Judgement 6: Boils Bringing Out Rejection’s Pain

Exodus 9:8-12 

8 So the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Take for yourselves handfuls of ashes from a furnace, and let Moses scatter it toward the heavens in the sight of Pharaoh. 9 And it will become fine dust in all the land of Egypt, and it will cause boils that break out in sores on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt.” 10 Then they took ashes from the furnace and stood before Pharaoh, and Moses scattered them toward heaven. And they caused boils that break out in sores on man and beast. 11 And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were on the magicians and on all the Egyptians. 12 But the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh; and he did not heed them, just as the Lord had spoken to Moses.

For the sixth judgement, the Lord told Moses and Aaron to scatter ashes from a smelting or pottery kiln furnace, a device of great heat used often to purify metal or harden a clay pot.  Symbolically, this could be seen as both hardening Pharaoh’s heart as well as getting the dross of sin and rebellion against God to rise visibly to the surface.  This heated dust of ash was cast into the the wind to spread over the land before Pharaoh as witness to God’s judgement, causing painful boils on people and animals.  This is yet another mora miraculous work which only God could do; the magicians were unable even to stand amidst the painful sores covering their bodies to imitate this work of judgement.  Yet God knew Pharaoh and his disbelief, and hardened his heart even further, leaving the testimony to the results of the dross of his sin to linger on him and all Egypt.  The boils brought out the rejection’s pain.  Likewise, God allows adversity on the unrighteous to draw out their sin so they can see it without excuse (Romans 1:20) as it rises to be evident as God has said.  It also demonstrates how God hardens who He wills for His glory, those already hardened in their own sinful rejection of Him (Romans 9:17-18) as well as how He shows mercy on who He chooses, like Israel out of Egypt and the saints in Christ out of bondage to sin.