Reflection by Don Schwager

After the first plague, God had Moses wait one full week before confronting Pharoah with his refusal to let the Israelites go and worship in the wilderness. Here we see God's patience (Romans 9:22-23). He gave Pharoah time to reconsider and repent of his stubborn opposition. Since Pharoah did not repent, Moses had to go and perform a second sign. 

The second sign – the plague of frogs, which are creatures of the night – now overtakes the land and its people. This plague which covers everything, including people's personal effects, and which deafens the ears with its croaking chorus, symbolizes the spiritual darkness of sin and worldliness which clouds the mind and heart in a cloak of moral confusion, pride, and rebellion.

Frogs in Egypt represented the idols of fertility. God confounds these idols and their worshippers by turning the frogs into a defeaning force of oppression. (See also Revelations 16:13-14, which describes demonic spirits like frogs waging battle on God's people.) When Pharoah's magicians perform the same sign, they make the situation worse by doubling the number of frogs, but they could not remove the plague. Pharoah knew that only Moses had the power to remove it. So Pharoah asks Moses to pray that the Lord will remove the plague. Moses could have refused if he really wanted Pharoah and his nation to suffer. God was more than ready to remove the plague at the first sign of repentance.

Moses prays for his enemies who are persecuting his people,  and God hears his prayer. Moses explains to Pharoah that God's purpose in this sign is to show that the Lord has no equal (Exodus 8:6) – he alone is the one true God who has power to raise up and to put down as he chooses. Only stubborn pride and rebellion can keep us from God's mercy, healing, and restoration. Repentance frees the heart and mind to receive pardon and freedom, forgiveness and love, mercy and blessing.

"Lord Jesus, you came to dispel the darkness of sin, Satan, and pride, and to silence the din of those who would lead us into hurtful desires and worldly corruption. Open my ears to hear your voice and set me free to walk in your way of truth and holiness." 

Exodus 8

1 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, `Thus says the LORD, "Let my people go, that they may serve me. 2 But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will plague all your country with frogs; 3 the Nile shall swarm with frogs which shall come up into your house, and into your bedchamber and on your bed, and into the houses of your servants and of your people, and into your ovens and your kneading bowls; 4 the frogs shall come up on you and on your people and on all your servants."'" 

5 And the LORD said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, `Stretch out your hand with your rod over the rivers, over the canals, and over the pools, and cause frogs to come upon 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. 7 But the magicians did the same by their secret arts, and brought frogs upon the land of Egypt.

8 Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron, and said, "Entreat the LORD to take away the frogs from me and from my people; and I will let the people go to sacrifice to the LORD." 

9 Moses said to Pharaoh, "Be pleased to command me when I am to entreat, for you and for your servants and for your people, that the frogs be destroyed from you and your houses and be left only in the Nile." 10 And he said, "Tomorrow." Moses said, "Be it as you say, that you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God. 11 The frogs shall depart from you and your houses and your servants and your people; they shall be left only in the Nile." 

12 So Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh; and Moses cried to the LORD concerning the frogs, as he had agreed with Pharaoh. 13 And the LORD did according to the word of Moses; the frogs died out of the houses and courtyards and out of the fields. 14 And they gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank. 

15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart, and would not listen to them; as the LORD had said.