"Look out below! All Hail's Broke Lose!" (2)

Introduction

Every parent knows what it’s like to give their child every opportunity they can afford to avoid punishment and walk in relationship. The more often you must come to your child over the same issue of disobedience to clean their room, the more intense the punishment becomes.

The relationship between parent and child is not a bad analogy to understand the relationship between the LORD and Pharaoh. Make no mistake, God never refers to Pharaoh or his court in any of the plagues as his child or his children. However, there are clear interactions between Yahweh and Pharaoh that indicate an increased severity in the plagues, and an increased relational element as he continues in obstinance rather than obedience.

Mine and your goal for our child are the same - Obedience that brings about order. It creates a greenhouse of sorts for everyone in the household to grow enjoy another.

On the other hand, disobedience leads to disorder. It eventually leads to chaos. The One who expected obedience, they alone have the ability to return to order the chaos that billowed from disobedience. They alone can bring the calm that was sought in the first place.

This is the 1st of the third cycle of plagues. Moses and Aaron make their way before Pharaoh early in the morning. Yet again they ask for Pharaoh to let the children of Israel go so that they may worship Yahweh.

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However, this confrontation comes with surprises for Pharaoh. God let's Pharaoh know he has been holding back. The fullness of God’s plagues; displayed in his strength and dominion over the earth, are on deck. But there is mercy in the seeming mayhem. God is NOT haphazard nor cruel. His actions are purposeful, just, and merciful… they’re intended to bring about obedience and order. Otherwise, he would never have told Pharaoh and his people to take shelter… all hail was about to break loose."

LET’S READ TODAY’S TEXT...

Exodus 9:13–35 ESV

13 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, “Let my people go, that they may serve me. 14 For this time I will send all my plagues on you yourself, and on your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is none like me in all the earth. 15 For by now I could have put out my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth. 16 But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth. 17 You are still exalting yourself against my people and will not let them go. 18 Behold, about this time tomorrow I will cause very heavy hail to fall, such as never has been in Egypt from the day it was founded until now. 19 Now therefore send, get your livestock and all that you have in the field into safe shelter, for every man and beast that is in the field and is not brought home will die when the hail falls on them.” ’ ” 20 Then whoever feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh hurried his slaves and his livestock into the houses, 21 but whoever did not pay attention to the word of the Lord left his slaves and his livestock in the field. 22 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, on man and beast and every plant of the field, in the land of Egypt.” 23 Then Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and fire ran down to the earth. And the Lord rained hail upon the land of Egypt. 24 There was hail and fire flashing continually in the midst of the hail, very heavy hail, such as had never been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. 25 The hail struck down everything that was in the field in all the land of Egypt, both man and beast. And the hail struck down every plant of the field and broke every tree of the field. 26 Only in the land of Goshen, where the people of Israel were, was there no hail. 27 Then Pharaoh sent and called Moses and Aaron and said to them, “This time I have sinned; the Lord is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong. 28 Plead with the Lord, for there has been enough of God’s thunder and hail. I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer.” 29 Moses said to him, “As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will stretch out my hands to the Lord. The thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that the earth is the Lord’s. 30 But as for you and your servants, I know that you do not yet fear the Lord God.” 31 (The flax and the barley were struck down, for the barley was in the ear and the flax was in bud. 32 But the wheat and the emmer were not struck down, for they are late in coming up.) 33 So Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh and stretched out his hands to the Lord, and the thunder and the hail ceased, and the rain no longer poured upon the earth. 34 But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet again and hardened his heart, he and his servants. 35 So the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people of Israel go, just as the Lord had spoken through Moses.

Let’s start at the beginning, and break this passage down because of it’s size. It is chiastic in terms of its structure (meaning the passage begins, climaxes, and then ends with the beginning reiterated).

A. Moses and Aaron Go to Pharaoh early in the morning

B. They present the impending punishment if Pharaoh does not obey Yahweh.

C. The plague is enacted (by Moses) w/ detailed descriptions

C1. The plague is described and we see Goshen AND those who were in Pharaoh’s court (but were obedient) are spared!

B1. The plague forces Pharaoh to call upon Moses and Aaron. He asks that they appeal to Yahweh for his mercy. (Pharaoh “confesses”)

A 1. Moses goes out of the city the next day, stretches out his hand to the LORD and the hail storm ceases; Pharaoh hardens his heart.

This is the first time in the cycles of 3 that Moses and Aaron go before Pharaoh early in the morning and do not meet him at the water. It’s important that Moses get to Pharaoh first thing! The language (and length) of this plague is unique to the rest of the plagues. It is intended for the reader to slow down and capture how God is capturing Pharaoh’s attention.

Notice verse 14, “… I will send all my plagues on you yourself...” - the emphasis is on revealing to Pharaoh who God is and what life without him is like. The emphasis is on Pharaoh’s knowledge of Yahweh. But his servants and people will come to know Yahweh as well.

To this point, v.15 shows us that God has relented. It wasn’t turning the water to blood that would drown out Pharaoh’s prayers to the god of the Nile, Frogs were in the way of everything and stunk up the city, the flies brought about likely disease and sickness, certainly the gnats being all up in their business didn’t help with disease. God didn’t decimate the livestock and with it the Egyptian economy and civilian life as the pinnacle of his work to reveal himself to Pharaoh. And the disgust and pain of the boils - the first “personal” plague was not the undoing of Egypt. - it is NOW that God tells Pharaoh, “I’ve not even skimmed the surface of my ocean of power.”

But now… I have raised you up - purposefully have all these events unfolded - that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.

Pharaoh only desired that he be known! His arrogance and pride are abysmal characteristics. So his own words are used (once more) against him! “Behold, tomorrow...” Remember, Pharaoh was “given the option of when the frogs were to leave Egypt. He chose “tomorrow.” But now, he is given no option, it is announced to him - Hail’s about to break loose! TOMORROW!

Keep in mind, with the severity of this wonder, God issues more warning and gives more counsel on how to avoid the consequences of the hail! It’s this specific portion of the text that causes the reader to take a breath and say, “Oh! Soooo… the hail is coming… but SHELTER CAN BE FOUND!?”

You see, at this point, God has made it know that human life is at stake! God makes it abundantly clear… if it comes to this…IT IS NOT WHAT I HAVE LONGED FOR! The scriptures tell us that God desires that all men come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). tHIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE END! In fact, it doesn’t matter if the hearers of this warning are in relationship to Yahweh… LOOK WHAT HE OFFERS THEM! IF THEY ARE OBEDIENT… THEY RECEIVE MERCY! What a GOD!

Look then at verse 20 - 21 - there were many among Pharaoh’s court who obeyed the command of the LORD! But many of the slaves and livestock suffered the incalculable decimation of a hailstorm like never before! Verses 22-26 describe a horrific sight. Hail, lightening, and fire! It’s not really ONE storm… it’s actually 3-in-1. Even if one would consider it cosmologically possible for a storm of such magnitude, the reality is simply this… The language gives no plausibility for such occasion!

God - who is the creator and sustainer of heaven and earth - has turned the heaves from nourishment to nervousness, He’s flattened the trees and the livestock that remained under the terrible force of His might, and the people who were obstinate - following in Pharaoh’s hard-hearted footsteps! - They are crushed under the weight of his wrath. It’s not a shower of epic proportions. It’s complete chaos brought upon Egypt! It is utterly unnatural!

Nut, the Egyptian sky goddess, has been show powerless before Yahweh; the gods of the harvest are squished… hail, lightening, rain and fire… contradictory and nonsensical forces place Pharaoh in a position of humiliation and chaos.

THERE’S BUT ONE PEACEFUL PARCEL OF LAND… THE ONCE GIFTED LAND OF GOSHEN TO THE HEBREW CHILDREN OF ABRAHAM, ISAAC, AND JACOB. IT ALONE, WITH NO GEOGRAPHICAL DEFENSES, ESCAPES, UNSCATHED FROM THE MOST TERRIFYING NIGHT OF FIRE, ICE, AND LIGHT.

Finally, Pharaoh admits his wrong. But this admission wreaks of arrogance. Pharaoh is communicating, in the most abstract sense of the word “sin.” He’s simply saying “I messed up.” Or “My bad.” “I missed the mark.” The word used in Hebrew to convey his heart shows it was still thick, weighty, or especially heavy and immovable. In essence, I messed up does NOT say, “Forgive me God, for I have sinned against heaven and against you!” It is instead Pharaoh’s momentary admittance that he’s culpable… not that he’s sorry!

There is mercy in the seeming mayhem. God is NOT capricious or cruel… verse 31 helps us to see that God still gives Egypt some inkling of continuing existence. The flax, their “cash crop” and most necessary for creating their luxurious clothing; and their barley - the commoners food and the wealthy man’s wine - were destroyed! It was likely around February, the time of year for their harvest. But, the wheat and emmer (or spelt) survived for they are harvested later..

And what God meant as mercy, Pharaoh mistook for his own might. He hardens his heart and Egypt is destined for even greater turmoil. Pharaoh may think he can still eat and feed the nation… but the INSATIABLE WHIRRING OF THE LOCUSTS is only days away. And on that day, locusts will eat what little remains.

Never is it good to arrogantly speak the words, “I told you so.” What are you to do though… when those words are spot on and 100% accurate? There’s a lot of ring to that truth in these passages. God desire Pharaoh’s obedience. But his obstinance brought chaos - primarily to himself - and to his entire court. What prevenient grace God showed! Even in the midst of Pharaoh’s arrogance and leadership of Egypt, God would allow for he and his people more than ample time to acknowledge him and repent. He used the chaos and disarray of the fire, hail, and ice to eventually bring Pharaoh to his knees. There is but one more opportunity for Pharaoh to turn to Yahweh. One more plague of destruction before darkness and death are unavoidable.

Is there any sin that today Christ is asking you to repent from? Any obstinance that likens your heart more to Pharaoh’s than you’d care to admit? Are you hung up on whether or not God has acted justly in the case of Pharaoh and Egypt? Let me leave you with a quick note from Martin Luther who considered such a question as well:

Human reason is sinful. It always starts building on the roof instead of the foundation. For example, how many of us want to ask “Did God cause Pharoah to sin” rather than actually dwell on Christ? We are told “seek first the kingdom of God.” But we want to seek first to see if God has a dirty motive and is secretly doing evil. How much different was Mary who said, “I am your servant,” before asking God to prove he could make a virgin conceive.

Mary acted first in obedience to what the LORD spoke to her. That obedience brought about an order and a rightness with God. He has given us appointed times and seasons wherein we will exist and one day no longer exist. Today, is the day of salvation. Today is a day of recognition of Christ, His sacrifice, and His obedience to death on a cross. May it not be a day too like what we studied in this 7th plague - a day when Pharaoh saw all hail break loose to turn his heard heart only to find it hardened once more.

Jesus calming the sea. Returning order! Silencing the questions about who He is! Pharaoh did not acknowledge Yahweh or let his people go to worship Him. If all the disasters up to this point didn’t create enough chaos to break Pharaoh’s heart and turn it to the God of heaven and earth… So God would upend creation upon Egypt! But he would allow the Hebrews to rest in a calm assurance that their God