One More Night...
The past two weeks inour summer sermon series through Exodus we have looked at the plagues, which isnot exactly the most uplifting section of the Bible. God brought the plagues onEgypt to demonstrate His power and, ultimately, to soften Pharaoh's heart sothat he would let the Israelites go. Eventually, after the tenth plague--thedeath of the first-born son--it worked.
It is interesting if youread the pattern of the plagues: God would smite the land with locusts orgnats or boils or hail or whatever, and then the Egyptian magicians would provethey could do the same, thus adding to the problem. Pharaoh would ask Moses tomake it stop--to call off the proverbial dogs--and as the plagues went on, hestarted making promises of what he would do if only Moses made the plaguedisappear. Of course, after God removed the plague, Pharaoh would renege on hispromise and refuse to let God's people leave Egypt after all. And on and on itwent until the death angel made his visit and the Egyptians could take it nolonger.
As Jonathan Arnoldmentioned in his message on the plagues a few Sundays ago, there is a littlebit of Pharaoh in all of us. We are all prone to make promises of what we willdo if God will just get us out of a mess--"foxhole commitments," as someonehas called them--only to back off and go back to our apathy when the problemgoes away.
But the example in thenarrative about the plagues that most reveals our tendency to act like Pharaohcame after the second plague, when God sent frogs upon the land. There werefrogs everywhere; Exodus 8 describes that they were in their homes, in theirbedrooms, on their beds, in their ovens, and "on them." I suspectthis was where Mrs. Pharaoh stepped in and said, "Honey"--I'mguessing that's what she called her husband--"tell the man to get thefrogs out of here, and do whatever it takes to make it happen."
And so Pharaoh did.Exodus 8:8 says that Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, "Pray tothe LORD to take the frogs away from me and my people, and I willlet your people go to offer sacrifices to the LORD." But this is where the story takes an interesting twist and reminds me more ofme than I would like to admit.
Moses said to Pharaoh,"I leave to you the honor of setting the time for me to pray for you andyour officials and your people that you and your houses may be rid of thefrogs..." (v. 9).
Pharaoh's answer is oneof the all-time classics in all the Bible: "Tomorrow."
There was a famoussermon that used to circulate around, though I do not remember who wrote it orpreached it. It was the title, and simple application, that was most memorable.It was called "One More Night withthe Frogs." It came from this passage where, when given the choice ofridding his palace and his people of those nasty frogs whenever he wanted,Pharaoh chose tomorrow, or "one more night with the frogs."
Pharaoh's answer seemspretty ridiculous, if not downright dumb. Until I look at my own life of thethings I know the Lord wants me to do that will be a blessing in my life and inthe life of others, and I put them off until another day. "How abouttomorrow, Lord? For now, I think I'll have another night with my slimy amphibianfriends."
I wonder what it is inyour life that you need to be rid of, and a simple decision is all that awaitsyou moving from bondage to freedom, from shame to relief and joy. Or whatdecision do you need to make in your life that you have been putting off untilthe tomorrow that never comes? It's time to make the call, get rid of thefrogs, and move on with your life. Don't delay; don't spend one more night withthe frogs.
I am praying for each ofyou, for God's work in your lives, as I hope you are praying likewise for me. Ilook forward to seeing you on Sunday.
--Pastor Ken
