Exodus 8:8 (NIV) “Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, ‘Pray to the Lord to take the frogs away from me and my people, and I will let your people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord’.”
In the year 2020 it feels as if we are going through the plagues ourselves. COVID-19, killer hornets, unrest, economic decline and I could go on and on. I’ve been doing a lot of praying for us similarly to the Israelites.
God tells Moses about the plagues and he said that he would harden Pharaoh’s heart.
Exodus 7: 3-5 (NIV)
“ ‘ But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in Egypt, he will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out my divisions, my people the Israelites. And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it.’ ”
Plague number two was frogs. Pharaoh summoned Moses and asked him to pray. Isn’t that amazing? The leader of Egypt summoned Moses and asked him to pray. Why would he do that if he didn’t believe? I think he was at his wits end and wanted the frogs gone.
Do anything Moses, just get these frogs out of here! I’ll let you pray. I just want them gone! So Moses prayed.
Exodus 8: 13-15
“And the Lord did what Moses asked. The frogs died in the houses, in the courtyards and in the fields. They were piled into heaps, and the land reeked of them. But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said.”
God wanted everyone to know who he was. He sent the plagues to demonstrate his greatest and to set aside any doubts. He hardened Pharaoh’s heart so he could turn the hearts of many towards him.
When we pray for others, it may be the same. They may never change their behavior. They may never change the way they feel about God, but I believe it will change you. That may be what God is wanting after all.
