Exodus 7:1- Ch. 8:10 One More Night w/ the Frogs

The Israelites had suffered tremendously as the labor force of Pharaoh

A) Pharaoh forced them to labor under the blazing heat of the Egyptian sun in the making of bricks that would be used in the building of the Pyramids

B) It has been estimated that the bricks used in constructing the pyramids alone form a wall 10ft. high - 5ft. thick - Stretching from L.A. to N.Y. City

1)Doesn’t include the bricks used in the building of the treasure cities would

C) That's a LOT of bricks- Well After years and years of such suffering we

read in Chapter 2

Exod. 2: 23 Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. 24 So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham,

D) THINK ABOUT IT Years and years went by and they FINALLY cried

out to the Lord

  1. When they finally did He heard their Cry & Hearkened to their Prayers

E) I thought about – that today – How often do we remain enslaved to things

because we simply did not cry out to God

  1. We didn’t take advantage of Prayer – kept trying to take care of it ourselves

When they Finally prayed the Lord raised up a deliverer in the person of MOSES

A) Moses went before Pharaoh and demanded that Pharaoh let God's people go / Pharaoh responded- I don’t know the Lord

Ex.5: 2 And Pharaoh said, "Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, nor will I let Israel go."

Pharaoh hardened his heart & refused to acknowledge the true and living God

  1. The Egyptians symbolized everything. They took an abstract idea and put it into the concrete form of an image.
  2. They had Deities which represented every phase and function of life.
  1. the gods of Egypt were either animal or bird or insect.

Paul wrote (Rom. 1:22-23)., "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things"

  1. That is exactly what the Egyptians did - / The worshipped the " god’s of Nature"

D) So it was through nature that God would reveal himself to Pharaoh as the true and living God.

1) Ch. 7 – Cry – LET THE PLAGUES BEGIN

E) Through these plagues God would reveal Himself to Pharaoh as the creator who rules over creation Read v. 1- 7

 

Note two things right off the bat – 1st in v. 5 – God’s Purpose So that the

Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out My hand on Egypt and bring out the children of Israel from among them."

  1. The Lord saying I am going to do a work so that they will Know that I am the Lord – true & Living God !!!!!

  2. This is always God’s Plan – seeking to reveal Himself to men –

  1. Christians not IMMUNE TO DIFFICULTIES

In this world………… Tribulation …..

  1. God was sending Plagues upon Egypt & the Children of Israel went through them as well -

  1. We go through suffering too – just like the world – so that in Looking at us the World can Know that He is the Lord

  1. HOW DO YOU STAY SO CALM – YOU HAVE SUCH A PEACE – YOU HANDLED THAT SO WELL – WHAT IS THE SECRET ?

  1. Let me tell you – It is the Lord / His Peace / clinging to Him

  1. Listen – Misconception – God doesn’t EXIST FOR US - ( Big genie)

  1. In Reality -We EXIST FOR HIM - We are His vessels – work through – manifest his grace & Love & Power to the world

 

2nd thing – goes along w/ this / God has for some reason Chosen to Work & Reveal Himself through the Lives of His People / Committed & Obedient v.6 Then Moses and Aaron did so; just as the LORD commanded them, so they did.

  1. God is at work – we are the instruments He has chosen to work through –

    2. For various reasons

  2. One – He gets the glory – Foolish things confound the wise

  1. No Mistaking it was GOD THING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also His love for us – He wants to Bless us –

  1. But more often than not – we always see – God doing something in conjunction w/ Man

  1. LISTEN God was Orchestrating How He was going to deliver His people – and he Chose to work – through a Human Instrument

  1. He didn’t Need to – But Chose Moses to be His Mouth piece – You will be like God to Pharaoh – what you say – My Words / Heart

  1. Prophecy is DECLARING THE HEART OF GOD

F) Now God could have spoke to Pharaoh – Audible voice – Let my People go !!!!!!!!!!! - He could have done the Plagues

But God Chose to work through a Human vessel in order to accomplish His will – and that Human vessel had to be Obedient / His Call / Leading

  1. Moses had to respond to God’s leading & direction / He had to step out in faith & strike the water / throw down his rod etc

  2. Usually works in that way - Been said W/ out Him we can’t – W/out us He won’t - That is His way

  3. Some people want to wait – around – for God to move all the Tables & Chairs / make things Crystal Clear -

  1. But more often than not God says seek me – Speaks to your heart – Confirms the word – Gives you a PEACE You have to step out –

  2. (Peace leaves as soon as you do)

  1. You step out in faith – believing that you have heard from God

Others times He makes it very obvious –

  1. Our Move to Oregon – stirring 2 yrs

  2. Our Move back here – Out of the Blue – Open door – Now Pray

  3. So Moses like us had to respond to the Lords Leading – he had to take those steps of faith to see the Plan unfold – Deliverance take place

 

Read v. 8-13 - (NOTE TWO THINGS HERE AS WELL)

1ST – Pharaoh like so many – says Let me see a sign –

  1. Pharaoh is an example that signs do not produce LASTING FAITH - The Lord does 10 signs and Pharaoh’s heart just gets harder & harder

  2. Jesus said "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign,

  3. The Children of Israel saw many signs – Greatest Problem – Heb. 3 was UNBELIEF

  1. Foolish – Show me a Sign / Jesus many signs wonders – Crucified Him

JESUS ALSO SAID :

No sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

40 "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

  1. What is the sign that – Prove to the World - Empty tomb – He is RISEN

B) Thomas: I won’t Believe it unless I see it ..finger / MY LORD & MY GOD

"Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

So Signs do not Produce faith – they confirm those who already have faith – usually if not always the way they are used

  1. Bring Confirmation to those who already believe

  2. Pharaoh saw Plenty of signs – but His Heart Grew Hard

 

2nd thing : The Magicians duplicate the sign - Actually Duplicate the First 3 Plagues – Rods to snakes / River to Blood / Frogs

  1. Note they could only duplicate the signs but they couldn’t take them away ( Only made matters worse ) More Blood & Frogs

  2. But this is Important to Note that the Devil has the power to Produce signs

    3. 1) In the Tribulation. The Anti Christ – is going to do Signs & Wonders

  3. Satan has power but His power is Limited – He can only do what God allows – case of Job – good example – Limitations
  1. The magicians couldn’t duplicate the Remaining seven
  1. ALSO NOTE THAT Aaron’s Rod – eating others – Illustration – God’s Power greater than Satan’s

1) Result ? V.13 Pharaoh’s Heart / Grew HARD READ V.14-25

 

Now the Nile was the source of Life in Egypt – It was where they received their water to drink / bath / fish eat

  1. Turning the water to blood was an Obvious sign of God’s Judgement

Pharaoh’s Heart remained Hard

B) BUT - Before we come down hard on Pharaoh we have to recognize that the Lord has given to us a very CLEAR & OBVIOUS sign of judgement

1) God has declared that the wages of sin is death

C) The very source of life.... our bodies.... is proof positive that the Word of God is true

1) We have sinned and our bodies are decaying

D) This is A continual reminder to us that God judges sin / and even though our sins are forgiven in Christ – still reaping the Ramifications / of the fall

1) Every time we look into a mirror we should see that God is telling us

"You are dying"

E) After the age of 25 that your entire body begins to fall apart/ Shrink

1) In fact, there are only TWO parts of your body that DON't do that

Your nose and ears / they continue to get Bigger

F) YET - People HARDEN themselves to that fact... Just like Pharaoh

 

God NEVER intended for our bodies to atrophy and decay

A) The fact that they do is an OBVIOUS declaration of God's sure judgement against sin

 

B) People REFUSE to acknowledge that FACT – I’m Not dying – Now Nobody seriously believes that – but many live like it !!!!!

  1. Like PHARAOH they refuse to DEAL with the need to get right

with God!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

INTERESTING OBSERVATION

A) The FIRST plague of Moses was turning WATER INTO BLOOD

Speaks of JUDGEMENT

B) The FIRST MIRACLE of Jesus was turning WATER INTO WINE

Wine in the O.T. is a symbol of JOY

John 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

C) Moses, representing the Law, brings forth JUDGEMENT- The day the law was given – Moses came down Sinai – sin – 3,000 died

D) Jesus brings forth JOY- PENTECOST 3,000 SAVED

LISTEN: Good Reminder If you are trying to live religiously, trying to keep rules and regulations, there is NO JOY in that

A) There is ONLY judgement

  1. But If you look to Jesus Christ who is the source of GRACE and TRUTH

you will experience JOY

1) The choice is yours

C) The Law >>> Judgement/

Jesus >>>> Joy

 

Ch. 8: 1-8 Where we see 2nd Plague FROGS - read

  1. Now This is interesting because frogs were IMPORTANT to the

Egyptians

B) First of all because they helped control the population of insects

  1. They had no pesticides or spraying/ The frogs kept the bugs out of their

Crops – So they were VALUED by them

C) They were also valued as a delicacy / It was part of their diet

These frogs brought them pleasure

NOTE: What initially brought them pleasure later became a plague

  1. That is the way it so often happens/ Sin is Pleasurable for a Season – But the Pleasure becomes a Plague

  2. I am constantly talking to People who thought that indulging in a certain Sin was going to Bring them so much Pleasure – Initially yes/ PAIN

  1. MATHMATICS OF SIN : ADD SORROW / SUBTRACT JOY

MULTIPLY PROBLEMS / DIVIDE HEART

C)Pharaoh and the Egyptians were over-run by frogs/ So Pharaoh BEGGED

Moses to remove the plague of frogs

  1. 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."
  1. Moses says Ok – I will ask God to take away the Frogs – when would you like Him to do this – Note Pharaoh’s answer : v.10
  1. 10 So he said, "Tomorrow."

 

TOMMORROW ?????????????

A) As hard as it is to believe, Pharaoh wanted just ONE MORE NIGHT with the frogs

B) Yes - They were plaguing him and his people

Yes - They were a PROBLEM to him

Yes - He knew that they had to go

C)BUT His Attitude was Not right now/ Give me ONE MORE NIGHT and THEN Moses pray to get them out of my life

STUPID !!!!!/ Right Now / this minute –! - BUT WAIT – Before we judge Pharaoh too soon – Look at our own lives / sometimes do same

A) There are things that PLAGUE you and plague me

B)Or Things from BEFORE we became Christians..... Things from a less mature time in our Christian life

C) Things that once brought us pleasure but now are the plague of our lives

They destroy, enslave and plague our souls

D)The Lord has raised up a DELIVER for us.....

1) One GREATER than Moses....... Jesus Christ

E) He comes to us and is willing to DELIVER us and LIBERATE us and REMOVE this plague from us

1)And we say: YES....Remove this plague from my life..... TOMORROW

F) I know it’s dangerous and harmful

1) But JUST ONE MORE NIGHT and we'll deal with it in the morning

One More Night w/ the FROGS !!!!!

 

For Some it's the frog of drugs/alcohol

A) Maybe before coming to Jesus you used to do drugs or drink heavily

B) Now you've come to a place of knowing as a Christian that that thing will enslave you and keep you in bondage

C) BUT - Even when you have that understanding, there may still be a desire to continue in that

  1. and So you begin to RATIONALIZE why you CAN and SHOULD keep doing it

 

Maybe for others the frog is not drugs, but a relationship

  1. The Lord has spoken to you and shown you that you are NOT to be

    2. involved with a particular person

  2. Perhaps that person is an unbeliever... / perhaps your relationship has fallen Into that trap of Sexual Sin !!!!!

    3. C)Perhaps spoken to your heart and told you that you aren't to be involved

    with that person

    1) because he/she simply is NOT the one God has chosen for you

    Waiting for the right guy/ Gal IS hard

    D)There was a woman who said she used to wait for her night in shining armor to come along on a white horse and sweep her off her feet....

    E)BUT now she'd just settle for the horse. { Maybe you feel that way

    Maybe you have been saying I KNOW I have to deal with this relationship

    I KNOW I should break it off

    A)BUT - Give me just one more night with my frog

  3. Maybe not a Romantic Relationship – maybe – Just a Friend – a Guy you work w/ or a gal – hang w/ Bad influence

1) Maybe a professing Christian / but Carnal

Maybe your frog is some literature or TV program or videos in your home Get rid of it !!!!!!!

Maybe your Frog is more Subtle things Like Worry / Maybe it is laziness – How many times do we say

  1. – I will deal w/ that tomorrow & tomorrow never comes

    2. B) A CRITICAL spirit.... Always finding fault with people

    GOSSIP..... Telling people about the faults you have found in others

    C) BITTERNESS.... Holding and harboring ill feeling towards those you disapprove of or disagree with

    D) And the Lord is saying to you "I want your tongue..... "

    "I want to change your perspective of people..... your perspective of life"

    "This cynicism... this gossip.... this bitterness is ensnaring you and I want to deliver you from it"

     

    ADVICE: Don’t Say – Just one more night Lord JUST give me ONE MORE NIGHT with my bitterness

    A) Let's wait just one more night to see if he finally blows it in a way that everyone will know that he's wrong and I'm right

    LISTEN : If the Lord is convicting you sin and that He wants to deliver you from it, and you say: "JUST ONE MORE NIGHT" you are in danger of finding yourself in the same place as Pharaoh

    A) When Pharaoh said: TOMORROW... His heart grew HARD

    And THAT is dangerous

  2. Instead of just ONE plague teaching him who the living God is, there had

to be NINE MORE

C) Ultimately they destroyed his family, wiped out his country, brought sorrow and grief to him BECAUSE he had a HARDENED HEART

  1. Don’t make that Mistake

You might say: HOW do I get rid of them- Three words

1.) REPENT of that frog

A) Don't rationalize it... Don't justify it..... Don't compromise with it

TURN from it...... NOW..... RIGHT THIS MINUTE

2.) RECKON yourself to be dead to that frog (Rom. 6)

A) A miracle happened on the Cross of Jesus

Your old man was nailed to the Cross with Jesus

B) You DON'T have to give into that frog anymore

 

3.) Refuse to go to the pond where that particular frog is croaking

A) There are certain people that you just can't hang around with

B)Frog of drinking/drugs... Can't be with old drinking/drug buddies

Frog of bitterness/complaining/gossip... Can't be around those who indulge in those things

C) IF you go back to those places/people you'll find yourself plagued with the same old frog

REPENT / RECKON / REFUSE