It's one of the most intriguing responses in the Bible. In Exodus 8, Egypt is experiencing the first of the ten plagues God brought on them for Pharaoh's hard heart (stubbornness) in not letting the Children of Israel go. Frogs have come out of the rivers, streams, lakes, canals and ponds and are everywhere. Now when I say everywhere, I mean everywhere. Not just outside. They came inside. Imagine swarms of frogs invading your house. You thought roaches and mice in your house were bad. Open up the cabinet and frogs jump out. Plop down on you couch and find it covered with frogs. Pull back the covers on your bed, and guess what frogs. Step into the shower and the tub is full of frogs. Go to your favorite diner and special of the day, frog legs.
I can't really imagine what that would have been like. Life had to be horrible. Noisy, slimy, smelly frogs everywhere. Moms had to be going nuts. Kids screaming. Brooms getting a work out. The only guy doing a big business, the exterminator. The only problem was that they kept coming.
Once Pharaoh had finally had enough of the frogs, he calls Moses and Aaron back and asks them to get rid of them. Moses says, "You name the time and I'll get rid of them." Now notice Pharaoh's response, "Tomorrow." Are you kidding me? Did he really say tomorrow. I don't know about you, I would have said, "How about fifteen minutes ago!" Is this guy completely nuts? Why would he suffer one more day of the frog invasion?
There's a famous sermon on this passage entitled, "One More Night with the Frogs." It's weird how when immediate relief is in sight, people put it off. Yet time and time again I've seen it. People in the midst of personal suffering, ensnared in some horrible or painful or unhealthy situation resist the help to get out. I've watched people in abuse situations stay there even though there was a way out. I've seen people living in negative environments continue down the path when hope was offering a hand. I've never understood it. Why live in that mess, when there is a way out? One more night with the frogs mentality takes over.
Is it stubbornness? Is it pride? Is it self masochism? Is it laziness? Is it stupidity? Is it paralyzation? Is it habit? Is it a misplaced sense of security? Can't tell you. All I know is that it's an all too common response.
To be honest, I see it in a different sense all the time. I watch people all the time refuse to accept God's grace in their life. For whatever reason people reject the hope of eternal life in Christ. I watch people ignore God's truths and plunge headlong into situations and lifestyles that they know will bring pain to their life. It's not just one more night with frogs, it's more like, "hey I like suffering so bring on the frogs, heck bring on all the plagues."
God, I'm so thankful for your grace and relief. I don't want to spend any night with the frogs. Deliver me from my own self destructive behavior. Guide me by your Spirit.
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