EXODUS
CHAPTER
9
1. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh, and say to him, "T/us says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews: Let my people go, so that they may worship me. 2. For if you refuse to let them go and still hold them, 3 the hand of the LORD will strike a deadly pestilence your livestock in the field; the horses, the donkeys, the camels, the herds, and the flocks. 4 But the LORD will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that nothing shall die of all that belongs to the Israelites.'"
In order to help our comprehension of a situation we normally make distinctions and even make labels. In order to facilitate a situation God does the same thing when dealing with the Pharaoh, and even us in our everyday life. We do it as well. "Oh why do these things happen to me and not to them?" or maybe we may find ourselves saying "These things have happened to me, they do not happen to those because they are do gooders and go to Church'.
God does not reason in this way. In the New Testament Jesus says that He sends rain on both the good and the bad, therefore God shows no partiality, however people who live in a negative circle of serious sin are bound to some day experience the negative consequences of their actions, on the other hand the so called good people are still not spared from ill situations such as death, accidents amongst others, however the attitude is different because such people accept the situation as having happened as part of God's plan for our salvation and therefore the blow is milder. When we accept things with this attitude we do not lose the inner peace that God gives us. He loves us and will not permit us to be burdened with more than our capacity.
5. The LORD set a time saying, "Tomorrow the LORD will do this thing in the land." 6. And on the next day the LORD did so; all the livestock of the Egyptians died, but of the livestock of the Israelites not one died. 7. Pharaoh inquired and found that not one of the livestock of the Israelites was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he would not let the people go.
(Exodus chapter 8 verses 5 to 7)
Once the LORD our God has spoken His word is never wasted it never goes back to Him without being fulfilled. The same argument is applicable to when we go to receive Him in Holy Communion on a Sunday and on all days. Once God's word is proclaimed it will not stop being active in our being, whether we are aware of it or not in our unconscious, the seed is planted in our soul. On the other hand as human pots or recipients we have the choice of either letting the seed grow or throwing away the soil and the seed and remain an empty pot.
8. Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Take handfuls of soot from the kiln, and let Moses throw it in the air in the sight of the Pharaoh. 9. It shall become fine dust all over the land of Egypt, and shall cause festering boils on humans and animals throughout the whole land of Egypt". 10. So they took soot from the kiln and stood before Pharaoh, and Moses threw it in the air, and it caused festering boils on humans and animals.
(Exodus chapter 9 verses 8 to 10)
In order to view the state of the Pharaoh and his subjects as a consequence of his disobedience please click on the following link
Sin is indeed like the boils. If not treated it may become a chronic condition leading to even chronic sin. This is why Jesus gave us the opportunity to reconcile back with Him so that He can heal us from our sins.
11. The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils afflicted the magicians as well as all the Egyptians. 12. But the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had spoken to Moses.
(Exodus chapter 9 verses 11 to 12)
Although our situation may become dangerous or pathetic we may still want to remain in our sins and not turn our eyes on God. It may well be that our darkness is so thick that it is blocking out all traces of light, therefore as people who believe in God we are to keep on trying to help such people with the hope and belief that God's light will penetrate their darkness.
13. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Rise up early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh, and say to him, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews: Let my people go, so that they may worship me. 14. For this time I will send all my plagues upon you yourself, and upon your officials, and upon your people, so that you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth. 15. For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth.
(Exodus chapter 9 verses 13 to 15)
Verses 13 to 15 show us how loving and patient God is with us. If He wants He has the power to wipe out all forms of life on earth with one decree but He loves us so much to do that. The fact that we are still alive is that by means of us God is unfolding His plan for our salvation and his second visitation on earth that is the final intervention that will bring a new order on earth under the reign of God.
16. But this is why I have let you live: to show you my power; and to make my name resound through all the earth. 17. You are still exalting yourself against my people, and will not let them go. 18. Tomorrow at this time I will cause the heaviest hail to fall that ever has fallen in Egypt from the day it was founded until now. 19. Send therefore, and have your livestock and everything that you have in the open field brought to a secure place, every human or animal that is in the open field and is not brought under shelter will die when the hail comes down upon them.'"
(Exodus chapter 9 verses 16 to 19)
God loves us so much that He warns us beforehand regarding the intervention that He is going to unleash upon the earth, thus giving us the opportunity to repent and change our lives. His instructions as found in His Word and as proclaimed by the Church his mouthpiece on earth have always been clear. Ultimately it is our choice to either accept or deny His warnings.
20. Those officials of Pharaoh who feared the word of the LORD hurried their slaves and livestock off to a secure place. 21. those who did not regard the word of the LORD left their slaves and livestock in the open field.
(Exodus chapter 9 verses 20 to 21)
As already referred to even during our times there are those people who obey the Word and will of God and there are those who do not. Those who do not will suffer the consequences of their wrong doing as in the case of the officials of the Pharaoh.
In order to review the plagues of God Aaron and Moses please click on the following link:
The plagues
(Exodus chapter 9 verses 13 to 15)
Verses 13 to 15 show us how loving and patient God is with us. If He wants He has the power to wipe out all forms of life on earth with one decree but He loves us so much to do that. The fact that we are still alive is that by means of us God is unfolding His plan for our salvation and his second visitation on earth that is the final intervention that will bring a new order on earth under the reign of God.
16. But this is why I have let you live: to show you my power; and to make my name resound through all the earth. 17. You are still exalting yourself against my people, and will not let them go. 18. Tomorrow at this time I will cause the heaviest hail to fall that ever has fallen in Egypt from the day it was founded until now. 19. Send therefore, and have your livestock and everything that you have in the open field brought to a secure place, every human or animal that is in the open field and is not brought under shelter will die when the hail comes down upon them.'"
(Exodus chapter 9 verses 16 to 19)
God loves us so much that He warns us beforehand regarding the intervention that He is going to unleash upon the earth, thus giving us the opportunity to repent and change our lives. His instructions as found in His Word and as proclaimed by the Church his mouthpiece on earth have always been clear. Ultimately it is our choice to either accept or deny His warnings.
20. Those officials of Pharaoh who feared the word of the LORD hurried their slaves and livestock off to a secure place. 21. those who did not regard the word of the LORD left their slaves and livestock in the open field.
(Exodus chapter 9 verses 20 to 21)
As already referred to even during our times there are those people who obey the Word and will of God and there are those who do not. Those who do not will suffer the consequences of their wrong doing as in the case of the officials of the Pharaoh.
In order to review the plagues of God Aaron and Moses please click on the following link:
The plagues
22. The LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward heaven so that hail may fall on the whole land of Egypt, on humans and animals and all the plants of the field in the land of Egypt." 23. Then Moses stretched out his staff towards heaven, and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and fire came down on the earth. And the LORD rained hail on the land of Egypt; 24. there was hail with fire flashing continually in the midst of it, such heavy hail as had never fallen in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.
(Exodus chapter 9 verses 22 to 24)
On reflecting big hail stones with fire flashing in their midst can easily be compared to meteorites that have the same appearance. God has control over all that exists and can use natural means of phenomena to reach his aims in order to pass on to his the message leading to our conversion
25. The hail struck down everything that was in the open field throughout all the land of Egypt, both human and animal; the hail also struck down all the plants of the field, and shattered every tree in the field. 26 Only in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites were there was no hail.
(Exodus chapter 9 verses 25 to 26)
The Egyptians experienced total destruction in the land. When we open ourselves to sinful and evil practises, we are prone to experience the destruction of our spiritual and even social selves, thus bringing havoc on our lives. In order to reverse such negative effects one has to repent and show a strong will to change ones way of life completely.
27. Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron, and said to them, "This time I have sinned; the LORD is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong. 28. Pray to the LORD! Enough of God's thunder and hail! I will let you go; you need stay no longer."
(Exodus chapter 9 verses 27 to 28)
Awareness of our sins and repentance are the first signs leading to a change of lifestyle. Once we humble ourselves before God and admit that we are sinners in a humble and sincere way God is able to work miracles within us and in our circles and environment. Therefore we are always to leave a door open in our lives from which God can enter and be present in our lives.
29. Moses said to him, "As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will stretch out my hands to the LORD; the thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that the earth is the LORD's. 30. But as for you and your officials, I know that you do not yet fear the LORD God."
(Exodus chapter 9 verses 29 to 30)
Although as in the case of the Pharaoh we may show signs of repentance, we may not really love God, but be simply people who give lip service to God meaning servile obedience with no sense of faith and love attributed to God.
31. (Now the flax and the barley were ruined, for the barley was in the ear and the flax was in the bud. 32 But the wheat and the spelt were not ruined, for they are late in coming up.)
(Exodus chapter 9 verses 31 to 32)
Although this comment may seem to be trivial to the context, it has a great meaning. Even though a situation may seem to be totally lost, if we stop, pray and think God will always show us the positive in the negative aspects of the situation.
33. So Moses left Pharaoh went out of the city, and stretched out his hand to the LORD; then the thunder and the hail ceased, and the rain no longer poured down on the earth. 34. But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he sinned once more and hardened his heart, he and his officials. 35. So the heart of the Pharaoh was hardened, and he would not let the Israelites go, just as the LORD had spoken through Moses.
(Exodus chapter 9 verses 33 to 35)
I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer:
Hello to God my father. Thanks for not answering positively to my prayers that at time are not requests that are for my own good or that of my family. Even though at times You say 'No! I thank You because due to my limitations I can never view the big picture. Oh Father I ask you for the gift of patience and perseverance. I also ask you to soften my heart so that you can dwell in it more comfortably without any limitations. Thank You God for all my friends on G+ and other circles.
Thank You God my father
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