Exodus 9:1-35--The Plagues of Livestock, Boils, and Hail

Exodus 9
World English Bible

9 Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh, and tell him, ‘This is what Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, says: “Let my people go, that they may serve me. 2 For if you refuse to let them go, and hold them still, 3 behold, Yahweh’s hand is on your livestock which are in the field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the herds, and on the flocks with a very grievous pestilence. 4 Yahweh will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt; and nothing shall die of all that belongs to the children of Israel.”’” 5 Yahweh appointed a set time, saying, “Tomorrow Yahweh shall do this thing in the land.” 6 Yahweh did that thing on the next day; and all the livestock of Egypt died, but of the livestock of the children of Israel, not one died. 7 Pharaoh sent, and, behold, there was not so much as one of the livestock of the Israelites dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was stubborn, and he didn’t let the people go.

8 Yahweh said to Moses and to Aaron, “Take handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the sky in the sight of Pharaoh. 9 It shall become small dust over all the land of Egypt, and shall be boils and blisters breaking out on man and on animal, throughout all the land of Egypt.”

10 They took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward the sky; and it became boils and blisters breaking out on man and on animal. 11 The magicians couldn’t stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boils were on the magicians and on all the Egyptians. 12 Yahweh hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he didn’t listen to them, as Yahweh had spoken to Moses.

13 Yahweh said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and tell him, ‘This is what Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, says: “Let my people go, that they may serve me. 14 For this time I will send all my plagues against your heart, against your officials, and against your people; that you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth. 15 For now I would have stretched out my hand, and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth; 16 but indeed for this cause I have made you stand: to show you my power, and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth, 17 because you still exalt yourself against my people, that you won’t let them go. 18 Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as has not been in Egypt since the day it was founded even until now. 19 Now therefore command that all of your livestock and all that you have in the field be brought into shelter. The hail will come down on every man and animal that is found in the field, and isn’t brought home, and they will die.”’”

20 Those who feared Yahweh’s word among the servants of Pharaoh made their servants and their livestock flee into the houses. 21 Whoever didn’t respect Yahweh’s word left his servants and his livestock in the field.

22 Yahweh said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, on man, and on animal, and on every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.”

23 Moses stretched out his rod toward the heavens, and Yahweh sent thunder and hail; and lightning flashed down to the earth. Yahweh rained hail on the land of Egypt. 24 So there was very severe hail, and lightning mixed with the hail, such as had not been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. 25 The hail struck throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and animal; and the hail struck every herb of the field, and broke every tree of the field. 26 Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, there was no hail.

27 Pharaoh sent and called for Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “I have sinned this time. Yahweh is righteous, and I and my people are wicked. 28 Pray to Yahweh; for there has been enough of mighty thunderings and hail. I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer.”

29 Moses said to him, “As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands to Yahweh. The thunders shall cease, and there will not be any more hail; that you may know that the earth is Yahweh’s. 30 But as for you and your servants, I know that you don’t yet fear Yahweh God.”

31 The flax and the barley were struck, for the barley had ripened and the flax was blooming. 32 But the wheat and the spelt were not struck, for they had not grown up. 33 Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and spread out his hands to Yahweh; and the thunders and hail ceased, and the rain was not poured on the earth. 34 When Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders had ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants. 35 The heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he didn’t let the children of Israel go, just as Yahweh had spoken through Moses.

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The next plague the the LORD struck Egypt with was the plague of a pestilence that killed all the livestock of Egypt, but it left all the livestock of the Hebrews alone.  This was a devastating blow to the Egyptians.  Pharaoh sent officials to check that indeed none of the livestock of the Israelites were affected, just as the LORD said.  The LORD set the time so that it would be clear this was no natural calamity, but that this came from His hand, but Pharaoh was stubborn and did not let the LORD's people go.

Next came a great plague of boils and blisters that fell on all the Egyptians and all their animals.  The plague was so severe that Pharaoh's magicians could not stand in his presence.  Before this plague was even over, the LORD promised the next plague that will come against Egypt the very next day.  If Pharaoh does not let the LORD's people go, there would be giant hailstones that will kill any person or animal that was outside and would crush any crops which had come up from the ground.  Only the produce that were still seeds in the ground and the people and animals that were in the houses would be safe.  Some Egyptians feared the LORD and believed Moses and moved their servants, livestock and other possessions inside their homes, but many did believe that the LORD could or would do such a thing and many lives were lost.  The children of Israel were not affected at all by the plague of hail.  The trees in Egypt were broken, the fields were crushed and their livestock and servants were killed (those that were not taken inside for protection).  Only the Land of Goshen was spared.

Pharaoh is scared and calls for Moses to pray to the LORD to take away the hailstorms and the thunder and lightning.  Pharaoh even says that he will let the children of Israel go (we have heard that before), but this time Moses says "I know that you do not yet fear the LORD."  Yet, Moses prays to the LORD to stop the plague to show Pharaoh the strength of the LORD to both bring judgment and salvation as He chooses.

The flax and barley crops of Egypt were destroyed, but the wheat and spelt that were crops that had later growing seasons were still in the ground and were not destroyed.  As soon as the storms stopped, Pharaoh hardened his heart even more and refused to let the children of Israel go.

Something I haven't mentioned yet this time around is that many of these plagues mirror the plagues that will come in the book of Revelation at the end of days when the LORD pours out judgment on the entire earth.  What was done to one kingdom here will be done to the whole world (the kingdom of this world who follows the Antichrist).  Just like the LORD was able to make a distinction between His people who lived in Goshen and provided a place of protection for them or the plagues simply did not touch them, the LORD will mark His people for protection before the plagues start (it is this mark that the Antichrist will try to counterfeit with the Mark of the Beast, but instead of providing protection, those who take that mark will mark themselves for judgment and destruction).  Christians have no need to think that the LORD must take them out of this world to protect them from the coming judgment, because He's already demonstrated multiple times that He is able to save His people through the judgment that goes on all around them (the Ark, Rahab's home being kept safe while Jericho was destroyed, the distinction between the land of Goshen during these plagues and you can probably think of even more examples).  More on that later, but I will say that my saying this does not mean that I don't believe the Rapture of the Church is coming--it is coming and it is coming at a time we will not expect (it will happen "suddenly").  Be ready and be ready to say, "Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!" He may be coming for His people at any time.