Exodus 9

We see three more plagues in this chapter due to Pharaoh's stubbornness.  The first is the plague against livestock.  Certain livestock were worshiped in Egypt.  Apparently temples were even built for them.  So, not only did the death of these livestock cost them financially, but it was a great blow to their superstition.

The second was the plague of boils.  Even the magicians were plagued with this one.  Nothing could be done, but Pharaoh still would not relent.

The third was the plague of hail.  Now, imagine you are one of the Egyptian people.  You've seen the river turn to blood, you put up with frogs and flies and your livestock is dead.  You're recovering from boils.  You are told another plague is coming and you really need to bring your livestock and your servants inside or they will die.  What would you do?  On one hand, a storm like this in Egypt is unheard of, so maybe you can say there is some lack of comprehension on their part.  Still, after everything you have experienced hasn't "unheard of" defined this entire experience?  Yet some ignored the warning and left their livestock and servants out to die.

As foolish as I believe these Egyptians were, I do recognize a similar foolish streak in myself.  When my heart and mind are set in a particular direction and I hear that heavenly warning to change course something rises up in me against that voice.  For just a moment my spirit turns to say, "Oh, yeah, what are you going to do about it?"  Luckily I've never taken it too far, but I recognize the defiance in me just the same.  I know that same foolishness that the Egyptians are showing here is inside me and inside all of us.  We've all been warned against something and chosen our arrogant foolishness instead at some point.  We have a way of spinning our tales of woe and interweaving our emotions through them that allow people to side with us, but if we stopped camouflaging the situation and just presented it as it is - choice, action, consequence - then we would have to hang our head in shame at our own foolishness and we would be grieved at how prevalent it is around us.  Our heart would ache at how avoidable so much suffering is allowed into this world because of our own foolishness.