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. 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 bedchamber, and upon thy bed, and into the house of thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thine ovens, and into thy kneadingtroughs: And the frogs shall come up both on thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants (Ex:8:1-4). But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said. And the Lord said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt(Ex. 8:15-16).
When God first sent Moses to Pharaoh to secure the release of His people, He opened with a miracle. And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the Lord had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent (Ex. 7:10). Pharaoh was unimpressed, as his sorcerers and magicians were able to duplicate the transformation through their connection with the occult easily. Following that, The Lord provided a thorough demonstration of His power, turning the rivers, streams, ponds, and pools of Egypt into blood. When his magicians proved that they, too, could turn water into blood, Pharoah once again turned away without comment. This plague lasted seven days, but while the Egyptian people struggled, Pharoah seemed determined to ignore it.
The Lord used the second plague, the plague of frogs, to seize the attention of the recalcitrant ruler of Egypt. He told Pharoah what He desired for him to do—Let My people go, that they may serve Me—and then He described in vivid detail exactly what the consequences would be for not doing so. When Pharoah refused, God made good on His warning. This time, Pharoah was inconvenienced enough that he temporarily acknowledged the power of God. Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, Intreat 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(8:8). Yet after order was restored, he quickly recanted his concession.
Three times, God revealed Himself to Pharoah. Twice, He was ignored; the third time, He was peripherally acknowledged and rebuffed. At this point, God knew that Pharoah understood what was being asked of him and was doubling down on his refusal to comply. Thus, the third plague arrived in the form of judgment, with no advanced warning and no opportunity for respite.
We serve a gracious and merciful God. His patience with us is beyond human understanding, and His love for us is constant and unchanging. But grace and mercy are not equivalent to unconditional acceptance of rebellion and sin. For those who ignore His repeated overtures and persist in living with an unrepentant heart, judgment may come swiftly and without warning. One way or another, all will come to acknowledge the power of God.
For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God(Rom. 14:11-12).
Thought for Today: God’s judgment is not a threat but a promise, one the faithful rejoice in and the closed-hearted ignore.
Christ Revealed:As The Light of the world in contrast to a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days: they saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings (Ex. 10:22-23).
Word Studies:8:3 kneadingtroughs = mixing vessels; 8:9 Glory over me: when shall I intreat for thee = The honor is yours to tell me when I am to pray for you; 8:19 finger of God = act of God; 8:22 sever = wonderfully separate.
Pray For Government OfficialsRep. Dean Phillips(MN) • Country: Oman (3,219,775) Mid East • Major Language: Arabic • Fewer restrictions on Christian activity than most of its neighbors • 75% Ihbadi Muslim; 25% Other (Other Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Bahai, Christian) • Prayer Suggestion: Trust in the Lord and wait on Him in your prayers, for He will hear you (Mic. 7:7).
Optional Reading:Matthew 20