080 - Not in the Oven Too!

You pick up your Bible and one is more here than meets the is there something here for me.

I mean it's just words printed on paper right it may look like just print on the page but it's more than Inc. join us for the next half hour, as we explore God's word together as we learn how to explore it on our as we ask God to meet us there in its pages welcome to more than love the sound of frogs marsh across the street, and every time I hear it makes me think frogs are cute be like if they came across the street everywhere house and frogs would no longer be cute and that happens today on more than Inc. well good morning this is Jim this is Dorothy L joined us around our dining room table, figuratively speaking. It is well here and we are continuing to walk our way through Exodus and were glad you come with us and we get to some back.

She's a really well-known sections of Exodus and you people talk about Exodus they talk about the plagues right that's the one thing they do know, and not too much of the consequence.

After that, so that's where we are today and and and were were into the not the first plate we covered last time the first plague, which is turning the Nile water of an island to Block Island blood count ends with saying that the Lord seven full days past the Lord struck the water yeah so there's a whole completed process of an entire week. Now whether that means a water state blood for a whole week or whether they just had a weekday get our heads around what had just happened.

Now that's a little bit. It was extraordinarily disruptive to the wife Egypt. I mean, everything came from the water of the Nile and so determined to blood me to totally useless to them.

The fish died. It was a horrible thing. So if if there's any one thing that you could point to and say this is what provides life in Egypt.

It's the now very first thing that God did this or wake them up until you nonaction control University let my people go, was just totally messed up and not what you know we talked about last time we said that should've really been sure got your attention. That was that was so serious in terms of the scale of these things that you know we know that the 10th plague is a one election push them over the top but that should this prefigures that the water of the now turning to blood prefigures that data first born in a kind way because it's a life or death picture right exactly right and at Passover. You know they took blood of the lamb and marketer of right so it's sort of like bookends a few weeks before we get to that well so let's get to the one today were talking today and the second plague all about frogs. Well, I got a couple ideas about that so many has ideas about but God continues on in this process of trying to train yet Pharaoh to soften his heart in it every step, every step of every player gets harder and harder and harder and and it gets harder today in in a remarkable way. So yeah, well, maybe before we go on. One question that was in my mind as we started into this and maybe it's in your mind to people who are listening is why these things why these plagues and why this order and I think there's a lot of thinking out there that says that these were there was, a naturalistic explanation for these plagues because these were all naturally occurring things in Egypt except that what God did with amplify that right demonstrate the control at his very word these things would happen and be controlled so that is one way of thinking about them. I don't incline particularly toward a naturalistic view of these things always do exactly to explain but God was utilizing the natural order of things That sort of makes sense because the got they had in Egypt are all naturally worry right and so and they subdivided the creation basically got here is saying no, I'm not controllable everything I'm Lord of all the earth, and that that's what you know at the beginning this process Pharaoh when he is confronted by Moses and Aaron versus what I don't know you got it right. Well every step along the way. He gets normal but better got the guy says you get enough logs today. What you say you want to reinforce your chapter 8 verse one then the Lord said to Moses, go into Pharaoh and say to him that says the Lord. Let my people go, that they may serve me, but if you refuse to let them go. Behold, I will plague all your country with frogs. The Nile shall swarm with frogs that shall come up into your house and into your bedroom and on your bed and into the houses of your servants and your people and into your bowls and the frogs shall come upon you and on your people and on all your servants just before about the fact that not all of the plague.

Several warning this one says that says exactly what is going to happen in the front how bad it's going to be frogs were common but not this common well and there was an annual season when the frogs hatched and came out and that was it an expected part of the natural order of yeah exactly of the world you but here he emphasizes the fact that you have frogs before, but now you're really good and then he takes efforts to tell him to tell how far spread the going to be like everywhere were talking so the interesting thing is famous Egyptian God who is depicted as a woman with the head of a frog that I and you and she is the symbol of fertility related to childbirth, so you know suggesting to me. When God says 90s frogs. A guy come up everywhere.

More frogs than you ever thought in place in your significant given that Hackett was associated with childbirth, so you know… There's no part of your life is not to be touched by these frogs, frogs, frogs, but I'm just like you might expect to see frogs of your walk along the Nile someday. Right. But to have frogs in your ovens meeting bowls leading into everything everything everything yeah I read up on this. This got Hackett to get all this frog headed kind of God and the sky was also very much associated with the overflow Nile right annually yeah that's kinda how how this guy get connected into fertility because once the dollar flowed. That's how they waterlogged cornfields right corner finally sprouted soon. It happened and since when the Nile overflowed you saw frogs on the ground right so it seemed kind of natural that elves in the frogs are thereafter water overflows and the corn spread so got a fertility rate that also made it illegal to kill.

You could not kill frogs. I found out I didn't know that before I didn't have that they were because because Hackett the frog God, which is such a big, big deal. When you saw frog unity stepped around. He did not kill frog never. So this is this is a really really big deal they could not be killed. Also, that was kind of a mythology. The Kim affected that frogs are more than a few animals occupy two worlds. Both the water and the way they saw the so Hackett is is a God who was part of mankind as well as you heaven and stuff like that. That's a guess we we really are we talking that we will talk about this many times we really are aiming at in the way God kind of making fun of Christ appeased. He's demonstrating his power over whatever their God system is as well. These gods are not specifically named, and they were so many of their relatives overlaps in in Hebrew Egyptian mythology so you know the Scripture doesn't name them, but it's pretty obvious who some of them are that God is taken down while here's one that's really a clear connection so the warning happens up to verse four and these frogs come on your people and all your servants. I mean, they will be everywhere. So then the Lord instructs Moses. Verse five the Lord said to Moses, say to Aaron, stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers over the canals over the pools and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt.

So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt covered the land of Egypt, but the magicians. These are illusions, but the magicians they did the same by their secret arts made frogs come about Egypt. That's interesting to me because this is like the snakes could be produced by sleight-of-hand exactly skies were magicians in the classic sense it. Then they had tracks they had unknown ways by which they could trick you and that's probably what was happening here and that's what's going on here. The kind it's kind of a competition between the magic of Moses and the magic of these right right and you know what, actually, they would.

They would've meant something to me that if they had if they could, instead of making more frogs if they could make less frog do the fries I know we got a real thing going on here, but that's not the case. All they do is kind add to the problem but I think we can do that. However, the fact that they do that doesn't seem to deter Pharaoh from understanding where the scale this is a bigger problem yeah yeah yeah because it says that in verse eight then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said please with the Lord. When this is the first time he's acknowledged yeah that you know. Talk to your God on behalf of is what is behind this plead with the Lord uses this proper name of God to take away the frogs from me and for my people and I will let the people go to sacrifice to the Lord really sell verse nine Moses said to Pharaoh the police to command me when I am to plead for you and for your servants and for your people that the frogs may be cut off from you and your houses and be left only in the Nile and he said tomorrow. So Moses said.

As you say, so that you may know that there is no one like the Lord our God, the frog shall go away from you and your houses in your service and your people. They shall be left only in the Nile stuff that's up there so yes, it looks like, hey, it looks like we want Moses as uncle uncle take away the frogs.

So take with frogs and knowledge people go yeah well, some not so much. Don't read too much into two quickly but but here yeah you're right in verse eight. This is the first time the pharaohs actually outs out loud said talking your got your God.

So you would you plead right with your God. For me, you have you have the connections evidently so would you do that and because if you do that, then I'll let you people go sacrifice guys he doesn't let the people go to let them go do their sacrifice right. It was the easy thing you yeah and and until Moses says Moses says you know okay if you ask me do that tomorrow I'll do that and because it's going to happen.

Then you'll know there's no one like the Lord talked about the God system. There is no one like are none of your puny little thoughts. I like your Hackett right your frog God is not even like our God controls the frogs so so again were backed up programming to further understanding for the real God of universes and samosas, you're going to get an understanding so striking at this point were seeing Moses grow well because if you think about up to this point.

Prior to this he had complained I'm not adequate. I can't talk right. I can't do these things, but by the time of the second playing God says go to it and he just goes and says it and then here you know the way he response to Pharaoh, says now okay you command me and I'll plead for you right he's stepping into his role as that is the intercessor here you plead for me are you we be pleased to tell me when I tell me when one another. Yet, in fact, this is the fulfillment of what God told Moses said that there will kind of treat you like a right right and so so Pharaoh wants to make a message to God and he goes directly to my so that connection there. Also, I would happen to think that after the whole Nile blood thing that Moses confidences yeah all right, now he's becoming much more bold doesn't question the obedience that God recalls anymore and he he just steps into this role saying yes I will talk to to the Lord God for you that's that's what is coming to do is go. Maybe we'll see what happens. So were really well well I want to say one more thing about it twice were told about the frogs being left only in the Nile. Yeah right. Well, that's the natural order that's expected or that I expect to find frogs so I got is done here is he's just demonstrated hey I am over natural order and I will cause these frogs to step away out of their natural realm and invade yours.

They should be in your out put them back where they belong in the first place well and it's interesting if you go back to verse nine says that the frogs may be cut off cut off which is always a euphemism for dying so so which is something that he can't do.

They can't kill the frogs.

Even though, so that makes that much more significant statement will be cut off his God is the one who will take their life away. Okay so you pick up work 12 is that when I think that's what okay so Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh and Moses cried to the Lord about the frogs and he had as he agreed with Pharaoh and the Lord did according to the word of Moses. The frogs frogs died out in the houses in the courtyards and in the fields and they gather them together and heaps and the land state. Can you imagine yeah let's just leave it there for second because it just struck me. Just as you just right. It is we always see Moses doing according to the word of the Lord.

But here we have the Lord doing according to the word of Moses. Yeah that's true that's it. That's a really interesting turn of words there yet because I've always wondered what you know earlier here when he has his dialogue with with Pharaoh.

I'm he says this is what's going to happen will get a glimpse of God telling Moses tell Pharaoh this is what's going to happen. Christ just says this is what's going to. So in a way I've always wondered whether not Moses was his boldness was here to say well I'll tell you what got you doing God will do it and in a sense God's following Moses lead in a way here because the Lord had made clear to Moses what he intended to to know he could have, but he does tell us that in other places where he has discourse with Pharaoh.

He tells ahead of time that God told Moses the most.

You tell him so I've always wondered, we don't know if it's not recorded about God telling Moses said Pharaoh.

It is kinda interesting about what you say about God.

Following Moses supports me say well maybe Moses in his faith said well God will do this and here we go well and as history goes on, you know, Moses is the one who writes down the law and delivers it to the people and so the word of Moses and the word of the Lord become kind of synonymous yet more and more exactly, so that that could be what's going on right here so samosas praise the Lord about the frogs and they all die out into interesting.

He doesn't say all the frogs in the universe died or the frogs in the now die just the ones are out of place was meaningful in the house and they died out of the house and are no longer in the oven so now we have a whole bunch of dead frogs. Again, something that, by law they could not.

They could even kill frogs but now God has. That's the miracle God has killed all these frog wolf just like that in a very short amount of time the frogs but the people still have to deal with the carcasses. Yeah, I think that's very interesting. It's pretty graphic thing swept them up and heaps yeah and you imagine being piles of dead frogs know they surely didn't stink home. Yeah. So if they had to endure the blood he Nile for a week and during these piles of clicks for who knows how long is kind of a constant daily reminder of what just took place in their lives as well and we don't know exactly the timeframe or how long it took for all of these plagues to unfold. Some of this one seems to have taken place.

A week after that. Now turning to blood work. You were given. Please let you know later on, one will find one happens when a certain grain was in the crop in another happens when a different grain was in the crop so you know that's. Perhaps months in between so this is going to be a drawn out process.

Yet here yeah say the land state. Well, they don't stink.

The first day you sweep them off right that happens a day to three days, four days later he began to detect the smell and you know it occurs to me since this is such such an in-your-face confrontation with one of one of the really principal gods of Egypt. You know in our lives. We invest our trust in something that's not a God, but we invested it like it is a God. We call that modern idolatry were you you invested in, are you look to it and you hope it will provide for you and when I do stuff like that do that I invest in the money and I'm sure it's going to return back to me like that so you look to it for the essence of life. It's idolatry is is often the case that you do that thinking this will return back to me life. This will bring good into my life and in the end all it does is it stinks up the land does is right in your presence and you realize that the promise is not what you thought was going to be and then you have to live with the aftermath of that stuff and during that aftermath feels like they are here with the aftermath of the frogs through the whole aftermath stage you do some deep thinking like maybe I was deceived about what this could really do what this is really provide for me in life you know and maybe with this with the wreckage of this piled around like the frogs and piles. Maybe I need to reconsider that I put my faith or my trust in the wrong thing.

Yeah so that it just has a very strong corollary to me because God gives consequences to sin and consequences to us. Investing in God's that are not him, and he allows us to get hip deep in the repercussions of that is waiting for us to come get her head straight about what was I thinking thing son and that's exactly what happens here, the God of fertility is now did I piles on the ground right since we thinking about Egyptian women who were pregnant or maybe in labor. During this time and what what was it communicating to that. Yeah that is something that they regarded as a token of favor of the gods was dying outside the door. Yeah, in fact I read somewhere that that pregnant women often wore frog rightly wrong ambulance just to kinda guarantee the birth the birth was always parallel like into the overflow of the Nile to so is like no man can you imagine wearing a frog amulet you know hoping to the gods that your deliveries can be okay now outside the door.

Are these pot mountains piles of frogs like maybe this guy does not provide for me like I thought maybe I just I just find it I find impressively got allows us to live with the aftermath of our porch was for us to kind of think some deep questions so as were coming to the end of the time here that the repeated thing with everyone of these plagues is a statement about the condition Pharaoh's heart yes and that's how this passage ends to in verse 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. But wait a second, he promised to do it well. He knows so what is it with Pharaoh hardening his heart the Lord had said. Now Pharaoh's heart is hard. I will harden it and he will harden his own heart you know we're not comfortable with that paradox. Yeah right as it is a guy doing the hardening or is it Pharaoh.

We are responsible for the condition of our own hearts, and although God is also sovereign over the condition of our hearts. And boy that makes us really uncomfortable though you have those conflicting ideas held in tension and yet the Scripture seems to indicate well does indicate both are true yeah yeah they are both true and I like to say will continue to see this again and again how heart-to-heart can you have when at the front you come to Moses and you say fixes plead lying to God for me. And Moses does and then presses out nevermind oh well know people in my own experience who you know get caught up in the emotion of their desperation in their circumstance. Yeah all pleaded with God for me and I'll do that through my sans dad relief comes right back to where they were and you know maybe that's I'm describing myself and sometimes is not always out there is writing here well plus boiler all the way through the process of hardening Pharaoh's heart start to realize that we all have that same yeah you know that you told a couple of times now will see it on next week to that the outcome of his hardened heart was, he would not listen. In response to relief of his immediate pain in his circumstances he would not listen.

Nothing would convince him. Even though God complied with the pleading and interesting enough when God did comply. God knew he was a good change right right but is it we were just getting a beer to the fact that Pharaoh's heart. Mrs. probably worse we might've ever thought because here he actually makes a promise to Moses and then just reneges yeah well he's can do that again will in verse 10, when Moses said now being as you say, so that you may know there is no one like the Lord our God well in the next chapter will see you next week. He says that you may know that the Lord is Lord in all the earth right so there's no one like him. He reigns over everything, he holds the natural world in order.

He's on some charge, not your phony panoply of godlike and I'm bringing you through this so that you will know who God is and who you are and that's a good explanation for why there's 10 plagues instead of five or two, or none at all is that is Moses is going through a process with Pharaoh were Pharaoh is indeed getting to understand who God is a little more every single time you even hear symbolically speaking, God is not only just more powerful and frogs for God is more powerful than the God of fertility were life comes from generations come from right and so so at this point were actually God's actually saying that your hope in your next generation that you fertility God guarantees your hope in your next generation is misplaced. This God will not do it for you and that really can't store the 10th plague in all of us in verse yeah not sure does, so I may not like you were saying you think of a pregnant woman at this time. She's got her frog amulet around her neck.

She's hoping that this frog God will make this pregnancy come out fine and in the end God saying that frog God is not what guarantees right that fertility or your next generation. I'm the one who guarantees that and sure enough, since it's repudiated here in the last play. That's what goes is the first born of the next generation. It's an instant connection. We got some ground cover between now and then, yeah plus boiler I just told you so.

Everybody knows that. So we were so were running short on time. Again, this is the second plague of the frogs, which to us in Western civilizations you like crazy thing from God is a big deal, very big deal. It was also connected with the Nile and the fertility of the plants as well as the women I mean hopes of the future are tied in with the fertility God. So when you say that God confronts the fertility God you confronting your hope for the future.

So this is really quite fundamental so I'm hoping you're hanging with this next time run to get some more tests, not just frogs but actually sort of worsened.

Anyways, as God continues this process of revealing to him. Pharaoh who is so Jim and we hope that you're showing God's gracious and so joyous next time on Main Street church city is solely responsible to contact us with your questions or comments. Frogs are no longer