In what ways can we see God's justice in Exodus 9:23? “So Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and fire ran down to the earth; so the LORD rained hail upon the land of Egypt.” Setting the Scene: Pharaoh’s Repeated Defiance • Pharaoh had already ignored six plagues and hardened his heart (Exodus 7:13; 8:15; 9:12). • God’s justice responds proportionately: continued rebellion meets intensified discipline (Proverbs 29:1; Romans 2:5). Justice Displayed in the Severity of the Hail • The seventh plague targets Egypt’s economy and security—fields, livestock, and people (Exodus 9:25). The penalty fits the sin of enslaving and oppressing Israel’s labor force (Exodus 1:11–14). • “Fire” (lightning) mixed with hail reveals the divine source; no natural phenomenon could be blamed (Job 37:6–13). Justice is unmistakably from the LORD. Justice Seen in God’s Clear Warnings • Before the hail, God told Pharaoh exactly what would happen and when (Exodus 9:18–19). • Opportunity to shelter people and animals shows mercy woven into justice. Those who believed Moses’ word were spared (Exodus 9:20). • This pattern—warning, time to repent, then judgment—highlights God’s fairness (Ezekiel 18:23, 32). Justice in Making Distinction Between Egypt and Israel • Plague fell “upon the land of Egypt,” yet “in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites lived, there was no hail” (Exodus 9:26). • God vindicates His covenant people (Genesis 12:3; Exodus 6:6). Justice protects the oppressed while judging the oppressor. Justice in Exposing Egypt’s False Gods • The storm humiliates sky deities like Nut and Seth, and the harvest god Osiris. • Psalm 96:5—“all the gods of the nations are idols”—is played out in real time; the only true God judges impostors. Justice That Points Forward to the Cross • Just as hail fell on Egypt, divine wrath would later fall on Christ in place of sinners (Isaiah 53:5–6; 2 Corinthians 5:21). • Believers find refuge, much like Egyptians who heeded the warning and brought their servants indoors (Exodus 9:20). • Hebrews 12:24–25 contrasts Mount Sinai (storm, judgment) with Mount Zion (grace), yet reminds that refusing the speaking God still invites righteous judgment. Takeaway Truths • God’s justice is never arbitrary; it responds to human choices. • He balances justice with mercy, offering warning and shelter. • He defends His people and exposes falsehood. • Every act of judgment in Exodus anticipates the ultimate justice satisfied at Calvary. |
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