What does Exodus 9:29 mean?
Moses will appeal to God to end the vicious hailstorm (Exodus 9:24–25). It's clear that this power belongs to the Lord, and Moses is merely reaching out to God in supplication. The hail and thunder would end after Moses' request as yet another sign that all of creation and nature belong to the Lord. This also reflects the creation account in Genesis 1—2. God was now showing His control over the earth through His various plagues and the distinctions He made between the land of Egypt and the land of Goshen (Exodus 9:26).Though Pharaoh would continue to oppose the Lord, the people of Egypt saw this as a sign of God's power as well. This will even inspire the people to question their king's decisions (Exodus 10:7). The Egyptians would eventually give their own silver and gold to encourage the Israelites to go away (Exodus 11:1–2; 12:36).
Exodus 9:27–35 shows that Pharaoh is entirely to blame for his stubbornness against God. After a catastrophic seventh plague, the king claims to be convinced. He begs for the hailstorm to stop (Exodus 9:24–25). Moses agrees but is not fooled by the apparent change of heart. As soon as the hail and lightning stop, Pharaoh once again (Exodus 5:2; 7:13–14, 22; 8:15, 19, 32; 9:7) deliberately defies God. This is a point of no return (Proverbs 29:1). After this, God will ensure that Pharaoh remains obstinate (Exodus 4:21) to establish an example of divine judgment.
After four devastating plagues, Pharaoh continues to resist God's command to free the Hebrew slaves. Through Moses, the Lord sends two more: death of Egyptian livestock and an epidemic of skin lesions. Pharoah refuses to respond to the first, and God makes him stubborn after the second. This leads to the most terrifying sign yet: the seventh plague of hail and fire. Pharoah claims to repent. Yet as soon as the hail stops, he again chooses obstinance. After this, the Lord will use Pharaoh as a tool to demonstrate divine judgment.
