Grapefruit-Sized Hail

Grapefruit-Sized Hail

Exodus 9:25-26, “Throughout the land of Egypt, the hail struck down everything in the field, both people and animals. The hail beat down every plant of the field and shattered every tree in the field. The only place it didn’t hail was in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites were.

The kids and I are reading through Exodus, and we came across this passage. Upon further research, we discovered that in order to shatter trees and kill animals, hail has to be the size of a softball or grapefruit! Yikes! Can you imagine the horrific scene? Thunder, lightning, and hail the size of grapefruits pounding down on all the land of Egypt, destroying everything out in the open? No living thing that was outside survived.

Then imagine the land of Goshen being completely spared from the devastation. God showed not only His great power and might that day, but also His great mercy. How much awe did the Israelites feel to be spared such devastation?

I wonder how deep the balls of hail accumulated before Pharaoh called Moses to ask God to stop? The passage says that nothing like this had ever happened in Egypt since it had become a nation. Even Pharaoh’s officials, after the hail, started to beg Pharaoh to let God’s people go, for they saw that Egypt was ruined. Unfortunately, Pharaoh hardened his heart, and would not submit to the Lord.

Sometimes life is like this. The trials we face can sometimes feel like grapefruit-sized hail raining down on us, pulverizing everything. That is why we need to keep seeking God, reading His Word, and staying in fellowship. We can take comfort in God’s love, get wisdom from His Word, and be encouraged and supported in fellowship.

Other times, life is like the land of Goshen. We are spared from the devastation all around us. In these times, we can still choose to seek God, read His Word and stay in fellowship not only to praise and thank God, but also to be the ones who help those in a hailstorm.