So Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and lightning struck the earth. So the LORD rained down hail upon the land of Egypt. So Moses stretched out his staff toward the skyIn this phrase, we see Moses acting in obedience to God's command. The staff, a symbol of God's authority and power, is used by Moses to perform miracles. The act of stretching it toward the sky signifies an appeal to divine intervention. Historically, the staff was a shepherd's tool, symbolizing guidance and leadership, which Moses, once a shepherd, now uses to lead the Israelites. The sky, or heavens, is often seen as the realm of God, indicating that the forthcoming event is a divine act. and the LORD sent thunder and hail
Here, the LORD's direct involvement is emphasized. The Hebrew word for "thunder" (קוֹל, qol) can also mean "voice," suggesting the voice of God in the storm. Hail, a destructive force, is used as a tool of judgment against Egypt. This event is not just a natural phenomenon but a supernatural act demonstrating God's power over creation. In the ancient Near East, weather was often associated with deities, but here, it is the LORD who controls the elements, asserting His supremacy over Egyptian gods. and lightning struck the earth
The lightning, or "fire" as it is sometimes translated, represents God's fierce judgment. The Hebrew word for "struck" (הָלַךְ, halak) implies a purposeful action, indicating that this was not random but a targeted act of divine will. The earth, or land of Egypt, is the recipient of this judgment, highlighting the LORD's control over the physical world. This serves as a reminder of the consequences of Pharaoh's hardened heart and refusal to heed God's command. So the LORD rained hail upon the land of Egypt
The repetition of "the LORD" underscores His sovereignty and the personal nature of this judgment. The phrase "rained hail" conveys the intensity and relentlessness of the plague. In the context of the plagues, this act is part of a series of judgments designed to demonstrate God's power and compel Pharaoh to release the Israelites. The land of Egypt, once a place of refuge for the Israelites, becomes a place of divine retribution, fulfilling God's promise to deliver His people. Persons / Places / Events 1. MosesThe prophet and leader of the Israelites, chosen by God to lead His people out of Egypt. In this verse, Moses acts in obedience to God's command, demonstrating his role as God's instrument. 2. The LORD (Yahweh)The covenant-keeping God of Israel, who demonstrates His power and sovereignty over creation through the plagues, including the hailstorm. 3. EgyptThe land where the Israelites were enslaved. The plagues, including the hail, were judgments against Egypt and its gods, showcasing God's supremacy. 4. Thunder, Hail, and LightningThese elements are manifestations of God's power and judgment. The Hebrew word for hail, (barad), signifies a destructive force used by God to execute His will. 5. The PlaguesA series of divine judgments against Egypt, each designed to demonstrate God's power and compel Pharaoh to release the Israelites. Teaching Points God's SovereigntyThe plagues, including the hail, demonstrate God's absolute control over nature and His ability to use it to fulfill His purposes. Obedience to God's CommandsMoses' action in stretching out his staff is a model of obedience. Believers are called to act in faith, trusting in God's instructions. Judgment and MercyWhile the plagues were acts of judgment, they also served as opportunities for repentance. God's judgments are often accompanied by His call to turn back to Him. God's Power Over IdolsThe plagues were direct challenges to the gods of Egypt, showing that no idol can stand against the true God. Believers are reminded to trust in God alone. The Role of IntercessionMoses' role as an intercessor for Israel points to the importance of prayer and standing in the gap for others. Bible Study Questions 1. How does Moses' obedience in this passage challenge us in our daily walk with God? 2. In what ways do the plagues, including the hail, reveal God's character and His relationship with His people? 3. How can we see God's sovereignty in the natural world today, and how should that influence our faith? 4. What idols or false securities might we need to confront in our own lives, as the Egyptians faced with their gods? 5. How can we act as intercessors in our communities, following Moses' example of leadership and prayer? Connections to Other Scriptures Psalm 18:13This verse describes God’s voice as thunder, connecting to the idea of God’s power and presence in the storm. Revelation 16:21The hail in Revelation is reminiscent of the plagues in Egypt, symbolizing God's judgment in the end times. Job 37:5-6These verses speak of God commanding the snow and hail, emphasizing His control over nature. People Aaron, Egyptians, Israelites, Moses, PharaohPlaces Egypt, GoshenTopics Along, Caused, Egypt, Fire, Flashed, Forth, Ground, Hail, Heaven, Heavens, Ice-storm, Lightning, Rained, Raineth, Ran, Rod, Running, Sky, Staff, Stretched, Stretcheth, Thunder, Towards, VoicesDictionary of Bible Themes Exodus 9:23 4852 thunder
8739 evil, examples of Exodus 9:18-33 4828 hail Exodus 9:22-23 4272 sky Exodus 9:22-24 4512 staff Exodus 9:22-25 4605 animals, religious role Exodus 9:22-26 4843 plague Exodus 9:22-32 4456 grain Exodus 9:23-24 4834 light, natural
4838 lightning Library Confession of Sin --A Sermon with Seven Texts
The Hardened Sinner. PHARAOH--"I have sinned."--Exodus 9:27. I. The first case I shall bring before you is that of the HARDENED SINNER, who, when under terror, says, "I have sinned." And you will find the text in the book of Exodus, the 9th chap. and 27th verse: "And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: the Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked." But why this confession from the lips of the haughty tyrant? He was not often wont to …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 3: 1857The God of the Old Testament is the God of the New
(Palm Sunday.) Exodus ix. 14. I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth. We are now beginning Passion Week, the week of the whole year which ought to teach us most theology; that is, most concerning God, his character and his spirit. For in this Passion Week God did that which utterly and perfectly showed forth his glory, as it never has been shown forth before or since. …
Charles Kingsley—The Gospel of the Pentateuch The Plagues of Egypt
(Palm Sunday.) EXODUS ix. 13, 14. Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me. For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth. You will understand, I think, the meaning of the ten plagues of Egypt better, if I explain to you in a few words what kind of a country Egypt is, what kind of people the Egyptians were. Some of you, doubtless, …
Charles Kingsley—The Gospel of the Pentateuch Sign Seekers, and the Enthusiast Reproved.
(Galilee on the Same Day as the Last Section.) ^A Matt. XII. 38-45; ^C Luke XI. 24-36. ^c 29 And when the multitudes were gathering together unto him, ^a 38 Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, Teacher, we would see a sign from thee. [Having been severely rebuked by Jesus, it is likely that the scribes and Pharisees asked for a sign that they might appear to the multitude more fair-minded and open to conviction than Jesus had represented them to be. Jesus had just wrought …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel The Hardening in the Sacred Scripture.
"He hath hardened their heart."-- John xii. 40. The Scripture teaches positively that the hardening and "darkening of their foolish heart" is a divine, intentional act. This is plainly evident from God's charge to Moses concerning the king of Egypt: "Thou shalt speak all that I command thee; and I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply My signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. But Pharaoh shall not harken unto you, and I will lay My hand upon Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the …
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy Spirit The Sovereignty of God in Reprobation
"Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God" (Rom. 11:22). In the last chapter when treating of the Sovereignty of God the Father in Salvation, we examined seven passages which represent Him as making a choice from among the children of men, and predestinating certain ones to be conformed to the image of His Son. The thoughtful reader will naturally ask, And what of those who were not "ordained to eternal life?" The answer which is usually returned to this question, even by those who profess …
Arthur W. Pink—The Sovereignty of God Man's Misery by the Fall
Q-19: WHAT IS THE MISERY OF THAT ESTATE WHEREINTO MAN FELL? A: All mankind by their fall lost communion with God, are under his wrath and curse, and so made liable to all the miseries in this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell for ever. 'And were by nature children of wrath.' Eph 2:2. Adam left an unhappy portion to his posterity, Sin and Misery. Having considered the first of these, original sin, we shall now advert to the misery of that state. In the first, we have seen mankind offending; …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity Opposition to Messiah Ruinous
Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel T here is a species of the sublime in writing, which seems peculiar to the Scripture, and of which, properly, no subjects but those of divine revelation are capable, With us, things inconsiderable in themselves are elevated by splendid images, which give them an apparent importance beyond what they can justly claim. Thus the poet, when describing a battle among bees, by a judicious selection of epithets …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2 Exposition of Chap. Iii. (ii. 28-32. )
Ver. 1. "And it shall come to pass, afterwards, I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy; your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions." The communication of the Spirit of God was the constant prerogative of the Covenant-people. Indeed, the very idea of such a people necessarily requires it. For the Spirit of God is the only inward bond betwixt Him and that which is created; a Covenant-people, therefore, without such an inward …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament Exodus
The book of Exodus--so named in the Greek version from the march of Israel out of Egypt--opens upon a scene of oppression very different from the prosperity and triumph in which Genesis had closed. Israel is being cruelly crushed by the new dynasty which has arisen in Egypt (i.) and the story of the book is the story of her redemption. Ultimately it is Israel's God that is her redeemer, but He operates largely by human means; and the first step is the preparation of a deliverer, Moses, whose parentage, …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Exodus 9:23 NIVExodus 9:23 NLTExodus 9:23 ESVExodus 9:23 NASBExodus 9:23 KJV
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