I'll text what tonight's message is taken from Exodus 8:1-15. Several days had passed since the first plague whereby the rivers, streams, and ponds were turned into blood; to be precise, seven days. If God had allowed the blood to remain for more than seven days, all the Egyptians would have died. God was so gracious.
Tonight, we will consider the second plague, and our first point is God's warning. Since God's purpose, His message, His terms, and His demands will not change, therefore verse 1 tells us: "And the Lord spake unto Moses, 'Go unto Pharaoh, and say unto him, thus saith the Lord, let my people go, that they may serve me.'" The Israelites were created not to serve the Pharaoh; they were created to serve God. They were created for His glory. So God made His demand very clearly: let my people go. And His demand came with a strong warning, verse 2: "And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs. And the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into thine house, and into thy bed chamber, and upon thy bed, and into the house of thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thine ovens, and into thy kneading troughs." Kneading troughs were the vessels where the mixed dough and leaven were kept for fermentation. "And the frogs shall come up both on thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants."
Remember, in the first plague, when the Pharaoh saw that his magicians were able to counterfeit the divine miracle, he did not even bother to pay attention to it. He simply turned his back and returned to the palace. So here, it appeared as if he did not even care to respond to the warning. But a silent response or a no response is also a negative response. It can mean, "I don't care what you are saying. I'm not going to do anything. What can you do to me?" When the Pharaoh refused to respond, God commanded Moses in verse 5: "And the Lord spake unto Moses, 'Say unto Aaron, stretch forth thy hand with thy rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt.' And Aaron stretched forth his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt."
What does that teach us? God's warning was not an empty threat. Please do not take God's Word for granted—His commandments, His warnings. When God says, "Do not continue in your sins, repent before it is too late," do not play the fool; there will be serious consequences if we continue in our sins. Again, some modern-day scientists who profess to be believers have tried to provide some natural explanations to this plague. Some say that it was an annual thing about the River Nile—that when the waters receded, the number of frogs was massive, so it was a natural occurrence, according to them. Others tried to draw a connection between the invasion of the frogs and the river turning into blood, which according to them is something that looks like blood but is not blood, which we have learned last week. The explanation was that the polluted waters had driven the frogs out from the river.
However, all these natural possibilities cannot answer several questions. Firstly, how this plague of frogs was on a scale far beyond anything that the Egyptians had experienced before. Secondly, if it was a natural occurrence about the River Nile, what about the other rivers, streams, and ponds? Thirdly, if the polluted waters had driven the frogs out from the river, what about the other creatures like the reptiles or other amphibians living in the river? The only explanation is that this was a supernatural divine miracle brought about by the power of God. So let God be true and every man a liar.
Frogs are not particularly dangerous; however, they can be a nuisance. The Bible says some of the frogs ended up in the oven and the vessels they used to ferment the dough. Picture yourself cooking and baking, and all of a sudden, you find frogs in the oven and in the food. How would you feel? Some of the frogs even hopped into the Pharaoh's royal chambers. Can you imagine that? When the Pharaoh was taking a nap, then he could find the frog under his pillow. Recently in Great Britain, they have a new king. It is considered a breach of protocol for a commoner to touch a member of the royal family. How much more in Egypt, where the Pharaohs were considered to be gods? It was unacceptable for the Pharaoh to come into contact with these dirty creatures. But frogs are creatures; they are no respecter of persons. They will hop onto anyone, even the king. So this plague hit the Pharaoh right where he lived. Even if he were to retreat into the privacy of his own bedroom, nevertheless the frogs were still able to invade his bedroom.
But why the frogs? It was very significant because the Egyptians were pantheists; they worshiped many gods, and they had worshiped a goddess who always appeared with the head and body of a frog. Charles Spurgeon said this, allow me to quote him: "Frogs were worshiped by that nation as emblems of the deity. It was as if God was saying, 'If this be thy gods, O Egypt, thou shall have enough of them. As the true God is present everywhere—in our bed chambers, in our streets—so shall Pharaoh find every place filled with what he chooses to call divine.' Is it not a just way of dealing with the Pharaoh?" Unquote. Most certainly, in other words, if you want to worship other gods, if you want to worship the goddess of frogs or whatever they call it, then I will make enough of them, so much so that you find them everywhere.
Let us move on to our second point: Pharaoh's wrong prayer. Verse 7: "And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt." Once again, the magicians were able to repeat God's miracle, and as before, they were only able to imitate. Remember, Satan is always an imitator; he's never a creator. Again, like in the first plague, instead of making the situation better by removing the frogs, they multiplied the frogs, whether by magic tricks or by their demonic powers. This time, the Pharaoh was not impressed; he did not want to have any more frogs than he already had. When the situation got worse, the Pharaoh got more desperate, and finally, he turned to Moses and Aaron. Verse 8: "Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said, 'Entreat the Lord,' or 'Pray to the Lord that He may take away the frogs from me and from my people, and I will let the people go, that they may do sacrifice unto the Lord.'"
Notice there were several things the Pharaoh did. Firstly, he used the name "the Lord." Previously, in Exodus 5:2, when Moses requested that he let God's people go, his response was, "Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, neither will I let Israel go." Now, he ended up using the name of the Lord. Secondly, he acknowledged the power of the Lord. He knew this plague was a divine miracle, and it was God who had sent the frogs, and only God alone could remove them. Thirdly, he knew that the only way God would intervene was through prayers. In other words, he knew that divine intervention would come through human intercession. That was the reason why he turned to Moses and Aaron and requested that they pray to the Lord.
Did the Pharaoh really believe? No, this was not a sign of the Pharaoh's spirituality. At best, we can say that it was only because of his desperation; at worst, we can say it was due to his superstition. Dear friends, when a person is desperate, he or she will do desperate things. A desperate person may behave just like the Pharaoh: to use God's name, to acknowledge God's power. He or she may understand the need for divine intervention, and that divine intervention is through prayers, but that person will not come to salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Take a moment and consider this: many desperate people lying on their death beds have called for ministers and pastors to pray for them without ever believing in God. Many desperate people who had lost their jobs, or facing financial crises or terminal illnesses or relationship breakdowns, turn up at prayer meetings requesting prayer items without believing in God. How do we know that the Pharaoh did not really believe? The proof was that he could not ask God for himself; he could not pray to God for himself. He had to ask Moses and Aaron to do the praying for him. And instead of asking God to take away his sins, he was asking God to take away the frogs. How sad. What he wanted was just some relief from the punishment, but in his heart, he was unwilling to repent of his sins and to believe in God.
One important lesson we ought to learn is that the only prayer that God will hear is a prayer offered to Him through faith. That is, to call upon God the Father, through God the Holy Spirit, and in the name of God the Son. We must believe, and the only way to have salvation is to speak to God directly, telling Him that we are sorry for our sins, and we want to repent, and we want His Son to be our personal Lord and Savior. No one can do it for you or on your behalf; you have to do it for yourself. You have to call upon God for yourself. The
Pharaoh was unwilling to do that. Therefore, the only thing he could do was to ask Moses and Aaron to pray so he could receive some relief—not about his sins; he just wanted some relief.
Our third point is Moses' intercession. Verse 9: "And Moses said unto Pharaoh, 'Glory over me; when shall I entreat for thee, and for thy servants, and for thy people, to destroy the frogs from thee and thy houses, that they may remain in the river only?'" In other words, Moses said to the Pharaoh, "You want me to pray for you? I will give you the honor to decide when you want me to pray for you and for your servants and for your people, that the frogs may be destroyed and removed from your residence, and that they would only remain in the river." The reason why Moses asked the Pharaoh to decide when was the time he wanted the prayer to be made was to prove that the power came from God. How do we know? Because when the Pharaoh replied in verse 10, "Tomorrow," so when Moses asked, "When do you want me to pray for you and for your people and your servants?" he said, "Tomorrow." Moses went on to say, "Be it according to thy word, that thou mayest know that there is none like unto the Lord our God"—not the Pharaoh's God, because the Pharaoh did not believe the Lord our God.
Verse 11: "And the frogs shall depart from thee and from thy houses, and from thy servants, and from thy people; they shall remain in the river only."
We do not know the reason why Pharaoh decided tomorrow instead of today, or right now (immediately). Perhaps he thought, like his magicians, even God would need at least 24 hours to get rid of the frogs. Perhaps he thought, as the way they approached the other gods of Egypt, there must be a special ceremony so that Moses and Aaron could approach God and pray, to they needed more time. Perhaps he saw how the rivers, streams, and ponds, which had turned into blood, took seven days for them to be reversed. But he failed to understand that it was because of God's judgment and mercy. Whatever be the reason or reasons, the Pharaoh decided tomorrow. So, tomorrow you will pray for the frogs to be removed.
Look at verse 12: "And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and Moses cried unto the Lord because of the frogs which he had brought against Pharaoh."
Moses' prayer was genuine, sincere, devoted, and it was fervent. Here, Moses was not praying for the Pharaoh's good, but rather he was praying for God's glory. He was pleading with God to demonstrate His power by ending the plague. In other words, he was concerned about God's name, glory, and honour. Dear friends, sometimes we pray on behalf of others. We ask God to show mercy on those who suffer illnesses and pain or are afflicted with storms, pestilences, famines, and earthquakes. Why do we plead for deliverance? Why do we cry out in prayer? Obviously, we want the people to be spared from the agony, right? But is that the only reason?
When we pray for the salvation of our unbelieving family members, we want our loved ones to be spared from the eternal lake of fire. But is that the only reason? What about God's glory and honour? What about God's name? We want God to show His power by delivering the person so that they will turn and glorify Him. We cannot stand the thought of our unbelieving loved ones rejecting God, blaspheming, and dishonouring His name. When you and I understand and value God's name, God's glory, and God's honour, it will change the perspective we have in prayer, it will change the way we approach prayers.
Why do we want our children to be protected and preserved? Why do we want our church to be sustained and to grow? Why do we want our mission works to flourish? Why do we want people to believe in the gospel? And the list goes on and on. It is because of the glory and honour of God. God knows, and He will answer just as He answered Moses' prayer.
Look at verse 13: "And the Lord did according to the word of Moses; and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the villages, and out of the fields; and He gathered them together upon heaps, and the land stank."
Throughout the length and breadth of Egypt, it was filled with frogs and just as the appearance of the frogs was miraculous, the sudden death of all the frogs was equally miraculous. And the Bible tells us very clearly that it was the work of God: "And the Lord did according to the word of Moses." Moses prayed for God's glory and honour. Moses was concerned for God's name, and God answered and did according to the word of Moses.
Obviously, when this massive number of frogs died, you can imagine the smell would be horrendous, and that was exactly what the Bible tells us. Let us pause and consider the Pharaoh. He saw the appearance of the frogs; he was troubled by them. He knew it was a divine miracle, a divine plague. There was a reason why he requested Moses and Aaron to pray to the Lord. He set the date, which was tomorrow, and Moses prayed the next day, and all the frogs died miraculously. In other words, he saw the miracle twice: the sudden appearance of the frogs and the sudden death of all the frogs. You would have imagined that he would have turned to the Lord, but no.
This brings us to our final point: the hardening of Pharaoh's heart. Look at verse 15: "But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them, as the Lord had said."
The literal meaning of the Hebrew phrase "when Pharaoh saw that there was respite" means when he saw that there was room. In other words, what he wanted was a little space. And as soon as there was enough space for him to get his life back to the usual normal way, he had no more need for God. Once the frogs were out of his sight, God was also out of his mind. Isn't that true of many people, including those who profess to believe in God? They cried out to God in times of affliction and trouble. They want deliverance, they want healing, they want respite, or relief. They want some room, some space for them to to breathe. Sometimes, in their desperation, they even cry out to God, "Save me, Lord! I will give my life to serve You from now onwards. I will live an obedient life. I will attend church every week and participate in all the spiritual activities. I will give all my tithes and offerings sacrificially and cheerfully. I will never murmur and complain. I will never engage myself in unwholesome conversation."
But the moment they are raised from the bed of affliction and they have some relief, like the Pharaoh when he saw that there was respite, they forget everything they had promised. So, what they wanted was simply some relief. Once that relief comes, once the illness is out of their life, God is also out of their minds. No more need for God. How sad.
Dear friends, we must never be like that. Do you think God does not know? He knows. The amazing thing is that when the Pharaoh broke his promise and he refused to let the children of Israel go, when he hardened his heart and when he hearkened not unto Moses, notice the little phrase at the end of verse 15: "As the Lord had said." In other words, God already knew that the Pharaoh would break his promise. God already knew that Pharaoh would harden his heart and would not hearken unto Moses, and he had already revealed all this information to Moses, His servant: "As the Lord had said."
Dear friends, God not only knows what is in our hearts, but He also knows the promises that we make, whether they are genuine or just paying lip service, whether they are true or false. He knows. But He also knows what we would do with our promises, whether we will fulfill them, whether we will try our best to fulfill the promises and vows we have taken, or whether we will simply forget and walk away, just like the Pharaoh. The moment there was some relief, he walked away and forgot everything he had promised.
So whatever commitments we have made to God, whatever prayers we have cried out to Him, He knows. He knows what we have said. He knows what we promise to do. He knows whether we are sincere or just paying lip service. He knows whether we will try our very best to fulfill our promises. And if we are sincere, He will help us. But please, do not be like the Pharaoh—one who makes empty promises, and the moment there is some relief, turns his back and walks away. God forbid that we behave like the Pharaoh. Let us pray.
Our Father in Heaven, we thank Thee for this opportunity for us to consider this portion of Scripture. Help us to draw valuable lessons that we may apply into our lives. We thank Thee for Thy Word that can be applied to all situations. And we thank Thee for Thy Word that is so alive. Help us, as we learn from Thy precious truth, that we will not to be hearers only, but to be doers of Thy Word as well. For Thou knowest our hearts; Thou knowest all things, and we are always in the presence of the Almighty God. We give Thee thanks, and we pray all this in Jesus' name. Amen.