Exodus 9:20-26: a reflection

20Those who feared the LORD’s word among the servants of Pharaoh made their servants and their livestock flee into the houses. 21Whoever didn’t respect the LORD’s word left his servants and his livestock in the field. 22The LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, on man, and on animal, and on every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.” 23Moses stretched out his rod toward the heavens, and the LORD sent thunder and hail; and lightning flashed down to the earth. The LORD rained hail on the land of Egypt. 24So there was very severe hail, and lightning mixed with the hail, such as had not been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. 25The hail struck throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and animal; and the hail struck every herb of the field, and broke every tree of the field. 26Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, there was no hail.

As the plague of hail approaches Egypt, a striking difference appears among Pharaoh's own servants. Those who feared the LORD's word brought their servants and livestock into shelter, taking the warning seriously; but those who did not respect the LORD's word left them out in the field. And when the hail fell, it destroyed all that was left in the field, while those who had taken shelter were spared. The difference between being spared and suffering loss lay in whether they took God's word seriously and acted on it.

Notice the difference between those who heeded God's word and those who did not. God's word of warning came to all; but some feared it, took it seriously, and acted, bringing their own into shelter, while others did not respect it, and left their own exposed. When the hail fell, the difference showed: those who had heeded the word were spared, those who had ignored it suffered loss. The same warning came to both; the difference lay in whether they took it seriously and acted on it. Heeding God's word brought shelter; ignoring it brought loss.

That is worth taking to heart, for we too hear God's word, and the difference lies in whether we take it seriously and act. God's word comes to us, in warning and instruction; and we can either take it seriously and act on it, or hear it without respect and fail to act. Those who took God's word seriously in Egypt were spared; those who ignored it suffered. Do not hear God's word without taking it seriously and acting on it; the difference between blessing and loss can lie in whether you heed his word or ignore it, as it did for Pharaoh's servants in the hail. Take God's word seriously, acting on it rather than merely hearing it and doing nothing, as those who feared the LORD's word sheltered their own and were spared, while those who ignored it suffered loss; for the word heeded and acted on brings shelter, but the word ignored brings loss.

Lord, as the plague of hail approaches Egypt, a striking difference appears among Pharaoh's own servants. Those who feared your word brought their servants and livestock into shelter, taking the warning seriously; but those who did not respect your word left them out in the field. And when the hail fell, it destroyed all that was left in the field, while those who had taken shelter were spared. The difference between being spared and suffering loss lay in whether they took your word seriously and acted on it. Show me the difference between those who heeded your word and those who did not. Your word of warning came to all; but some feared it and acted, while others did not respect it, and left their own exposed. When the hail fell, the difference showed. The same warning came to both; the difference lay in whether they took it seriously and acted. Take that to my heart, for I too hear your word, and the difference lies in whether I take it seriously and act. Your word comes to me, in warning and instruction; and I can either take it seriously and act on it, or hear it without respect and fail to act. Keep me from hearing your word without taking it seriously and acting on it; the difference between blessing and loss can lie in whether I heed your word or ignore it. Help me take your word seriously, Lord, acting on it rather than merely hearing it and doing nothing, as those who feared your word sheltered their own and were spared.