God prepares a means for the Israelites to be freed from Egypt. Not only will they be freed from their captors, but they will take with them much of the wealth of the nation. God made the Egyptians look favorably upon the Israelites, and the Egyptians freely gave them their wealth.

God will accomplish God’s will, and it will be accomplished to a degree of completeness that we seldom expect. The Israelites wanted freedom and to return to the Promised Land. God was setting them up to be released with great wealth. God is able to provide for our needs before we even now our needs.

I had not noticed until chapter 9 that sometimes the Lord hardens Pharaoh’s heart and sometimes Pharaoh hardens his own heart. I would be interested to learn if there is any pattern, rhyme, or reason for these variations.

I was also interested by Pharaoh’s confession in 9:27, “I have sinned this time; the Lord is the righteous one, and I and my people are the wicked ones. Make supplication to the Lord, for there has been enough of God’s thunder and hail; and I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer.”

However, when Moses worships God and the plague is removed, Pharaoh reverts to his old self and refuses to let the Israelites go.

How often in times of trial do we call out to God for mercy? When our trials are over do we remember our petitions to God? If we can take the time to talk to God and confess our sins in the bad times, then we need to confess our sins and talk to God in the good times.

Joseph and his brothers are able to eat alone “because the Egyptians could not eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is loathsome to the Egyptians.”

This is not really related to the passage but it was the question raised in my mind: is there anyone I am unwilling to eat with? If there was a potluck after church is there any table I would be willing to sit down at? At work if we all went out to lunch together is there anyone i would be unwilling to sit next to? Are there people in my life I despise so much that I can not eat a meal with them? I think these are good questions to periodically ask myself.

“Oh what tangled webs we weave when first decide we to deceive.”  Upon entering a new land Abraham lies about his relationship with his wife calling her his sister.  Abraham did this because he doubted the power of God.  Abraham explains to the king, “I thought, surely there is no fear of God in this place, an they will kill me because of my wife.”  Abraham assumed that God was not working in the lives of other people.

How often do we assume that God has not been working in the lives of the people around us.  Have you ever felt called by good to speak to someone or do something, but out of fear not followed through?  If God is calling us to do something we can rest assured that God has already gone ahead of us and prepared the way.

We are not as important as we think we are.  We are instruments that God uses, if we allow ourselves to be used.  I seldom see all the ways God is working in the people around me.  I would much rather boldly go into every situation assume that God has prepared the way, then sit back and avoid doing what God is leading me to do.