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Exodus 9:17–21
“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” (vv. 20–21).
Egypt stood as one of the most defiant enemies of God and His people during the old covenant period. After all, this nation enslaved the Israelites and produced a pharaoh firmly hardened against the Lord, as we have seen thus far in our study of Exodus. Yet for all the fierce opposition to God and His people, Egypt also received grace and mercy from the Lord. Exodus 9:15 tells us as much, for in this verse our Creator tells Pharaoh that it is well within His power to annihilate all the Egyptians through a pestilence that can strike all of them dead but that He has chosen not to do so. His judgment has been tempered by His mercy, which has been evident also in the first six plagues, since many of them have been more annoying than life-threatening (7:14–9:12).
God’s mercy on Egypt can be seen again in the announcement of the seventh plague, which we find recorded in today’s passage. Speaking to Pharaoh, Moses warns the king that the Lord is about to send a hailstorm on Egypt unlike any that it has ever experienced before (9:17–18). This will be a clear supernatural sign, for Egypt does not normally experience much hail at all, but the hail that God will cause to fall on the land of the Nile will deal unprecedented death and destruction (v. 19). Yet salvation will be possible in the midst of this seventh plague. Only the creatures and people in the field will be struck and killed by the hail; animals and Egyptians who remain indoors during the plague will be protected from the impending natural disaster (v. 19). That the Lord provides a way out for the Egyptians should not surprise us. After all, Scripture is full of statements that show us that He delights to show mercy (e.g., Isa. 30:18). Matthew Henry comments, “When God’s justice threatens ruin, his mercy, at the same time, shows us a way of escape from it, so unwilling is he that any should perish.”
Incredibly, many Egyptians heed this warning, even servants belonging to the household of Pharaoh (Ex. 9:20–21). Not everyone in Egypt shares the hard-heartedness of their king. Of course, we do not know how many of these Egyptians were motivated by true saving faith in the Lord, though some likely were. We do know, however, that many of them had seen enough to know that the God of Israel means business and that it is foolish not to follow the counsel of His word when He speaks.
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
Matthew Henry also comments, “If Pharaoh will not yield, and so prevent the judgment itself, yet an opportunity is given to those that have any dread of God and his word to save themselves from sharing in the judgment.” This principle applies in every generation. Those who heed the Word of God will be spared His judgment if they heed what He says through His prophets and Apostles.
For Further Study
- Deuteronomy 30:15–20
- Isaiah 66:1–2
- Ezekiel 33:10–11
- 2 Peter 3:9