, God decides. • Hail that destroys crops or dents cars is never pointless; it nudges hearts to acknowledge the One in charge. • Fear is replaced by trust when we remember “Your heavenly Father knows” (Matthew 6:32). • Gratitude follows every cleared sky—“He sends forth His word and melts them” (Psalm 147:18). |
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