Exodus 9 – Study

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: Exodus 9:1-12

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.’ 2 If you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them back, 3 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. 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.”’

5 The Lord set a time and said, ‘Tomorrow the Lord will do this in the land.’ 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. 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.

8 Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Take handfuls of soot from a furnace and let Moses toss it into the air in the presence of Pharaoh. 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.’

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

A. Find Out:

1. What were to be affected by the next plague? v.3
2. What will happen to Israel? v.4
3. How did Pharaoh respond? v.7
4. What was the next plague? v.9,10
5. What happened to the magicians? v.11
6. How did Pharaoh respond? v.12

B. Think:

1. How do these two plagues continue the progression for things to get worse for the Egyptians?
2. What does Israel ‘s immunity from them tell us?
3. What do you think was the state of Egypt by now? Why?

C. Comment:

       So far the plagues had just been an increasing nuisance. The next plague now takes something from them, some of their most valuable assets, their livestock. Previously they had just had personal discomfort, now they lost valuable possessions. This should touch the hearts of this people. Is no one complaining to Pharaoh yet? To make it worse, the Israelites are completely unaffected by it all. They are at peace and secure. Next comes a further outright confrontation. There can be no mistaking its origin. This plague of boils comes on all the Egyptians but presumably not on the Israelites. This is more than discomfort or financial loss; this is personal pain!

      It is remarkable the way the Lord chooses plagues that so gradually get worse and worse so that Egypt has plenty of time to think about it and repent. This indicates God’s amazing strategy as well as His grace and mercy – and Pharaoh’s foolishness! At any time, he could have let Israel go but instead he persists in opposing the Lord. It is clear to any rational person that he can’t win so why carry on? The stupidity of sin can be the only answer!

D. Application? 

1. Do we understand the foolishness of sin?
2. Do we understand something of the grace of God?

Passage: Exodus 9:13-21

13 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, 14 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. 15 For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth. 16 But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. 17 You still set yourself against my people and will not let them go. 18 Therefore, at this time tomorrow I will send the worst hailstorm that has ever fallen on Egypt, from the day it was founded till now. 19 Give an order now to bring your livestock and everything you have in the field to a place of shelter, because the hail will fall on every person and animal that has not been brought in and is still out in the field, and they will die.”’

20 Those officials of Pharaoh who feared the word of the Lord hurried to bring their slaves and their livestock inside. 21 But those who ignored the word of the Lord left their slaves and livestock in the field.

A. Find Out:

1. Against whom did the Lord say the next plague would come? v.14
2. What did He say He could have done? v.15
3. Why did He say He had spared Pharaoh? v.16
4. What sort of storm is coming? v.18
5. What sort of preparation could be made? v.19
6. What response was there? v.20,21

B. Think:

1. How does the promised ‘plague’ go one step further than the previous ones in its effect?
2. How, on the other hand, does this warning differ from what has gone before?
3. How have the people of Egypt therefore become a divided people?

C. Comment:

     Sufficient warnings have come through the first six plagues that the Egyptians should know by now that God is now in earnest. Because of that there are now two differences from anything that has gone before. First, the effect of this plague will be to take human life. This is the first time that has happened. It will include ANY living creature, man or animal, that is out in the open at the time the Lord said. Second, there is an opportunity for everyone to respond to the warning. No one needs to be killed; simply get under cover when it happens. Thus we find an extension of the severity of the plagues, but this is also accompanied by grace, the opportunity for all to avoid it and be saved.

      This is always the way in Scripture. Look up Ezekiel 18:32 and 2 Peter 3:9b and be quite clear in your mind about this. God’s intention is that men should live, but if they choose to ignore Him and stand in the place of judgement, that is their choice! Watch for this again and again in Scripture. It is terrible that God gives man choice but man so often refuses it!

D. Application?

1. Judgement IS part of the package, but it is accompanied by grace.
2. John 1:12 To all who received him – many didn’t!

Passage: Exodus 9:22-35

22 Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Stretch out your hand towards the sky so that hail will fall all over Egypt – on people and animals and on everything growing in the fields of Egypt.’ 23 When Moses stretched out his staff towards 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; 24 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. 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. 26 The only place it did not hail was the land of Goshen, where the Israelites were.

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. 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.’

29 Moses replied, ‘When I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands in prayer to the Lord. The thunder will stop and there will be no more hail, so you may know that the earth is the Lord’s. 30 But I know that you and your officials still do not fear the Lord God.’

31 (The flax and barley were destroyed, since the barley was in the ear and the flax was in bloom. 32 The wheat and spelt, however, were not destroyed, because they ripen later.)

33 Then Moses left Pharaoh and went out of the city. He spread out his hands towards the Lord; the thunder and hail stopped, and the rain no longer poured down on the land. 34 When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had stopped, he sinned again: he and his officials hardened their hearts. 35 So Pharaoh’s heart was hard and he would not let the Israelites go, just as the Lord had said through Moses.

A. Find Out:

1. What was the extent of the storm? v.24
2. What effect did it have? v.25,31,32
3. Where was spared? v.26
4. What was Pharaoh’s response? v.27,28
5. What was Moses’ understanding of this? v.29,30
6. What was Pharaoh’s subsequent response? v.34,35

B. Think:

1. How has Pharaoh got “head knowledge” of his sin but not “heart knowledge”?
2. What signs are there that Moses is coming forth as a man of God?
3. What must have been the appearance of Egypt after the storm?

C. Comment:

      We noted earlier that previous plagues must have caused discomfort and been a nuisance. This plague now causes wholesale destruction as the hailstones destroyed crops, animals and even people out in the open. The natural countryside was left wrecked, and this is clearly far worse than anything the Egyptians have ever encountered before.

      The effect upon Pharaoh is ‘interesting’! He declares that he is a sinner, he has become aware that there is One greater than he and that he has offended Him. From what follows it is clear that it is what we would call “head knowledge”, it is something he acknowledges in his mind, but it hasn’t touched his heart deeply, for as soon as the storm abates, he goes back to his hard-hearted stance again.

      Moses appears to be moving with more understanding now. When Pharaoh first responds as he does, Moses could have been deceived and thought this was the time for deliverance, but he didn’t. He is aware that Pharaoh doesn’t really mean it yet. Moses is growing up and is becoming wise as to ways of the sinful heart and the word of God.

D. Application?

1. We should beware “knowing” things with our head, but not DOING them.
2. Lord, move my heart in line with my head!