How does Exodus 9:23 connect to God's covenant with Israel? Setting the Stage: Covenant Already in Motion - God had pledged to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: “I will make you into a great nation… and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:2-3; 26:3-4; 28:13-15). - He reaffirmed that promise when Israel groaned in Egypt: “I have remembered My covenant” (Exodus 2:24; 6:5). - Every plague is therefore more than punishment for Egypt; it is covenant faithfulness in action—God proving He will rescue His chosen people exactly as He said. Exodus 9:23 “So Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and lightning flashed down to the earth. So the LORD rained down hail upon the land of Egypt.” Plague of Hail: Covenant Enforcement - Visible power—thunder, hail, lightning—validates God’s promise that He alone is Israel’s protector (Exodus 3:7-8). - Judgment on Egypt fulfills God’s earlier word to Abraham: “I will curse those who curse you” (Genesis 12:3). - Protection of Goshen (Exodus 9:26) shows tangible covenant separation: punishment for oppressors, shelter for God’s people. Linking Verse 23 to Covenant Promises 1. Covenant Promise: Deliverance • God said, “I will bring you out from under the yoke” (Exodus 6:6). • The hail cripples Egypt’s economy, forcing Pharaoh toward release. 2. Covenant Promise: Revelation of God’s Name • “I am the LORD” (Exodus 6:7). • Verse 23 magnifies that Name—no Egyptian deity can stop the storm; only the LORD commands the elements. 3. Covenant Promise: Possession of Land • God pledged Canaan as heritage (Genesis 17:8). • Each plague, including hail, dismantles Egypt’s hold so Israel can move toward the promised land. 4. Covenant Promise: Blessing and Curse • Blessing on Israel, curse on oppressors (Genesis 12:3; Deuteronomy 11:26-28). • Hail spells curse for Egypt while Israel stands unharmed, previewing later covenant stipulations at Sinai. Foreshadowing Future Covenant Moments - Mount Sinai will also feature thunder, lightning, and a smoking mountain (Exodus 19:16-19). Verse 23 prepares Israel to associate such phenomena with God’s covenantal presence. - The prophetic Day of the LORD carries similar storm imagery (Ezekiel 13:13; Revelation 8:7), showing that covenant faithfulness continues through redemptive history. Takeaway Truths - God’s covenant is not abstract; it erupts in real history—hailstones crashing, economies collapsing, hearts softening or hardening. - He keeps every word literally and precisely, assuring believers today that every remaining promise will also be kept. |
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