Gtcotr/ss032512
“Never put off till tomorrow what you could do today.” Thomas Jefferson
Historical information leading up to Exodus 8 … The 2nd plague of 10 …
Exodus 8 NKJV
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.
In this passage of scriptures Pharaoh represents the devil but he also represents anything and everything which refuses to let the child of God go from its clutches … at times even including our own fleshly, sinful or selfish nature. Pharaoh just wants what he wants … that’s all … how can that be bad?
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."’"
Now evidently Pharaoh was not too afraid of Moses or the threat of frogs - he was not motivated to consider that perhaps he was in need of change.
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.
Now picture this:
· The Egyptians families, including Pharaoh and his servants had:
o stream frogs
o river frogs
o pond frogs
o land frogs
o abundantly!!!
· Frogs were in:
o Houses
o Bedrooms
o On their beds
o On their shoulders when they stood up
o On their backs and bellies when laid down
o In their ovens where they cooked their food
o They were in their kneading bowls where they mixed up their morning biscuits
· There were:
o Wet frogs
o Dried up frogs
o Slimy frogs
o Sticky frogs,
o Little ones,
o Big ones
o Fat ones
o Skinny ones
o Black ones
o Green ones
o Spotted ones
o Brown ones
There were so many frogs that you couldn’t shake a stick at them … well, the stick of Aaron, his rod of authority from God, is what brought them out to begin with.
It was a smelly, sticky, slimy, stinky mess. Can you imagine how it smelled with those stinky frogs in the ovens, in the beds, on people everywhere they went … And … how do you think those frog biscuits tasted???
As if it was not bad enough with the abundance of frogs in everything and on everyone and mixed in all they ate … just to show the devil’s stupidity and the stupidity of our own selfish nature… Pharaoh had his magicians conjure up some more frogs … duh!!!
7 And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs on the land of Egypt.
Finally, Pharaoh had enough … we have all been to the place where we have had enough … Lord help us, just shoot up here amongst us … one of us has got to have some relief …
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."
What is he saying? Pharaoh is saying, “Uncle!” ---
Just a word about “Uncle” and the principle of having been made to do something. You know – If the only reason you decide to do what you ought to is because someone or something is making you do it … when the pressure’s off – or you’re left to yourself – you will just revert to doing whatever your nature really wanted to do in the first place.
I’ve about come to the place where I have decided that I’m not going to make anyone do anything anymore – maybe except for the kids I’m raising - it almost never turns out any other way than it did with Moses … you just have to keep making them do what they ought to do over and over and over again and then when you turn around, they haven’t learned a thing.
What’s the answer to this dilemma? Personal Discipleship that leads to permanent change … that’s one reason we are turning our attention this year to creating discipleship opportunities for everyone in our Church. But disciples have to want to grow and make the choice to invest in their change.
Discipleship deals with the carnal appetites of man and our flesh-driven, selfish pursuits … Again, Pharaoh is both a picture of the devil and a type of man’s carnal nature … all he wants is just what he wants…
Pharaoh did not want to be a disciple of Moses … He liked how he was … and no doubt Moses knew Pharaoh better than Pharaoh knew himself
This is where Moses begins to expose the stupidity of the carnal man …
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 Pharaoh said, "Tomorrow." …
“Just one more night with these frogs …”
We cannot change our tomorrows until we are willing to change ourselves today.
We will never do anything on any day that is not called today.
So often we too put off until tomorrow those things which we should do today. Just how bad does it have to get before we find the motivation to change to do what we know we ought to?
In Pharaoh’s world God did not let up on the pressure … What was God hoping to accomplish? - The deliverance of His children into a greater, happier, more productive and more prosperous future. All God had to do was to get His children out from under the control of those familiar patterns of life which were holding them captive.
God wants the same for us. God has a plan for our life … He will succeed … and we have a chance to participate. Our chance is called today!
Can I encourage you to pray with me right now to cast off the weight and that sin which does so easily beset you and refuse to be held captive any longer by those selfish pursuits and carnal appetites of mere human nature.
You know what you need … you have heard it before – no doubt many times … God has already spoken to you time and again … what will you do? This was not the first time God spoke to Pharaoh either –
However, Pharaoh refused to listen … God tried to get Pharaoh to let His children go before the incident with the frogs but …
Exodus 7
23 And Pharaoh turned and went into his house. Neither was his heart moved by this.
Pharaoh had a habit of hearing God and then just going home and forgetting all about it.
… One more night with those frogs … just one more morning eating those frog biscuits …
Don’t grow so used to yourself that you don’t take today’s opportunities seriously … Don’t go home and forget what God is speaking right now … don’t be a “maybe tomorrow” person … let your heart be moved today.
Hebrews Chapter 3 & 4 say, “Today if you will hear His voice … do not harden your heart …” “… encourage one another daily while it is called today …” Hear His voice today!
Will you pray with me about your today?
What are you willing to let go of or be delivered from today?
Let’s pray and let God deal with our Pharaohs …
