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Daily Devotions

Exodus

Exodus 
Day 
Day 74

"The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect." Psalm 33:10

Text: Exodus 9 : 18-21

THE NEXT PLAGUE ANNOUNCED – HAIL

The next plague was announced! It would be a terrible plague that would prove even more devastating than all the others that Egypt had experienced!

“Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause
very heavy hail to rain down, such as has not been
in Egypt since its founding until now.”
EXODUS 9:18

Should not such words cause the heart to tremble before the Lord?

THE MERCY OF THE LORD

The mercy of the Lord was well and truly displayed when He gave a brief grace-period to the Egyptians to keep their animals indoors!

“Therefore send now and gather your livestock
and all that you have in the field, for the hail shall come down
on every man and every animal which is found in the field
and is not brought home; and they shall die.”
EXODUS 9:19

The threat to man’s life was deemed important! The other plagues had not been life-threatening (with reference to man)! This particular plague could result in death for man (e.g. slaves who were sent out to work in the fields for their masters)!

THE WISE WHO HAD BEGUN TO FEAR THE GOD OF THE HEBREWS

Pharaoh would not be expected to heed this word! But there were some in his kingdom who had begun to take the God of the Hebrews most seriously.

“He who feared the word of the LORD among
the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and
his livestock flee to the houses.”
EXODUS 9:20

THE FOOLISH WHO IGNORED THIS MERCIFUL WORD OF WARNING

Pharaoh was not alone in his defiance of the God of Hebrews. There were others (probably many) who ignored and defied this word of warning.

“But he who did not regard the word of the LORD
left his servants and his livestock in the field.”
EXODUS 9:21

Of course, the wealthy masters would not risk going out into the fields. They cared little if the lives of their slaves were at risk.

Would the hailstorm really be as severe as Moses had warned? Could the God of Moses really bring about a hailstorm at all? Nobody was sure as to how this next plague would come about. All Egypt could do was to wait with bated breath! Whatever the case, Pharaoh made no further attempt to increase the workload of the Hebrew slaves. He would not dare! The God of the Hebrews was not to be trifled with!