The Danger in Delaying
Exodus 8:9-10
“Moses said to Pharaoh, ‘Be pleased to command me when I am to plead for you and for your servants and for your people, that the frogs be cut off from you and your houses and be left only in the Nile.’ And he said, ‘Tomorrow.’ Moses said, ‘Be it as you say, so that you may know that there is no one like the Lord our God.’”
I have been employing a little mind trick I learned recently to help with chores or tasks I need to get done in a day. It’s called “Eat the frog” and it’s a reminder to do the hardest or most unpleasant thing first and get it out of the way. Several times a day I find myself muttering, “Just eat the frog.”
We don’t want to do the unpleasant thing especially when it goes against our desires and comfort. The will of God is many times not pleasurable at the first. When you bring in the problem of sin—the promise of instant gratification at the expense of obedience—then the issue is compounded.
“Eat the frog” takes on a whole new meaning in this story. Egypt was under God’s judgment for Pharaoh’s hard-hearted treatment of the Jews and the arrogant way he and the people defied Jehovah. A hoard of frogs unleashed on the land was the second of ten plagues God was bringing upon the people. Many commentators have underlined the meaning of each plague as specific judgments on Egypt’s false deities, as if God were saying “This is how empty and useless your little gods are compared to Me.” The Egyptian deity Heqet was the goddess of fertility and appeared with the face of a frog. When Moses called on Pharaoh to repent with promise of ending the plague on his word, Pharaoh offered a strange schedule for the mercy to take place: “Tomorrow.” Someone has said Pharaoh was willing to have “one more night with the frogs.”
We’re not sure exactly why Pharaoh was willing to wait but the message seems clear: it’s amazing how much we are willing to endure just to have our way. We delay repentance or obedience because we are deceived to think we have more time. Tomorrow may never come. “There’s no time to borrow, don’t think of tomorrow. There’s no room for delay, you must do it today.” You may not be overrun by frogs but there’s no telling the trouble you invite when you ignore God’s call. For Pharaoh, the judgments worsened yet his heart got harder. If we do continue ignoring the clear opportunities before us, how do we know our consciences won’t be seared before the opportunity passes? The door of mercy is open and the opportunities are plentiful so let’s take up the torch and be obedient to our good God!