Deeper Commentary
Exo 9:1 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-
Yahweh is now fully defined as the God of the Hebrews. It was His
intention that Pharaoh should come to know Him, in relationship with Him.
Exo 9:2 For if you refuse to let them go, and hold them still-
Ex. 8:2; 9:2; 10:4 emphasize the real choice before Pharaoh; he was
refusing to let Israel go and "held" them. Babylon was warned that no
nation could "hold them fast [and] refuse to let [Israel] go [because]
their redeemer is strong" (Jer. 50:33,34). The Hebrew for "strong" is that
translated "hold". God had a stronger grip and claim on them than did
Pharaoh. They were Yahweh's, not Pharaoh's. And it could be argued that
Babylon-Persia did listen to this message, and allowed and encouraged the
exiles to return. We too are to learn from all this historical precedent;
that our hand is not stronger than God's.
Exo 9:3 behold, the hand of Yahweh 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-
We see here how God works. His hand was already on their
animals- but the destruction didn't need to happen. It was conditional
upon their disobedience. The "pestilence" which was the plague upon Egypt (Ex. 9:3) was to
come upon a hard hearted Israel (s.w. Lev. 26:25; Num. 14:12; Dt. 28:21;
Jer. 21:6). The plagues upon Egypt form the basis for the vials and seals
of Revelation, which speak of judgment to come upon the land of Israel. It
is a theme with God that His apostate people are "condemned with the
world" (1 Cor. 11:32). If their hearts are really with Egypt / the world,
then they will share the judgments of this world. The time for separation
is now, just as the Egyptians had to identify with Israel if they wished
to escape the plagues.
Exo 9:4 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’-
The 'setting apart' of Israel from Egypt is a major theme (Ex. 8:22;
9:4; 11:7 "put a difference"). It was part of a 'sanctifying' of Israel
for priestly service to Yahweh as a nation, as well as a lesson for Egypt
that the only way to salvation was through separation from their own
people and culture, and joining the people of God. We marvel at the multi
functional way in which God works. The same word is used to describe how
God "has set apart him that is Godly for Himself" (Ps. 4:3); even though
Israel were far from being Godly. And it is used of God's special grace,
'set apart', a grace known by no other people (Ps. 17:7). The word is used
in this sense in Ex. 33:16, where Moses reasons that it is God's grace and
the visible presence of that grace which is what sets apart Israel from
all other peoples. And that is true to this day. God's grace is what is
the lead and distinguishing characteristic of His way from all other
religions. It is the experience of that grace which makes us distinct from
all others who have not claimed it for themselves. And it all began with
God 'setting apart' a sinful, idolatrous Israel from the Egyptians around
them, all by grace, seeing they were largely no better than Egypt.
Exo 9:5 Yahweh appointed a set time, saying, Tomorrow Yahweh shall do this
thing in the land-
The plague upon cattle was clearly prophesied as going to happen at a
specified time: “The Lord appointed a set time, saying, To morrow the Lord
shall do this thing”; but it was conditional upon Pharaoh refusing to let
Israel go (Ex. 9:1,2,5). He
could have complied, and
therefore the plague wouldn’t have happened. And yet the prophecy is so
specific that it would seem that this conditionality just didn’t exist.
But it did. Pharaoh had a real choice whether or not to obey God’s word.
Exo 9:6 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-
Clearly not all Egyptian cattle died because there were still some
alive in the next plague (:19). So I suggest going with the translation of
Adam Clarke: "All the cattle that did die belonged to the Egyptians".
This plague was avoidable, preparing them for the possibility to escape the death of the firstborn. God's hand was upon the animals left in the field but they need not have died if the Egyptians had obeyed the command to bring them under cover. All "the cattle of Egypt died" suggests that whoever was obedient to Yahweh was not "of Egypt ". Disobedient Israelites were "of Egypt". A new people was being formed.
Exo 9:7 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-
Pharaoh hardened his own heart (Ex. 7:22; 8:15,19,32; 9:7,34,35). And
yet God hardened his heart (Ex. 9:12; 10:1,20,27; 11:10; 14:8). The
references to God hardening Pharaoh's heart generally occur after Pharaoh
had first hardened his own heart. The fact Pharaoh hardened his heart was
a sin (Ex. 9:34), and yet God encouraged him in this. God offered Pharaoh
a way of escape after each of the plagues; all he had to do was to agree
to let Israel go. But the conditions got tougher the longer he resisted
God's demand: he finally had to not only let Israel go, but also provide
them with sacrifices (Ex. 10:25). Likewise when Nebuchadnezzar lifted his
heart up, God hardened it (Dan. 5:20).
Exo 9:8 Yahweh said to Moses and to Aaron, Take to you handfuls of ashes
of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the sky in the sight of
Pharaoh-
"The ashes of the furnace" which created the plague of boils (Ex.
9:8) may have been a reference to the furnaces used for the brick kilns,
where the Hebrews were made to slave away making bricks. The result of
this abuse was to come down upon the Egyptians as boils (Ex. 9:9). Egypt
is therefore likened to a furnace of oppression to Israel (Dt. 4:20; Jer.
11:4). The Lord describes condemnation as being cast into a furnace (Mt.
13:42,50). He is not speaking literally, but rather using the figure of
Egypt as a furnace- for the condemnation of the unworthy in God's Israel
is to be sent back into Egypt / the world (Hos. 8:13; 9:3), and share
their judgments.
Exo 9:9 It shall become small dust over all the land of Egypt, and shall
be a boil breaking out with boils on man and on animal, throughout all the
land of Egypt-
This affliction was so terrible that it became known as "the boil of
Egypt" (Dt. 28:27). Apostate Israel were to be punished with the judgments
of Egypt. It is a theme with God that His apostate people are "condemned
with the world" (1 Cor. 11:32). If their hearts are really with Egypt /
the world, then they will share the judgments of this world. The time for
separation is now, just as the Egyptians had to identify with Israel if
they wished to escape the plagues. In terms of the
progressive nature of the plagues, we note that boils were intensely
personal. Pharaoh and the Egyptians felt this intimately; it was God
touching their bodies and most private parts. The Egyptians again would
have been tempted to rationalize this plague as being a skin anthrax which
had come from the piles of dead frogs and livestock, or from the plague of
flies. Always there was this and is this temptation to rationalize God's
hand. And this was what hardened Pharaoh's heart. We must beware of it,
and accept miracle as miracle.
Exo 9:10 They took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and
Moses sprinkled it up toward the sky; and it became a boil breaking out
with boils on man and on animal-
The plagues upon Egypt form the basis for the vials and seals of
Revelation, which speak of judgment to come upon the land of Israel, and
feature a furnace with ascending smoke turning into judgments upon the
land. See on :9.
The plagues often reflect how the apparently total destruction of the previous plagues was in fact not total. All Egyptian animals were killed but then the plague of sores breaks out upon their animals. In wrath God remembers mercy. A remnant was preserved by grace alone. That was the message.
Exo 9:11 The magicians couldn’t stand before Moses because of the boils;
for the boils were on the magicians, and on all the Egyptians-
Dt. 28:27 describes this plague in more detail when we read of how it
would come upon an apostate Israel, who identified with Egypt in their
hearts and ways: "Yahweh will strike you with the boil of Egypt and with
the tumours, the scurvy and the itch, from which you cannot be healed".
The magicians hardly wanted to bring yet more boils on themselves.
We see again how the religious structure of Egypt was being destroyed; and
the vacuum left was to prepare them to accept Yahweh.
Exo 9:12 Yahweh hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he didn’t listen to
them, as Yahweh had spoken to Moses-
The same Hebrew words used of the hardening of Pharaoh's heart occur in
a positive context- for God also hardens or strengthens the hearts of the
righteous (Ps. 27:14; Is. 35:4). Indeed, Is. 35:4 speaks of how the
righteous shouldn’t have a weak or [Heb.] ‘fluid’ heart, but rather a
hardened one. Clearly enough, God solidifies human attitudes, one way or
the other, through the work of His Spirit upon our spirit. This is a
sobering thought- for He is prepared to confirm a person in their weak
thinking. But on the other hand, even the weakest basic intention towards
righteousness is solidified by Him too.
When Paul insists that God hardened Pharaoh's heart (Rom. 9:14-18), he
is not only repeating the Biblical record (Ex. 9:12,16; 33:19), but he is
alluding to the way that the Jewish Book of Jubilees claimed that
Mastema [the supposed personal Satan] and not God hardened Pharaoh's
heart.
Exo 9:13 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-
"Serve Me" could refer specifically to the initial request to keep a
feast to Yahweh. But the call was for Israel to be allowed to change
masters, from Pharaoh to Yahweh. They changed masters when they crossed
the Red Sea, just as Paul says happens when we are baptized (Rom. 6). And
the Red Sea crossing represented baptism into Jesus (1 Cor. 10:1,2). Like
us, Israel were not radically free to do as they pleased. What happened
was that they changed masters; hence the appeal to Pharaoh to let God's
people go, that they may serve Him rather than Pharaoh. We too will only
find ultimate freedom through this servitude to God's ways, and will
finally emerge into the radical liberty of the children of God in the
Kingdom age (Rom. 8:21).
There is a much repeated characteristic of God's servants: that they
'rose up early in the morning' and did God's work. In each of the
following passages, this phrase is clearly not an idiom; rather does it
have an evidently literal meaning: Abraham (Gen. 19:27; 21:14; 22:3);
Jacob (Gen. 28:18); Job (1:5); Moses (Ex. 8:20; 9:13; 24:4; 34:4); Joshua
(Josh. 3:1; 6:12; 7:16; 8:10); Gideon (Jud. 6:38; 7:1). This is quite an
impressive list, numerically. This can be a figure for being zealous (Ps.
127:2; Pr. 27:14; Song 7:12; Is. 5:11; Zeph. 3:7). God Himself rises up
early in His zeal to save and bring back His wayward people (Jer. 7:13,25;
11:7; 25:3,4; 26:5; 29:19; 32:33; 35:14,15; 44:4). Yet the above examples
all show that men literally rose up early in their service to God; this
was an expression of their zeal for God, in response to His zeal for us.
I'm not suggesting that zeal for God is reflected by rising early rather
than staying up late; but it wouldn't be too much to suggest that if we
are men of mission, we won't waste our hours in bed. Get up when you wake
up.
Exo 9:14 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 none like Me in all the earth-
Heb. "I will send all My plagues upon your person". Again we
see the focus on Pharaoh personally. To 'know Yahweh', to have a
relationship with Him, is God's greatest desire. And it was His desire
even for Pharaoh. "You may know" suggests this was potentially
true. When God earlier said that Israel "will know" Him, this doesn't mean
they would; it is rather a statement of potential, of God's wish. Just as
God told that generation that they would enter Canaan; but they
effectively chose not to. The idea of knowing Yahweh as a result of the
plagues is found in Ex. 10:2 in relation to Israel: "... that you may tell
in the hearing of your son, and of your son’s son, what things I have done
to Egypt, and My signs which I have done among them; that you may know
that I am Yahweh".
As Pharaoh’s heart was plagued (Ex. 9:14), so was Israel’s (1 Kings
8:38); as Egypt was a reed, so were Israel (1 Kings 14:15). As
Pharaoh-hophra was given into the hand of his enemies, so would Israel be
(Jer. 44:30). She would be “Condemned with the world...”.
The plagues upon Pharaoh were to bring him to repentance, although his
lack of response to them led him to only harden his heart. Consider how
carefully they were planned- these were not random acts of wrath from an
offended Deity. They are in three cycles. First: Blood, frogs, gnats;
second cycle: Flies, pest, boils; third cycle: Hail, locusts, darkness, and each cycle begins in the
same way- the first plague of each cycle has Moses standing before Pharaoh
in the morning, and warning him; the second plague of each cycle has Moses
simply coming to Pharaoh and warning him; and the third plague in each
cycle has no warning.
My simple point is that a
huge amount of thought went into the plagues, and the careful planning
behind them was surely intended to appeal to Pharaoh and convict him that
a God far mightier than himself or his deities was at work in his life.
Exo 9:15 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-
The argument is that God could have destroyed Pharaoh immediately, but He didn't. And this ought to have humbled Pharaoh. This is a powerful argument. The fact God keeps us alive should mean that every moment we are attentive to Him and appreciative of Him, and never hard. Thus Belshazzar was told: "the God in whose hand your breath is, and whose are all your ways, you have not glorified" (Dan. 5:23). David's Psalms likewise reflect his awareness that every breath and heartbeat is a conscious gift from God. The reason Pharaoh was not immediately destroyed was because God wanted Pharaoh to perceive His power, and to declare His Name in all the earth (:16). God wanted him to "know that there is none like Me in all the earth" (:14), which would mean Pharaoh declaring God's Name in all the earth. The intention was that Pharaoh would come to know "that the earth / land is Yahweh's" (:29); it did not belong to Pharaoh, as had been arranged in Joseph's time, but Yahweh. And so Pharaoh was intended to declare this throughout that land. But instead, Pharaoh exalted himself, declaring his own name, rather than Yahweh's (:17). In other words, God didn't kill him outright because God so wanted his repentance. Just as He delays judgment of this world so that more may have a chance to repent.
This seems to imply that the only reason God had not immediately "cut
off" Pharaoh was because He so wished him to repent (:14). Finally at the
Red Sea, the unbaptized Egyptians were "cut off" (Ex. 9:15); "all flesh" that
was not baptized into the Christ-ark was "cut off" (Gen. 9:15). "The
uncircumcised man child... that soul shall be cut off" (Gen. 17:14). The
New Testament matches this by the oft repeated teaching that outside of
Christ, there can be no salvation.
To be caught up in the downward spiral [as we all are at times] doesn't mean that there's no way out. The hearts of Pharaoh's servants were hardened (Ex. 10:1 cp. Ex. 9:34), and yet they did in fact soften when they beg Pharaoh to let Israel go (Ex. 10:7; 11:8). Yet each refusal of Pharaoh to soften his heart made it harder for him to soften it the next time the opportunity was presented. Conditional language is always used about Pharaoh-if he were to refuse to release Israel, more plagues would happen (Ex. 8:2; 9:2; 10:4 cp. 8:21; 4:23 RSV). In fact God wanted Pharaoh to come to realize that there is none like Yahweh in all the earth- and that was actually why He did not immediately kill Pharaoh, but rather appealed to him through the plagues. That's how I read the enigmatic Ex. 9:15: "For now I should have put forth my hand, and smitten thee... and thou hadst been cut off from the earth". Fretheim paraphrases this: "If I had not had the intention of your knowing that there is none like me in all the earth... then I should have put forth my hand and cut you off from the earth. This is what you have deserved". The hardening of Pharaoh's heart didn't mean that he was thereby bound to chose wrongly each time. Indeed, the plagues themselves were designed to warn Pharaoh and thereby appeal to him to change, in order to avoid worse plagues.
Exo 9:16 but indeed for this cause I have raised you up: to show in you My
power, and that My name may be declared throughout all the earth-
"The earth" specifically refers to the land / eretz promised
to Abraham. Abraham’s seed were brought out of Egypt in order to inherit
the earth / land promised to them. Thus the Name was declared in all the
earth due to the exodus- i.e. throughout the whole land promised to
Abraham. Rahab etc. heard about it, but not the whole planet (Josh. 4:23,24).
They were brought into the land, but reminded in Ex. 19:5 that “all the
earth is mine”. This may refer to the whole planet, but surely it has
special reference to the land? In one sense, all nations are Yahweh’s, and
yet He has also chosen Israel as His special people. And so it is with the
earth / land of Israel.
These words are cited in Rom. 9:17 to explain how even in the lives of those who will not ultimately be saved, there is a saving purpose- that the Name might be declared in all the earth. And that phrase is associated with descriptions of the future Kingdom of God upon earth (Dt. 28:10; 1 Kings 8:43; Ps. 66:4; 83:18; 102:15; Zech. 14:9). Yahweh's Name was declared to Moses in terms of a declaration of His attributes, and in a sense it was declared throughout the earth / land of Egypt through the plagues and judgments. But ultimately the condemnation of sinners will lead to this happening on a global scale. Again we learn that God's judgments are always intended to ultimately save someone, even if those experiencing the judgments will not themselves be saved (Is. 26:9).
The essence of the Yahweh Name was His desire to save, coming to full term in His Son, Yah-Hoshua, 'Yah saves'. The whole 'thing' with Pharaoh was to declare for all time that Yahweh wants to save- especially Pharaoh, even abusive Egypt, and certainly His people. "To show you My power" (GNB), as He later did to Moses on Sinai. The Hebrew hiph'il here is definitely causative; God raised up Pharaoh to cause him to know His power, and to declare the Yahweh Name which is all about saving people, even those like Pharaoh. But Pharaoh refused. Just as men are called and set up to know God, but refuse. "To show in you My power" could mean that Pharaoh in his heart was to know God's power. Yahweh wanted to reveal Himself to Pharaoh in that same way. It was God's vision that Pharaoh repent and made a declaration of God's Name throughout the world. The great commission is alluding to this. That is God's intention and we have Him totally behind us when we try to fulfil it. Rom. 9:16-18 appears to interpret these words as a parade example of God's mercy to Pharaoh: "It is not of him that wills, nor of him that runs, but of God that shows mercy. For [in demonstration of mercy] the scripture says of Pharaoh: For this very purpose did I raise you up, that I might show in you My power, and that My Name might be published abroad in all the earth. So then He has mercy on whom He wishes to, and hardens who He wishes".
Exo 9:17 as you still exalt yourself against My people, that you won’t let
them go-
Pharaoh was exalting himself against God, but attitudes to God's
people are taken as attitudes to Him. It's why we can't claim to love God
if we don't love His people. "Won't let them go" is the language used of
Babylon's reason for destruction: "The children of Israel and the children
of Judah were oppressed together: and all that took them captives held them fast; they
refused to let them go" (Jer. 50:33). Similarly Babylon is described as
not opening "the house of the prisoners" (Is. 14:17).
Exo 9:18 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-
The specification of the time was surely in order to give Pharaoh and
his courtiers a chance to repent. The word hail occurs 14 times in
the record here. And the Hebrew word for hail has a numerical value of 14.
Surely the beauty is in the detail.
Exo 9:19 Now therefore command that all of your livestock and all that you
have in the field be brought into shelter. Every man and animal that is
found in the field, and isn’t brought home, the hail shall come down on
them, and they shall die’-
There is increasing opportunity given for response to God's word of
judgment. They had time to repent (:18), and now the opportunity to show
their faith in Yahweh's word.
Exo 9:20 Those who feared the word of Yahweh among the servants of Pharaoh
made their servants and their livestock flee into the houses-
Fearing the word of Yahweh is associated with entering covenant with
Him (Dt. 4:10; 17:19; 28:58). The hint may be that these people then
showed their commitment to the covenant by leaving Egypt with Israel.
Exo 9:21 Whoever didn’t respect the word of Yahweh left his servants and
his livestock in the field-
Zech. 6:12 says that later God's people hardened their hearts and
didn't respect Yahweh's word (s.w.). Their apostacy is so often described
in the language of Egypt. For that was where their hearts were. God's
apostate people act as Egypt / the world and are judged as the world /
Egypt..
Exo 9:22 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-
The exceeding great plague of hail was one of the plagues which lead to
Israel’s Passover deliverance (Ex. 9:22), and yet this is the language of
the last days (Rev. 16:21)- as if there will again be a Passover
deliverance for God’s people, heralded by the pouring out of plagues upon
those who persecute them. The plagues of Revelation upon the land of
Israel are based upon those upon Egypt. See on :21.
Exo 9:23 Moses stretched out his rod toward the heavens, and Yahweh sent
thunder, hail, and lightning flashed down to the earth. Yahweh rained hail
on the land of Egypt-
The same word for "stretched out" is used of how Yahweh would stretch
forth His hand upon His land of Israel (Ez. 14:13). As noted on :21,22,
the language of Egypt's judgment is used about that of an apostate Israel,
because they acted as Egypt and returned there in their hearts. This is
why the rejected of the new Israel will simply be sent back into the world
which they loved, and be "condemned with the world" (1 Cor. 11:32).
Exo 9:24 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-
This is the language of the cherubim in Ez. 1:4, where the same words
are used for the "great cloud, with a fire taking hold of itself". The
visible sight of this would have been terrifying, and yet it was to be
seen as a manifestation of the cherubim to save Israel and deliver them
from captivity- which is the very context of the vision of Ez. 1:4 which
uses identical language.
Exo 9:25 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-
The breaking of trees is a phrase which appears to refer to the
breaking of twigs and branches, meaning there would be no fruit on them.
Exo 9:26 Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were,
there was no hail-
The 'setting apart' of Israel from Egypt is a major theme (Ex. 8:22;
9:4; 11:7 "put a difference"). It was part of a 'sanctifying' of Israel
for priestly service to Yahweh as a nation, as well as a lesson for Egypt
that the only way to salvation was through separation from their own
people and culture, and joining the people of God. We marvel at the multi
functional way in which God works. The same word is used to describe how
God "has set apart him that is Godly for Himself" (Ps. 4:3); even though
Israel were far from being Godly. And it is used of God's special grace,
'set apart', a grace known by no other people (Ps. 17:7). The word is used
in this sense in Ex. 33:16, where Moses reasons that it is God's grace and
the visible presence of that grace which is what sets apart Israel from
all other peoples. And that is true to this day. God's grace is what is
the lead and distinguishing characteristic of His way from all other
religions. It is the experience of that grace which makes us distinct from
all others who have not claimed it for themselves. And it all began with
God 'setting apart' a sinful, idolatrous Israel from the Egyptians around
them, all by grace, seeing they were largely no better than Egypt.
Exo 9:27 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-
Confession of sin requires the appreciation that not only have we
sinned, but that "Yahweh is righteous". Pharaoh really seems to 'get
there' with these words. But he slipped back into the hardness of heart
and spiritual insensitivity which was to be his condemnation. The
movement of progressive hardness of heart occurred along with a
progressive sense of sin and desire to repent. But the hardness was
stronger, in Pharaoh's case.
Exo 9:28 Pray to Yahweh; for there has been enough of mighty thunderings
and hail. I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer-
Although Pharaoh has come to a very fine expression of repentance
(:27), he still asks Moses to pray for him to Yahweh- rather than praying
himself. This desire to have someone else as an interface between us and
God is a major abiding theme. Israel themselves wanted Moses as an
intercessor, rather than to forge an independent relationship with God.
The Egyptians had conflict with other nations around them; and
along with other such situations in the ancient near East, the people
being attacked were threatened with curses if they did not surrender.
Evidence of this has been discovered not only regarding Egypt, but also
the Hittites and Assyrians. Some lists of such Egyptian curses upon their
enemies and opponents are exactly the ten plagues threatened and brought
upon Egypt. Pharaoah was being called upon to surrender. And at this
point, he apparently does. But his surrender was not total, and this is
the huge lesson- total surrender, as the Lord taught in His parable of the
man faced by a larger army coming towards him.
Exo 9:29 Moses said to him, As soon as I have gone out of the city,
I will spread abroad my hands to Yahweh. The thunders shall cease, neither
shall there be any more hail; that you may know that the earth is
Yahweh’s-
Let's not read these records as implying that Moses simply
uttered a few words to God, waved a wand- and then each of the plagues was lifted. There
was an element of real fervency in Moses' prayers- which may well be
lacking in ours. This is surely an example of genuinely praying for our
enemies (perhaps it is the Old Testament source of Christ's words in
Mt.5:44?). The intention as ever was to that Pharaoh might realize that
the earth / land, specifically of Egypt, was Yahweh's- not Pharaoh's, and
not the territory of the gods he worshipped.
Moses only prayed when he was outside the city. Perhaps the idea was for the Egyptians to see him walking through the deadly hail without being hurt. Just as they could if they identified with Israel's God.
Exo 9:30 But as for you and your servants, I know that you don’t yet fear
Yahweh God-
Despite his fine expression of repentance, Moses knew that this was
surface level. There is apparent repentance, and real repentance.
We too are tempted by mere surface level repentance, partial surrender,
hiding behind forms of words like "we're all sinners". But he
lived in hope of Pharaoh's repentance- "you don't
yet fear
Yahweh". Here for all time we are set an example of hopefulness in
witness. If Yahweh and Moses could hope for Pharaoh's conversion, so can
we towards all those we witness to.
Some time, read through the book of Deuteronomy in one or two sessions. You'll see many themes of Moses in Deuteronomy. It really shows how Moses felt towards Israel, and how the Lord Jesus feels towards us, and especially how he felt towards us just before his death. For this is what the whole book prefigures. "Love" and the idea of love occurs far more in Deuteronomy than in the other books of the Law. "Fear the Lord your God" of Ex. 9:30; Lev. 19:14,32; 25:17 becomes "love the Lord your God" in Deuteronomy (Dt. 6:5; 7:9; 10:12; 11:1; 19:9; 30:6,16,20). There are 23 references to not hating in Deuteronomy, compared to only 5 in Ex. - Num.; Moses saw the danger of bitterness and lack of love. He saw these things as the spiritual cancer they are, in his time of maturity he warned his beloved people against them. His mind was full of them. The LXX uses the word ekklesia eight times in Deuteronomy, but not once in Moses' other words (Dt. 4:10; 9:10; 18:16; 23:1,2,3,8; 32:1). Responsibility for the whole family God had redeemed was a mark of Moses; maturity at the end of his life, at the time of Deuteronomy. It is observable that both as a community and as individuals, this will be a sign of our maturity too.
The statement that Pharaoh didn't fear Yahweh (Ex. 9:30) is alluded to in Ex. 20:20: "God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, that you won’t sin". Israel were warned to fear Yahweh all the time and not just at a few points in life [as Pharaoh] and not to be hardened in sin; hence their judgments were expressed in terms allusive to the plagues upon Egypt. The point is that Pharaoh stands as the classicized warning to all God's people for all time. The implication here is that true fear of God is what happens after the immediate situation or crisis of need has passed. True spirituality is shown in who we are outside times of urgent need for God.
Exo 9:31 The flax and the barley were struck, for the barley was in the
ear, and the flax was in bloom-
Flax was used to make the linen which was so widely used in Egyptian
religious practices, and barley was used to make beer and alcoholic drinks
used in those practices. So again this was a judgment upon Egypt's gods.
Exo 9:32 But the wheat and the spelt were not struck, for they had not
grown up-
These were apparently the crops grown in Goshen, where the Israelites
were. See on :26. Egypt were being led to realize that salvation was
through identifying with Yahweh's people. And the fact a mixed multitude
left Egypt with Israel is evidence that some did respond to this.
Exo 9:33 Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and spread abroad his
hands to Yahweh; and the thunders and hail ceased, and the rain was not
poured on the earth-
Again we see the intensity of prayer required for the plagues to be
removed. It was far from automatic.
Exo 9:34 When Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were
ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants-
This is a case of "Let favour be shewed to the wicked, yet will he
not learn righteousness" (Is. 26:10). People like this "despise the riches
of God’s goodness and forbearance and long-suffering, not knowing that the
goodness of God leads them to repentance". And so they "treasure up to
themselves wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous
judgment of God" (Rom. 2:4,5). Paul surely wrote this in conscious
allusion to Pharaoh, as a representative of all who will ultimately fail
of God's grace. The Lord understood a hardened heart as a mindset
which refuses to understand: "Do you not yet see or understand? Have you
still hardened your heart?" (Mk. 8:17). This is clearly an allusion to
Pharaoh ["not yet see..."], and again we see Pharaoh being used
as a warning to all of us.
Hebrew tends to reason through placing 'blocks' of ideas are put in opposition to each other, or 'dialectic', in order to come to conclusions. That's why we can read of God hardening Pharaoh's heart, and Pharaoh hardening his own heart (Ex. 7:3; 8:15). To Greek, step-logic thinkers, that's a worrying contradiction- only because they don't pick up the way that Hebrew reasoning involves these kinds of statements being put in opposition to each other, so that through the dialectic process we come to understand what is meant.
Exo 9:35 The heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he didn’t let the children
of Israel go, just as Yahweh had spoken through Moses-
The phrase "let go" is often used of how God let Israel go from
Egypt, overruling how the wicked Pharaoh refused to let the people go.
The
term is used later in the Mosaic legislation; the way Israel had been "let
go" from Egypt was to determine how they "let go" others from slavery (Dt.
15:12,13,18); their own experience of redemption was to influence how they
released others. Just as ours should. The letting go of the scapegoat into
the wilderness was likewise to remind them of how they had been let go
from Egypt into the wilderness without being slain for their sins- all by
grace (Lev. 14:7,53; 16:10,21,22,26).
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