“‘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 man and animal that has not been brought in and is still out in the field, and they will die.’ Those officials of Pharaoh who feared the word of the Lord hurried to bring their slaves and their livestock inside. But those who ignored the word of the Lord left their slaves and livestock in the field.” (Exodus 9:19-21 NIV84)
Just before the plague of hail, God told the Egyptians to heed His warning and to bring under protection anything that they might want to survive the hail storm. This is the first time the Egyptians had a way to avoid the consequence of God’s plague. What did they have to do? They had to believe His Word and act upon it. As you can see from our verses for today, some Egyptians feared the Lord and avoided the storm, while others rejected the Lord’s warning and lost their slaves and what little livestock they had left. This event alone proves that God teaches through punishment and discipline. He would have been pleased if all the Egyptians had listened to His Word and avoided the aftermath of the plague. All they had to do was believe God’s Word and act accordingly!
I find it interesting that the same is true for us as Christians. We are called as believers in God to trust in His Word and live out our lives accordingly. We Christians, like the foolish Egyptians who failed to heed God’s warning, fail to believe and live according to God’s Word. It’s not that we don’t hear it or know what He says. We are guilty of sinfully placing our will and desire over the Lord’s. Before we face the aftermath of living disobediently to God’s Word, may we listen, believe, and act accordingly. May we confess, repent, and turn back to His Word of Truth. May we know for certain that God’s Word never fails. God has graciously provided the warning! It’s time we faithfully heed and act upon it.
May we, motivated by the grace of God and empowered by the Holy Spirit, heed the gracious warnings God has given us in His Word.
Peace!
Pastor Tom
www.firmlyrooted.org
