Exodus 10:1-20
One servant laughed. "I want to see what they'll say this time."
Another answered. "I wouldn't talk like that if I were you. Haven't we been through enough? Water turned to blood, frogs everywhere including our beds, lice making me itch until I screamed, flies buzzing around our heads and in our food, animals dying from disease, and skin boils. I still have a few that aren't healed."
The first servant shook his head. "Would you rather Pharaoh let the Israelites go? If he freed them we'll be stuck doing their work and ours. Toughen up. I agree with Pharaoh."
"I don't." The second sighed. "Any God powerful enough to make these plagues is a God to be respected."
The servants sneaked into Pharaoh's throne room. They found hundreds of other servants already gathered along the side of the room and in corners. Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron to come forward.
Aaron bowed. "Pharaoh, the Lord God of the Hebrews says 'Let my people go that they may serve me.' If you don't, He'll send the next plague to your very heart, your servants hearts, and all the people of Egypt so that you will know there is none like Him in all the earth. Tomorrow, the Lord will cause a heavy hail to rain down such as has not been in Egypt before. Gather your livestock and all you have in the field to protect them from the hail." Aaron and Moses turned and left.
The servants whispered, "Should we believe him?" "I won't take a chance, I'm bringing everything in from the fields tomorrow." "I'm not worried. My servants and animals will be fine."
The next morning many servants woke to clear skies and laughed. "I told you we were safe."
One servant shook his head. "You're foolish. Watch, I believe the Hebrew God will bring hail."
Shortly after breakfast, a loud thunderclap pounded in the sky. Dark clouds rolled in faster than spit fell to the ground. The servants gathered together near the door of Pharaoh's palace. "Should we go inside?"
One looked up as a large piece of hail fell to the ground. He turned and ran inside. "Take cover!" Hail pounded on the fields and around Egypt causing layers of ice balls to form on the ground.
One servant's eyes teared. "My son's harvesting in the fields today."
Another sighed. "My servants are safely inside our home."
Hours later the servants watched Moses and Aaron approach Pharaoh's palace. One servant turned to another. "Why isn't hail falling on them?"
"Because their God is protecting them."
Once inside Pharaoh's chamber, Moses and Aaron were pushed toward the front.
Pharaoh folded his arms and shook his head. "I have sinned this time. The Lord is righteous, and my people and I are wicked. Ask the Lord to take away the might thundering and hail, for it is enough. I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer."
Moses closed his eyes. "I will do as you say, but as for you and your servants, I know you will not fear the Lord God.
A few servants followed Moses out of the city and watched him spread his arms wide to the Lord. As he did, the hail stopped. One servant turned to the other, "See I told you not to be afraid. The Israelite slaves will stay here, where they belong."
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This is the first of the plagues where Pharaoh said he was sorry.
1. Do you think Pharaoh really was sorry that he sinned? Why?
2. Some of the servants listened to Moses' warning and hid their servants. Why didn't the
others?
3. Did you know the hail was big and powerful enought to knock down trees? Read Ex 9:25
4. Can you name the first seven plagues in order? The answer is in this story.
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