The plague of hail

Exo 9:27  And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: the LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked. 

The plague of hail came. It came with thunder, and fire flashing continually in the midst of the hail. It must have been a most terrible sight. It looked as if a judgment day was coming. It frightened Pharaoh so much that he acknowledged his sin, a thing he had never done before. The terror of death seized him. It frightened him into action.

Under the weight of this fear, Pharaoh humbled himself into confessing his sin and acknowledging the LORD was righteous while he and his people were wicked (Exodus 9:27). Was Pharaoh’s sincere in his confession? I doubt so. He did it out of fear and not of true conviction. As soon as his fear was removed, he was back to his old self. His repentance didn’t last long; it was over as soon as the plague was over.

Unless there is a genuine and hearty confession of our sins to God, we have no promise that we shall find mercy and receive forgiveness: "But to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word" (Isaiah 66:2).

There will be some who are like Pharaoh who make a confession but will receive no forgiveness because their repentance is not genuine and sincere. A repentance that is born in the storm will die in the calm. My brethren, it is of no use for anyone to say, "I have sinned," merely under the influence of terror, and then to forget it afterwards. Such confession will not receive forgiveness.

A thief who was caught pleaded for mercy: “I’m sorry; please don’t call the police.” A cheating husband who was caught pleaded: “I’m sorry; please don’t tell my wife.” Were they sorry that they had been caught or they had sinned? What if they had not been caught? They would still be doing what they were doing. The thief was sorry because he feared being handed over to the police. The cheating husband was sorry because he feared his wife would know of his unfaithfulness. Both might also pray to God. But if there is no genuine repentance and remorse, will God forgive them? “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise” (Psalm 51:17).

How about us? Do we confess our sins out of fear of a consequence that is about to come? It is important that we come to God for the right reason. God knows whether we are truly repentant or not. A publican’s prayer provides us an excellent example of true repentance and was commended by our Lord Jesus (Luke 18:13-14). Our God can read the heart of a penitent sinner.

Pharaoh, despite what he had said, was not interested in God’s forgiveness; he was interested in a solution to the problem facing him. He just wanted the hail to go away. He thought he could fool God. But God knew his heart: “But as for thee and thy servants, I know that ye will not yet fear the LORD God” (Exodus 9:30).

Pharaoh had worldly repentance. The scripture says: “The sorrow of the world worketh death” (2 Corinthians 7:10b). And true enough, Pharaoh perished as a lost man in the depths of the Red Sea. But a godly repentance leads to salvation (2 Corinthians 7:10a).

Let us be sincere and truthful when we pray for forgiveness of sin: “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10:22).                

Jimmy Lau

Psa 119:97  Oh how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day.