This was no child’s tale. They really felt as if the sky was falling—with nowhere to hide.
I know this would not be your first choice in naming a daughter, but Nut, the sky goddess, was well connected in the pantheon of Egyptian false deities: granddaughter of Atum-Ra, daughter of Shu and Tefnut, wife of Geb, mother of Osiris, Isis, and others. She was definitely on the Who’s Who list. This plague was intended to deal a fatal blow, and bring crashing down the hierarchy of “spiritual wickednesses” that held the nation captive. At this point the Lord carefully explains to Pharaoh that His intention was not to destroy Egypt, but “that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth” (Ex 9:16). However, said the Lord, “As yet you exalt yourself against My people in that you will not let them go” (v 17). Again a warning was given, this time providing the Egyptians an opportunity to avoid the coming damage. Hail such as had never been seen before (v 24), mingled with fire, was about to fall. By this, the Lord allowed deliverance for those willing to hear and obey His word. So now there was not only a division between Pharaoh and the Israelites, and between Pharaoh and his magicians, but also between Pharaoh and his own people “who feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh” and who “made his servants and his livestock flee to the houses” (v 20). Of course, “in the land of Goshen…there was no hail” (v 26). Notice what has happened since Pharaoh said he didn’t know Jehovah. Listen to him now: “I have sinned this time. The Lord is righteous, and my people and I are wicked…I will let you go” (vv 27-28). But in the end, “he sinned yet more; and he hardened his heart, he and his servants. So the heart of Pharaoh was hard; neither would he let the children of Israel go” (vv 34-35).