Response to Hail – Hard Heart

Response to Hail – Hard Heart

Exodus 9: ²⁷ And Pharaoh sent and called for Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “I have sinned this time. The Lord is righteous, and my people and I are wicked. ²⁸ Entreat the Lord, that there may be no more mighty thundering and hail, for it is enough. I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer.”

 

²⁹ So Moses said to him, “As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands to the Lord; the thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, that you may know that the earth is the Lord’s. ³⁰ But as for you and your servants, I know that you will not yet fear the Lord God.”

 

³¹ Now the flax and the barley were struck, for the barley was in the head and the flax was in bud. ³² But the wheat and the spelt were not struck, for they are late crops.

 

³³ So Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh and spread out his hands to the Lord; then the thunder and the hail ceased, and the rain was not poured on the earth. ³⁴ And when Pharaoh saw that the rain, the hail, and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet more; and he hardened his heart, he and his servants. ³⁵ So the heart of Pharaoh was hard; neither would he let the children of Israel go, as the Lord had spoken by Moses.

 

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During the storm Pharaoh sent people into the hail and fire to bring Moses and Aaron to him. The fields were being destroyed and many things were on fire. Pharaoh begged Moses to ask GOD to stop the hail. Moses knew that Pharaoh did not repent, but called to the LORD anyway. The hail stopped and Pharaoh and his servants responded with hard hearts.

 

My Observations:

• Pharaoh would say anything to get out of trouble.
• GOD used the hail to destroy livestock of those who would not believe HE would do what HE said HE would do.
• Moses told Pharaoh that he should believe that the earth belongs to the LORD, not to him.

 

Six promises were not kept by Pharaoh and seven plagues have now passed. Pharaoh may have said to himself, “I am still in control because I tricked Moses into stopping the hail.” He refused to give credit to GOD or value HIS power. We do the same, don’t we?

 

The same GOD that poured down hail is the same GOD who can heal, fix problems or raise up unlikely people. But sometimes we remain as blind as Pharaoh to GOD’s power. GOD wants everyone to know the earth is HIS. No matter if it is Pharaoh of Egypt or a modern-day Pharaoh, GOD is in control.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD remind Moses about Pharaoh’s lie about letting the people go because of the hail damage?
• Have you allowed the enemy to blind you to GOD’s power?
• Can you surrender your efforts to give up and allow GOD to fill you up?