The Second Plague: Frogs Everywhere

Sermon 17 in Series

Exodus 8:1-15
[1] Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Let my people go, that they may serve me. [2] But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will plague all your country with frogs. [3] 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 ovens and your kneading bowls. [4] The frogs shall come up on you and on your people and on all your servants.”’” [5] And the LORD said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the canals and over the pools, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt!’” [6] So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. [7] But the magicians did the same by their secret arts and made frogs come up on the land of Egypt.

[8] Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, “Plead with the LORD to take away the frogs from me and from my people, and I will let the people go to sacrifice to the LORD.” [9] 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.” [10] 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. [11] The frogs shall go away from you and your houses and your servants and your people. They shall be left only in the Nile.” [12] So Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and Moses cried to the LORD about the frogs, as he had agreed with Pharaoh. [13] And the LORD did according to the word of Moses. The frogs died out in the houses, the courtyards, and the fields. [14] And they gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank. [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. (ESV)
DEEP SHEET: Sermon Study Questions
1.   Where have you seen idolatry in your life? Why does focusing on God’s nature and attributes smash idols?
2.   What impact did the second plague have on Egypt? What did it communicate about Yahweh, especially in relation to Pharaoh and the Egyptian gods?
3.   Where else do we see the magnitude of God’s power demonstrated in Scripture? How does his power over creation comfort us during trials
4.   Why is Pharaoh’s request for prayer so shocking in light of what we’ve read so far in Exodus? How does this show that God’s purposes are being accomplished?
5.   How does Moses’ intercessory prayer in this passage encourage us to pray more intimately, boldly, and expectantly?
References: Exodus 12:12; Genesis 1:20; Exodus 1:7; 5:2; Deuteronomy 4:39; Matthew 5:44.