What is the meaning of Exodus 9:15? For by this time God sets a clear milestone. Enough evidence of His power has already been given through six plagues (Exodus 7–9), and Pharaoh has repeatedly hardened his heart (Exodus 8:15, 32). The phrase signals: • Divine patience—God waited, giving room for repentance, much like He does in Jonah 3:4–10 and 2 Peter 3:9. • A turning point—“I will send all My plagues against you” (Exodus 9:14) shows the escalating seriousness. • Accountability—each delay deepens Pharaoh’s responsibility (Romans 2:4–5). I could have stretched out My hand The “hand” pictures God’s personal, sovereign intervention. Compare Exodus 3:20, “So I will stretch out My hand and strike the Egyptians,” and Psalm 136:12, “with a mighty hand and outstretched arm.” Key thoughts: • God’s power is unlimited; He is never restrained by human obstinacy (Job 42:2). • His hand delivers (Exodus 6:6) and disciplines (Hebrews 10:31). • The statement “I could have” highlights mercy: power held back for a greater purpose (Romans 9:17). and struck you and your people Judgment would have fallen not only on Pharaoh but on all who aligned with him. Scripture often links leadership and nation in blessing or curse (1 Chronicles 21:14; Proverbs 29:2). Notice: • Corporate responsibility—Egypt’s people supported or benefited from oppression (Exodus 1:13–14). • Fairness—God distinguishes the innocent; Israel in Goshen was spared (Exodus 9:26). • Warning—future leaders like Nebuchadnezzar faced the same principle (Daniel 4:31–32). with a plague Plagues are targeted, purposeful acts of God. In Exodus they dismantle Egypt’s idols (Numbers 33:4) and display His supremacy. Other examples: • Severe pestilence on David’s census sin (2 Samuel 24:15). • End-time judgments in Revelation 16. Plagues remind us that sin has real-world consequences and that God alone is Lord over nature, health, and history (Deuteronomy 32:39). to wipe you off the earth Total annihilation was a possible—but withheld—option. Scripture records similar warnings: • Deuteronomy 9:14, “Let Me destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven.” • Genesis 6:7, the Flood. Here God reveals both justice and restraint. Egypt deserved extinction for murdering Hebrew infants (Exodus 1:22), yet God spared them to magnify His name among the nations (Exodus 9:16; Romans 9:17). summary Exodus 9:15 underscores God’s sovereignty, power, and mercy. He could have instantly destroyed Egypt, but He chose a measured approach that exposed idolatry, invited repentance, and proclaimed His glory. The verse calls every heart to honor the Lord’s patience while recognizing that His withheld hand can swiftly become a striking hand when sin persists. |
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