Reflecting His Grace
Exodus 9:18-19: "'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.' 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."
Once again, Moses has been sent out to meet with Pharaoh. This time Moses offers a warning to Pharaoh. Pharaoh has a day to relent and to allow the Israelites to go and worship their God. While the Lord is destroying the gods of Egypt and his magicians through this showdown, we see the grace of the Lord towards Pharaoh and the Egyptians. They are given warnings of what is to come. While all of Egypt has seen and experienced the plagues, some write them off as natural occurrences. As indicated by this text, others recognize the plagues as judgement by the God of the Hebrews. These are the ones who heed the warning given by Moses and are spared.
Pharaoh does not relent, and God is true to his word. There is a hailstorm like none they have ever seen before that day. Everyone and everything in the field is destroyed – men, animals, and crops. Hard-heartedness towards the Lord leads to destruction; fear and obedience to the Lord brings life. Only the land of Goshen, the area in which the Israelites dwelt, was spared from this dreadful hailstorm. The Egyptians who brought in their slaves and their animals were spared some of the destruction from the storm; their slaves and animals survived due to shelter through the storm.
The Lord graciously gave the Egyptians warnings. The Lord graciously gives us warnings. We are called to turn from the futility of this world and the things of this world and to put our faith in the shed blood of Jesus. He alone can rescue us from the destruction of sin, death, and the forces of evil in this world.
Reflection:
How have you experienced God's grace in your life? How did he call you to himself? Does your life reflect this grace to the world?
Once again, Moses has been sent out to meet with Pharaoh. This time Moses offers a warning to Pharaoh. Pharaoh has a day to relent and to allow the Israelites to go and worship their God. While the Lord is destroying the gods of Egypt and his magicians through this showdown, we see the grace of the Lord towards Pharaoh and the Egyptians. They are given warnings of what is to come. While all of Egypt has seen and experienced the plagues, some write them off as natural occurrences. As indicated by this text, others recognize the plagues as judgement by the God of the Hebrews. These are the ones who heed the warning given by Moses and are spared.
Pharaoh does not relent, and God is true to his word. There is a hailstorm like none they have ever seen before that day. Everyone and everything in the field is destroyed – men, animals, and crops. Hard-heartedness towards the Lord leads to destruction; fear and obedience to the Lord brings life. Only the land of Goshen, the area in which the Israelites dwelt, was spared from this dreadful hailstorm. The Egyptians who brought in their slaves and their animals were spared some of the destruction from the storm; their slaves and animals survived due to shelter through the storm.
The Lord graciously gave the Egyptians warnings. The Lord graciously gives us warnings. We are called to turn from the futility of this world and the things of this world and to put our faith in the shed blood of Jesus. He alone can rescue us from the destruction of sin, death, and the forces of evil in this world.
Reflection:
How have you experienced God's grace in your life? How did he call you to himself? Does your life reflect this grace to the world?
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