When God Brings The Hail (Exodus 9:13-35) Series

Before we start reading our passage this morning, think about the worst storms you've ever been in. Try to remember the biggest rain storms, and the thunder, and the hail, and the blizzards.

When I do this, I tend to think about four stories, two of which I'll share. One day, when I was out delivering north of Streeter, I looked off to the west, and I could see that the apocalypse was coming. It was the darkest, biggest clouds I've ever seen. Normally, I'm a big believer in safe work methods. I walk; I don't run. I look before stepping. I use three points of contact. It's safer, and you get paid more to work carefully.

That day, when I knew I was about to die, I ran. I got my last stop done, and feeling pleased with myself, I showed off my immaturity. I called the driver to the west of me-- the Steele driver-- and I laughingly asked her if she was soaked. And she was like, "No? It's not raining here."

That was confusing, but I started driving home on 94. And out of nowhere, this storm from the south came up-- the apocalypse had added another front. My passenger side window apparently had a 2 inch gap, where it had opened up. And stinging rain shot horizontally through the gap, soaking me. It was super painful-- I screamed like a girl. And there was nothing I could do for like 10 miles. Just get soaked, and scream, and endure.

Another time, we were traveling back from the Cities, and ran into a torrential downpour. 40 mph winds. Horizontal, sheeting rain. And on a frontage road, a mile from the nearest house, we saw this little family on bikes. 2 parents; 2 kids. They were biking into the rain, leaning into it, struggling to make any progress. My wife, in particular, laughed uncontrollably. Out in the open, exposed, nothing you can do.

It's more amusing when it happens to someone else. You laugh more, and scream less.

Our story this morning is about the biggest, baddest storm that Yahweh ever sent. Sheets of rain. The worst hail you've ever seen.

And I think the secret to reading this story the way you should, is to put your storm stories into the text, and then imagine them ten times worse.

Verse 13-16:

(13) and Yahweh said to Moses,

"Rise early in the morning,

and stand before Pharaoh,

and say to him,

"Thus has said Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews: 'Release my people, that they may serve me,

(14) because at this time, I am sending all my plagues toward your heart/resolve and against your servants and against your people

so that you will know/acknowledge that there is no one like me in all the land/earth,

(15) because, now, I could've stretched out my hand,

and I could've struck you and your people with the plague,

and you could've been destroyed from the land/earth,

(16) but for this reason I have caused you to stand:

so that you would see my strength,

and in order that my name would be proclaimed in all the land/earth.

Up to this point in the story, we were maybe tempted to think that Yahweh had maxxed out what He was capable of. Maybe the frogs, and flies, and gnats, and blood, were the biggest, most painful wonders Yahweh was capable of.

Here, Yahweh tells Pharaoh that this is not the case. The only reason Pharaoh is still alive to resist, is because Yahweh hasn't really stretched out his hand. And Yahweh has been the reason Pharaoh is able to still stand-- that's why Pharaoh was able to hang on better than the magicians.

Now, though, the gloves start to really come off. Yahweh will send "all" his plagues. And his goal here, has three main parts. First, in verse 14, Yahweh wants Pharaoh to acknowledge that there is no one like Yahweh in all the land. Yahweh is incomparable. He can do, what no one else can. He will be, what He will be ("Yahweh"), and no one can stop him.

Second, Yahweh wants Pharaoh to see his strength.

And third, Yahweh wants his name proclaimed in all the land (Matthew 6:9).

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A note on the Hebrew of verse 15:

The qatal tenses is unexpected in verse 15-- I didn't realize they could work this way, as "could've"s. Gesenius notes:

4. To express actions and facts, whose accomplishment in the past is to be represented, not as actual, but only as possible (generally corresponding to the Latin imperfect or pluperfect subjunctive), e.g. Gn 31:42 except the God of my father … had been with me, surely now hadst thou sent me away empty (???????????????); Gn 43:10, Ex 9:15 (???????????? I had almost put forth, &c.); Nu 22:33, Ju 13:23, 14:18, 1 S 13:13 (???????); 2 K 13:19; so frequently after ???????? easily, almost, Gn 26:10, Is 1:9 (where ???????? is probably to be connected with the word after it), Ps 73:2, 94:17, 119:87, Pr 5:14. Cf. also Jb 3:13, 23:10 (???????????), Ru 1:12 (if I should think, &c.; cf. 2 K 7:4); in the apodosis of a conditional sentence, 1 S 25:34.—So also to express an unfulfilled desire, Nu 14:2 ??? ???????? would that we had died …! (??? with the imperfect would mean would that we might die! 1 S 14:30). Finally, also in a question indicating astonishment, Gn 21:7 ??? ?????? who would have said …? quis dixerit? Ps 73:11.