Human sinful pride is destructive.  If you look across the history of the world, you will see that the downfall of many came at a time in which they were most proud.  Great novels in Western literature have emphasized the destructive nature of pride.  And of course, the Bible, God’s Word emphasizes again and again how deadly pride can be.  

Egypt’s Pharaoh during the time of Hebrew captivity was a proud man.  He imagined himself to be a god and when confronted by Moses and Aaron in Exodus 5, verse 2 records his response: “Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go?”  This is the height of pride and hard-heartedness.  

But Exodus 8:10 corrects this, when Moses says, “There is no one like the LORD our God.”  Pharaoh is not God.  And the plague of frogs sent upon him and the Egyptians makes this abundantly clear.  As Bible scholars have noted, the ancient Egyptian fertility god would have been portrayed as a frog.  But as we see God send the frogs upon the Egyptians, it highlights that He is the Creator of frogs and that He governs all that they do.  The fact that He had restrained the frogs from this sort of invasion for so long indicates His power over them.  And the fact that they will go into Egypt at His command indicates this same power.  The gods of Egypt were no gods at all, and Pharaoh was no god at all.  

As our other pastor has reminded us, the plagues are rightly referred to as Mighty Acts of God.  They emphasize His power and might.  They emphasize that He alone is worthy to be worshiped, and when evil men hinder His people worshiping Him as He commands, the Lord defends His people.  

The story only becomes more tragic as Pharaoh’s heart grows more hardened against God.  One imagines some of the evil kings of Shakespearean tragedies who grow more and more oppressive and proud until their downfall.  In the case of Pharaoh, he not only oppresses the people, but his heart is set against God Himself.  

As we consider this, there are certainly warnings for us to heed.  It is a dangerous thing to harden our hearts against God.  But we also are reminded of God’s mercy.  We also were once set against God, determined to live for our own glory.  Yet God is the redeemer from the plague of sin and its curse. Christ has come into the world bearing that curse so that we might  be set right with God.  And we are made in His mercy and kindness able to love Him and to follow and worship Him.  

We were also reminded last week that hard heartedness need not have the last word.  If you are hardening your heart against God, won’t you see His kindness, His steadfast mercy and grace in Jesus Christ and turn to Him while there is still time?  Do not be as Pharaoh who saw the work of God all around him and still refused to worship Him.  Rather, repent,  run to Him, trust in Jesus Christ and you will be delivered from something far greater than frogs; you will be delivered from eternal judgment and will have hope for eternity.  

Have you seen that there is none like God? There is none so powerful, and there is also none so loving and merciful.   Have you trusted in His Son, and experienced His abundant grace and mercy?  

We will discuss this more fully in worship this Lord’s Day at 5 PM at The Commons at St. Andrews Church.  For directions, click here, or contact us for more information.  You can also join us on FacebookLive@RiverCityARP or on YouTube.