What can we learn about God's patience from Pharaoh's actions in Exodus 9:34? Setting the scene The seventh plague has just swept through Egypt—crushing hail mixed with fire, thunder rolling overhead, crops and trees shattered. Pharaoh, overwhelmed, begged Moses to pray for relief (Exodus 9:28). Moses prayed; the storm stopped. Verse 34 records Pharaoh’s next move, and it becomes a window into the long-suffering heart of God. Key verse “When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had ceased, he sinned again and hardened his heart — he and his servants.” Observations from the text • “When Pharaoh saw … the storm had ceased” – he had clear evidence of God’s power and mercy. • “He sinned again” – deliberate repetition, not a slip. • “Hardened his heart” – a conscious choice to resist. • “He and his servants” – a ripple effect; the leader’s stance influenced an entire nation. What Pharaoh’s response reveals 1. Immediate relief often tempts people to forget the God who supplied it. 2. Hardened hearts grow harder when truth is resisted. 3. Sin, unchecked, escalates (“sinned again”). 4. Leadership choices carry communal consequences. God’s patience on display • Repeated chances – By Exodus 9, six earlier plagues have already warned Pharaoh, yet God still pauses judgment long enough to let him repent. • Mercy before wrath – The storm stops first; opportunity follows. • Restraint – God could have ended Pharaoh instantly (cf. Exodus 9:15), but He chose a measured, incremental approach. • Purposeful delay – Each pause magnified God’s glory and clarified human accountability (Romans 9:17-18). Biblical witness to God’s patient heart • Psalm 103:8: “The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion.” • Romans 2:4: “Do you disregard the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance?” • 2 Peter 3:9: “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise … but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.” • 1 Peter 3:20: “God waited patiently in the days of Noah.” These passages confirm that the patience God showed Pharaoh is consistent with His unchanging character throughout Scripture. Take-home lessons for today • Don’t equate God’s patience with approval – mercy is an invitation, not a license. • Quick relief after crisis can dull spiritual sensitivity; choose gratitude over forgetfulness. • Repeated refusal of truth leads to a harder heart; respond promptly when God speaks. • Leadership matters: our choices influence families, churches, communities. • Judgment delayed is still judgment certain; God’s patience has a purpose, but it also has an end (Hebrews 3:7-8). A final word Pharaoh’s cycle of crisis, relief, and renewed rebellion underscores how astonishingly patient God is—yet also how perilous it is to presume upon that patience. Every reprieve is a chance to turn, not a signal to continue down the same path. Today, while the “thunder has ceased,” let’s let His kindness lead us to wholehearted obedience. |
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