The Purpose Repeated
Exodus 9:13–17 (NASB95)
13Then the LORD said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, “Let My people go, that they may serve Me. 14“For this time I will send all My plagues on you and your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is no one like Me in all the earth. 15“For if by now I had put forth My hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, you would then have been cut off from the earth. 16“But, indeed, for this reason I have allowed you to remain, in order to show you My power and in order to proclaim My name through all the earth. 17“Still you exalt yourself against My people by not letting them go.
Commentary – The Purpose Repeated
God sent Moses to Pharaoh with a warning that could not be ignored. The LORD declared He would send the full force of His plagues, a level of judgment Egypt had not yet seen. The message was clear. There is no one like Me in all the earth. God was not just freeing Israel. He was making a statement to Pharaoh, to Egypt, and to every nation that would hear the story. The gods of Egypt, Nut, the sky goddess, Shu, the god of air, Set, the storm god, and Osiris, the god of crop fertility, were all on trial. If Pharaoh did not obey the Almighty God, the hail would fall from Nut’s sky, through Shu’s air, as a storm Set could not control, and it would destroy the crops Osiris was supposed to protect. None of these gods could stop what was coming. Only Pharaoh, who claimed to be a living god, could prevent the next plague by submitting to Yahweh’s sovereignty.
God told Pharaoh, I could have wiped you off the earth by now. Instead, I have preserved you. The Hebrew word he’emadticha means I have caused you to stand. God did not predestine Pharaoh to sin. He allowed Pharaoh to remain in power, even through the earlier plagues, for a specific purpose. God wanted to show His power and make His name known in all the earth. Paul picks up this truth in Romans 9:17, reminding the church that God’s dealings with Pharaoh were not just about Egypt. They were about God’s glory being proclaimed to every nation and every generation. Pharaoh’s stubbornness became the backdrop for God’s unmatched power. The LORD’s patience was not weakness. It was purposeful restraint, giving Pharaoh every chance to repent while showing all of creation His power.
The warning was sharp. The time for half-measures was over. God would send a hailstorm unlike anything Egypt had ever seen. The plagues had escalated, but now God made it clear that He had held back until this moment. The coming storm would leave no doubt about who truly ruled the earth and sky. Pharaoh’s resistance would not stop God’s plan. Instead, it would serve as the stage for God’s power to be displayed and His name to be proclaimed far beyond Egypt’s borders.
Sometimes, God allows us to stand in places of influence or power, not because we are right, but because He wants to show something greater through our story. The warning to Pharaoh is a warning to all of us. God’s patience is real, but it is not endless. When He moves, nothing can stand in His way. The gods we trust—whether they are systems, traditions, or our own sense of control—cannot protect us from the living God. The story of the hail is a reminder that God’s purpose is bigger than our comfort. He wants His name known, not just in our lives, but in the world around us. The wise response is not to resist, but to recognize His authority and join in proclaiming His greatness.
In His Service,
Ryan Goodnight