Exodus 9:17-19

17          because you still exalt yourself against my people, that you won’t let them go.

18          Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as has not been in Egypt since the day it was founded even until now.

19          Now therefore command that all of your livestock and all you have in the field be brought into shelter. The hail will come down on every man,

Hail’s Damaging Effects

Hail is naturally occurring. This plague of hail shows God’s power over the Egyptian God, Nut – the sky goddess and Set – the storm god. The severity of the hail is a reminder that shows God is powerful over all of creation. The Egyptians were mainly an agrarian society, heavily needing livestock and agriculture for their survival. The ability to shelter the livestock was the first instance of protection, showing that God’s mercy does exist after judgment. Hail, in the ancient Near East, was rare but devastating. Hail showed God’s power over the world. This plague can show us God, as a protector and shelter for those who listen. God can offer safety in the middle of judgment.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: Think about the storms you have faced in the past, either physical or mental. How did you survive them? What advice would you give to someone else going through those storms.

Holding Accountability

God’s concern for the world extends beyond humanity to all of creation. God created the land animals, water creatures, and air creatures, plus all of humanity. The protection of God’s creation rests on the shoulders of humanity. It was part of the command that God gave humanity in Genesis 1. “…have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds, of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (vs. 28) To have dominion over the creation like this is the Hebrew word radah (raw-daw’)¸In the Genesis 1 context, dominion describes a stewardship that shows God’s own type of righteous government. It’s not about exploiting God’s creation to follow your rule but allowing life to continue through God’s righteousness. God will use his power to also revoke this dominion when their leadership turns to oppression. Dominion is about the benefit of creation aand community, not to inflate your own ego. That the rulers, humanity, with God’s dominion power are held accountable according to His standards.

Growing up in life, we all have seen our fair share of leaders that have abused their powers for their own agenda instead of for the betterment of their community. From John Adams to Abe Lincoln, to Ronald Reagan, to Donald Trump, and I’m sure more on different levels of leadership. The corruption of leadership is not a new problem, but the intensity of these problems and how aggressively they are thrusted into the limelight. There is a new push for accountability for our leaders, which is great. They need to be held to the standard they set for themselves, and the standard that their positions represent. Some people are doing that – accepting the fact that they have made a mistake, acknowledging the hurt, and either removing themselves from the position or working towards rendering the mistake and create a more sustainable outcome for all people. Unfortunately, at the same time, some leaders double down on their mistakes. Not recognizing the wrong that they have done, not seeing the people they have hurt and the destruction that was caused. They will stand by their decisions, claiming it’s for the betterment of the world, when it’s really a better for their world and not the greater world. This train of thought eventually creates more division, more fights and arguments, and drives us further away from the ultimate goal of providing proper dominion over the world.

Remember, this plague showed us a type of Christ that offers protection and shelter for those that are in harms way. People are looking for a source of protection anymore when they are witnessing their rights being stripped away, their safety being put at risk, and their stability to live the life they deserve being dwindled away. This is where we need to create a stance of accountability. We do our due diligence and make sure the people that we vote are standing on the principles that we support and can be held to that principle. We go vote in general – the more voters that are out there, the more that we can be heard, and the more that we can displace the oppressive leaders that are currently in power. We go out and protest rules, laws, etc., that effectively silence or harm people from, living out the life that they are called to live. We can also silently work to make sure that our neighbors are being cared for properly. We can make sure that they have everything they need to survive from food in the fridge to money for bills. We are called to share our selfless love with others that Christ shared with us. That self-sacrificial can be done through our finances, our resources, and our energy. It will look different person to person, but it needs to be done more in the world. The world is a scary and evil place, but I firmly believe it that can push back against it with kindness and love. At the same time, share that love with yourself. Self-love is not selfish, it’s necessary. Learn to love who God created you to be, embracing who He called you through your strengths and weaknesses. Remember that you cannot pour from an empty cup. Be intentional in your relationship with God, fill up your thirst and hunger through the water and bread of life, and any overflow – share with the world.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: How can you hold someone accountable that needs it?