READ: GENESIS 8:1-15
But when Pharoah saw that relief had come, he became stubborn. He refused to listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord predicted. (V. 15)
My wife’s favorite creature is a frog. We have a burnt wood picture of a frog, a jig saw framed picture of frogs of the rain forest she put together and numerous stuffed, plastic, glass and wood frogs that have been given to her by her grandchildren. These “good frogs” are a reminder of the love that was behind each gift. In fact, frogs are cool creatures that inhabit most regions of our planet and do their part to help keep the balance of nature by eating insects. Who does not like to hear the sound of a croaking frog, signaling all is well, during a warm spring or summer evening. However, God in his wisdom chose a plague of frogs to invade Egypt to encourage Pharoah to grant freedom to the Israelite slaves. To the people of Egypt, these slimy “bad frogs” were making daily life near impossible. To the Israelites, these were “good frogs” whose overwhelming numbers were helping them gain their desired freedom from bondage. Unfortunately, when God reduced their numbers, under the promise of Pharaoh to release the people of Israel, the work of the frogs was all for naught when he reneged on his word.
Pastor Ron Cook used this section of scripture to highlight how we often let sin create a plague of frogs in our lives. Needless to say, this sin created “bad frogs” are not our friends by any stretch of the imagination. These are the slimy sins of greed, power, spiritual infidelity, pride, arrogance, untruthfulness, lust, and materialism that effect our lives with the force of an unwanted plague. They are the direct result of our own internal desires and wants to drag us away from faith and trust in God (James 1: 12-15). Inevitably they produce despair, sadness, regret, hopelessness and dissatisfaction. We then cry out to Jesus for relief from these crushing burdens. But we are often tempted, after Jesus successful intervention, like Pharoah, to abandon our promise to repent and once again subject ourselves to the plague of sin. Thankfully, if we confess our sins, Jesus who is faithful and just will forgive us (1 John 1:8-10). We are once again free of the bondage of sin and on the road to plaque free-living.
PAUSE FOR REFLECTION AND PRAYER
Pastor Cook reminds us that it is our responsibility to identify the “bad frogs” that cause the plagues of sin our lives. We all have them. We need to own up to them. We must confess and repent of them. Only then, will we be sin free thanks to the saving grace of Christ!
Dear Jesus, help me a sinner, make wise choices that do not compromise my faith and subject me to continual plaques of sin.