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Friday 11 June 2010

Exodus 9

The next plague falls on all the livestock, so it is now directly affecting the livelihood of the nation. Yet again Pharaoh is given the opportunity to repent, but as usual refuses to do so. All the Egyptian livestock died, but none of the Israelite ones. Pharaoh investigated this, found it to be true, but did nothing. When people are hard of heart even the facts of the matter will not move them.
The next plague comes without an opportunity to repent, and this time affects the people directly. A plague of boils will come upon all of them. Still Pharaoh refused to change his mind. 
By now Pharaoh should realise that he is dealing with something that he cannot resist or oppose, and the Lord gives him yet another chance to repent.
God could have wiped out Pharaoh in an instant. Why didn't He do this? One was to give him the chance to let the Israelites go, and secondly to let the world see who He was, and how guilty Pharaoh was. This time He tells Pharaoh what the plague will be, hailstones, and instructs him to take action to avoid the worst effects.
People often ask questions about God's judgement, and particularly about hell, usually saying something like "how can a God of love ...." The truth is that at the final judgement the only question we will ask is why was God so patient, why didn't He do something sooner.
The warning and advice brought a division, some heeded it, others ignored it. Man's pride often leads him to do stupid things. The hail duly fell everywhere, except on Goshen.
At the end of it Pharaoh appears to have had a change of heart. Moses knew it was not real, but called for the hail to stop, and Pharaoh of course hardened his heart again.

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