KNOWING GOD – THE GOD OF MIRACLES || Lesson 33 

KNOWING GOD – THE GOD OF MIRACLES – Lesson Thirty-three

TEXT:  Psalm 78 (Cont’d.) – V.47-48

[We continue to “consider the marvelous works” listed in this psalm, in keeping with I Samuel 12:24 – But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you.

Be sure to fear the LORD – Proverbs 19:23 – The fear of the LORD leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble.]

V.47-48 – ⁴⁷He destroyed their vines with hail and their sycamore-figs with sleet. ⁴⁸He gave over their cattle to the hail, their livestock to bolts of lightning.

This was the seventh plague, according to the Exodus account.  In Psalm 78, the plagues are not listed in the order given in Exodus and not all are mentioned.

See Exodus 9:13-35.  This plague was an attack on the god of the atmosphere, Shu.  The worshipers would not have been able to go out amidst all that was happening.

Exodus 9:16 – But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.

But I have raised you up for this very purpose – Note Proverbs 16:4 (NLT) – The LORD has made everything for his own purposes, even the wicked for a day of disaster.

Exodus 9:20 – Those officials of Pharaoh who feared the word of the LORD hurried to bring their slaves and their livestock inside. 

Those officials of Pharaoh who feared the word of the LORD – Note Acts 10:34-35 – ³⁴Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism ³⁵but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.

Exodus 9:22 – Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that hail will fall all over Egypt–on men and animals and on everything growing in the fields of Egypt.”

Hail will fall – Another instance: Joshua 10:11 – As they fled before Israel on the road down from Beth Horon to Azekah, the LORD hurled large hailstones down on them from the sky, and more of them died from the hailstones than were killed by the swords of the Israelites.

Note Revelation 16:21 – From the sky huge hailstones of about a hundred pounds each fell upon men. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible.

Exodus 9:26 – The only place it did not hail was the land of Goshen, where the Israelites were.  Parallel passage:  Isaiah 32:18-19 – ¹⁸My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest. ¹⁹Though hail flattens the forest and the city is leveled completely,

Let us ask the GOD OF MIRACLES to help us to “hunger and thirst after righteousness” in order to experience the “fruit” and the “effect” of righteousness, in accordance with Isaiah 32:17 – The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.

Exodus 9:29 – Moses replied, “When I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands in prayer to the LORD. The thunder will stop and there will be no more hail, so you may know that the earth is the LORD’s.  Fulfilled:

V.33 – Then Moses left Pharaoh and went out of the city. He spread out his hands toward the LORD; the thunder and hail stopped, and the rain no longer poured down on the land.

As with Moses, let us ask the GOD OF MIRACLES to help us to allow His power to work in us, in accordance with Ephesians 3:20-21 – ²⁰Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Also, let us aspire to be like Jesus: John 11:41-42 – ⁴¹So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. ⁴²I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”