In The Word
Read: Exodus 9
Egyptian Livestock Die
9 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and speak to him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews says: “Let My people go, so that they may serve Me. 2 For if you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them, 3 behold, the hand of the Lord will come with a very severe plague on your livestock which are in the field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the herds, and on the flocks. 4 But the Lordwill make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that nothing will die of all that belongs to the sons of Israel.”’”5 And the Lord set a definite time, saying, “Tomorrow the Lord will do this thing in the land.” 6 So the Lord did this thing on the next day, and all the livestock of Egypt died; but not one of the livestock of the sons of Israel died. 7 And Pharaoh sent men, and they learned that, behold, not even one of the livestock of Israel was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go.
The Plague of Boils
8 Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Take for yourselves handfuls of soot from a kiln, and Moses shall toss it toward the sky in the sight of Pharaoh. 9 Then it will become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and will turn into boils breaking out with sores on every person and animal through all the land of Egypt.” 10 So they took soot from a kiln, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses tossed it toward the sky, and it became boils breaking out with sores on every person and animal. 11 The soothsayer priests could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were on the soothsayer priests as well as on all the Egyptians. 12 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had spoken to Moses.
13 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews says: “Let My people go, so that they may serve Me. 14 For this time I am going to send all My plagues on you and your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is no one like Me in all the earth.15 For had I now put out My hand and struck you and your people with plague, you would then have been eliminated from the earth. 16 But indeed, for this reason I have allowed you to remain, in order to show you My power and in order to proclaim My name throughout the earth. 17 Still you exalt yourself against My people by not letting them go.
The Plague of Hail
18 Behold, about this time tomorrow, I will send a very heavy hail, such as has not been seen in Egypt from the day it was founded until now. 19 So now, send word, bring your livestock and whatever you have in the field to safety. Every person and animal that is found in the field and is not brought home, when the hail comes down on them, will die.”’”20 Everyone among the servants of Pharaoh who feared the word of the Lord hurried to bring his servants and his livestock into the houses; 21 but everyone who did not pay regard to the word of the Lord left his servants and his livestock in the field.
22 Now the Lord said to Moses, “Reach out with your hand toward the sky, so that hail may fall on all the land of Egypt, on every person and animal, and on every plant of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.”23 So Moses reached out with his staff toward the sky, and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and fire ran down to the earth. And the Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt. 24 So there was hail, and fire flashing intermittently in the midst of the hail, which was very heavy, such as had not occurred in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. 25 The hail struck everything that was in the field through all the land of Egypt, from people to animals; the hail also struck every plant of the field, and shattered every tree of the field. 26 Only in the land of Goshen, where the sons of Israel were, was there no hail.
27 Then Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “I have sinned this time; the Lord is the righteous one, and I and my people are the wicked ones. 28 Plead with the Lord, for there has been enough of God’s thunder and hail; and I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer.”29 Moses said to him, “As soon as I go out of the city, I will spread out my hands to the Lord; the thunder will cease and there will no longer be 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 (Now the flax and the barley were ruined, for the barley was in the ear and the flax was in bud. 32 But the wheat and the spelt were not ruined, for they ripen late.) 33 So Moses left the city from his meeting with Pharaoh, and spread out his hands to the Lord; and the thunder and the hail stopped, and rain no longer poured on the earth. 34 But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had stopped, he sinned again and hardened his heart, he and his servants. 35 So Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not let the sons of Israel go, just as the Lord had spoken through Moses.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
The hand of the Lord came against the livestock of the Egyptians. Livestock represented the people’s livelihood and finances. The Lord told Pharaoh the timing so that there would be no doubt that the Lord was in control. Next, the Lord brought sores upon the Egyptians. This time Pharaoh’s magicians could not even stand before Moses; but, even in this, Pharaoh’s heart was hardened. The Lord told Pharaoh that His power would be seen and that His name would be proclaimed throughout the earth and for all time. Then He told Pharaoh that hail that had never been seen before would come the next day. This time even some of the Egyptians feared the Lord and heeded His warning. Thunder and hail and even fire came down as promised and fell on all the land of Egypt except where the children of Israel were. Then Pharaoh sent for Moses and confessed his sin. He said that the Lord is the Righteous One and that he and his people were the wicked ones.
Confession without repentance produces hardness of heart. Pharaoh confessed his sin, but continued to exalt himself above God’s Word. Have you been doing that? Have you been confessing any sin without repentance, without changing and stopping that sin? If so, your heart is probably hardened to that sin. Examine your heart today. If any sin is found there, come before the Lord with a broken and contrite heart in true repentance, and then decide to stop and turn from it. Confess, repent, and get back on the Ancient Path today.