Exodus 9:13-26 (NKJV)

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Rise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh, and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD God of the Hebrews: “Let My people go, that they may serve Me, for at this time I will send all My plagues to your very heart, and on your servants and on your people, that you may know that there is none like Me in all the earth. Now if I had stretched out My hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, then you would have been cut off from the earth. But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth. As yet you exalt yourself against My people in that you will not let them go. Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause very heavy hail to rain down, such as has not been in Egypt since its founding until now. Therefore send now and gather your livestock and all that you have in the field, for the hail shall come down on every man and every animal which is found in the field and is not brought home; and they shall die.” ’ ”

He who feared the word of the LORD among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his livestock flee to the houses. But he who did not regard the word of the LORD left his servants and his livestock in the field.

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt—on man, on beast, and on every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.” And Moses stretched out his rod toward heaven; and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and fire darted to the ground. And the LORD rained hail on the land of Egypt. So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, so very heavy that there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. And the hail struck throughout the whole land of Egypt, all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail struck every herb of the field and broke every tree of the field. Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, there was no hail.

As always, the Egyptian Gods are useless. Today’s useless god of the day is Nut – the goddess of the sky.

http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/nut.htm

But there’s something new in this passage that’s more important. God tells Pharaoh exactly what’s going on with all these plagues. He shocks Pharaoh by telling him, “But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.”

Imagine you are engaged in a war, and the leader of the opposing side informs you that he got you appointed as the leader of your side. Furthermore, he did this to make himself look good.

Can you think of a greater put down?

That same put down is part of the beauty of the gospel. The purpose of salvation by grace alone is God’s glory. Just as He raised up Pharaoh to make Himself look good (and Pharaoh look bad), He raises us up for His own glory while hammering home the point that we deserve none of that glory.

The weekly study guides, which include discussion questions, are available for download here:

https://www.ailbe.org/resources/itemlist/category/91-deep-studies