Catching Hail Ex. 9: 18-34 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO

In Ex 9:18-34, Moses and Aaron brought the plague of hail upon Egypt.  It was so bad that the men and cattle that remained in the field died. And trees were not just being defoliated, they were being broken.  It was terrible; worse than anything Egypt had ever experienced before.

Israel was severed from Egypt, in the land of Goshen, and spared from this plague of hail.  Evidently, that’s where Moses and Aaron were when Pharaoh sent for them.  Do you realize that Moses and Aaron had to walk through the storm of thunder, rain, hail and fire to meet with Pharaoh?  And then after their meeting, they had to walk back through the hail to the outside of the city before they called off the plague.

The moral to this event is, “If you’re going to do something for the Lord, you are going to catch hail.”  In other words, to fulfill the Lord’s desire in their interactions with Pharaoh, Moses and Aaron had to leave the comforts and protection of Goshen and travel into the storm.  Nevertheless, they were supernaturally protected.

We have the protection of God on us when we are sent into the storms and battles of life.  We have the whole armor of God [Eph 6:10-18].  If you are going to do something for God, he is not going to leave you on the sidelines.  You’re going into the battle.  And when you get in the battle you are going to “catch hail.”  

Look at the Thessalonians.  In 2 Thes 1:4-6, they were suffering tribulation and persecution.  They weren’t spared.  Yet, this suffering was a manifest token that they were doing something worthy of their calling in the kingdom of God.  Through their efforts, by the grace of God and his power, they were fulfilling the good pleasure of God’s goodness [2 Thes 1:11].  And the name of Jesus was being glorified in them [2 Thes 1:12].

Conclusion: It is enough that we go into the storm to please God and glorify Jesus, regardless the outcome of the work we do for him.  Pharaoh just hardened his heart further against the Lord after the plague of hail.  Don’t quit just because you have to endure a storm and walk through some hail to do what God called you to do.  These things go with the territory.