Exodus 9:13-35 - The Seventh Mighty Sign - Destructive Hail & Destructive Hearts
Notes
Transcript
The Word Read
The Word Read
Please remain standing for the reading of the Holy Scripture. Hear the Word of the Lord from Exodus 9:23-26:
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. 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. 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. Only in the land of Goshen, where the people of Israel were, was there no hail.
Behold, brothers and sisters, this is the Word of the Lord. Please be seated.
Exordium
Exordium
Beloved in Christ,
I invite you to open Holy Scripture to Exodus 9:13-35 this morning. One of the great themes of Scripture is God’s divine Lordship. He, and He alone, rules and reigns over the world and all the inhabitants of this world. God has always been humanity’s Lord regardless of what secularism, modernism, and postmodernity would say. For those of us who are in covenant with God through Christ we would say this God is caring, He is incredibly patient, He is our rock and refuge, He is righteous and just, He is holy and glorious, and, yes, He is even a loving Father who uses discipline to cause us to grow in holiness. We know that the Lord is worthy to be heard, obeyed, and worshipped.
However, those not in covenant with the God of Scripture do not believe He is worthy to be heard or obeyed. They are, at best, apathetic towards Christ and, at worst, haters of Christ. Regardless of where they fall on the spectrum, they don’t believe He is worthy of their hearts, affections, worship, and lives. This is what we will see in Pharaoh, his servants, and the Egyptians in our passage this morning. They do not believe Yahweh is worthy of their worship.
The sermon title is “The Seventh Mighty Sign—Destructive Hail and Destructive Hearts.” My hypothesis for these verses is that those who do not fear the Lord do not obey His Word and are therefore subject to destruction. Once more, those who do not fear the Lord do not obey His Word and are therefore subject to destruction.
Exodus 9:13-19 - The Great Hail Storm Foretold
Exodus 9:13-19 - The Great Hail Storm Foretold
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. 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. 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. 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. You are still exalting yourself against my people and will not let them go. 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. 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.” ’ ”
The seventh plague is the longest of the mighty signs in Scripture. Just like the first and the fourth plagues, Moses is commanded to rise early in the morning and go to Pharaoh. The same command will be issued to Pharaoh: “Let my people go, that they might worship me.” You would think by now that Pharaoh would listen. How often have we seen employees not listen to their supervisors only to discover more significant consequences? Children do not listen to their parents or teachers to get more significant consequences. Pharaoh has not listened to six plagues already. To quote the Grinch, “What is the deal?” Just listen, Pharaoh!
In verse 14, Yahweh mentions Pharaoh first by saying, “you yourself”. The Hebrew reads, “your heart,” and this is the true crux of the issue - Pharaoh’s heart. Pharaoh’s heart is hardened towards Yahweh and the covenant people of God. He is unwilling to bow his heart before the great Creator of the universe.
Pharaoh’s rebellious heart is not just the crux of the problem for Pharaoh but all of humanity. Humanity is born with hardened hearts towards God. We are unable to save ourselves. This is why Jesus says to Nicodemus in John 3:6-7:
That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’
All humanity has a natural bent toward sin and rebellion. We are guilty of original sin through Adam and the actual sins we commit every day. Our desires were bound to unrighteousness because we were slaves to sin. However, despite hardened hearts, the Lord saw fit to save us and cause us to be born again sheerly out of His sovereign free choice.
In verse 14, we also see the purpose for all the plagues that Yahweh will send on Pharaoh, his servants, and all the Egyptians: You may know that there is no like me in all the earth. Just think about that statement and the context. Moses is to tell the most powerful man in the world, “You are going to learn none compare to Yahweh.” Pharaoh is to learn that he and his powerful nation, and his “powerful gods” do not compare to Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews. He is incomparable. Pharaoh is playing with fire.
This is the case for billions today. Billions of people are playing with fire. How many times have we heard friends, family members, or acquaintances say that they have some questions for God when they meet Him face to face? In their hearts, and maybe yours as well, you will come to God’s courtroom as an equal to Him. You think that you will come as the prosecution, and God is on trial. Yet you fail to realize that God is incomparable.
I love the way Ralph Venning paints this picture in his book, The Sinfulness of Sin. He writes:
It is as if a criminal said to the judge, Oh, my Lord, how cruel and unmerciful you are to condemn me to die! No, says the judge, it is not I, it is the law. I am only the mouth of the law. No, says the law, it is not I, it is sin. If you had not sinned, I would not have condemned, for 'the law is not against the righteous' (1 Timothy 1:9).
On Judgment Day, billions will find themselves in this same situation. Thinking like Pharaoh, they believe themselves to be comparable to God. Here, they will find He is the great God of Heaven, the great Creator, and the Wisest Judge. They are not comparable to Him.
In verse 15, we see the utter mercy of God toward the Egyptians. He could have already wiped them off the face of the earth, but He hadn’t yet. Why has he allowed such an evil nation to continue? Why would God enable a nation that is murdering babies to remain in power? Yahweh answers in verse 16, so that He might show them His power so that His name may be proclaimed in all the earth. God’s glory is going public on an global scale.
Yet, Pharaoh, as we see in verse 17, magnifies and glorifies in his name. All humanity is created to bring glory to God, yet Pharaoh’s rebellion reveals a misunderstanding on his true purpose. The condition of the human heart is clearly on display. Glorifying itself instead of glorifying God. This pattern is seen at the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11 as they seek to make a name for themselves. We see this in Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4 when he boastfully proclaims in Daniel 4:30, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” The human heart loves to glorify itself. Isn’t that still true of us today? How many times do we feel the strain of glorifying in ourselves? We’ve worked hard on something that becomes successful, and we think, “Wow, I did a good job.” Yet, simultaneously, we believe, “God, look at what You’ve done!” We experience the war within our hearts, seeking to glorify Christ and ourselves. How often, later in life, do we look back and say, “I had nothing to do with that success; it was all Christ! I just happened to be the person God used as a mere instrument for His Kingdom.”
Then, in verses 18-19, God reveals when this mighty plague of heavy hail will fall upon them. A storm by the likes they have never seen. He gives them mercy by warning them. Heed my word, and you and your livestock will live.
Exodus 9:20-26 - Those who Feared vs. Those who did not Fear
Exodus 9:20-26 - Those who Feared vs. Those who did not Fear
Then whoever feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh hurried his slaves and his livestock into the houses, but whoever did not pay attention to the word of the Lord left his slaves and his livestock in the field.
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.” 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. 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. 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. Only in the land of Goshen, where the people of Israel were, was there no hail.
This portion details the people’s response to Yahweh’s warning and the plague. Look at the reactions of people in verses 20-21. Those who feared the Lord listened to Him and saved their slaves and livestock. Those who did not fear the Lord did not listen to Him, and their slaves and livestock were left to perish as Moses stretched out his hand, and a violent storm rained down from above. Only the land where the Israelites lived was spared.
I spent a lot of time thinking about the two responses of the people. Those who feared the Lord heard His Word and were saved. Yet, those who did not fear the Lord ignored His Word and left their slaves and livestock to perish. The more I reflected on these two responses, the more I saw the glorious Gospel of God in Exodus 9:20-21. I was overwhelmed as I thought about the grace of God given to me. I was overwhelmed as I thought about the Holy Spirit causing my heart to be hardened towards God, becoming a heart of flesh that became tender and able to receive the Gospel by faith. I was overwhelmed as I thought about God’s love towards me even though I didn’t deserve it. I was overwhelmed that I could now please God, whereas before, I could not. Now, I can hear His Word through the power of the Holy Spirit, who causes me to walk in obedience and worship God joyfully. I used to be the one who did not listen or obey God’s Word, but now I can.
Psalm 73:23-26 came to mind:
Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
The Lord is so good in providing the means for us to walk in His ways. At the church level, He provides elders to churches who are called to lead in loving submission to God’s Word. The elders’ concern is for their people to walk in the holiness of Christ. As Paul writes in Colossians 1:28 “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.” Elders continually wrestle in the Spirit’s power, desiring the body to mature in Christ, warning them of spiritual danger.
Secondly, men, you are called to be the covenant head of your home. As you read God’s Word and grow in grace, it is your God-given covenant responsibility to warn your family when you see spiritual danger. To sit silently instead of giving warning is to continue in the folly of our father Adam. I know it’s hard. It’s hard to work 40-50 hours a week and then come home with enough energy to fight the good fight in the home. Yet, it is our covenant responsibility. If anything, especially men with children in your home, read a chapter of the Bible to your wife and children every night and then pray. In a culture that seeks to eliminate male leadership because it is “toxic”, we know that godly men lead with humble strength. These men don’t go looking for fights but will never back down when a threat emerges in their homes or churches. Homes and churches need humble men today more than ever before who will joyfully step up in leadership, desiring to see their homes and churches become more like Christ Jesus.
Throughout church history, many theologians have stated that his mother shaped him spiritually as a child. To wives and moms, speak the Gospel freely and often to those in your home and those who have become your spiritual children. Give those who are precious to your heart biblical and kind warnings. Warn them when you see their lives veering from the foundation that is Christ.
God help us not be like those who did not listen and suffered greatly. They lost slaves and livestock because they failed to heed the Word of the Lord. Let us dwell richly in Christ's Word and walk in holiness, pursuing the Great God of Heaven.
Once again, we see that God's covenant people are spared of this plague. I’m sure there were mixed emotions as they looked out towards the land of Egypt. Thankfulness that they were spared, but maybe horror as they watched the violent hail destroy people and livestock.
Exodus 9:27-35 - Pharaoh’s Trust in Himself
Exodus 9:27-35 - Pharaoh’s Trust in Himself
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. 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.” 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. But as for you and your servants, I know that you do not yet fear the Lord God.” (The flax and the barley were struck down, for the barley was in the ear and the flax was in bud. But the wheat and the emmer were not struck down, for they are late in coming up.) 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. 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. 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.
Pharaoh summons Moses and Aaron and confesses his sin, stating that the Lord is righteous in His actions (verses 27-28. In verse 28, the wording for “God’s thunder” is literally “God’s voice.” Pharaoh has had enough of the voice of God thundering in Egypt. We think of Psalm 29:3-4:
The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over many waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
God’s voice has thundered over Egypt as He makes His presence known in glorious judgment.
However, we learn in verses 34-35 that Pharaoh’s confession was merely an emotional response to God’s punishment. Yet, how many people make public professions of faith but do not truly repent? Jesus gives a stark warning in Matthew 7:21-23:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
Pharaoh, though indeed a real person, also functions as a type of all humanity. Some will undoubtedly profess Christ, but, like Pharaoh, never truly repented. They are the second and third soils in the parable of the Sower (Luke 8:4-18). Is this you this morning? Are you like Pharaoh or the second and third soils in Jesus’s parable? Have you stated that you are Christ’s, but inwardly you know there has not been true repentance? If so, see, the end of your road leads to eternal destruction.
There’s an interesting note in verses 31-32 regarding flax and wheat. You might be thinking, as I did, “Why is that there? What is the significance?” First, this lets the reader know this plague occurred sometime in January, February, or March. Secondly, flax was instrumental in clothing while wheat was instrumental in food. Not all of Egypt has been destroyed yet, which is what Pharaoh clings to. Pharaoh has not yet lost everything. Moses knew this, so he told Pharaoh that neither he nor his servants feared God.
Moses left the city and pleaded with Yahweh to stop the thunder and hail. The violent storm comes to an end. This is meant to show Pharaoh that the entire earth belongs to Yahweh. Not one square centimeter of Egypt truly belongs to Pharaoh; it is the property of Yahweh. Once again, Pharaoh sins by not letting the people go to worship Yahweh. They remain his slaves.
Christ Loves and Keeps Those who Hear and Obey Him
Christ Loves and Keeps Those who Hear and Obey Him
To bring us back to my hypothesis of this passage, those who do not fear the Lord do not obey His Word and are therefore subject to destruction. In our passage, we clearly see what happens to those who do not heed the Word of the Lord: they receive destruction. However, what about those who do hear and listen to the Lord? Those who do fear the Lord and obey His Word are given eternal life.
Jesus says these words in John 10:27-28:
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
In the wonder of God’s plan, He does not wait to apply His love to us once we prove we can follow Him. Instead, it is the opposite: since Christ loves us, we hear his voice and are then enabled to follow Him. As Paul writes in Ephesians 1:4, He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. Can you believe that? Even before the foundation of the world was put into place, God set His eyes upon you with love. Even before your soul and body were created, the Lord, of His own free will, chose to pour out His covenant love in your heart. Paul writes this clearly in Romans 9:17-18 as he quotes Exodus 9:16.
For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.
The salvation we have comes from a most merciful act of God. God chose to show you mercy. What kindness to us when we deserved hell and eternal separation from Him for the treason we’ve committed against the Most High. We deserve wrath, but He gave mercy.
Even on the days when we know our obedience is lacking, Christ is our’s forevermore. On the days when we know we have not listened to God through His Word, He keeps us. Yes, we must walk in obedience to Him. A life of no obedience reveals the person is like Pharaoh, a false repenter destined for hell. However, for us in Christ who struggle with sin all our days, nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Christ loves those who hear and obey Him, and those who love Christ love to walk in obedience. Even on our worst days, Christ still loves and keeps us. As Paul writes in Romans 8:35-39:
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
