We are in chapter nine of Exodus with our word for today. סָלַל lift up, cast up, pile up in the street, rise up in rank. It is used 12 times in the Old Testament. A good picture of our word is used in throwing up or lifting up a siege ramp in order to get over a city wall. Job 19:12 His troops advance in force; they וַיָּסֹ֣לּוּ build a siege ramp against me and encamp around my tent. Another good example is piling up grain in God’s description of his judgment against Babylon. Jeremiah 50:26 Come against her from afar. Break open her granaries; סָלּ֥וּהָ pile her up like heaps of grain. Let’s look at our word in our chapter.
Exodus 9:17 You are still מִסְתּוֹלֵ֣לexalting yourself against my people and will not let them go. This reminds me of a few passages about rejecting humility and going to pride instead. Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. 1 Corinthians 10:11-12 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! James 4:6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”…Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. 1 Peter 5:5 All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” We can see that God is wanting Pharaoh to move toward humility from what he says in our chapter right before our word in verse 17. Exodus 9:15-16 For by now I could have put out my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth. But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth. God is letting him know I could have just wiped you out immediately but I haven’t done that. We also see that God is using Pharaoh’s pride to make himself known throughout the earth. God always brings good out of evil regardless of what we choose. As we will see because Pharaoh did not humble himself but instead exalted himself God will humble him and he and Egypt will fall. Instead of lifting ourselves up let’s lift up something else identified in this Psalm that I will close with. Psalm 68:4 Sing to God, sing praises to his name; סֹ֡לּוּ lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts; his name is the Lord; exult before him!
