One More Night With The Frogs

One

More

Night

with the

Frogs

Exodus 8:1-15

How long...?

Prepared for Bossier City First Church of God

Rev. Johnny Creasong, Pastor

April 3, 2005

Genesis 41:39-41

“Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you.

You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you."

So Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt."

(NIV)

Genesis 47:25

"You have saved our lives," they said. "May we find favor in the eyes of our lord; we will be in bondage to Pharaoh."

(NIV)

For 440 years, the people of Israel were in BONDAGE by their own choice.

For 440 years, God protected them.

Exodus 1:8

“Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph,

came to power in Egypt.”

(NIV)

Exodus 2:23-25

“During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob.

So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them.”

(NIV)

So God sent a deliverer: MOSES

Exodus 8:1-4

“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.

If you refuse to let them go, I will plague your whole country with frogs.

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.

The frogs will go up on you and your people and all your officials.’"

(NIV)

God is in the business of DELIVERANCE!

God’s way will not often be what CONVENTIONAL WISDOM would dictate!

If you or I were to deliver the people of God, we would attack the oppressor, or riot against the regime. But God does not often follow the rules of Conventional Wisdom...

Exodus 8:5-6

“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.’" So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land.”

(NIV)

Frogs came upon the land EVERYWHERE! In the beds, in the ovens, in the bedrooms, in their clothes, EVERYWHERE! Not only that, but also...

God’s way may seem COMPLICATED.

Exodus 8:7

“But the magicians did the same things by their secret arts; they also made frogs come up on the land of Egypt.”

(NIV)

NOW THE FROGS ARE DOUBLY DEEP! And the Egyptians won’t do anything about getting rid of them becuase frogs were worshipped by many Egyptians! The problem is these pesky amphibians are multiplying. SO...

Exodus 8:8-10

“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."

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."

"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.”

TOMORROW???? If you were plagued by frogs, surrounded by the slime and harrassed by the hopping, and had the option of deciding when they would go, what would you say? NOW!!! TODAY!!! IMMEDIATELY!!!

One good thing about procrastination is that you always have something planned for tomorrow!

God loves us so much that he gives us the honor of deciding WHEN we want Him to deliver us.

2 Peter 3:9

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

(NIV)

How long are we willing to put up with our problems?

2 Corinthians 6:2

“... I tell you, NOW is the time of God’s favor,

NOW is the day of salvation.”

(NIV)

TOMORROW never comes!

BUT DELIVERANCE DOES!!!