It was exactly 8:02 AM on May 8, 1902. Almost 30,000 people died instantly in one of history’s worst natural disasters. The immediate cause of their deaths was the violent volcanic eruption of Mount Pelee on the French colonial island of Martinique. It hurled millions of tons to rock, boiling lava and a terrible blast of super-heated air at the town of St. Pierre. The indirect case of their deaths was a sordid record of human stupidity, greed and political opportunism. The volcano first began misbehaving a full week before the final disaster with warnings of what was to come in various degrees including a gigantic rock and mudslide, which killed several hundred people at a factory outside the town. But, with only a few exceptions, none of the person’s in authority made any effort to evacuate the town, which lay at the foot of the rumbling volcano.

Procrastination! Some things can wait, some cannot! Our text speaks of the danger of delay. The 10 plagues sent upon Egypt represent the great duel between Jehovah and the various false gods of Egypt. This passage is about the second of the plagues, the plague of frogs. This was a direct attack on Heqet, the frog-headed goddess who was believed to breathe life from her nostril into humans created by her husband, the great god Khnum, from the dust of the earth. This plague was clearly designed to show Egypt that Jehovah alone was God. In the midst of this scene sits a man named Pharaoh. His actions during this plague are of interest to me this morning. Here is a man who could have been delivered from the plague, yet he chose to spend “Another Night with the Frogs”. This story teaches us the great danger of delay, especially in spiritual matters.

1 – A terrible calamity (vs. 1-7)

There are four things we can say about this calamity.

• Disgusting calamity – Frogs everywhere! This illustrates the extent of this plague.
• Disturbing calamity – Frogs were considered sacred and, as a result, could not be killed.
• Devastating calamity – There wasn’t a single person beyond the reach of the frogs influence.
• Defiling calamity – The frogs filled all the temples and thereby defiled them and prevented the people from worshipping any of their other gods. E. Descriptive calamity – A clear picture of a plague that afflicts all men Myrrh is the season of wilderness, valleys and darkness. The temptation is to give up and backslide. It had only one use, anointing corpses for burial. See John 19 and Songs of Solomon 4:14. He anoints us for burial. We must die to ourselves. We must die to our own ambitions. Everything must go to the cross.

1. Sin is everywhere – See 1 John 5:19 and Proverbs 20:9.
2. Sin cannot be handled by man – (vs. 7 – religion cannot handle it). See Psalm 107:17 and Proverbs 13:15.
3. Sin touches every life – See Romans 3:10, 23 and Galatians 3:22.
4. Sin keeps the sinner separated from God – See Isaiah 59:2 and Psalm 66:18.

2 – A thoughtless choice (vs. 8-10a)

Notice how thoughtless Pharaoh is in his choice.

• Pharaoh’s desire – To be free from the frogs.
• Pharaoh’s dilemma – To call on God would be to admit his own helplessness.
• Pharaoh’s decision – He decided to put off until tomorrow that which should have been done right then.
• Pharaoh’s depiction – He pictures the lost sinner. Most lost people want a relationship with God. It gnaws at their souls. Their sins bother them and they know they need to prepare for the day when they will leave this world. However, before they can come to the Lord, they must confess their own sinfulness and inability before God. They must acknowledge God to be their only hope. As a result, they delay their coming to God and make up various excuses in an attempt to justify their indecision. Some Typical Excuses and Biblical responses are below:-

1. I love my sin – See 2 Timothy 3:4 and Romans 6:23.
2. I am a good person – See Proverbs 20:9 and Matthew 5:20.
3. I am too evil – See Luke 19:10; John 6:37 and Mark 2:17.
4. There is too much to give up – See Hell – Mark 8:36.
5. There are too many hypocrites in the church – Better to sit with them in church than to fry with them in Hell!
6. I just don’t understand the Gospel – See Romans 10:9.
7. I am waiting for a feeling – See Ephesians 2:8-9.
8. I can’t hold out – Not your job – 1 Peter 1:5.
9. I’ll wait until I can live it – Can’t live it until you have. The power to live it comes with it. See Galatians 2:20.

What’s your excuse?

3 – A tragic consequence (vs. 10-15)

Because of Pharaoh’s refusal to comply with the command of God, he and his people were required to spend another night with the frogs they so despised.

• The source of the consequence (vs. 10) – Pharaoh’s own words decided his fate.
• The scope of the consequence – (vs. 9, 11) – Pharaoh’s decision affected more than just him. Every person and family in Egypt was affected.
• The splendour of the consequence – The consequences of Pharaoh’s decision teach us a valuable lesson about the dangers of delay in making spiritual decisions.

1. The consequences of sin will continue until we respond appropriately to God’s call – See Galatians 6:7-8.
2. The choice to continue in sin affects more people than just us. E.g. A pebble tossed into a pond.
3. It is dangerous to delay in spiritual matters – See Proverbs 27:1; Genesis 6:3; Proverbs 29:1; 2 Corinthians 6:2.
4. Salvation is too precious for you to take a chance on gambling it away – See Luke 13:3; Matthew 7:13-14.
5. God will never force Himself upon you – See John 3:16; Acts 16:31; Ephesians 2:8-9.

Tomorrow has come! Will you choose to spend another night with the frogs, or will you come to Jesus Christ for salvation today? There are consequences that follow each decision. What will you decide today? Will it be sin or the Saviour? Will it be Heaven or Hell? Will it be forgiveness or the frogs? What will you do with this message you have heard?

Categories: Exodus