In this passage we see the seventh plague: the plague of hail. The plagues God brought upon Egypt show us God delayed his judgment for a long time, and then brought it by degrees until the final destruction of Pharaoh and Egypt.
This pattern is analogous to the condition of the world we live in today which is subject to plagues and pestilence, forerunners that precede the final end and judgement of the world. God is long suffering, meaning he delays judgment in order to give opportunity for faith and repentance. Nevertheless, his judgment is inevitable, and this plague in particular points to characteristics of what that final judgment will be like.
In verse 18 we read that the plague of hail was unlike anything in the history of Egypt. Scientists will classify disasters that are terrible such as a 100 year flood or 100 year earthquake to convey the uniqueness of the
magnitude. It is unmatched except on very rare occasions. Here, the Lord says that Egypt had never seen a storm such as this one.
This is like the final judgment on this world. It will be like nothing before. Peter describes it this way: “The day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.” Peter goes on to say in view of such judgment to come, Christians should live holy and godly lives.
In verse 20 we read that those in Egypt who feared the word of the Lord took shelter. We aren’t told whether some in Egypt became true believers in the Lord, but we are taught throughout the Scriptures that God delights in mercy, and any who turn to him from sin will not be denied mercy.
In the middle ages a man who was to become a knight had to kneel before his Lord and swear fealty or loyalty to him. He became subject to the Lord’s commands and obligated to the honor of that King. In coming to Christ, we kneel because not only is he Lord, but also because he has delivered us from the judgment to come with his own sacrifice on our behalf. We have more obligations to his glory.
In verse 26 the Lord tells us that while Egypt suffered terrible judgment, the hail did not fall upon Israel. Israel represents all God’s true people on the Day of Judgment. They will be completely unhurt on that day. They can lift up their eyes while they serve Christ in this present world and long for his appearing.
In verse 31-32 we see that though the hail damage was devastating, there was a glimmer of hope; the late crops such as wheat were so small they survived. However, in the next plague the locusts which cover the land devour all that is left. All hope is gone. Nevertheless, Pharaoh and Egypt persist in resistance to God. They are in misery, yet they fight on.
In the judgment of God there is no hope for the impenitent. They are given over permanently to the hardness of their heart and their steadfast resistance toward God. We aren’t told a lot about hell, but the gnashing of teeth toward God is indicative of the continual disposition. Like Egypt, there is no water or food for the soul anywhere to be found.
In Matthew 26 we read of the opposite disposition; a woman anoints Jesus body with expensive ointment right before his death. Jesus connects the act with her knowledge of his impending death. He says her act will be recorded for all generations. He says this to say you must be like her; love his death to such an extent you embrace him with all you have and are. She knew he died for her. She loved him for it; faith and love had replaced rebellion and resistance.
Finally, we read that during the plague, Pharaoh admits his sin and pleads for mercy. Yet after the plague ends, he and his servants harden their hearts.
On the Day of Judgment, false professions of faith will be exposed. Conversely, we learn that true Christians, while they have a deep and abiding sense of their own unworthiness and imperfections in their faith, are not hypocrites. Christ is their life.
