Title: I Will Send Heavy Hail/Exodus 9
1. “I will bring heavy hail” (18)
God caused four plagues to come upon Egypt through the hand of Moses. (1) The plague of the Nile turning into blood (Exodus 7:18), (2) The plague that filled the whole area with frogs (Exodus 8:2), (3) The plague that covered the fertile land with lice (8:17) ), (4) swarms of flies filled the whole earth (24). The purpose of God's calamity was to (1) judge sinners, (2) reveal Himself, and (3) save His people to serve God.
Pharaoh seemed to surrender with his hands up when the disaster struck, but soon after the disaster left, he changed his mind and became hardened and resisted God. So God caused three more plagues to come. (5) plagues of wickedness on livestock in the fields (9:3), (6) plagues of poisonous poisons on people and beasts in all the land of Egypt (9:9), (7) heavy hail over the land of Egypt It was a plague of falling fire and fire (9:18, 24). The purpose of God's continued calamity is still (1) to judge sinners (9:6, 11, 25), (2) to reveal Himself to God (9:14, 16 20, 27, 29), ( 3) It was to save his people to serve God (9:1, 13).
2. "Moses flew toward the sky" (10) "Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky" (23).
Moses and Aaron did as God commanded them. "The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Take two handfuls of ashes from the furnace and fly them toward the sky" (9). Let it come down” (22), and they raised their hands and staff toward the sky (23). When Moses and Aaron did as God commanded, God caused disaster to come just as they were. The servants of the Lord will only do what God has commanded them to do. Then God will do the work. “And Moses left Pharaoh and went out of the city, and stretched out his hand toward the LORD, and the thunder and the hail ceased, and the rain did not fall on the earth” (verse 33). We just raise our hands and pray.
3. "This time I have sinned" (27)
Pharaoh, who met with repeated calamities, had not yet completely surrendered to God. (5) His heart was still stubborn when he suffered evil calamities (7). (6) Even when he was plagued with poisoning, his heart was still hardened and he did not listen to God's words (12). (7) When he was struck by hail and fire, he became impatient and confessed that he had committed a sin (27). "This time I have sinned; the LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked" (27). He even promised, “I will send you, and you will not abide any more” (28). But Pharaoh still did not fear God, as Moses had predicted. When he saw that the calamity had ceased, he said, "He sinned again and hardened his heart." "Pharaoh's heart was hardened and he did not let the children of Israel go. An even greater calamity had to come upon Pharaoh. It is better to surrender and turn to God.