Frogs!

For Friday, January 24, 2025:

Exodus 8:1-2 NLT: Then the Lord said to Moses: “Go back to Pharaoh and announce to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so they can worship me. If you refuse to let them go, I will send a plague of frogs across your entire land.’”

A plague of frogs? This lets me know that God has a sense of humor! Picture Pharaoh’s wife in her kitchen standing high up on a chair for safety, and all around her the floor is covered with frogs! She screeches, “Pharaoh! Get these frogs out of here! I’m afraid to get down! There’s no place I can put my foot!” High-jumping frogs keep bouncing off her legs. She screams even louder! Frogs are everywhere. They’re on the chair in which you’d like to sit. They’re on the dining room table where you’d like to eat. They’re in your bed! Frogs, frogs, frogs!

Pharaoh’s magicians concocted a trick whereby they too could make frogs appear, but no one knew how to get rid of the frogs! Pharaoh relents: “Plead with the Lord to take the frogs away from me and my people. I will let your people go, so they can offer sacrifices to the Lord.”

Here’s where it gets interesting. Moses accepts Pharaoh’s contrition, and tells him, “You set the time!”

To which Pharaoh responds, “Do it tomorrow.” Tomorrow. Pharaoh doesn’t want to lose his servants, the Hebrew brick-makers. So no matter how depressing it is living with frogs everywhere, he willingly puts up with one more night of misery. One more night with the frogs.

In a similar vein, there’s a book published by the Johnson Institute dealing with alcoholism and addiction called, “I’ll Quit Tomorrow.” No matter how much misery alcohol and/or drugs have inflicted into someone’s life, they derive a certain amount of pleasure from getting high. So the normal intervention answer is, “I’ll quit tomorrow.” One more night with the frogs!

Ultimately Pharaoh reneges on his promise to let God’s people go. He’ll soon regret his decision. God has things far worse than frogs on Pharaoh’s agenda.

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship