The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) Day 32: Cattle, Boils, and Hail (2026)
45 snips
Feb 1, 2026 A dramatic walk through the plagues: livestock dying, painful boils from kiln ash, and devastating hail and fire that spare Goshen. A legal detour into peace-offering rules and priestly food practices. A poetic reading on the limits of wealth and reflections on why some hearts soften while others harden.
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Plagues Reveal God's Power And Pharaoh's Stubbornness
- Exodus 9 shows selective judgment: Egyptian cattle die while Israelite livestock remain safe.
- Despite clear signs, Pharaoh repeatedly hardens his heart and refuses to release the Israelites.
Wealth Can't Rescue The Soul
- Psalm 49 warns against trusting riches because wealth cannot ransom a soul from death.
- The psalm contrasts mortal pomp with God's power to redeem the faithful from Sheol.
How God 'Hardens' A Heart
- God doesn't override human free will when Scripture says he 'hardens' a heart; he works with our disposition.
- Like the sun affecting wax or clay, God's presence melts some hearts and hardens others depending on their openness.