The Exodus – Part 13
The Plague of Frogs
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
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SERMON TIMELINE
· The Book of Genesis
· The Book of Exodus
· Introduction
· Israelite’s Oppression
· The Birth of Moses
· Moses Flees to Midian
· Moses and the Burning Bush
· Signs for Moses
· Moses Returns to Egypt
· Moses Speaks to Pharaoh
· God Promises Deliverance
· God Speaks of the Israelites
· The First Miracle
o The Plague of Blood
o The Plague of Frogs
INTRODUCTION
A couple of weeks ago we began looking at Moses with the help of Aaron, carrying out God’s instructions to confront Egypt’s Pharaoh, and King of the world at the time, and tell him to release God’s people.
One of the things we know about Pharaoh in Exodus, we were told in the New Testament that he was specifically chosen by God to be in that position because God knew he would not let the Hebrews go.
This sets the stage for God to show, not only the Israelites that He is keeping His promise and covenant He made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but the power of God to the world.
Though God does harden Pharaoh’s heart, we read in scripture many times Pharaoh had opportunity to obey God’s command and didn’t. We also see many times where Pharaoh’s heart hardened without God’s influence. He was a wicked man and chosen by God for this reason to show the Glory and Might of God.
Moses and Aaron obeyed God’s command and performed the miracle of the staff turning into a snake, proving that God did send them, and the message was clear to Pharaoh and Egypt.
You are a wicked brood of vipers, and at My Word, My servant shall handle you and no harm will come to him.
Last week we read about the first plague, the Nile and all the waters of Egypt turning to blood.
Although the Pharaoh’s magicians performed their version of both the miracle, and the plague, the power of God was real, not an illusion, and the magi’s mimicking illusions bolstered the Pharaoh’s resolve to be disobedient to God’s command.
In fact, we read last week that when the Pharaoh’s Magi performed the illusion of water turning to blood it made Pharaoh’s heart harden and he returned to his palace, unmoved by Moses and the first plague of God.
Today we will see the first of the 10 plagues, the plague of frogs.
SCRIPTURE READING
Exodus 7:25 – 8:15 (Hebrew Text 7:26-29 & 8:1-11)
(Hebrew Text 7:26-29)
“Seven days passed after the Lord struck the Nile.”
“Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me. 2 If you refuse to let them go, I will send a plague of frogs on your whole country. 3 The Nile will teem with frogs. They will come up into your palace and your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and on your people, and into your ovens and kneading troughs. 4 The frogs will come up on you and your people and all your officials.’”
(Hebrew Text 8:1-11)
5 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the streams and canals and ponds, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt.’”
6 So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land. 7 But the magicians did the same things by their secret arts; they also made frogs come up on the land of Egypt.
8 Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Pray to the Lord to take the frogs away from me and my people, and I will let your people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord.”
9 Moses said to Pharaoh, “I leave to you the honor of setting the time for me to pray for you and your officials and your people that you and your houses may be rid of the frogs, except for those that remain in the Nile.”
10 “Tomorrow,” Pharaoh said.
Moses replied, “It will be as you say, so that you may know there is no one like the Lord our God. 11 The frogs will leave you and your houses, your officials and your people; they will remain only in the Nile.”
12 After Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh, Moses cried out to the Lord about the frogs he had brought on Pharaoh. 13 And the Lord did what Moses asked. The frogs died in the houses, in the courtyards and in the fields. 14 They were piled into heaps, and the land reeked of them. 15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said.”
TODAY’S MESSAGE
I. SEVEN DAYS PASS SINCE THE NILE TURNED TO BLOOD
a. God instructs Moses
i. After a week passes
ii. Tell Pharaoh to let my people go
iii. Then warn what will happen if he refuses
b. The warning is clear and specific
i. Unlike many of those who call themselves “prophets, apostles”, or whatever title they choose for themselves, many who say, “I have a Word from God for you,” I would question which God they speak of.
ii. Many of these “words from God” today are just like the star gazing horoscope, fortune cookie fortunes…vague enough to cover most situations, yet just enough information to appear “revealing”
iii. This is NOT how God works.
1. If God gives a Word, it will be specific
2. Concise
3. And 100% accurate
iv. Too many speak for God today, who really speak to their own pride and arrogance, thinking more highly of themselves than they aught.
v. A true prophet of God is 100% right 100% of the time.
c. Then God tells Moses to command Aaron
i. And what happens? Exactly what God says will…a plague of frogs
ii. Not, “do this or something awful may happen”
iii. Not, “Let my people go or some things you won’t like will happen in the next couple of years”
iv. God spoke exactly what Pharaoh was to do, and exactly what would happen if he did not do it. And that is exactly what took place.
II. MOSES COMMANDS AARON TO STRETCH OUT HIS HAND ONCE MORE
a. Aaron does as Moses commanded
i. And the frogs invade
b. The frogs came and covered the land
i. In and on everything
ii. It would be quite maddening; they were in and on everything
iii. I cannot imagine.
ILLUSTRATION:
Many of you know that my wife Terri and I have a pond in our back yard. We named it Hop-Frog Pond because of how many frogs there are in the spring.
If I were to guess, I would have to say near 1 thousand.
I am not exaggerating, in fact, in the summertime at night, you can be in the backyard, even 20 feet from the pond and have to yell to each other because of how loud the frogs are.
Imagine the frogs everywhere, in houses, on you, how loud they would be.
c. Although the Magi mimicked the plague, Pharaoh had enough
i. We see with the first miracle and the first plague, when the Pharaoh’s Magi mimicked them, Pharaoh ignored Moses.
ii. This time, however, they mimicked the plague, but Pharaoh still couldn’t take the frogs and called for Moses and Aaron to talk terms of surrender
III. PHARAOH HARDENED HIS OWN HEART
a. Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron
i. Pharaoh asks Moses, not, who is this Lord that I should obey? Rather, “Pray to the Lord”
ii. This is the first time Pharaoh refers to the Lord as “THE Lord”
iii. Pharaoh says if Moses takes the frogs, he will release God’s people the next day
b. Moses agrees to Pharaoh’s request
i. Moses calls on the Lord and the frogs are taken away
ii. More specifically, most die
iii. In the houses and courtyards and in the fields, piles of dead frogs.
iv. Trust me, dead frogs stink very bad!
1. Our dog Maxine will find dead frogs by the pond and roll in them for some strange dog reason.
2. The carcasses will get caught in her collar, and I must remove them, and let me tell you…dead frogs smell very, very, bad.
c. After Pharaoh gets what he wanted, he hardened his heart again
i. So, Pharaoh’s promise, his word, his surrender, only lasted as long as the plague
ii. As fast as it came, it went, and pharaoh returned to his hardened heart and disobedient stand against the Lord, whom pharaoh has admitted is “THE Lord”
iii. Disobedience is much worse for those who know the truth.
Revelation 3:14-17 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to vomit you out of my mouth.”
You see, the Lord would rather us not know Him and be “cold” than know Him and only be lukewarm.
2 Peter 2:21
“It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.”
In acknowledging The Lord, the Pharaoh has declared that he knows and understands he is turning on God.
CONCLUSION
Sometimes people will ask God for something, whether a prayer for healing, help in some tough situation, some sort of blessing.
God will sometimes answer with that miracle, that blessing, whatever you were so desperate to receive. And sometimes when people receive what they want from God, they immediately return to the way they were before.
Forgetting the power of God, forgetting the Mercy of God, forgetting God.
Pharaoh does this very thing. Desperate for God to remove the might of His Hand that had fallen upon Egypt.
“Pray to the Lord to take the frogs away from my people, and I will let your people go…”
“But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said.”
Some of the strongest Christians are the ones who face trials and see the Hand of God working in their situation. Some of the weakest ones are the ones who have no trials at all, but have riches, or great life/work situation.
When tests and trials come our way, scripture says we are to welcome them and take joy in them because it is in these times, we are closest to the Lord.
Stand firm knowing that God is with you. When He shows His presence, His grace, His loving kindness, Bless Him and His Name, and when relief does come in your life, do not forget Him when He stood with you in your trials and tribulation.
Do not be like Pharaoh, forgetting the Lord two-seconds after God granted him relief from his suffering.
NEXT WEEK
The Lord commands Moses and Aaron to call a plague of gnats.
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