A Work in Progress….

Exodus 9:32 The wheat and spelt, however, were not destroyed, because they ripen later.)

I know I am guilty, more than once in my life, of saying something to the effect of “Lord, If You will only _________ (start this thing, stop this thing, show up in this situation), I will ________ (do this thing, etc), only to completely forget what I promised to do when He shows up in my situation.

Exodus 9:33 Then Moses left Pharaoh and went out of the city. He spread out his hands toward the Lord; the thunder and hail stopped, and the rain no longer poured down on the land. 

I am not proud of that fact, and I’d like to think I’ve gotten better about not forgetting the things I promise when He shows up in my situations. I’ve also learned that God doesn’t always “calm the storm,” if you will. Sometimes He just walks beside me, holding me, as I suffer through the storm.

Exodus 9:34 When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had stopped, he sinned again: He and his officials hardened their hearts. 

Precious Savior, Forgive me when I make promises that I forget or neglect once You show up and show out in my circumstances. Help me to do better. Thank You for Your grace, mercy, and compassion. Always. Help me to draw closer to You with my whole heart. Amen.

Exodus 9:35 So Pharaoh’s heart was hard and he would not let the Israelites go, just as the Lord had said through Moses.

Have a blessed day.

Exodus 9:29a Moses replied, “When I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands in prayer to the Lord. 

Moses knows that Pharaoh is not being sincere (see v 30), yet he promises to pray to the Lord for him anyway. I wonder why? In hopes Pharaoh will change his mind after all? Because this is what God wants of him? Something else altogether?

Exodus 9:29b The thunder will stop and there will be no more hail, so you may know that the earth is the Lord’s. 

I find a person’s motivations incredibly interesting, but ultimately, it’s the state of their heart that God is concerned with. And God knows Pharaoh’s heart is still not willing to accept Him and His authority yet. This reconning is not over.

Exodus 9:30 But I know that you and your officials still do not fear the Lord God.”

Precious Savior, Thank You for the compassion You showed Pharaoh during this time. Thank You for the mercy, grace, and compassion that You show us as well. Forgive me for my stubbornness. Help me to draw closer to You. Amen.

Exodus 9:31 (The flax and barley were destroyed, since the barley had headed and the flax was in bloom.

Have a blessed day.

Exodus 9:25 Throughout Egypt hail struck everything in the fields—both people and animals; it beat down everything growing in the fields and stripped every tree. 

If you aren’t familiar with the story of Exodus, you’d think that with Pharaoh’s words here, this ordeal was about to be over. He recognized his error and repented, right? Nope. This is only plague number seven. There are three more plagues to go. Whatever is happening here, it is not Pharaoh turning fully to God.

Exodus 9:26 The only place it did not hail was the land of Goshen, where the Israelites were.

If you search the web for “God knows our hearts,” you turn up at least a dozen verses that center on that idea. Pharaoh is saying the right thing in today’s verses, but God knows his heart. He knows ours, too. He knows when we are serious and when we are just giving lip service.

Exodus 9:27 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. “This time I have sinned,” he said to them. “The Lord is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong.

Precious Savior, Thank You that You know me intimately, that You know my heart and not just my words. Thank You that You want me to live a life that is pleasing to You, that brings You praise and glory. Forgive me when my lips say the right thing but my heart isn’t in the right place. Help me to align myself fully with You. Amen.

Exodus 9:28 Pray to the Lord, for we have had enough thunder and hail. I will let you go; you don’t have to stay any longer.”

Have a blessed day.

Exodus 9:20 Those officials of Pharaoh who feared the word of the Lord hurried to bring their slaves and their livestock inside. 

Commentary says of this plague that rain is so scarce and violent storms even scarcer, so Egyptians would have reacted to this prediction “with much skepticism.” These words remind me of Noah and the admonition to build an ark. Essentially, God says, “Do this ridiculous-sounding thing for this improbable-sounding reason,” and most folks scoff.

Exodus 9:21 But those who ignored the word of the Lord left their slaves and livestock in the field.

And I am reminded of the billboard I saw years ago, with the message “Just love everyone. I’ll sort them out later. ~God” Ridiculous-sounding thing: love everyone. Improbable-sounding reason: God will sort them out. Do you see where I’m going with this?

Exodus 9:22 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that hail will fall all over Egypt—on people and animals and on everything growing in the fields of Egypt.” 

Precious Savior, We live in such divisive times. Who you love, who you vote for, what you believe…all those things are used to judge and restrict and persecute. But You tell us to love You and love others. You tell us that it is Your job to judge, not ours. Help us, Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 9:23-24 When Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, the Lord sent thunder and hail, and lightning flashed down to the ground. So the Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt; hail fell and lightning flashed back and forth. It was the worst storm in all the land of Egypt since it had become a nation.

Have a blessed day.

Exodus 9:10 So they took soot from a furnace and stood before Pharaoh. Moses tossed it into the air, and festering boils broke out on people and animals. 

Commentary talks about the fact that every appeal before each plague had been designed by God to soften Pharaoh’s heart, yet each time–prior to today’s verses–Pharaoh hardened his heart. This time, God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, commentary posits, because that has been Pharaoh’s natural inclination.

Exodus 9:11 The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils that were on them and on all the Egyptians. 

What strikes me as I read this scripture is the constant back and forth. I am struck with the image of a saw blade on a tree trunk, back and forth, back and forth. One cut does little, but the continual sawing will eventually cut through the entire trunk. I think that’s what God’s doing here, wearing Pharaoh down in spite of himself.

Exodus 9:12 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said to Moses.

Precious Savior, Thank You for the insight You give as I earnestly try to make sense of Your word. Help me to seek, to ask, to know, to listen and to draw closer to You. Always. Amen.

Exodus 9:13-14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning, confront Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me, or this time I will send the full force of my plagues against you and against your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth.

Have a blessed day.

Exodus 9:6 And the next day the Lord did it: All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one animal belonging to the Israelites died. 

Commentary mentions that plague number six, the boils, is the first time humans were directly targeted (as opposed to indirectly targeted with inconvenience and bites). Said commentator posits that this plague foreshadows the tenth plague, which is the death of the firstborn sons.

Exodus 9:7 Pharaoh investigated and found that not even one of the animals of the Israelites had died. Yet his heart was unyielding and he would not let the people go.

But I’m still wondering why–Why ten plagues? Why these plagues? Why this order? Why the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart? (Remember, sometimes God did the hardening, sometimes Pharaoh did the hardening, and sometimes scripture simply says that Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, with no indication of who was responsible.)

Exodus 9:8 Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from a furnace and have Moses toss it into the air in the presence of Pharaoh. 

Precious Savior, Thank You for knowing me intimately, for loving me fiercely, exactly as I am. Thank You that I can trust You to know what I need. Thank You that You appreciate when I study and seek and question. Draw me closer to You always. Amen.

Exodus 9:9 It will become fine dust over the whole land of Egypt, and festering boils will break out on people and animals throughout the land.”

Have a blessed day.

Exodus 9:1 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: “Let my people go, so that they may worship me.” 

I sincerely believe that in our bones, we have an innate desire to belong, to be chosen, to be included. The Lord calls the Israelites “my people” again and again in Exodus. Do they even see, even understand, the significance? Do they feel in their bones that they are His?

Exodus 9:2-3 If you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them back, the hand of the Lord will bring a terrible plague on your livestock in the field—on your horses, donkeys and camels and on your cattle, sheep and goats. 

And in Isaiah 49:16 the Lord says, “See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands….” These words aren’t just for the Israelites. They are for all of His children. He has created us. He has named us. He knows us intimately. We. Are. His. Period. Thank You, Jesus.

Exodus 9:4 But the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and that of Egypt, so that no animal belonging to the Israelites will die.’ ”

Precious Savior, In this world is it so easy to feel left out, discarded, abandoned. Thank You that I am Yours. Period. When the world tries to tell me that I’m all alone, help me never forget Your promises: You will never leave me nor forsake me. You are with me always. I am Yours. Eternally. Amen.

Exodus 9:5 The Lord set a time and said, “Tomorrow the Lord will do this in the land.”

Have a blessed day.

Exodus 8:29 Moses answered, “As soon as I leave you, I will pray to the Lord, and tomorrow the flies will leave Pharaoh and his officials and his people. Only let Pharaoh be sure that he does not act deceitfully again by not letting the people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord.”

God knows our hearts. Period. Full stop. He knows when we are serious and when we are bargaining and when we are being deceitful. He knows the doubt and waywardness that lives there. He knows the love and compassion therein. He knows EVERYTHING about us, and He loves us, fiercely.

Exodus 8:30 Then Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord, 

Moses argued and cajoled and wheedled until he at least was granted Aaron as a crutch. Pharaoh has been yo-yoing back and forth since the plagues began. God is not surprised by any of it, not caught off guard, not disgruntled. His love is fierce and dogged and determined. He wants us, all of us, body and soul, for eternity.

Exodus 8:31 and the Lord did what Moses asked. The flies left Pharaoh and his officials and his people; not a fly remained. 

Precious Savior, Thank You for loving me fiercely, despite my flaws, my mistakes and missteps. Help me, always, to draw closer to You. Help me to shine Your light. Amen.

Exodus 8:32 But this time also Pharaoh hardened his heart and would not let the people go.

Have a blessed day.