"And Moses said unto him, As soon as I am gone out of the city, I will spread abroad my hands unto the Lord; and the thunder shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail; that thou mayest know how that the earth is the Lord’s."
Takeaway:
Exodus 9:29 is a hinge‑moment in the plagues narrative: Moses declares that when he prays and the storm stops, Pharaoh will know—not guess, not theorize—that the earth belongs to the Lord, and therefore Pharaoh is accountable to the covenant God he has resisted.
This verse reveals who God is, who we are, and how He works with us.
We break it into its living parts:
1. “As soon as I am gone out of the city”
— We step out of the world’s claims
Moses leaves the city—the center of Pharaoh’s power.
We learn that God often invites us to step outside the noise, pride, and pressure of the world so we can see clearly.
Leaving the “city” symbolizes:
▪︎ stepping out of self‑reliance
▪︎ stepping out of fear
▪︎ stepping out of the natural man’s
illusions of control
When we step out, God steps in.
2. “I will spread abroad my hands unto the
Lord” — We turn upward in covenant
trust
"¶ And Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven:"
This gesture is ancient covenant language.
It echoes 1 Kings 8:22, where Solomon spreads his hands toward heaven in prayer.
When Moses lifts his hands:
▪︎ he acknowledges God as the source
▪︎ he intercedes for others
▪︎ he stands between judgment and mercy
We learn that our deliverance begins when our hands and hearts turn upward.
3. “The thunder shall cease, neither shall
there be any more hail” — God governs
the storm
The miracle is not only the hail—it is the precision of its stopping.
God is showing us:
▪︎ His power is not chaotic
▪︎ His judgments are measured
▪︎ His mercy is intentional
When we turn to Him, storms obey.
4. “That thou mayest know…”
— God’s purpose is always revelation
Every plague, every sign, every act of deliverance has one aim:
That we may know Him.
Not guess.
Not assume.
Not inherit someone else’s testimony.
Know.
God’s works are invitations to recognition.
5. “…that the earth is the Lord’s.”
— We belong to Him because the earth
belongs to Him
This is the heart of the verse.
Cross‑references deepen the meaning:
▪︎ Deut. 10:14 — “Behold, the heaven and the
heaven of heavens is the Lord’s… the earth
also.”
▪︎ Ps. 24:1 — “The earth is the Lord’s, and the
fulness thereof.”
▪︎ 1 Ne. 11:6 — God’s dominion is tied to His
goodness.
▪︎ 3 Ne. 11:14 — Christ invites us to know Him
by coming unto Him.
and those upon it.
of His ownership.
▪︎ D&C 67:2 — The Lord’s voice and works
reveal His identity.
Together, these teach us:
▪︎ God owns the earth
▪︎ therefore God governs the earth
▪︎ therefore God governs us
▪︎ therefore we are accountable to Him
▪︎ therefore we are safe in Him
Pharaoh claimed ownership.
God corrected the claim.
We sometimes do the same—trying to own outcomes, people, identity, or control.
This verse calls us back to truth:
We are the Lord’s because the earth is the Lord’s.
6. What this means for us today
This scripture becomes a pattern for discipleship:
▪︎ We step out of the “city.”
We leave behind pride, fear, and the illusion
of control.
▪︎ We lift our hands to the Lord.
We turn to Him as our source of deliverance.
▪︎ We watch the storm cease.
Not always instantly, but always under His
sovereignty.
▪︎ We learn who truly owns the earth
—and our lives.
And in that ownership, we find peace.
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