Holy Frogs, Batman
Notes
Transcript
The plague
The plague
to smite Egypt with Judgement
they came from everywhere!
explanations
So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt.
Umberto Cassuto argues, “The episode of the frogs also corresponds to normal Egyptian phenomena. Every year after the inundation of the Nile, the number of frogs in the receding waters is enormous.” Others have tried to draw a connection between the proliferation of frogs and the river of blood that preceded it. Greta Hort hypothesized that the rotting fish were infected with anthrax, which in turn killed off the frogs that were driven from the river by the blood.31
1 Philip Graham Ryken and R. Kent Hughes, Exodus: Saved for God’s Glory (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2005), 226.
The truth is God did this!
He needed to get their attention, not just Pharaoh but all of Egypt.
Frogs where everywhere!
a little humor here
grabbing a bowl, opening the pantry, in the laundry, on your bed, where you go to the bathroom, everywhere.
even in Pharaoh’s private bed chamber
Like having a little boy but far worse!
life disruption?
Heqet
Heqet
So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt.
James Boice wrote:
If we are to understand the full significance of this plague, we must recognize that a goddess of Egypt was involved in the judgment—the goddess Hekt [also Heqet], who was always pictured with the head and often the head and body of a frog. Since Hekt was embodied in the frog, the frog was sacred in Egypt. It could not be killed, and consequently there was nothing the Egyptians could do about this horrible and ironic proliferation of the goddess. They were forced to loathe the symbols of their depraved worship. But they could not kill them. And when the frogs died, their decaying bodies must have turned the towns and countryside into a stinking horror.1
1 Philip Graham Ryken and R. Kent Hughes, Exodus: Saved for God’s Glory (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2005), 228.
So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt.
The Egyptians relied on Heqet for two things in particular. One was to control the frog population by protecting crocodiles, the frog’s natural predators. Obviously, when Egypt was overrun (or overhopped!) with frogs, Heqet was humiliated. This plague proved that she was powerless to resist the mighty strength of the Lord.1
1 Philip Graham Ryken and R. Kent Hughes, Exodus: Saved for God’s Glory (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2005), 228.
this Egyptian goddess was also one they prayed to for furtility
So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt.
Given that background, it seems significant that God’s first two plagues struck blows against the gods of Egypt’s river and the goddess of Egypt’s midwives. It was a matter of strict justice: God was punishing the Egyptians for their sins. The very river that Pharaoh used as an instrument of genocide was turned to blood, and the first goddess to be humiliated was the one who governed labor and delivery.1
1 Philip Graham Ryken and R. Kent Hughes, Exodus: Saved for God’s Glory (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2005), 229.
Our great question?
Exodus—Saved for God's Glory Exodus 7:14–24
In what ways are we tempted to worship Heqet?
In what ways are we tempted to worship Heqet?1
1 Philip Graham Ryken and R. Kent Hughes, Exodus: Saved for God’s Glory (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2005), 229.
Pharaoh’s half-hearted plea
Pharaoh’s half-hearted plea
Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said, “Entreat the Lord that He remove the frogs from me and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice to the Lord.”
The worse things got, the more desperate Pharaoh became, until finally he did the unthinkable: He ordered Moses and Aaron to return to the palace so he could share a prayer request. This was not a sign of Pharaoh’s spirituality but only of his superstition. Many desperate people have called for a minister without ever really intending to call upon God1
1 Philip Graham Ryken and R. Kent Hughes, Exodus: Saved for God’s Glory (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2005), 231.
What all this shows is how much a person can learn about God without ever coming to him for salvation. Pharaoh knew that God was both Creator and Judge. He recognized the power of God’s name and believed that he could answer prayer. But he did not know God as his Savior and Lord. The proof is that he could not pray to God for himself; he had to ask Moses and Aaron to do the praying for him. He also made the wrong request. Rather than asking God to take away his sins, he asked God to take away the frogs.1
1 Philip Graham Ryken and R. Kent Hughes, Exodus: Saved for God’s Glory (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2005), 231–232.
Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said, “Entreat the Lord that He remove the frogs from me and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice to the Lord.”
If people cannot pray for themselves, then asking a Christian to pray for them is better than nothing. But realize what this indicates about their spiritual condition: They must not be children of God, because unless we learn to pray for ourselves, we will never receive eternal life. Eternal life begins with a prayer. The only way to enter salvation is by speaking to God directly, telling him that we are sorry for our sins and that we want his Son to be our Savior.1
1 Philip Graham Ryken and R. Kent Hughes, Exodus: Saved for God’s Glory (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2005), 232.