National Frog Day
Text: Exodus 8:1-15
Introduction: Not a lot of people know this, but last Sunday was officially National Frog Day in this country. Believe it or not, on that day we were supposed to be examining local ponds and rivers for frog spawn, and ensuring the protection of everyone’s favourite hopper. But the idea of a National Frog Day is not a new one. In ancient Egypt people were very fond of frogs, indeed frogs formed a vital part of the nation’s religion. They were sacred. The Egyptian goddess Heqt was depicted as having a frog’s head. Egyptians worshipped Heqt as the goddess of resurrection, and she was also believed to aid women in childbirth. One Egyptian picture shows Heqt reciting spells to affect the resurrection of the god Osiris – the giver of life!? And another shows her kneeling before the queen superintending the birth of Hatshepsut the princess who is considered to have rescued Moses from the Nile. Hapi, the god of the Nile was depicted as holding a frog in his hand, out of the mouth of which flowed a stream of nourishment, showing a close relationship between Hapi and Heqt. The Egyptians loved frogs. In fact they revered them so much it was against the law to kill a frog. National Frog Day was no new concept in the land of the Pharaoh’s. Egyptian’s couldn’t get enough of the slimy amphibians, that was until God declared National Frog Week!
I. The Plague Was Declared – vss 1-4
A. How soon Moses returned to Pharaoh after the plague of blood it is hard to say, but I believe the way the text reads that his appearance at Pharaoh’s court was almost immediate.
1. God wasn’t wasting any time in confronting the gods Egypt held dear.
2. Again Moses was instructed to face Pharaoh.
3. This time he is to forewarn him that failure to obey the Lord would result in a plague of frogs.
4. With “frog” worship so prominent in his land Pharaoh probably thought little of Moses’ threat.
5. But the prophet of God was very explicit in the details – and particularly the way in which this plague would affect Pharaoh.
6. Previously Pharaoh didn’t care. The waters were turned into blood, and he just shrugged his shoulders and went home.
a. In Marie Antoinette style he showed little compassion for his subjects – what did he care that they couldn’t bath, cook or eat, as long as there was fresh water stored up in the royal palace.
(i) Illus: Dublin castle – Whilst staying there Queen Victoria couldn’t face the sight of squalor and poverty just beyond her garden wall. So she built a bigger wall that would block out the view. Wealth and privilege has a way of hardening a person to the plight of others.
(ii) Pharaoh could withdraw into privilege from the plight of the Egyptian people vainly digging wells that were soon filled with blood.
b. This time though Moses’ makes it clear that “the frogs shall come upon thee, and upon thy people and upon all thy servants.”
c. In other words “Pharaoh this plague is coming home to roost – God is entering uninvited into your private quarters.”
a. With the plague of frogs Pharaoh could not “turn into his house” to get away from it all – the problems of the land would be his problem as much as anyone else’s.
II. The People Were Disgusted – vss 5-7
A. The ancient Egyptians were a very meticulous people.
1. Though their medical understanding was limited and their medicinal remedies flawed, they were nevertheless a reasonably hygienic people.
2. They valued cleanliness both in the person and their home. They were a house proud people.
3. The idea that their nice homes could be infested with frogs of all things, was surely a repulsive thought to them. Yet that is exactly what happened.
a. Illus: When I was a little boy my older brother gathered some frog spawn from up the Cavehill, and we kept it in a basin out in our back garden. Of course in time the spawn gave birth to tadpoles, which as children we enjoyed much like keeping fish. But those tadpoles soon grew legs and it was not too long before there were frogs in our garden. In fact we had our own mini plague, and I can tell you that by this stage my mother wasn’t too well pleased.
b. Frogs are OK on National Geographic documentaries. Frogs are fine in the Wind & the willows, Frogs make interesting subjects for painting and ornamentation, but in real life frogs are not really all that nice!
c. In Egypt frogs were acceptable when chiselled out of stone. Pictures of frogs, statues of frogs were fine. Even worshipping frogs was acceptable – but living with frogs? Well that was a different matter!
4. There were frogs everywhere!
a. You went into the kitchen and opened a cupboard there were frogs looking at you.
b. You sat down on your favourite chair, and a frog was underneath you.
c. You pulled your bed sheets back to get into bed and there were frogs in your bed.
d. If you were making bread for the next day, strange lumps would appear in the flour as you sieved it, and then when you were kneading the dough there would be an unfamiliar feeling to it, a worming and a wiggling, and you would extract a frog from your pastry.
e. Worse, just when you thought you had dealt with the matter and opened up your oven there would be another one of those blighters.
g. Then when your bread was cooked, and you sliced it, there was a strange meaty taste – there were frogs in the bread.
h. Guess what the people couldn’t cook, they couldn’t bather (after all who wants to bathe in a bath of frogs, and they couldn’t eat because frogs had been sifting through their foodstuffs, and were present right throughout their homes.
i. When they walked, they walked on frogs. When they sat, they sat on frogs – it was a terrible situation!
5. Loathsome to look at, tormenting in their incessant croaking, hideous to trample on or touch, poisonous in the stench of their putrefying flesh when dead, the frog, which was at first the symbol of the divine became in the hearts and minds of the Egyptians a symbol of everything that could produce disgust is a fastidious and ultra clean people.
a. God was making them sick of Heqt!!
III. The Pharaoh Dawdled – vss 8-11
A. As we said before this plague affected Pharaoh’s household the same as everyone else’s.
1. The king was as fed up with frogs as anyone, and so he called Moses and Aaron and petitioned them to remove the plague from the land.
a. What an amazing thing. Here was the king of the ancient world’s superpower. A man whose army is the dread of every other nation, and yet God brings him to his knees not with a counterforce of soldiers, but with an army of frogs.
b. Though he is the Lord of hosts he has no need of powerful armies, the ministry of angels, or the thunderbolts of justice to punish a sinner or a sinful nation; the frog or the fly in his hands is a sufficient instrument of vengeance.
2. It is interesting that he did not call for his magicians, in fact it seems that they were losing influence over Pharaoh, and the king realised that his men were out of their depth.
3. It is also interesting that this miracle too the Egyptian sorcerers imitated.
a. We can imagine them running into Pharaoh, and I can see the king sitting with a frog upon his head, and they declare “Good news Pharaoh – we can make frogs too!”
b. Pharaoh no doubt was less than impressed – the last thing Egypt needed was more frogs!!
c. So Pharaoh by passes the wisdom of his wizards and appeals directly to Moses and Aaron.
B. When asked by Pharaoh to intercede Moses asks “When shall I intreat for thee?”
1. In other words – “How quickly would you like this taken care of.”
2. Now we would expect him to say “Today – right now!” But he doesn’t.
3. Remember here is a man whose heart is hardening – the king didn’t say today – he said “Tomorrow.”
a. Why tomorrow?
b. Was he so fond of his guests that he would have them stay another night with him?
c. Some he sensed his just deserts in the plague and therefore said “Tomorrow.” I doubt that.
d. Rather I think he was buying himself some time, hoping that they would go away of themselves, and then he should get clear of the plague without being obliged either to God or Moses.
C. How many men have said “Tomorrow.”
1. Illus: One pastor tells the story of how he was out visiting in his neighbourhood. He came to a certain home, and there he invited a couple to attend his meetings. The wife came and was saved, but the husband wouldn’t budge. Every time the pastor would call the husband would say the same thing; “I’ll come as soon as I get straightened out.” No matter what the occasion, his standard reply was “I’ll come as soon as I get straightened out.” Well in time the man died, and as the pastor stood in the pulpit to give the funeral sermon, he looked down at the coffin, and thought to himself “At least he kept his word – he came only after he was straightened out!”
2. Friend, don’t say tomorrow in relation to the things of God. You don’t have tomorrow you only have today. The Bible says “Behold now is the accepted time; behold now is the day of salvation.”
3. Tomorrow may never come. Solomon wrote “Boast not thyself of tomorrow.”
4. It is one thing to prepare for tomorrow, but it is another to presume upon tomorrow.
5. What folly can be laid up in the word “Tomorrow.”
a. I think of the rich farmer in Luke 12 who took early retirement saying “Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years.”
b. He thought I have many tomorrows to look forward to, but God said “Thou fool, this night shall thy soul be required of thee.”
D. Only a hardening heart cries out “Tomorrow” in relation to spiritual demands.
1. It is a hard heart that puts God off, that stalls His deliverance, that presumes upon tomorrow.
2. Friend say not “Tomorrow” say “Today” say “NOW – while it is an acceptable time I will trust Christ, I will live for God, I will seek His salvation.
E. Whilst Pharaoh dallied his people suffered the frogs.
1. Moses said “Be it according to thy word.” “Have it your way, tomorrow it is.”
2. So the people spent one more night with the frogs.
IV. The Prophet Delivered – vss 12-15
A. True to his word Moses petitioned the Lord, and the frogs began to die.
1. As the people began shovelling them into piles and their bodies began to corrupt the smell of decaying frog flesh was throughout the land.
2. The KJV says “the land stank” literally, it reeked.
a. I think it was a while before these people wound their way to the idols of Heqt to worship.
3. Nevertheless, in spite of the fetid smell, there had to have been a sigh of relief throughout Egypt.
B. We would think now that the respite might turn Pharaoh’s heart.
1. After all he has been the subject of God’s grace.
2. The Bible says it is the goodness of God that leads thee to repentance.
3. Did Pharaoh repent? He did not.
4. In fact he further hardened his heart.
5. The depravity of the human heart is unfathomable.
a. Look up Ecclesiastes 8:11
b. Man will sin against God for as long as he believes he can get away with it.
c. When the burden of the land was eased Pharaoh thought he had got away with it.
d. He probably congratulated himself on his ability to manipulate Moses and Aaron, and in the pride of his own mind though of himself as some great one.
e. Sadly it would take the mass deaths of human lives to cause him to lose his grip of Israel.
f. You see, some folks never learn. No matter what God does. No matter if he makes our lives hard, or eases our burden it makes no difference – for hardening hearts are bent on self destruction.
Conclusion: You may be one of those who constantly say “Tomorrow.” Tomorrow I will be saved. Someday I will trust Christ. Before I die I will live for God. Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow. Friend, what’s wrong with today? What’s wrong with now? If you are unwilling to open your heart and life to Christ today – what makes you think things will be different tomorrow? Tomorrow isn’t going to change anything. Tomorrow is just an excuse to avoid the responsibilities of today. When tomorrow came for Pharaoh he didn’t change; he hardened his heart, and this he did on subsequent tomorrows until at last he was ruined man. Tomorrow is an illusion. Tomorrow is a straw man. Tomorrow is red herring. God won’t meet you in Tomorrow, He will only deal with you in Today. He will deal with you now, but you have to say “Now God” and stop toying with tomorrow.
