We are in chapter nine of Exodus with our word for today. מִקְנֶה cattle, livestock, property, land, possession. It is used 73 times in the Old Testament, 9 times in our chapter. We find our word used in the sense of animals kept for use for work or food. Genesis 13:2, 7 Now Abram was very rich in בַּמִּקְנֶ֕ה livestock, in silver, and in gold…and there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's מִקְנֵֽה livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's מִקְנֵה livestock. This is how our word is used in our chapter today. Exodus 9:2-7 For if you refuse to let them go and still hold them, behold, the hand of the Lord will fall with a very severe plague upon your בְּמִקְנְךָ֙livestock that are in the field, the horses, the donkeys, the camels, the herds, and the flocks...And the next day the Lord did this thing. All the מִקְנֵ֣הlivestock of the Egyptians died, but not one of the וּמִמִּקְנֵ֥הlivestock of the people of Israel died. And Pharaoh sent, and behold, not one of the מִמִּקְנֵ֥הlivestock of Israel was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go. Since some of the gods of Egypt were identified with bulls, cows, rams, and other livestock, this judgment was another successful attack on the Egyptian false gods.
But God also kept His promise and protected the livestock that belonged to the Jews living in the land of Goshen. When Jacob and his family came to Egypt during the time of Joseph, they brought their flocks and herds with them (Genesis 45:10; 47:1; 50:8). During their time of bondage, the Hebrews were allowed to keep livestock, for at the Exodus, they took their flocks and herds with them (Exodus 12:37–38).
How did Pharaoh respond to this terrible plague? He hardened his heart and resisted the authority of the Lord. Proverbs 28:14 Blessed is the one who always trembles before God, but whoever hardens their heart falls into trouble. The opposite of a hard heart is a heart that fears God, and that fear of reverence motivates us to obey the Lord’s commands. Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. The hardhearted person is ignorant of God and His truth. I’ll close with this warning Ephesians 4:17-19 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.
