DCLM Daily Manna 2025: DCLM Daily Manna 6 August 2025: Wisdom on Positive Fear
Text: Exodus 9:13-26 (NIV)
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning, confront Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me, 14 or this time I will send the full force of my plagues against you and against your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth. 15 For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth. 16 But I have raised you up[a] for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. 17 You still set yourself against my people and will not let them go. 18 Therefore, at this time tomorrow I will send the worst hailstorm that has ever fallen on Egypt, from the day it was founded till now. 19 Give an order now to bring your livestock and everything you have in the field to a place of shelter, because the hail will fall on every person and animal that has not been brought in and is still out in the field, and they will die.’”
20 Those officials of Pharaoh who feared the word of the Lord hurried to bring their slaves and their livestock inside. 21 But those who ignored the word of the Lord left their slaves and livestock in the field.
22 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that hail will fall all over Egypt—on people and animals and on everything growing in the fields of Egypt.” 23 When Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, the Lord sent thunder and hail, and lightning flashed down to the ground. So the Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt; 24 hail fell and lightning flashed back and forth. It was the worst storm in all the land of Egypt since it had become a nation. 25 Throughout Egypt hail struck everything in the fields—both people and animals; it beat down everything growing in the fields and stripped every tree. 26 The only place it did not hail was the land of Goshen, where the Israelites were.
KEY VERSE: (Exodus 9:20)
“He that feared the word of the LORD among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses.” – (Exodus 9:20).
The story was told that many years ago, the steamer, christened, “Portland,” left harbour after all the danger signs were switched on for the weather was stormy. Although the port’s agents had advised all vessels not to sail out, the captain of the “Portland” did not take heed. He sailed out, saying to the keeper of the lighthouse, “keep your light brightly burning tonight. We may come back.” But no one on board ever came back, because, just outside the harbour, the vessel was torn to pieces from the fury of the mighty storm.
In our text today, God pronounced the plague of hail and graciously advised Pharaoh and his people to send their servants and cattle out of the field so that they might be sheltered. Pharaoh and many of his people despised God’s word and paid dearly for it. But even among his servants, some hearkened to the word of God and escaped His judgment. God again made a difference between those that served Him and those that served Him not. There was peace at Goshen.
Our response to God’s warnings will determine our destiny. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the wise foresees trouble and hides himself. The exhortation in Hebrews 12:28,29 affirms the wisdom in demonstrating reverential fear. It says, “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire.”
Today, an opportunity abounds for all who have the dread of God and His word to save themselves from sharing in the imminent judgment that will come upon the wicked. Scripture states, “whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:21). Unfortunately, many despise God’s warning, to their own peril. The Lord declares that He would not cast anyone who comes to Him (John 6:37). The gate is still wide open. He will surely receive you. But hardness of heart and foolish stubbornness will lead to destruction.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: The fear of God preserves from evil.
THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Nehemiah 5-7
Daily Manna 6 August 2025
