1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:09,680 Speaker 1: Life Audio The Bible Study Podcast, Episode nine hundred and seventy. Today, 2 00:00:09,680 --> 00:00:12,240 Speaker 1: The Bible Study Podcast continues the study of the Book 3 00:00:12,280 --> 00:00:23,440 Speaker 1: of Exodus, starting with chapter nine. Welcome to the Bible 4 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:26,040 Speaker 1: Study Podcast. I'm your host, Chris Kristensen. We're going to 5 00:00:26,079 --> 00:00:29,080 Speaker 1: continue on with chapter nine and likely chapter ten. We're 6 00:00:29,120 --> 00:00:32,520 Speaker 1: going to be taking these plagues that are mentioned here 7 00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:36,640 Speaker 1: in this section of Exodus with some speed. But first 8 00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:41,159 Speaker 1: a word from this sponsor, the plague on livestock. Then 9 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:43,320 Speaker 1: the Lord said to Moses, go to Pharaoh and say 10 00:00:43,320 --> 00:00:45,640 Speaker 1: to him, this is what the Lord, the God of 11 00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:48,760 Speaker 1: the Hebrews, says. Let my people go so that they 12 00:00:48,760 --> 00:00:51,599 Speaker 1: may worship me. If you refuse to let them go 13 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:54,400 Speaker 1: and continue to hold them back, the hand of the 14 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:57,360 Speaker 1: Lord will bring a terrible plague on your livestock in 15 00:00:57,440 --> 00:01:02,279 Speaker 1: the field, on your horses, donkeys, and camels, and on 16 00:01:02,320 --> 00:01:05,000 Speaker 1: your cattle, sheep and goats. But the Lord will make 17 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:08,800 Speaker 1: a distinction between the livestock of Israel and that of Egypt, 18 00:01:09,120 --> 00:01:12,039 Speaker 1: so that no animal belonging to the Israelites will die. 19 00:01:12,640 --> 00:01:15,320 Speaker 1: The Lord set a time and said tomorrow the Lord 20 00:01:15,360 --> 00:01:18,640 Speaker 1: will do this in the land. And the next day 21 00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:21,600 Speaker 1: the Lord did it all the livestock of the Egyptians died, 22 00:01:21,920 --> 00:01:25,639 Speaker 1: but not one animal belonging to the Israelites died. Pharaoh 23 00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:28,319 Speaker 1: investigated and found that not even one of the animals 24 00:01:28,319 --> 00:01:31,559 Speaker 1: of the Israelites had died. Yet his heart was unyielding 25 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:36,360 Speaker 1: and he would not let the people go. So at 26 00:01:36,360 --> 00:01:40,720 Speaker 1: this point Pharaoh is just getting stubborn. His magicians have 27 00:01:40,840 --> 00:01:43,160 Speaker 1: given up. They're not doing anything anymore. They're not going 28 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:46,360 Speaker 1: to be mentioned in terms of can they do these 29 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:50,200 Speaker 1: sort of things that that's behind us, and it's really 30 00:01:50,320 --> 00:01:54,280 Speaker 1: just this contest of wills, and right now Pharaoh isn't 31 00:01:54,320 --> 00:01:58,120 Speaker 1: giving In the plague of boils, then the Lord said 32 00:01:58,120 --> 00:02:00,760 Speaker 1: to Moses and Aaron, take a handful of soot from 33 00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:03,440 Speaker 1: a furnace, and have Moses toss it into the air 34 00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:06,400 Speaker 1: in the presence of Pharaoh. It will become fine dust 35 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:09,760 Speaker 1: over the whole land of Egypt, and festering boils will 36 00:02:09,760 --> 00:02:13,160 Speaker 1: break out on people and animals throughout the land. So 37 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:16,240 Speaker 1: they took soot from a furnace and stood before Pharaoh. 38 00:02:16,639 --> 00:02:19,680 Speaker 1: Moses tossed it into the air, and festering boils broke 39 00:02:19,720 --> 00:02:23,239 Speaker 1: out on people and animals. The magicians could not stand 40 00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:26,120 Speaker 1: before Moses, because the boils that were on them and 41 00:02:26,200 --> 00:02:29,840 Speaker 1: on all the Egyptians. But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, 42 00:02:29,919 --> 00:02:32,880 Speaker 1: and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just 43 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:37,840 Speaker 1: as the Lord had said to Moses. So a lot 44 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:41,840 Speaker 1: of commentators make something of this that some sections say 45 00:02:41,880 --> 00:02:46,239 Speaker 1: that Pharaoh hardened his heart, in some sections say that 46 00:02:46,280 --> 00:02:50,720 Speaker 1: the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart. And I don't know that 47 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:54,200 Speaker 1: there's really as much significance to that difference as we 48 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:58,000 Speaker 1: want there to be. My understanding is that Pharaoh had 49 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:01,119 Speaker 1: free will, that Pharaoh could decide what he wanted to do, 50 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:03,960 Speaker 1: that he is not some meat puppet of God here, 51 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:06,800 Speaker 1: and that that's not what it meant that the Lord 52 00:03:06,840 --> 00:03:12,079 Speaker 1: hardened Pharaoh's heart. But Pharaoh is not giving in. And 53 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:16,320 Speaker 1: despite the fact that they now have boils, and that's 54 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:18,520 Speaker 1: probably where I would have given up. I think the 55 00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:21,360 Speaker 1: flies and the gnats and the frogs and things like 56 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:24,920 Speaker 1: that all sound terrible. All the livestock dying is a 57 00:03:25,040 --> 00:03:28,400 Speaker 1: real blow, But boils, that's probably where I would have 58 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:32,440 Speaker 1: given In the plague of hail, then the Lord said 59 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:34,800 Speaker 1: to Moses, get up early in the morning, confront Pharaoh 60 00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:36,560 Speaker 1: and say to him This is what the Lord, the 61 00:03:36,600 --> 00:03:39,760 Speaker 1: God of the Hebrews says. Let my people go so 62 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:42,600 Speaker 1: that they may worship me, or this time I will 63 00:03:42,640 --> 00:03:45,120 Speaker 1: send the full force of my plagues against you and 64 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:48,040 Speaker 1: your officials and your people, so that you may know 65 00:03:48,120 --> 00:03:50,160 Speaker 1: there is no one like me in all the earth. 66 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:52,880 Speaker 1: For by now I could have stretched out my hand 67 00:03:52,920 --> 00:03:55,280 Speaker 1: and struck you and your people with a plague that 68 00:03:55,360 --> 00:03:58,040 Speaker 1: would have wiped you off the earth. But I have 69 00:03:58,200 --> 00:04:01,119 Speaker 1: raised you up for this very purpose, that I might 70 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:03,880 Speaker 1: show you my power and that my name might be 71 00:04:03,960 --> 00:04:08,080 Speaker 1: proclaimed in all the earth. You still set yourself against 72 00:04:08,080 --> 00:04:11,320 Speaker 1: my people and will not let them go. Therefore, at 73 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:14,960 Speaker 1: this time tomorrow I will send the worst hailstorm that 74 00:04:15,040 --> 00:04:17,599 Speaker 1: has ever fallen on Egypt from the day it was 75 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:20,760 Speaker 1: founded until now. Give an order now to bring your 76 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:24,120 Speaker 1: livestock in, everything you have in the field to a 77 00:04:24,160 --> 00:04:27,480 Speaker 1: place of shelter, because the hail will fall on every 78 00:04:27,520 --> 00:04:31,240 Speaker 1: person an animal that has not been brought in and 79 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:36,120 Speaker 1: is still out in the field, and they will die. Okay, Now, 80 00:04:36,200 --> 00:04:39,120 Speaker 1: one issue here I have with the plague of hail 81 00:04:39,279 --> 00:04:41,480 Speaker 1: is not that God's going to send hail, but He's 82 00:04:41,520 --> 00:04:44,000 Speaker 1: telling them bring their livestock in and we just heard 83 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:46,800 Speaker 1: that all the livestock died. So I don't know if 84 00:04:46,839 --> 00:04:50,920 Speaker 1: they bought the Israelites livestock, if all the livestock was 85 00:04:51,360 --> 00:04:54,960 Speaker 1: an exaggeration, or if they bought livestock from someplace else, 86 00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:57,560 Speaker 1: But just a moment ago, they didn't have any livestock, 87 00:04:57,600 --> 00:05:00,120 Speaker 1: and now they have to bring it in. So there's 88 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:02,360 Speaker 1: something going on here that we're not going to be 89 00:05:02,360 --> 00:05:04,760 Speaker 1: able to get clarity until we stand before the Throne 90 00:05:04,800 --> 00:05:07,920 Speaker 1: of Grace. But in any case, this is going to 91 00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:11,520 Speaker 1: be bad, and they get this extra special warning. I 92 00:05:11,560 --> 00:05:14,480 Speaker 1: could have wiped you out, but I don't want to. 93 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:17,280 Speaker 1: I've raised you up for this purpose. I want to 94 00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:20,000 Speaker 1: show that these are my people and that I am 95 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:23,440 Speaker 1: their God, and I'm going to use you to show that, 96 00:05:24,080 --> 00:05:28,640 Speaker 1: which is why God has been God is saying he 97 00:05:28,760 --> 00:05:32,440 Speaker 1: has been merciful, but is getting less merciful as we 98 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:36,599 Speaker 1: go forward. Here, those officials of Pharaoh who feared the 99 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:40,040 Speaker 1: word of the Lord hurried to bring their slaves and 100 00:05:40,080 --> 00:05:43,919 Speaker 1: their livestock inside, but those who ignored the word of 101 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:47,839 Speaker 1: the Lord left their slaves and livestock in the field. 102 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:52,960 Speaker 1: That is a real interesting verse. So the people have 103 00:05:53,080 --> 00:05:56,479 Speaker 1: had frogs and flies and gnats and dark and blood. 104 00:05:56,920 --> 00:05:58,480 Speaker 1: I'm sorry, I haven't at the dark yet. I got 105 00:05:58,480 --> 00:06:03,760 Speaker 1: ahead of myself and livestock dying, and now have this hail. 106 00:06:03,880 --> 00:06:09,240 Speaker 1: But some people still haven't got the message that the 107 00:06:09,240 --> 00:06:12,160 Speaker 1: God of the Hebrews is someone you should listen to, 108 00:06:12,839 --> 00:06:16,800 Speaker 1: and so they're not taking heed. But some people have. 109 00:06:17,480 --> 00:06:21,320 Speaker 1: Some people say, if the God of the Hebrews says 110 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:24,600 Speaker 1: he's going to send hail, I'm going to take precautions 111 00:06:24,640 --> 00:06:28,800 Speaker 1: because I believe him. Then the Lord said to Moses, 112 00:06:28,800 --> 00:06:31,080 Speaker 1: stretch out your hand toward the sky, so that hale 113 00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:34,280 Speaker 1: will fall all over Egypt, on people and animals, on 114 00:06:34,440 --> 00:06:37,839 Speaker 1: everything growing in the fields of Egypt. When Moses stretched 115 00:06:37,839 --> 00:06:41,120 Speaker 1: out his staff toward the sky, the Lord said, thunder 116 00:06:41,160 --> 00:06:44,240 Speaker 1: and hail, and lightning flashing down to the ground. So 117 00:06:44,320 --> 00:06:48,400 Speaker 1: the Lord reigned hail on the land of Egypt. Hale 118 00:06:48,480 --> 00:06:50,880 Speaker 1: fell and lightning flashed back and forth. It was the 119 00:06:50,920 --> 00:06:53,400 Speaker 1: worst storm in all the land of Egypt since it 120 00:06:53,480 --> 00:06:57,200 Speaker 1: had become a nation. Throughout Egypt, Hale struck everything in 121 00:06:57,240 --> 00:07:00,240 Speaker 1: the fields, both people and animals. It beat down everything 122 00:07:00,320 --> 00:07:03,080 Speaker 1: growing in the fields and stripped every tree. The only 123 00:07:03,120 --> 00:07:06,560 Speaker 1: place that it did not hail was the land of Goshen, 124 00:07:06,920 --> 00:07:10,360 Speaker 1: where the Israelites were. Now I find a little bit 125 00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:15,200 Speaker 1: of irony here, because after hail destroys your crops, you're 126 00:07:15,240 --> 00:07:18,640 Speaker 1: going to have some problems feeding your people. Well, it's 127 00:07:18,680 --> 00:07:23,560 Speaker 1: interesting because what ends up bringing the Hebrews, the Sons 128 00:07:23,600 --> 00:07:28,080 Speaker 1: of Israel into Egypt in the first place, is a 129 00:07:28,200 --> 00:07:32,240 Speaker 1: shortage of food. It is that time of famine. And 130 00:07:32,320 --> 00:07:34,920 Speaker 1: of course the person who bailed out Egypt at that 131 00:07:35,080 --> 00:07:40,160 Speaker 1: time was Joseph, and so it seems kind of ironic 132 00:07:40,200 --> 00:07:44,840 Speaker 1: at this point that for Joseph's people to leave, we 133 00:07:44,880 --> 00:07:48,440 Speaker 1: have to go through that again. Then Pharaoh summoned Moses 134 00:07:48,440 --> 00:07:51,040 Speaker 1: and Aaron. This time I have sinned. He said to them, 135 00:07:51,400 --> 00:07:54,200 Speaker 1: the Lord is in the right, and I and my 136 00:07:54,360 --> 00:07:56,960 Speaker 1: people are in the wrong. Pray to the Lord, for 137 00:07:57,160 --> 00:08:00,400 Speaker 1: we have had enough thunder and ale. I will let 138 00:08:00,440 --> 00:08:04,560 Speaker 1: you go. You don't have to stay any longer. Moses replied. 139 00:08:04,560 --> 00:08:06,160 Speaker 1: When I have gone out of the city, I will 140 00:08:06,160 --> 00:08:08,800 Speaker 1: spread out my hands in prayer to the Lord. The 141 00:08:08,840 --> 00:08:11,040 Speaker 1: thunder will stop and there will be no more hail, 142 00:08:11,440 --> 00:08:14,080 Speaker 1: so that you may know that the earth is the Lord's. 143 00:08:14,360 --> 00:08:17,600 Speaker 1: But I know that you and your officials still do 144 00:08:17,720 --> 00:08:21,520 Speaker 1: not fear the Lord God. The flax and barley were destroyed, 145 00:08:21,520 --> 00:08:25,000 Speaker 1: since the barley had headed and the flax was in bloom. 146 00:08:25,080 --> 00:08:28,400 Speaker 1: The wheat and spelt, however, were not destroyed because they 147 00:08:28,520 --> 00:08:32,360 Speaker 1: ripen later. Love that little detail there, little farmer's detail there. 148 00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:35,319 Speaker 1: Then Moses left Pharaoh and went out of the city. 149 00:08:35,360 --> 00:08:38,160 Speaker 1: He spread out of his hands towards the Lord. The 150 00:08:38,160 --> 00:08:41,560 Speaker 1: thunder and hail stopped, and the rain no longer poured 151 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:44,880 Speaker 1: down on the land. When Pharaoh saw that the rain 152 00:08:45,080 --> 00:08:48,800 Speaker 1: and hail and thunder had stopped, he sinned again. He 153 00:08:48,880 --> 00:08:52,680 Speaker 1: and his officials hardened their hearts. So Pharaoh's heart was hard, 154 00:08:53,200 --> 00:08:56,439 Speaker 1: and he would not let the Israelites go, just as 155 00:08:56,480 --> 00:09:02,280 Speaker 1: the Lord had said through Moses. Now we can pick 156 00:09:02,280 --> 00:09:06,680 Speaker 1: on Pharaoh, because Pharaoh is being very stubborn here, But 157 00:09:07,600 --> 00:09:13,760 Speaker 1: we sometimes also let the things that we have get 158 00:09:13,800 --> 00:09:20,000 Speaker 1: in the way of our relationship with God. We sometimes 159 00:09:20,280 --> 00:09:25,120 Speaker 1: think that the things are more important than people, for instance, 160 00:09:25,679 --> 00:09:27,839 Speaker 1: and that's what Pharah was doing. He doesn't want to 161 00:09:27,920 --> 00:09:33,040 Speaker 1: let these Israelites go because they are his possessions, they 162 00:09:33,080 --> 00:09:37,280 Speaker 1: are his slaves, They are part of his power, and 163 00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:39,480 Speaker 1: it is hard to give up power. It is hard 164 00:09:39,520 --> 00:09:44,760 Speaker 1: to give up the things that make us strong, and 165 00:09:44,800 --> 00:09:47,360 Speaker 1: so he doesn't. I thought I was going to go 166 00:09:47,400 --> 00:09:48,959 Speaker 1: on to chapter ten, but I think I'm going to 167 00:09:49,040 --> 00:09:53,240 Speaker 1: stop there instead. That's good enough length for a particular episode, 168 00:09:53,360 --> 00:09:55,679 Speaker 1: and I see that chapter ten is quite long with 169 00:09:55,760 --> 00:09:59,079 Speaker 1: guess what more plagues, including one that I gave a 170 00:09:59,080 --> 00:10:02,280 Speaker 1: little subtle foreshadowing to. So with that, we're going to 171 00:10:02,400 --> 00:10:04,800 Speaker 1: end this episode of the Bible Study Podcast. If you 172 00:10:04,800 --> 00:10:07,880 Speaker 1: have any questions, send an email to Chris two xat 173 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:11,360 Speaker 1: gmail dot com, or, better yet, leave a comment on 174 00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:15,360 Speaker 1: this episode at the Bible Study podcast dot com. And 175 00:10:15,480 --> 00:10:28,120 Speaker 1: as always, thanks so much for listening. I want to 176 00:10:28,120 --> 00:10:30,199 Speaker 1: take just a second to thank the team at Life 177 00:10:30,240 --> 00:10:33,520 Speaker 1: Audio for their partnership with us on this podcast. If 178 00:10:33,520 --> 00:10:36,600 Speaker 1: you go to lifeaudio dot com, you'll find dozens of 179 00:10:36,600 --> 00:10:40,520 Speaker 1: other faith centered podcasts in their network. They've got shows 180 00:10:40,559 --> 00:10:44,040 Speaker 1: about prayer, Bible study, parenting, and more.