The Daily Fountain Daily Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria Anglican Communion

The Daily Fountain Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 18 December 2020 – Let The People Go

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Topic: Let The People Go

Read: Exodus 8:1-19 (NKJV)

  1. And the LORD spoke to Moses, “Go 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 smite all your territory with frogs.
  3. “So the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into your house, into your bedroom, on your bed, into the houses of your servants, on your people, into your ovens, and into your kneading bowls.
  4. “And the frogs shall come up on you, on your people, and on all your servants.” ‘ “
  5. Then the LORD spoke to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to 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. And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs on the land of Egypt.
  8. Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, “Entreat the LORD that He may take away the frogs from me and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice to the LORD.”
  9. And Moses said to Pharaoh, “Accept the honor of saying when I shall intercede for you, for your servants, and for your people, to destroy the frogs from you and your houses, [that] they may remain in the river only.”
  10. So he said, “Tomorrow.” And he said, “[Let it be] according to your word, that you may know that [there is] no one like the LORD our God.
  11. “And the frogs shall depart from you, from your houses, from your servants, and from your people. They shall remain in the river only.”
  12. Then Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh. And Moses cried out to the LORD concerning the frogs which He had brought against Pharaoh.
  13. So the LORD did according to the word of Moses. And the frogs died out of the houses, out of the courtyards, and out of the fields.
  14. They gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank.
  15. But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not heed them, as the LORD had said.
  16. So the LORD said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your rod, and strike the dust of the land, so that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.’ “
  17. And they did so. For Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod and struck the dust of the earth, and it became lice on man and beast. All the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.
  18. Now the magicians so worked with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not. So there were lice on man and beast.
  19. Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This [is] the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, just as the LORD had said.

THE MESSAGE:

The plague of frogs was God’s third miracle to Pharaoh. The Egyptians had a national goddess – Heqet – who had the body of a woman and the head of a frog. Because Heqet was the goddess of fertility and of birth, frogs were sacred and were not to be killed, so Pharaoh asked Moses and Aaron to pray to God to remove the frogs (verse 8). The menace of the frogs was so unbearable to Pharaoh that he promised to let the people go. Moses prayed to God and the frogs died; but Pharaoh changed his mind soon after. Consequently, God brought the fourth plague of lice (gnats) to compel Pharaoh to let His people go. Egypt’s magicians could not perform this miracle and they acknowledged that it was the “finger of God!”

Sometimes, we behave like Pharaoh. When faced with difficulties, we make promises, but go back on our words once the danger is removed. Can you recall when you last failed to keep a promise you made? Bring this to the Lord in prayer who is slow to anger and of great kindness.

PRAYER: O Lord, help me to keep the promises and vows I make to You and people in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen!