What does "the LORD set a time" reveal about God's authority and precision? The Setting in Exodus 9:5 “The LORD set a time, saying, ‘Tomorrow the LORD will do this in the land.’” Pharaoh has resisted every warning. God now targets Egypt’s livestock, and He does it on a schedule He Himself announces—twenty-four hours in advance. God’s Authority Stamped on the Clock • The clock belongs to Him. Only the Creator can declare “tomorrow” with absolute certainty (Isaiah 46:10). • Pharaoh governs a superpower, yet he cannot dictate the timeline. Sovereignty rests with the Lord alone (Psalm 115:3). • By naming the moment beforehand, God seals the outcome. No human counter-plan can intervene (Job 42:2). Precision That Leaves No Doubt • Specificity—“tomorrow”—makes the plague measurable. When it happens exactly as foretold, any claim of coincidence evaporates. • Timing distinguishes divine judgment from natural disaster. Egyptians must acknowledge, “This is the finger of God” (Exodus 8:19). • God’s precision invites faith: if He controls the minute details of Egypt’s livestock, He governs every detail of our lives (Matthew 10:29-31). Cross-Testimony of Scripture • Genesis 18:14 – “At the appointed time I will return to you… and Sarah will have a son.” • Exodus 8:23 – “Tomorrow this sign will occur.” • Deuteronomy 32:35 – “It is Mine to avenge; in due time their foot will slip.” • Habakkuk 2:3 – “The vision awaits an appointed time… it will surely come, it will not delay.” • Galatians 4:4 – “When the fullness of time had come, God sent His Son.” • Acts 17:26 – He “appointed seasons and the boundaries of their dwellings.” Across every covenant era, God declares and keeps His own schedule. Implications for Our Daily Walk • Confidence: The same Lord who set Egypt’s calendar holds ours. Nothing random enters a believer’s life (Romans 8:28). • Patience: Waiting on His timetable is never wasted time; He acts neither early nor late (2 Peter 3:9). • Obedience: Because His word proves exact, our wisest response is prompt submission, not negotiation (James 1:22). • Hope: Just as the plague struck precisely “tomorrow,” promised deliverance and final restoration will arrive exactly when He says (Revelation 22:7). The phrase “the LORD set a time” unveils a God who rules history down to the second—inviting us to rest under His flawless authority and unmatched precision. |
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