Words Are Not Enough

Exodus 9:27–35 (NASB95)

27Then Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “I have sinned this time; the LORD is the righteous one, and I and my people are the wicked ones. 28“Make supplication to the LORD, for there has been enough of God’s thunder and hail; and I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer.” 29Moses said to him, “As soon as I go out of the city, I will spread out my hands to the LORD; the thunder will cease and there will be hail no longer, that you may know that the earth is the LORD’S. 30“But as for you and your servants, I know that you do not yet fear the LORD God.” 31(Now the flax and the barley were ruined, for the barley was in the ear and the flax was in bud. 32But the wheat and the spelt were not ruined, for they ripen late.) 33So Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and spread out his hands to the LORD; and the thunder and the hail ceased, and rain no longer poured on the earth. 34But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he sinned again and hardened his heart, he and his servants. 35Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not let the sons of Israel go, just as the LORD had spoken through Moses.

Commentary - Words Are Not Enough

Pharaoh finally said the words everyone had been waiting for. He told Moses, “I have sinned this time. The Lord is the righteous one, and I and my people are the wicked ones.” On the surface, it sounded like a breakthrough. Pharaoh admitted he was wrong. He even called his own actions sin and acknowledged that Yahweh was right. But as soon as the hail stopped and the pressure lifted, Pharaoh and his officials went right back to their old ways. The admission was real, but it was not repentance. He wanted relief, not a new heart. He wanted the pain to end, but he did not want to change. The difference between admitting guilt and true repentance is not just about words. It is about what happens next. Pharaoh’s confession was driven by discomfort, not by a desire to be reconciled to God. When the threat was gone, so was his resolve. 

Moses saw through Pharaoh’s words. He told Pharaoh plainly that he knew Pharaoh did not yet fear the Lord God. Still, Moses prayed for him. He asked God to stop the hail, not because Pharaoh deserved it, but to show everyone that the earth belongs to the Lord. Moses’ prayer was an act of obedience and a witness to God’s mercy. God answered. The hail stopped. The thunder and rain ceased. But Pharaoh’s heart grew heavy again. He made a choice. He picked up the weight of his pride and put it back on his heart. 

Verses 31 and 32 give us a window into the timing and impact of the plague. The hail destroyed the flax and barley because they were already mature. Barley was in the ear, and flax was in bloom. These crops were ready for harvest and stood tall in the fields, exposed to the storm. Wheat and spelt, on the other hand, were not yet mature. They were still low to the ground and survived the hail. This detail is not just agricultural trivia. It shows the precision of God’s judgment. The destruction was severe, but not total. Egypt’s economy and daily life took a massive hit, but there was still a remnant left. The sparing of wheat and spelt left room for survival and for God’s next move. It also grounds the story in real history. The timing matches the Egyptian harvest calendar exactly. God’s actions were not random. They were measured, purposeful, and unmistakable. 

There is a lesson here for anyone who has ever been wronged or hurt by someone else. Forgiveness is not the same as trust. We are called to forgive, but that does not mean we have to put ourselves in harm’s way again. Pharaoh’s story shows that words can be cheap. Real repentance takes time to see. It shows up in changed behavior, not just in apologies. When someone says they are sorry, it is wise to watch what they do next. Forgiveness frees us from bitterness, but wisdom keeps us from being hurt again and again. God’s mercy is always available, but He does not ask us to ignore reality. Moses forgave Pharaoh enough to pray for him, but he did not pretend Pharaoh had changed. He waited to see what Pharaoh would do. That is a good pattern for us to follow. 

In His Service, 

Ryan Goodnight