How does Pharaoh's plea in Exodus 9:28 reveal his understanding of God's power? The Setting and the Scripture Exodus 9:28: “Pray to the LORD, for there has been enough of God’s thunder and hail. I will let you go; you need not stay any longer.” What Pharaoh Has Finally Admitted • The storm is “God’s thunder and hail,” not a freak of nature. • Israel’s God is addressed by His covenant name “the LORD” (YHWH), the same Name Pharaoh had once scorned (Exodus 5:2). • Only the LORD can both send and stop the plague; Egypt’s sky-gods are powerless. • Mediation is required—Pharaoh asks Moses to pray, acknowledging he himself has no standing before the LORD. Clues to Pharaoh’s View of God’s Power • Supernatural Authority – The violent weather goes beyond natural Egyptian experience; Pharaoh sees it as divine judgment. – Similar recognition appears after prior plagues (Exodus 8:8, 28), but here the destructive force is unmistakable. • Control Over Creation – Psalms celebrate the LORD’s command over storm and hail (Psalm 29:3-10; 135:7). – The plea shows Pharaoh now links that biblical truth to his own land’s devastation. • Sovereign over Nations – The hail struck “throughout the land of Egypt” (Exodus 9:25), sparing Goshen (Exodus 9:26). Selective judgment convinces Pharaoh the LORD rules boundaries and peoples. • Power to Relent – By asking Moses to intercede, Pharaoh admits the LORD can not only smite but also spare, echoing truths seen later in 2 Chron 7:13-14 and Jonah 3:9-10. What Pharaoh Still Misses • Genuine Submission – His promise “I will let you go” unravels once relief comes (Exodus 9:34-35). – Moses rightly says, “I know that you and your officials still do not fear the LORD God” (Exodus 9:30). • Moral Accountability – Pharaoh wants the symptom removed, not the sin addressed. – Contrast with David’s confession in 2 Samuel 24:10-17, where acknowledgment of guilt accompanies the plea for mercy. Why This Matters Today • Acknowledging God’s might without surrendering the heart is possible—but perilous (James 2:19). • True reverence goes beyond seeking relief; it yields obedience (John 14:15). • The plagues stand as literal, historical testimony that the LORD rules natural forces, nations, and kings alike—authority later displayed when Jesus silenced the storm with a word (Matthew 8:26-27). Pharaoh’s cry, then, reveals partial recognition: he finally sees the LORD as supreme over both weather and Egypt itself, yet he stops short of wholehearted repentance. The narrative invites readers to move past mere acknowledgment to full-hearted fear, faith, and obedience to the God who thunders and who saves. |
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