Exodus 8
Scripture
Exodus 8:15
“But when Pharaoh saw that relief had come, he became stubborn. He refused to listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had predicted.”
Observation-What does it say?
Moses and Aaron go back to see Pharaoh to request that he let their people (the Israelites) go, so they could worship God. If these requests were not met, God would unleash a plague of frogs all over the land of Egypt. But the Pharaoh refused to listen to them. So, God instructed Moses to tell Aaron to raise his staff over all the rivers, canals, and ponds of Egypt, and to drive out all the frogs all over the land. So there were frogs literally everywhere! Although Pharaoh’s magicians were able to perform the same miracles with their magic, I think the plague of frogs became too unbearable for Pharaoh and his people. So Pharaoh called in Moses and Aaron, and begged them that they plead with their God to take away all the frogs from their land. Then he would let the Israelites go so they could worship their God. So Moses and Aaron did as Pharaoh requested. God brought relief from the plague of frogs from the land, but Pharaoh’s heart was still hardened. Once the relief from the plague of frogs came, he changed his mind, and reneged on his promise.
Understanding-What does it mean?
Don’t treat God like your personal “genie in a bottle”!
We can all get upset with Pharaoh in this story. We can all point the finger at his stubbornness, or how he keeps breaking his promises to Moses and Aaron. But before we start pointing our finger at how awful Pharaoh is, can we take a look in our own lives and see if we do the same thing? Are we ever in desperate need of something, and then all of a sudden seek God’s help? I mean here we are, a crisis hits us. Then all of a sudden we are worshipping and praising God day and night. We are suddenly seeking God daily. We are on fire for God! Then once those prayers are answered, we go back to our old ways, doing our own thing, and neglecting God (the One who answered our prayers). Why do we do that? Why do we treat God that way? It reminds me of a story of a man who is working on a high rise rooftop. This man loses his footing, and begins slipping down the slope of the rooftop. The man cries out to God for help. He says “God, if you save me from this catastrophe, I will worship you the rest of the days of my life!” And as the man says his prayer, his belt loop gets caught on a nail, and it stops him from sliding completely off this roof. The man gathers himself, and tells God “Never mind God. I got it.” Talk about missing the point! Just know this. God hears our prayers. God answers our prayers. He may have us wait on our requests, or even decline them at times, but God ultimately has His best intentions for His children-(Jeremiah 29:11). But let me encourage you to regularly seek God. Develop a close relationship with Him. Don’t treat Him like some genie in a bottle, only there at our beck and call. Then when God answers our prayers, we are quick to “stuff Him away back in that bottle”, and simply forget Him. No! Seek Him daily! Reflect on all the good things He has done. Use those answered prayers as stepping stones to build our faith so we can continue building our relationship with Him. Learn from the mistakes of Pharaoh and the man on the roof. Be faithful to God because He is always faithful to us.
Life Application
Being a disciple of Jesus takes discipline.
Set up a time and place to meet with God daily. Don’t just try to “wing it” and fit God around your schedule. Instead, have your schedule work around Him. Use that time and place to spend with God in prayer, reading His Word, and journaling (PB&J). (Personally, I like spending time with Him first thing in the morning when everyone is still asleep and the house is dead silent so I can focus). But make it a point to keep your appointment. Don’t just seek God when you need something. Seek God regularly. Seek Him through the good times as well as the bad times. He is always there for us willing to give us His best. Doesn’t He deserve ours?
-Moses Gaddi