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Exodus 9:13-10:20
I. God's Weather Channel
The seventh plague, Exodus tells us, was a hail storm. When reading the Bible, sometimes we take it for granted and forget that it is an historical book that focuses on the relationship that God has with people. It also does purport to report events that actually happened (10:2). So let us take that at face value. In Exodus as in the rest of the Old Testament, the people are the nation of Israel. Obviously, for myself, as a Christian I understand that the events reported happened exactly as written. Just as importantly, the events have real physical causes that fit into the overall picture. For example, the hail storm was part of a storm system that fits into the overall weather pattern for the region. Strong storms are not unusual in the Spring for the general area of northern African coast and southern Europe.
Although Egypt does border the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, so that there is plenty of moisture available, most of the water in Egypt comes from the Nile. The desert conditions away from the river testify that the region, as part of the Sahara desert, does not get a lot of rainfall. If Colin Humphreys is correct in assuming that the Pharaoh of the Exodus had his residence near the Delta region of Egypt, then this would have put him closer to the coast. So I checked the five-day forecast for Alexandria, a coastal city in Egypt. I am also looking at a radar graphic image of northern Africa as I write this posting. I wanted to get a modern meteorological perspective on what it might have been like 3,000 years ago. It strikes me that this image is gotten from a satellite orbiting in space, so that I today have a more "God-like" view of the weather than the ancients did.
The forecast for Alexandria is warm and humid. In fact, tomorrow it will be 73 degrees there, although the humidity will make it feel closer to 80. The clothing on the Egyptian tombs shows a people well accustomed to the warm and humid climate of the region during this time. Dwelling near the river, a large body of water, would have only emphasized the humidity even more. There is right now a storm system just south of Spain spawning clouds and storms up all the way from the west African country of Nigeria northeast to the central Mediterranean coast of Lybia due south of Italy and Greece. A northeastern line is a diagonal line, but as the storms center gets closer they become more of a vertical line, like north-south. The storms also become stronger closer to the coast where there is more moisture and energy to feed on. This is important because Exodus states that no hail fell upon Goshen, which was further inland away from the immediate area of the river.
In addition, the next plague, locust, would be attracted by the heavy rainfall. The desert locust lay their eggs in spring, like many insects, but these locust need moist ground to do it in. In the desert this is not easy to find even when there is rainfall. It usually dries up to quickly. This exceptionally strong storm, however, with its heavy and prolonged rainfall accompanied by hail, cloud-to-ground lightning, and very loud thunder (9:23, 28) provided the basis for that. The thunder and hail are emphasized particularly. This is an extremely violent storm. In fact, if the Bible is to be believed, it is the most violent storm Egypt had ever seen in all its long history. That would have been at least two or perhaps three thousand years if the historical time-lines are to be believed. The Egyptians had nothing to compare to it. In fact, Exodus 9:14 says, "for at this time I will send all of My plagues to your very heart...that you may know that there is none like Me in all the earth." (italics mine).
The nearest I can imagine myself is being in a storm in the Midwest of the United States where spring-time storms typically produce hail, vivid cloud-to-ground lightning and even tornadoes. While I was searching for weather information on Egypt, in fact, I saw an alert for a tornado that occured in India! But the one observation I took from just reading the Bible in Exodus was that we humans pay particular attention to things when they originate in the sky. Think of it. Storms, solar or lunar eclipses, meteor showers, supernovas, and other things of that kind immediately get our attention and our fascination. The ancient Egyptians were not so different from us as we might suppose we are from them, even though we have so many of our technological devices geared toward tracking and understanding the weather. This storm was an especial attention-getter. Not only did Yahweh (God) make a difference between the Israelites and the Egyptians, but He also made a difference between Himself and even the most mighty of the imaginary Egyptian gods. He was making a statement!
II. Bare Cupboards & Bargaining
There's an old nursery rhyme part of which goes: "Old Mother Hubbard went to the cupboard, to give her poor dog a bone; but when she got there the cupboard was bare, and so the poor dog had none." The storm had ruined crops for the Egyptians. The rain upon the ripening and newly opened heads of barley and flax had caused a blight of mold upon them. They were useless now. Plus many had been trampled by the immense fall of hail. Flax was used for making linen. Barley was used for making beer. Essentially these were trade and entertainment value crops. They weren't vital. Exodus 9:32 states that the wheat and spelt, food crops, were not as affected by the storm because they grew and ripened later than barley and flax. So while Pharaoh lost money he at least had food to eat. Or so he thought. Which is why he later refused to let Israel go. What did Satan say of Job after God's first test of him? "All that a man has he will give for his life" (Job 2:4b). No less with Pharaoh. He was not going to surrender while he felt he still had a leg to stand on. And so the next plague came.
Locust are not really much to report on other than what I said earlier about them seeking breeding grounds in moist soil. They basically ate everything that was left. The one thing of note to say though is that, from modern day reports, they probably came in such numbers that there thousands of them per acre. They were literally everywhere and on everthing that grew. Another thing of note has to do with the wind. On the five-day forecast for Alexandria, when the rain comes, the winds are in the East. I thought this was rather interesting though, for me, expected. An east wind after a storm system passes is not at all unusual for Egypt. And that is what brought the locust.
Pharaoh had a few times said Israel could go, but always he relented and changed his mind. In fact, Moses told him after the storm that he knew Pharaoh would not really let Israel go yet. I bet through the plagues Pharaoh was thinking that if he could just catch the right break he could over time get everything together and make it as if it never happened andhe wouldn't need to acknowledge Yahweh. It would just be like a bad dream. I've been there myself under different circumstances. After every plague Egypt would try to rebuild and carry on as usual, but God was not about to give Pharaoh a break. So Pharaoh tried to bargain before the locust struck. He would only let the adult males go, not the women and children. That way he could hang on to Israel through them because he knew the husbands and fathers would not leave them behind. Again he relented after the locust struck, but he still did not repent and acknowledge Yahweh. So the next plague, darkness that can be felt, would ensue. And then death. It is a sad repetition.
III. Application
What is the reasoning here? Pharaoh had lost most everything he could rely on. Why couldn't he see it and just give up. His servants could see it. They told him so (10:7). After a man is beaten, he still has his pride. I believe that is what Pharaoh had left. Of course his throne was still secure with the crowned prince still being alive (for now). So like any beaten man Pharaoh's pride engendered bitterness and resentment. He cast Moses out of his courtroom after his inital bargain failed. It was if he was saying, "no matter what it costs me, I will not yield." Little did he imagine what it would cost him.
Are you bitter at God for the way your life has gone? Have you been trying to bargain with Him? Maybe if you go to church, or help the homeless, or pray more and read the Bible that God will give you what it is that you most want. Or perhaps you are to the point where you have cast God out of your life. There are lots of non-religious people, you may figure, and they are doing just fine. Who needs God?
What we're really saying by that is that we don't trust that God loves us. And we think that if He does love us that only good things would happen to us. But sometimes God lets terrible things happen so that when we are weak and have nothing left we can see Him for who He is more clearly. Our circumstances don't affect God. If we are poor, He is not poor. If we are sick, He is not sick. If we are weak to the point that we are just ready to give up and die, He is not weak and He is vibrantly alive. If we think we injure Him by casting Him out of our lives, we are mistaken. We are only injuring ourselves. He does not need us, but we desperately need Him. So what about God's love? I said at the beginning of this paragraph that our actions against Him are often based on bitterness, resentment, and mistrust of His love. Does God really love us?
Yes, He does. He takes great pains in both the Old Testament and the New Testament to express His love for people in many different ways. It's not just a general "I love people" type of love either. It's not just good will. It's a real and personal love for every individual, for societies, and for the world as a whole. God even loved Pharaoh. But to receive the blessings of His love we must first accept who He is. He is the Lord of all the earth and of everthing in it, including ourselves and everything in our lives. That means we must obey Him. If we refuse, we will only suffer more and more until we have nothing left to give, even our very lives. In the end, it will cost us more than we ever imagined when we first set out just as it cost Pharaoh more than he ever bargained to lose that year.
God is not affected Himself by our circumstances, but He does care deeply. All the more reason to come before him now and say to Him that we are willing to surrender all if He will show us how. If we will give Him that much, honestly, He will not fail to show us how and to provide all that we really need. And He gave His only Son to die a horrible death for us. Why? Well, for one reason, it shows that God is entirely willing to fight for those He loves, that they may know Him for who He really is and be set truly free forever. Is what whatever emotions, people, possessions, or power you are hanging onto really worth more than His love and your freedom? Now what it is we really need is up to Him to decide. But God is not stupid either. He knows what it takes to survive in this world that He allows to go on in its fallen sin-filled state. And He will provide in order to glorify Himself first and to sustain us for His service. He is a good and loving God, but He is also different from us. He is perfect. We are not. He is mighty. We are not. He loves completely. We do not. We must never forget, whether having much or having little, that there is none like Him in all the earth.
4:48 AM
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