Daily a new Bible text for devotion - EZBB

Exodus 9:10-20

Verse 20 says: Some of Pharaoh's officials were afraid of what the Lord had said. Without delay, they gathered their servants and animals from the field. But those who did not heed the word of the Lord left their flocks and servants in the fields. Verses 20-21 during the account of the hail plague in Egypt, the Biblical text presents a clear and immediate contrast between two human reactions to divine warning. This passage is one of the most impactful illustrations in the Bible of what it means to be a stubborn person.

Stubbornness is not merely a lack of knowledge; it is the deliberate refusal to act in the face of truth. The text divides the Egyptians into two well-defined groups:
• Those who feared: They recognized God's authority and acted to protect themselves.
• The stubborn (those who "did not care"): The Hebrew expression used for "did not care" literally means "did not apply their heart." The stubborn person is one who chooses to ignore the warning, treating it with indifference, disdain, or arrogance.

In the seventh plague of Egypt (the hail and fire, recorded in Exodus 9), the Egyptian deities challenged and humiliated were primarily Isis (goddess associated with the heavens and celestial waters) and Osiris (god of agriculture and the fertility of the land), as well as others linked to the weather and storms, such as Set or Nut (goddess of the sky).

Pharaoh's reaction - This time, Pharaoh was tremendously frightened. He confessed: I have sinned, the Lord is righteous. He begged for mercy and promised: I will let you go. Moses granted Pharaoh's request so that he would know that THE EARTH BELONGS TO THE LORD. Many are like Pharaoh; in times of hardship, they make promises, say they will change, but end up revealing their true selves when the difficulty lessens. And once again, Pharaoh had false repentance.