Êxodo 9

Êxodo 9

Morris - “Neither here nor anywhere else is God said to harden anyone who had not first hardened himself.” Douglas Moo - “God’s hardening, then, is an action that renders a person insensitive to God and his word and that, if not reversed, culminates in eternal damnation.....God’s hardening does not, then, cause spiritual insensitivity to the things of God; it maintains people in the state of sin that already characterizes them. In order to show you (more clearly) My power and in order to proclaim My name through all the earth - Note that earth is mentioned in Ex 9:14-16 and in two of these God clearly states He is God of the earth. As Thompson says "This is something God wants people to understand. There is only one God of the entire universe and it is the God of the nation Israel and it is the God of the Bible." (Sermon) Cassuto - that is, in order that you may learn a lesson from the final plagues, and that, together with you, the rest of humanity throughout the world may be instructed. (A Commentary on the Book of Exodus) Currid - The purpose of God’s sustaining hand is directly stated. It is not because Pharaoh has earned, or merited, God’s grace. It is not because he does not deserve the judgement of the plagues. It is for one reason, and one reason alone: so that God’s name might be glorified in all the earth. The Hebrew verb for ‘proclaimed’ appears here in the Piel stem. In that stem, throughout the Old Testament, the verb means to give a laudatory recital, great praise and a recounting of the greatness of God. It is a word associated with worship. (ED: For example this same verb saphar is used in the piel in Ps 2:7 = "“I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD" and Ps 19:1 "The heavens are telling (recounting) of the glory of God.") (Exodus Commentary) Paul quotes this passage in part - For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE I RAISED YOU UP, TO DEMONSTRATE MY POWER IN YOU, AND THAT MY NAME MIGHT BE PROCLAIMED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE EARTH.” 18 So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires. 19 You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?” 20 On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it? 21 Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use? 22What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? There is no injustice with God. Pharaoh didn’t know God and refused to obey Him. He would be justly judged. God chooses whom He has mercy and compassion on; Pharaoh was not one of them. He hardens whom He desires; and Pharaoh was one of them. God raised up Pharaoh to demonstrate His power so that His name would be proclaimed throughout the earth. J. Ligon Duncan - This passage is crucial for our understanding of God’s providence. God’s providence often has dual purposes. He is often doing several things at once. For instance, in this passage, notice how God’s mercy is shown in two ways. God’s mercy is shown in that God does not cut off Pharaoh immediately. God could have started the judgment of Egypt by simply wiping Pharaoh out at the very beginning; but He doesn’t do that. And thus we see the grace of God’s patience, granting to Pharaoh the opportunity to repent. And then we see God’s grace in the forewarning of this plague, and the indication at that the livestock ought to be brought in from the field. Isn’t it interesting? God is bringing judgment against Egypt, and yet you see His heart of compassion in that He is concerned even about beasts and servants in the field. This God of judgment is not merely a God of justice and holiness, He is a God of compassion and mercy and love. And He even has compassion on the animals of the Egyptians, if they will but harken to His warnings. And indeed those who harken to the word of the Lord, their servants and their animals are spared and those who do not, their servants and their animals are lost. And so on the one hand, in the Exodus judgments we see God’s grace and His mercy and His compassion and His long suffering displayed, and on the other hand, He displays His sovereignty, and there is no one like Him in heaven and earth. On the one hand, He’s bringing His people out of bondage; on the other hand He is raining judgment on His enemies. God can do many things with the same action. It’s a display of His sovereignty. We are usually unable to kill two birds with one stone. God does it all the time. And we learn here about the dual purposes of His providence. And it’s a sign of His sovereignty. (Exodus 9:8-35 The 6th & 7th Plagues: Boils and Hail) George Bush - Notes Critical and Practical on the Book of Exodus 16. To show in thee my power. Heb. הראתך את כחי harotheka eth kohi, to make thee see my power. This is the strictly literal rendering, which is intimated by the word ‘in’ in our translation being printed in Italics. The Gr. however has εν σοι, in thee, which Paul also adopts, Rom. 9:17, leaving us to infer that it is the true sense. Consequently הראתך harotheka, make thee to see, is an elliptical mode of expression for הראות בך haroth beka, show in or by thee; and instances of similar usage are easily adducible. Thus Gen. 30:20, ‘Now will my husband dwelt (with) me (יזבלני yizbeleni for יזבל עמו yizbal immi).’ Ps. 5:4, ‘Neither shall evil dwell (with) thee (יגורך yegureka for יגור עמך yegur immeka).’ Prov. 8:36, ‘He that sinneth (against) me (חטאי hotei for חטא בי hote bi) wrongeth his own soul.’ Exodus 9:17 "Still you exalt yourself against My people by not letting them go. NLT Exodus 9:17 But you still lord it over my people and refuse to let them go. NIV Exodus 9:17 You still set yourself against my people and will not let them go. CSB Exodus 9:17 You are still acting arrogantly against My people by not letting them go. Job 9:4 15:25,26 40:9 Isa 10:15 26:11 37:23,24,29 45:9 Ac 12:23 1Co 10:22 PHARAOH'S PRIDE PERSISTS! Moses continues to speak in the Lord’s name. Still - In spite of having seen (and suffered) 6 miraculous plagues or signs that point to God as the LORD! You exalt yourself against My people by not letting them go - "you are still elevating yourself and rising up against them in ever greater measure" (Cassuto) Moses explains to Pharaoh how he had exalted himself which was "by not releasing God's people." The people were God's and to not let them go was to exalt himself above God. Currid - The verb translated ‘setting yourself up’ (exalt) is a Hithpael, or reflexive participle, that means ‘exalting yourself’ and comes from the verb ‘to lift up’. This verb goes right to the heart of the matter: Pharaoh is playing the deity, he is exalting himself against the Holy One of Israel. (Exodus Commentary) Mattoon - This king has exalted himself against God and His people. The word "exaltest" means "to oppose, to raise a mound or bank of rock or dirt, to obstruct." This is what Pharaoh has been doing. He has been obstructing the worship of God's people and their exit from Egypt. Beloved, God does deal with those who try to obstruct or oppose His will and work, and will not obey His commands. An "I'm Going to Out-do the Lord" attitude will create mega-problems for you. A cocky spirit and pride will destroy your life. Many preachers have ruined their lives and ministries because of their cockiness. When a preacher becomes unteachable, he becomes unusable. He cannot be directed by God because he is going his own way. The most difficult people that I have dealt with in my life are those who are unteachable, cocky, proud, and think they know it all. You can't help anyone with this kind of attitude. In fact, God calls them a fool. Obadiah 1:4, Mt 23:12, Ps 73:6, Pr 16:18. Pride will manifest itself in these attitudes: I don't need God. I can run my own life better than the Lord. Who is God to tell me what to do? These attitudes lead to a "Falling on Your Face" episode. (Treasures from Exodus) NET on exalt - (mistolel) is a Hitpael participle, from a root that means "raise up, obstruct." So in the Hitpael it means to "raise oneself up," "elevate oneself," or "be an obstructionist." (Exodus 9) George Bush - Notes Critical and Practical on the Book of Exodus Exaltest thou thyself against my people? Heb. מסתולל mistolël, from the root סלל salal, to elevate or cast up. The present term is the participle of Hithpael, or the reflexive voice, and seems to denote that self-elevation which resembles a rampart made to oppose an enemy. Gr. εμποιη, thou insultest. Chal. id. Syr. ‘Thou detainest.’ Arab. ‘Tlou hinderest.’ Although Pharaoh was a powerful monarch, and God’s people a poor, degraded, and enslaved race, yet it was to be to his ruin that he exalted himself against them, inasmuch as it was virtually exalting himself against God. No power is too high to be called to account for lording it despotically over ‘the people of the saints of the Most High.’ Exodus 9:18 "Behold, about this time tomorrow, I will send a very heavy hail, such as has not been seen in Egypt from the day it was founded until now. this time tomorrow- 1Ki 19:2 20:6 2Ki 7:1,18 I will send - Ex 9:22-25 Ps 83:15 PLAGUE #7 HEAVY HAIL Behold - Take note! Pay attention! Don't miss this (as if he could!) About this time tomorrow - Note that this specification of the TIMING indicates that the hail is not natural. Only God could give such a perfect "weather forecast." Currid adds "God has fixed a time for bringing the seventh plague. It will not merely take place ‘tomorrow’, as in plagues number two (Ex 8:10), four (Ex 8:23, 29) and five (Ex 9:5). But it will be ‘at this time, tomorrow’, i.e., the very hour at which Moses is speaking to Pharaoh, one day later." (Exodus Commentary) Repeat Comment from Hamilton - Four times in these plagues (Ex 8:23; Ex 9:5, 18; Ex 10:4), in the announcement part of the plague, God tells Pharaoh what he is going to do “tomorrow.” Twice “tomorrow” appears after the plague has already come on (Ex 8:10; Ex 8:29). Unlike what Jesus says in Matt 6:34+, “Do not worry about tomorrow,” maybe Pharaoh had better start worrying a bit about tomorrow. Maybe he needs to start singing, “Don’t stop thinking about tomorrow,” especially if such meditation and reflection will move him toward a change of heart, an about-face. But don’t hold your breath. (Exodus: An Exegetical Commentary) I will send a very heavy hail, such as has not been seen in Egypt from the day it was founded until now - On very heavy note the exact Hebrew words were used again in Ex 9:3 ( very severe pestilence). And again note the wordplay here where the Hebrew word for heavy (kabed) is the same word used of the king's heart in Ex 7:14+ ("Pharaoh’s heart is stubborn") which leads Currid to comment that "The severity of the storm mirrors the degree of the hardness of Pharaoh’s heart!" The clear implication of in Egypt is that his hailstorm will not be local but over all of Egypt. This heavy hail is unique because nothing like it had ever occurred in Egypt, this fact also substantiating that the hail was a supernatural phenomenon. Side note - It is interesting that Moses does not add "and shall never occur again." Why do I say that? Because of what John writes describing the last judgments of the Great Tribulation in Revelation 16:21+ "And huge hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, came down from heaven upon men; and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, because its plague was extremely severe. Walter Kaiser - Rainfall comes so occasionally in Upper Egypt that the prediction of a severe hailstorm accompanied by a violent electrical storm must have been greeted with much skepticism. (Expositor's Bible Commentary) J