What lessons can we learn from the severity of the hailstorm in Egypt? The Context: A Storm Unlike Any Other “Exceedingly heavy hail fell, with lightning flashing back and forth, so severe that nothing like it had ever been seen in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.” – Exodus 9:24 Pharaoh has ignored six prior plagues. Now the seventh arrives—hail mixed with fire—devastating Egypt’s crops, livestock, and morale, yet sparing the land of Goshen where Israel dwells (Exodus 9:26). Lesson 1: God’s Sovereignty Over Nature and False Gods • The Nile-centered nation worshiped sky deities like Nut and storm gods like Seth. • By commanding hail and “fire” (lightning) at will, the LORD shows unrivaled rule (Psalm 135:6-7; Job 37:13). • Creation obeys its Creator, not Egypt’s idols (Jeremiah 10:11-13). Lesson 2: Judgment That Fits the Crime • Egypt enslaved Israel, “crushing them with heavy labor” (Exodus 1:13-14). God answers with a crushing storm—measure for measure (Galatians 6:7). • The hail strikes flax and barley (Exodus 9:31). Flax made linen for priests of Egypt’s false religion; barley was an early grain. God targets both economy and idolatry. Lesson 3: Mercy Woven Into Judgment • Before the storm, God gives clear warning: “Bring your livestock and all you have in the field to a safe place” (Exodus 9:19). • Egyptians who “feared the word of the LORD” acted and were spared (Exodus 9:20). Divine wrath need not fall on anyone willing to heed His voice (Isaiah 55:6-7). • Even in severe discipline, God desires repentance, not ruin (Ezekiel 18:23). Lesson 4: The Protection of Covenant • “Only in the land of Goshen… there was no hail” (Exodus 9:26). • The plague draws a line between those under God’s covenant and those outside it. • Echoes future deliverance: believers “are not appointed to wrath” (1 Thessalonians 5:9), yet only those under the blood of the Lamb are shielded (Exodus 12:13). Lesson 5: The Danger of a Hardened Heart • Pharaoh confesses, “I have sinned… the LORD is righteous” (Exodus 9:27), but the moment relief comes “he sinned again and hardened his heart” (Exodus 9:34). • Repeated rejection calcifies the conscience (Hebrews 3:12-13). • Severity of judgment increases when warnings are ignored (Proverbs 29:1). Lesson 6: A Foreshadow of Future Judgments • Revelation describes “hailstones, each weighing about a talent” striking the earth (Revelation 16:21). • The Egyptian plague previews end-time wrath; both aim to shatter human pride and magnify God’s holiness. • Those sealed by Christ will stand secure, just as Israel did in Goshen (Revelation 7:3). Putting It into Practice Today • Submit to God’s supremacy; no rival can protect against His decrees. • Take His warnings seriously; delayed obedience invites avoidable pain. • Rest in the shelter of covenant grace through Christ; judgment passes over those under His blood. • Keep hearts soft by quick repentance; do not mimic Pharaoh’s cycle of crisis faith and comfortable rebellion. • Let the storm in Exodus stir holy awe and fresh gratitude: the same God who hurls hail offers refuge in His unchanging mercy. |
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