Judgement 2: Smiting Egypt by Frogs

Exodus 8:1-15 

1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Let My people go, that they may serve Me. 2 But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all your territory with frogs. 3 So the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into your house, into your bedroom, on your bed, into the houses of your servants, on your people, into your ovens, and into your kneading bowls. 4 And the frogs shall come up on you, on your people, and on all your servants.” ’ ” 5 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to 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 of Egypt. 7 And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs on the land of Egypt.
    8 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, “Entreat 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 sacrifice to the Lord.”  9 And Moses said to Pharaoh, “Accept the honor of saying when I shall intercede for you, for your servants, and for your people, to destroy the frogs from you and your houses, that they may remain in the river only.”  10 So he said, “Tomorrow.” And he said, “Let it be according to your word, that you may know that there is no one like the Lord our God. 11 And the frogs shall depart from you, from your houses, from your servants, and from your people. They shall remain in the river only.”  12 Then Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh. And Moses cried out to the Lord concerning the frogs which He had brought against Pharaoh. 13 So the Lord did according to the word of Moses. And the frogs died out of the houses, out of the courtyards, and out of the fields. 14 They gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank. 15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not heed them, as the Lord had said.

God directed Moses again to command Pharaoh to let His people go to serve Him.  If he did not comply, then God promised to smite the whole land of Egypt by an infestation of frogs from out of the Nile.  They would come into their houses in every room, even covering their beds, ovens, and bowls to prepare food.  They were not smitten with the idea of such a smiting as Moses had Aaron wave his hand over the water to start the invasion.  But the Pharaoh’s magicians were able to imitate this as the water to blood previously in limited fashion, and the king seemed more willing to lie just to get rid of the plague of frogs everywhere.  He asked them to ask the Lord to take the smiting away and he would let the people of God go to sacrifice to the Lord.  Moses interceded for the people of Egypt to destroy the frogs, smiting them who covered the land (but leaving them in the river to not wipe them out).  Moses set the time for the next day so Pharaoh would know it was not a random dying, but one set by the Lord God, the one and only.  God heard and removed them.  Of course the consequences remained, with piles of decaying carcasses everywhere as they were gathered up.  But as soon as the plague was relieved, the ruler once again hardened his heart of disbelief and disobedience, not keeping his word.  We learn that without God changing a heart from stone to flesh, nobody can obey Him nor understand His power and glory.  Many will ask God to deliver them from problems, then go immediately back to sinning and denying Him with hearts set against Him and His Christ.  The sin nature cannot be put aside unless God commands it.